Vanessa moved back into the chair’s position in April 2021 after having previously served for a number of years as chair, then deputy chair for a period, helping lead the council through a busy time of change for Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

Vanessa is a business consultant, company director and former chief executive in the tourism sector. She sits on a range of commercial, investment and not-for-profit boards, including the Tūaropaki Trust, and is co-chair of forestry land management company CNI Iwi Land Management Ltd. She has a strong history of working with the wider community, kaumātua, iwi chairs, Ministers, Members of Parliament, and stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes for those she serves.