Hiring, training and leadership

How to become an iwi chief executive

Official title: Iwi chief executive

Also called: Iwi CEO, Iwi chief executive officer, Iwi general manager, Māori relationships manager

Iwi CEOs lead iwi organisations. They plan strategies and honour the Māori values of tikanga, whakapapa and kawa. They build external relationships to ensure the wellbeing, growth and success of iwi members.

Main tasks

Represent the cultural needs of iwi members
Plan and guide economic and cultural strategies
Uphold Māori values when making decisions
Develop and implement policies
Manage finances for iwi
Build relationships with other iwi and government partners
Support the health and wellbeing of iwi members
Lead and support iwi staff

How to become one

You need experience to become an iwi CEO and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Required: experience in government, Māori development, iwi leadership or similar area; an understanding of te reo Māori and te ao Māori. Other requirements: a relevant tertiary qualification in business and management, human society (Māori customs tikanga), language and literature (Te reo Māori) or similar area; to pass a police check.

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in english language and literature. TEC links this job to study in language and literature. Qualifications: NZ Cert in English Language (Academic), Dip in Languages, Cert in Arts, Cert in Indigenous Narrative, Dip in Arts. Usually 6 to 11 months.; Advanced certificates and diplomas in management and business studies. TEC links this job to study in business and management. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Business, Dip in Business Studies, Cert in Business Studies, Dip in Business, Dip in Commerce. Usually 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $52,000 a year one year after study and $61,000 five years after; 61% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Intermediate certificates in māori customs tikanga. TEC links this job to study in human society. Qualifications: Te Pōtaitahi Tikanga (Waka, Rongoā, Te Ara Nunumi, Mātauranga Māori, Māori Development, Rangahau), Te Pou Hono ki Mahi Marae. Usually 4 months to 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $47,000 a year one year after study and $56,000 five years after; 46% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).

Pay · Past change · AI and this job

Most common pay: $250,000 to $656,250 a year (median $437,500), a TEC estimate before tax.
Lower: $125,000 a year · Upper: $750,000 a year
TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
People employed in the group Chief Executives and Managing Directors: 54,480 at the 2018 Census and 52,092 at the 2023 Census (-4.4%). Past change, not a forecast.
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

In the group Chief Executives and Managing Directors, 31% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
Where people in the group Chief Executives and Managing Directors work (2023 Census): Auckland 40.2%, Canterbury 12.4%, and Wellington 10.4%.

Questions people ask

How do I become an iwi chief executive?

How much does an iwi chief executive earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $437,500 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $250,000 to $656,250 a year.

Will AI change the work of an iwi chief executive?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census totals by topic for individuals 2013, 2018, 2023 (CEN23_TBT_004): employed by occupation, ANZSCO V1.3, summed to unit group (2023 Census (CEN23_TBT_004)), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census 2023: employed by regional council, occupation (ANZSCO V1.3 unit group) and sex at birth (2023 Census), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.

Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.

This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.

These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Updated 4 October 2026