Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato
Professor Dame Farah Palmer is a highly respected leader in sport, governance, and academia. A former captain of the New Zealand Black Ferns, she has combined elite sporting experience with a distinguished academic and governance career focused on leadership, equity, and Māori and Pacific success. As Executive Director of Māori Student Success at Massey University, Dame Farah champions inclusive leadership and the integration of tikanga and Māori values into organisational systems, bringing mana, integrity, and depth to her governance roles.