Rukumoana Schaafhausen rejoins TGH board of directors

Rukumoana Schaafhausen rejoined TGH’s board of directors. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) welcomed Rukumoana Schaafhausen (Ngāti Haua, Waikato-Tainui) back to its board of directors.
Schaafhausen served on the TGH board from 2009 to 2012 and now rejoins the team to replace Tania Simpson, who has served on the board for the maximum tenure of nine years.
Schaafhausen previously chaired Te Arataura, the executive committee of Waikato-Tainui and serves as a spokeswoman for the Kīngitanga.
She also chaired Waikato District Council’s Waters Governance Board and held director roles with Miro Limited, Genesis Energy and AgResearch.
Schaafhausen still serves across several iwi, community, private and public organisations including Contact Energy, Kiwi Group Capital, Pathfinder Asset Management, Alvarium Investments and Te Waharoa Investment.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in law, with a background in commercial and property law from Te Piriniga Faculty of Law in 1996, and was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2021.
TGH chairwoman Hinerangi Raumati said TGH were pleased to welcome Schaafhausen back to the board.
“[She brings] a strong iwi perspective and director experience with resource-intensive companies and successful financial services businesses. We also thank Tania Simpson for the dedication she has shown to growing intergenerational wealth for our iwi over the past nine years.”
Meanwhile, TGH also appointed Ngāi Tahu Holdings chairman Warwick Tauwhare-George (Waikato Tainui, Ngaati Hikairo, Ngaai Tahu – Ngaati Waewae, Ngaati Wheke) as an adviser to the TGH board.
TGH said Tauwhare-George has “extensive international experience” as a leader of commercial entities and previously spent 10 years working in the infrastructure sector in Saudi Arabia.
Tauwhare-George also held numerous directorships including Hamilton Riverside Hotels, Ngāi Tahu Farming and Ngāi Tahu Seafood.
Te Arataura chairman Tukuoroirangi Morgan welcomed the appointments.
“As we approach 30 years since the settlement agreement between Waikato-Tainui and the Crown in 1995, it is gratifying to see the quality and experience of Māori directors coming through, and another step in the evolution and strengthening of our self-governance.”
TGH is the commercial entity of Waikato-Tainui.
Lisette Elisala is a journalism student at the Waikato Institute of Technology. She has joined the Waikato Herald team as an intern for the next few weeks.