100 Notable alumni of
University of Auckland
Updated:
The University of Auckland is 267th in the world, 3rd in Oceania, and 1st in New Zealand by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of Auckland sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Edmund Hillary
- Occupations
- mountaineerexplorerphilanthropistbeekeeperautobiographer
- Biography
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Sir Edmund Percival Hillary was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to have reached the summit of Mount Everest. They were part of the ninth British expedition to Everest, led by John Hunt. From 1985 to 1988 he served as New Zealand's High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh and concurrently as Ambassador to Nepal.
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Rose McIver
- Occupations
- actorfilm director
- Biography
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Frances Rose McIver is a New Zealand actress. She portrays Samantha Arondekar in the CBS supernatural sitcom Ghosts (2021–present), Olivia "Liv" Moore in The CW supernatural comedy-drama series iZombie (2015–2019), Summer Landsdown the Yellow Ranger in Power Rangers RPM (2009), and Amber Moore in the romantic comedy film A Christmas Prince (2017) and its two sequels, The Royal Wedding (2018) and The Royal Baby (2019).
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Marcus Chang
- Occupations
- songwritertelevision actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Marcus Chang is a Taiwanese actor and singer-songwriter. He made his acting debut in the film Café. Waiting. Love (2014) and rose to prominence with the television series Back to 1989 (2016). He gained international recognition for his dual-role performance in the romantic fantasy series Lost Romance (2020), for which he won the Asian Star Prize at the 16th Seoul International Drama Awards. His other notable roles include the television series Behind Your Smile (2016-2017), Between (2018), and Trick or Love (2023).
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Bundee Aki
- Occupations
- rugby union player
- Biography
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Fua Leiofi Bundellu Aki is a professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Connacht. Born in New Zealand, he represents Ireland at international level after qualifying on residency grounds. He became an Irish citizen in 2024, and maintains dual citizenship. He has four caps for the British and Irish Lions, has won three Six Nations Championships, three Triple Crowns and two Grand Slams with Ireland, a Super Rugby title with the Chiefs and one PRO12 title with Connacht Rugby.
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Helen Clark
- Occupations
- university teacherpolitical scientistpolitician
- Biography
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Helen Elizabeth Clark ONZ SSI PC is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008 and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was New Zealand's fifth-longest-serving prime minister, and the second woman to hold that office.
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Winston Peters
- Enrolled in the University of Auckland
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in study of history and politics
- Occupations
- political candidaterugby union playerdiplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Winston Raymond Peters PC is a New Zealand politician. He has led the political party New Zealand First since he founded it in 1993, and since November 2023 has served as the 25th minister of foreign affairs. A long-serving member of Parliament (MP), Peters was re-elected for a fifteenth time at the 2023 general election, having previously been an MP from 1979 to 1981, 1984 to 2008 and 2011 to 2020. He served as the 13th deputy prime minister of New Zealand from November 2023 to May 2025. This was his third time in the role, previously serving from 1996 to 1998 and 2017 to 2020. In addition to his Foreign Affairs portfolio, Peters concurrently serves as the 8th minister for racing and the 29th minister for rail.
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Niki Caro
- Occupations
- film producerscreenwriterfilm director
- Biography
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Nikola Jean Caro MNZM is a New Zealand film, television, and music video director and screenwriter. Her 2002 film Whale Rider was critically praised and won a number of awards at international film festivals. She directed the 2020 live action version of Disney's Mulan, making her the second woman and the second New Zealand director hired by Disney to direct a film budgeted at over $100 million. Caro's works ranged from music videos, commercials, television dramas, and films, etc.
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Lisa Harrow
- Occupations
- film actoractorstage actor
- Biography
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Lisa Harrow ONZM is a New Zealand, RADA-trained actress, noted for her roles in British theatre, films and television. She is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Nancy Astor in the British BBC television drama Nancy Astor.
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Gary Chaw
- Occupations
- singerlyricistsinger-songwriter
- Biography
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Gary Chaw, also known as Gary Cao or Cao Ge or by his alter ego Cao Xiaoge, is a Malaysian Chinese singer-songwriter based in Taiwan, who has had achieved success in Taiwan, Mainland China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Singapore. He is renowned for his stage presence, wide vocal range, and rich voice. In addition, he composes for himself and other singers.
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Rieko Ioane
- Occupations
- rugby sevens playerrugby union player
- Biography
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Rieko Edward Ioane is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a centre or wing for United Rugby Championship club Leinster. He plays for New Zealand at international level.
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Chlöe Swarbrick
- Occupations
- political candidateentrepreneurpolitician
- Biography
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Chlöe Charlotte Swarbrick MP is a New Zealand politician who has served as a co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand since 2024.
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Philippa Boyens
- Occupations
- film producerscreenwriterdirector
- Biography
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Philippa Jane Boyens MNZM is a New Zealand screenwriter who co-wrote the screenplay for The Lord of the Rings series, King Kong, The Lovely Bones, and the three-part film series The Hobbit.
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Emily Barclay
- Occupations
- film actoractorstage actor
- Biography
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Emily Barclay Ward is a British-born New Zealand and Australian AFI award winning actress.
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Michael Jones
- Occupations
- rugby union coachrugby union player
- Biography
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Sir Michael Niko Jones KNZM is a New Zealand former rugby union player and coach.
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Judith Collins
- Occupations
- political candidatelawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Judith Anne Collins KC MP is a New Zealand politician who has served as the attorney-general and minister of defence since 27 November 2023. She served as the leader of the Opposition and leader of the New Zealand National Party from 14 July 2020 to 25 November 2021. Collins has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Papakura since 2008 and was MP for Clevedon from 2002 to 2008.
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Nanaia Mahuta
- Occupations
- political candidateanthropologistpolitician
- Biography
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Nanaia Cybele Mahuta is a New Zealand former politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand from 2020 to 2023. A member of the New Zealand Labour Party, Mahuta served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for 27 years, at first for the party list and then for three different Māori electorates, latterly for Hauraki-Waikato. Mahuta served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 6 November 2020 to 11 November 2023. She received international recognition as the first woman (and first Māori woman) to hold the Foreign Affairs portfolio. In October 2022, Mahuta became the Mother of the House, having served continuously in the House of Representatives since the 1996 general election. She lost her seat in parliament in the 2023 general election to Te Pāti Māori candidate Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, who was subsequently Baby of the House.
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Adrian Zenz
- Years
- 1974-.. (age 52)
- Enrolled in the University of Auckland
- Graduated with Master of Arts in development studies
- Occupations
- lecturersinologistanthropologist
- Biography
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Adrian Nikolaus Zenz is a German anthropologist known for his studies of the Xinjiang internment camps and persecution of Uyghurs in China. He is a director and senior fellow in China studies at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, an anti-communist think tank established by the US government and based in Washington, DC.
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Gavin Hastings
- Occupations
- American football playerrugby union player
- Biography
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Andrew Gavin Hastings, OBE is a Scottish former rugby union player. A fullback, he is widely regarded to be one of the best ever Scottish rugby players and was one of the outstanding players of his generation, winning 61 caps for Scotland, 20 of which as captain. He played for Watsonians, London Scottish, Cambridge University, Scotland and the British Lions. He twice toured with the Lions, to Australia in 1989 and as captain on the 1993 tour to New Zealand.
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David Lange
- Occupations
- diplomatlawyerpolitician
- Biography
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David Russell Lange ONZ CH PC was a New Zealand politician who served as the 32nd prime minister of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. A member of the New Zealand Labour Party, Lange was also the minister of Education and the minister of Foreign Affairs alongside his term as prime minister. He was also the attorney-general of New Zealand from 1989 to 1990.
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Golriz Ghahraman
- Enrolled in the University of Auckland
- Graduated with Bachelor of Laws in history
- Occupations
- barristerpolitical candidatepoliticianprosecutor
- Biography
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Golriz Ghahraman is a New Zealand former politician, lawyer and writer. The former United Nations lawyer was a child asylum seeker, and became the first refugee elected to New Zealand's Parliament. Ghahraman was a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for the Green Party from 2017 to 2024, when she resigned amid multiple shoplifting allegations, which she was later convicted of.
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Nalini Singh
- Enrolled in the University of Auckland
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in English literature
- Occupations
- novelistlawyerwriterlibrarianEnglish teacher
- Biography
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Nalini Singh is a New Zealand author of Indo-Fijian descent. She has authored numerous paranormal romance novels.
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Simon Bridges
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Simon Joseph Bridges is a New Zealand former politician, broadcaster and lawyer. He served as Leader of the National Party and Leader of the Opposition between 2018 and 2020, and as the Member of Parliament for Tauranga from the 2008 election to May 2022, when he resigned. Bridges is the first and currently the only Māori person to serve as leader of a major political party in New Zealand.
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Eliza McCartney
- Occupations
- athletics competitorhigh jumperpole vaulter
- Biography
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Eliza McCartney is a New Zealand track and field athlete who competes in the pole vault and won the bronze medal in this event at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She is the current New Zealand and Oceania record holder at 4.94 m ( 16 ft 2+1⁄4 in), and is the outdoor world junior record holder at 4.64 m ( 15 ft 2+1⁄2 in) (her absolute junior record has since been passed indoors). She also won the silver medal at the Summer Universiade in 2015. In 2018, she placed second at the Commonwealth Games.
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Russell Coutts
- Occupations
- skippermarine architect
- Biography
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Sir Russell Coutts KNZM CBE is a world champion New Zealand yachtsman. He won an Olympic gold medal and skippered three Americas Cup victories in 1995, 2000, and 2003.
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David Seymour
- Occupations
- political candidateengineerpolitician
- Biography
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David Breen Seymour is a New Zealand politician who has served as the 21st deputy prime minister of New Zealand since 2025 and as the 1st minister for regulation since 2023. A member of the ACT Party, he has served as its leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Epsom since 2014.
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Ashley Bloomfield
- Enrolled in the University of Auckland
- Studied in 1990
- Occupations
- civil servantuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Sir Ashley Robin Bloomfield KNZM is a New Zealand public health official. He served as the chief executive of the Ministry of Health and the country's Director-General of Health from 2018 to 2022. He was the public-facing health specialist liaising with the media during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand on behalf of the government, from the first press conference on 27 January 2020.
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Stephen Donald
- Occupations
- rugby union player
- Biography
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Stephen Rex Donald is a retired New Zealand rugby union player who played for the NEC Green Rockets in the Japanese Top League. A first five-eighth or centre, he won 24 international caps for New Zealand. Nicknamed 'Beaver', he is best known for kicking the winning penalty in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final.
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Vincent Cheng
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Vincent Cheng Wing-shun, MH is a Hong Kong politician. He is the current member of the Legislative Council member for Kowloon West and former member of the Sham Shui Po District Council for Nam Cheong North from 2015 to 2019. As a member of Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), he made an upset in the 2018 Legislative Council by-election in Kowloon West, being the first pro-Beijing candidate to defeat a pro-democracy opponent in an open by-election since 1992.
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Āpirana Ngata
- Occupations
- historianjuristlawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Sir Āpirana Turupa Ngata was a prominent New Zealand statesman. He has often been described as the foremost Māori politician to have served in parliament in the mid-20th century, and is also known for his work in promoting and protecting Māori culture and language. His legacy is one of the most prominent of any New Zealand leader in the 20th century, and is commemorated by his depiction on the fifty-dollar note.
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Mahé Drysdale
- Occupations
- rower
- Biography
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Alexander Mahé Owens Drysdale MNZM is a New Zealand politician and retired rower. Drysdale is a two-time Olympic champion and a five-time world champion in the single sculls. He is a seven-time New Zealand national champion and five-time recipient of New Zealand Sportsman of the Year. He is the current mayor of Tauranga.
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Anand Satyanand
- Enrolled in the University of Auckland
- Studied in 1970
- Occupations
- lawyerjudgepolitician
- Biography
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Sir Anand Satyanand GNZM QSO KStJ is a New Zealand lawyer, judge, and ombudsman who served as the 19th Governor-General of New Zealand from 2006 to 2011.
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Phil Goff
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Philip Bruce Goff CNZM is a New Zealand retired politician and former diplomat. He was a member of the New Zealand Parliament from 1981 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 2016. He served as leader of the Labour Party and leader of the Opposition between 11 November 2008 and 13 December 2011.
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Vaughan Jones
- Occupations
- mathematicianuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Sir Vaughan Frederick Randal Jones was a New Zealand mathematician known for his work on von Neumann algebras and knot polynomials. He was awarded a Fields Medal in 1990.
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Marama Davidson
- Occupations
- politicianpolitical candidate
- Biography
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Marama Mere-Ana Davidson is a New Zealand politician who has served as a co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand since 2018.
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Chris Liddell
- Occupations
- philanthropistbusinesspersonpolitician
- Biography
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Christopher Pell Liddell CNZM is a New Zealand-American businessperson who served as chief financial officer of Microsoft, the vice chairman of General Motors, senior vice president and CFO of International Paper, director and chairman of Xero and the White House deputy chief of staff in the first Trump administration.
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Peter Thomson
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Peter Thomson OF is a Fijian diplomat and the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean, and President of the United Nations General Assembly from September 2016 until September 2017. He served as Fiji's Permanent Representative to the United Nations February 2010 to August 2017, with concurrent duties as Fiji's Ambassador to Cuba.
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Margaret Mahy
- Occupations
- screenwriternovelistwriterlibrarianchildren's writer
- Biography
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Margaret Mahy ONZ was a New Zealand author of children's and young adult books. Many of her story plots have strong supernatural elements but her writing concentrates on the themes of human relationships and growing up. She wrote more than 100 picture books, 40 novels and 20 collections of short stories. At her death she was one of thirty writers to win the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Medal for her "lasting contribution to children's literature".
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Ronald Syme
- Occupations
- historianuniversity teacherclassical scholartranslator
- Biography
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Sir Ronald Syme, OM, FBA was a New Zealand-born historian and classicist. He was regarded as the greatest historian of ancient Rome since Theodor Mommsen and the most brilliant exponent of the history of the Roman Empire since Edward Gibbon. His great work was The Roman Revolution (1939), a masterly and controversial analysis of political life in the Roman Republic following the assassination of Julius Caesar, offering critical views about Octavian in particular that challenged widely accepted views in contemporary academia.
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Pete Bethune
- Occupations
- explorer
- Biography
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Captain Peter James Bethune is a New Zealand ship's captain with 500 ton master licence, published author, producer of The Operatives TV show, and public speaker. He is the founder of Earthrace Conservation. He works assisting countries in Asia, Central America and Africa with fisheries enforcement and anti-poaching. He is the holder of the world record for circumnavigating the globe in his powerboat Earthrace, a wavepiercing trimaran powered with biofuels.
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Roger Douglas
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Sir Roger Owen Douglas is a retired New Zealand politician, economist and accountant who served as a minister in two Labour governments. He is most recognised for his key involvement in New Zealand's radical economic restructuring in the 1980s, when the Fourth Labour Government's economic policy became known as "Rogernomics", which implemented neoliberal economic policies.
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Richard Chandler
- Born in
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New Zealand - Enrolled in the University of Auckland
- In 1982 graduated with Master of Commerce
- Graduated with Bachelor of Commerce
- Occupations
- entrepreneur
- Biography
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Richard Fred Chandler is a New Zealand-born billionaire businessman. Starting his career as an investor in 1982, in 2006 he founded the Clermont Group, an international conglomerate based in Singapore. Chandler "has a reputation for buying struggling companies and successfully rebuilding them," according to ABC News. He remains chairman of the Clermont Group.
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Laisenia Qarase
- Occupations
- politicianbanker
- Biography
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Laisenia Qarase was a Fijian politician. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006. After the military quashed the coup that led to the removal of Mahendra Chaudhry, Qarase joined the Interim Military Government as a financial adviser on 9 June 2000, until his appointment as Prime Minister on 4 July. He won two parliamentary elections, but a military coup removed him from power on 5 December 2006. He was later imprisoned on corruption charges brought by the military-backed regime.
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John Tamihere
- Occupations
- politicianpolitical candidate
- Biography
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John Henry Tamihere is a New Zealand politician, media personality, and political commentator. He was a member of Parliament from 1999 to 2005, including serving as a Cabinet minister in the Labour Party from August 2002 to November 2004. Tamihere ran unsuccessfully for Auckland mayor in the 2019 election. He joined Te Pāti Māori (the Māori Party) in 2020 and from April to October 2020 was the party's co-leader. He became president of Te Pāti Māori in June 2022.
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Ngaire Woods
- Occupations
- professoreconomist
- Biography
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Ngaire Tui Woods CBE is the founding dean of the Blavatnik School of Government and professor of Global Economic Governance at the University of Oxford.
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Carmel Sepuloni
- Occupations
- politicianpolitical candidate
- Biography
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Carmel Jean Sepuloni is a New Zealand politician who served as the 20th deputy prime minister of New Zealand. A member of the Labour Party, she was first elected to Parliament in 2008 for a three-year term as a list Member of Parliament (MP) and was re-elected as MP for Kelston in 2014. In 2023, she was elected as the deputy leader of the Labour Party, succeeding Kelvin Davis.
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Henry Puna
- Years
- 1949-.. (age 77)
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Henry Tuakeu Puna is a Cook Islands politician. He most recently served as the secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum from May of 2021 to 2024. He was Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from November 2010 to October 2020. Since 2006 he has been leader of the Cook Islands Party.
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Catherine Tizard
- Occupations
- university teacheractivistpolitician
- Biography
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Dame Catherine Anne Tizard ONZ GCMG GCVO DBE QSO DStJ was a New Zealand politician who served as mayor of Auckland City from 1983 to 1990, and the 16th governor-general of New Zealand from 1990 to 1996. She was the first woman to hold either office.
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Julie Anne Genter
- Occupations
- politicianpolitical candidate
- Biography
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Julie Anne Genter MP is an American-born New Zealand politician who is a member of the House of Representatives representing the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. Genter was elected to each Parliament from 2011 to 2023 on the party lists, before being elected as the Member of Parliament for the Rongotai electorate in the 2023 election. She served as the Minister for Women, Associate Minister for Health and Associate Minister for Transport during the first term of the Sixth Labour Government. She holds dual citizenship of New Zealand and the United States.
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Aishah
- Occupations
- singeractorsocialite
- Biography
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Wan Aishah binti Wan Ariffin, known mononymously as Aishah, is a singer, actress, and politician from Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
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Tawfik Hamid
- Occupations
- journalistwriter
- Biography
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Tawfik Hamid is an Egyptian-American Muslim reformer and medical doctor. A self-described former member of the militant group al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya, he says that he started to preach in mosques to promote his message and, as a result, became a target of Islamic militants, who threatened his life. He has been a Senior Fellow and Chair for the Study of Islamic Radicalism at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.
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Simeon Brown
- Occupations
- politicianpolitical candidate
- Biography
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Simeon Peter Brown is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the National Party. In January 2025, he was appointed Minister of Health by Prime Minister Chris Luxon.
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Christopher Chandler
- Occupations
- financierbusinesspersoninvestor
- Biography
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Christopher Chandler is a New Zealand businessman and founder of Dubai-based investment company Legatum which also provides funding for UK media channel GB News.
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Sian Elias
- Occupations
- lawyerjudge
- Biography
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Dame Sian Seerpoohi Elias GNZM KC PC is a former New Zealand judge who served as the 12th chief justice of New Zealand, and was therefore the most senior member of the country's judiciary. She was the inaugural presiding judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand and on several occasions acted as administrator of the Government.
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Shane Reti
- Occupations
- badminton playerpoliticianbadminton executive and administratorpolitical candidatephysician
- Biography
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Shane Raymond Reti QSM MP is a New Zealand politician and a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives, and a Cabinet Minister with the roles of Minister for Pacific Peoples, Minister of Science, Innovation, and Technology, Minister of Universities and Minister of Statistics. He was first elected at the 2014 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Whangārei electorate. He is a member of the New Zealand National Party and served as its deputy leader from 10 November 2020 to 30 November 2021 including a period of five days as interim leader following the ousting of Judith Collins. He previously held the role of Minister of Health from 2023 to 2025.
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Nigel Latta
- Occupations
- television presenterclinical psychologist
- Biography
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Nigel Raymond Latta ONZM was a New Zealand clinical psychologist, author and broadcaster. He had often been described as "New Zealand's best-known psychologist".
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Wayne Brown
- Enrolled in the University of Auckland
- Graduated with Bachelor of Engineering
- Occupations
- civil servantbusinesspersonpolitician
- Biography
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Wayne Kelvin Forrest Brown is a New Zealand politician and the mayor of Auckland since the 2022 Auckland mayoral election. He has worked in leadership roles in several large New Zealand businesses and public infrastructure organisations. He was mayor of the Far North District Council from 2007 to 2013.
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Stuart Nash
- Years
- 1967-.. (age 59)
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Stuart Alexander Nash is a New Zealand politician and lawyer. He was a member of the House of Representatives for Labour Party from 2008 to 2011, and was re-elected in 2014 election as a representative of Napier electorate. In October 2017 when Jacinda Ardern became Prime Minister of New Zealand, Nash entered Labour Cabinet, with a portfolios of Police, Revenue, Small Business and Fisheries. In the second Ardern term Nash was handed the Economic Development, Tourism, Forestry, and Small Business portfolios. In early April 2023, Nash confirmed that he would not be contesting the 2023 election.
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Mike Rann
- Enrolled in the University of Auckland
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- political adviserpoliticiandiplomatjournalistmedia consultant
- Biography
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Michael David Rann AC CNZM is an Australian former politician and diplomat who was the 44th premier of South Australia from 2002 to 2011. He was later Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2014, and Australian ambassador to Italy, Albania, Libya and San Marino from 2014 to 2016.
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Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi
- Occupations
- archereconomistpolitician
- Biography
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Susuga Tuilaʻepa Lupesoliai Neioti Aiono Saʻilele Malielegaoi is a Samoan politician and economist who is the current Leader of the Opposition of Samoa. A leader of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), he served as the sixth prime minister of Samoa from 1998 to 2021.
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Metiria Turei
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Metiria Leanne Agnes Stanton Turei is a New Zealand academic and former politician. She was a Member of Parliament from 2002 to 2017 and the female co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand from 2009 to 2017. Turei resigned from the co-leader position on 9 August 2017 amid a political controversy arising from her admission to lying to the Ministry of Social Development to receive higher payments when she was on the Domestic Purposes Benefit and later, to being enrolled to vote in an electorate where she was not eligible when she was 23.
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Hone Harawira
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Hone Pani Tamati Waka Nene Harawira is a New Zealand Māori activist and former parliamentarian. He was elected to parliament as the member for the Māori electorate of Te Tai Tokerau in 2005 as the Māori Party candidate.
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David Shearer
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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David James Shearer MBE is a New Zealand United Nations worker and politician. He was a member of the New Zealand Parliament for the Labour Party from 2009 to 2016, serving as Leader of the Opposition from 2011 to 2013.
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Latha Hegde
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Latha Hegde is an Indian-born New Zealand actress who works mainly in Kannada also works in Telugu films.
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Bryan Charles Gould
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Bryan Charles Gould CNZM is a New Zealand-born British former politician and diplomat. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1974 to 1979, and again from 1983 to 1994. He was a member of the Labour Party's shadow cabinet from 1986 to 1992, and stood unsuccessfully for the leadership of the party in 1992.
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Raymond Firth
- Occupations
- academicanthropologist
- Biography
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Sir Raymond William Firth CNZM FRAI FBA was an ethnologist from New Zealand. As a result of Firth's ethnographic work, actual behaviour of societies (social organization) is separated from the idealized rules of behaviour within the particular society (social structure). He was a long-serving professor of anthropology at the London School of Economics, and is considered to have singlehandedly created a form of British economic anthropology.
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Linda Tuhiwai Smith
- Occupations
- professor
- Biography
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Linda Tuhiwai Te Rina Smith CNZM, previously a professor of indigenous education at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand, is now a distinguished professor at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. Smith's academic work is about decolonising knowledge and systems. The Royal Society Te Apārangi describes Smith’s influence on education as creating "intellectual spaces for students and researchers to embrace their identities and transcend dominant narratives."
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Amber Sainsbury
- Occupations
- actorfilm actor
- Biography
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Amber Sainsbury is a New Zealand actress, philanthropist, and producer. She starred in the Sky One series Hex (2005). She is a founder of the charity Dramatic Need.
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Peter Shiu
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Peter Shiu Ka-fai is the current Chairman of the Liberal Party and a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. He is also a former member of Eastern District Council, for Braemar Hill constituency on Hong Kong Island.
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Paul Goldsmith
- Occupations
- political candidatewriterpolitician
- Biography
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Paul Jonathan Goldsmith is a New Zealand historian and politician. The biographer of several leading right-wing political and business figures, he was first elected a list member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for the National Party at the 2011 election.
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Jiaxin Cheng
- Years
- 1974-.. (age 52)
- Occupations
- cellist
- Biography
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Jiaxin Cheng is a Chinese cellist.
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Hinemoa Elder
- Enrolled in the University of Auckland
- 1993-1998 graduated with Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
- Occupations
- television presenterresearcher
- Biography
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Hinemoa Elder MNZM is a New Zealand youth forensic psychiatrist and former television presenter. She is a professor in indigenous research at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, a fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, and sits on the Māori Advisory Committee of the Centre for Brain Research.
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Jeanette Fitzsimons
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jeanette Mary Fitzsimons CNZM was a New Zealand politician and environmentalist. She was the co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand from 1995 to 2009, and was a Member of Parliament from 1996 to 2010.
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Richard Prebble
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Richard William Prebble CBE is a former member of the New Zealand Parliament. Initially a member of the Labour Party, he joined the newly formed ACT New Zealand party under Roger Douglas in 1996, becoming its leader from 1996 to 2004.
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Mohit Madaan
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Mohit Madaan is an Indian Hindi-film actor. He got recognition by playing the mastermind Bachchan Singh, one of the main characters in the film Aksar 2, a Hindi thriller film directed by Anant Mahadevan, co-starring Zareen Khan and Gautam Rode. The film is the sequel to 2006 hit film Aksar. Mohit Madaan is also credited as Mohit Madan in media.
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Lydia Bradey
- Occupations
- mountaineer
- Biography
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Lydia Pounamu Bradey ONZM is a New Zealand mountaineer. She became the first woman to summit Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen in 1988. She has climbed Mount Everest a total of six times.
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Wilson Whineray
- Occupations
- rugby union player
- Biography
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Sir Wilson James Whineray KNZM OBE was a New Zealand business executive and rugby union player. He was the longest-serving captain of the national rugby union team, the All Blacks, until surpassed by Richie McCaw in 2014. Rugby writer Terry McLean considered him the All Blacks' greatest captain.
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Andrew Coster
- Born in
- New Zealand
- Occupations
- police officer
- Biography
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Andrew David Coster is a New Zealand senior public servant and former police officer. He served as Commissioner of Police from 3 April 2020 to 10 November 2024 and was subsequently appointed Secretary for Social Investment and chief executive of the Social Investment Agency, before resigning from that role in November 2025 following an Independent Police Conduct Authority report into police handling of allegations against former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.
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Ingrid Visser
- Occupations
- biologistresearcher
- Biography
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Ingrid Natasha Visser is a New Zealand marine biologist who studies orcas. She regularly lectures on the subject aboard cruise ships, especially in Antarctica, and has been featured in several documentaries about orcas.
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Helen Winkelmann
- Years
- 1962-.. (age 64)
- Enrolled in the University of Auckland
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- judgebarrister
- Biography
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Dame Helen Diana Winkelmann GNZM is the 13th and current chief justice of New Zealand – head of the New Zealand judiciary – having been sworn in on 14 March 2019. She is the second woman to hold the position, following her immediate predecessor, Sian Elias.
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Phil Twyford
- Years
- 1963-.. (age 63)
- Occupations
- politicianpolitical candidate
- Biography
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Philip Stoner Twyford is a politician from New Zealand and a member of the Labour Party. He has been a Member of Parliament since 2008. He is the Labour Party MP for Te Atatū.
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Maurice Gee
- Enrolled in the University of Auckland
- Graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- scholar of Englishteachernovelistwriterchildren's writer
- Biography
-
Maurice Gough Gee was a New Zealand novelist. He was one of New Zealand's most distinguished and prolific authors, having written over thirty novels for adults and children, and having won numerous awards both in New Zealand and overseas, including multiple top prizes at the New Zealand Book Awards, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in the UK, the Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship, the Robert Burns Fellowship and a Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement. In 2003, he was recognised as one of New Zealand's greatest living artists across all disciplines by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand, which presented him with an Icon Award.
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Pita Sharples
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Sir Pita Russell Sharples KNZM CBE is a New Zealand Māori academic and politician, who was a co-leader of the Māori Party from 2004 to 2013, and a minister outside Cabinet in the National Party-led government from 2008 to 2014. He was the member of Parliament for the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate in Auckland from 2005 to 2014. He stepped down as co-leader of the Māori Party in July 2013.
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Colin Craig
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Colin Craig is a New Zealand businessman and perennial candidate who was the founding leader of the Conservative Party of New Zealand.
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Peter Davis
- Occupations
- university teachersociologist
- Biography
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Peter Byard Davis is a New Zealand sociologist, professor, and the husband of Helen Clark, who was the prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008.
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Raymond Huo
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Raymond Huo is a New Zealand politician who was a Member of Parliament from 2008 to 2014 and from 2017 to 2020. He was first elected in 2008 as the New Zealand Labour Party's first MP of Chinese descent. He was the third Chinese New Zealander to enter Parliament, after the National Party's Pansy Wong and ACT's Kenneth Wang.
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Lowell Goddard
- Occupations
- judge
- Biography
-
Dame Lowell Patria Goddard, DNZM, KC is a former New Zealand High Court judge, from 1995 to 2015. She is thought to be the first person of Māori ancestry to have been appointed to the High Court. In 1988, she was one of the first two women to be appointed Queen's Counsel in New Zealand and in 1989 became the first woman to hold a Crown warrant. In 1992, she became Deputy Solicitor-General for New Zealand. Between 2007 and 2012 she chaired New Zealand's Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA). In 2010 she was elected as an independent expert to the United Nations Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture (SPT) and served in that capacity until 2016. From February 2015 until August 2016, she chaired the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in England and Wales.
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Peter Gutmann
- Years
- 20th Century
- Occupations
- computer scientistcryptographer
- Biography
-
Peter Claus Gutmann is a computer scientist in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. He has a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Auckland. His Ph.D. thesis and a book based on the thesis were about a cryptographic security architecture. He is interested in computer security issues, including security architecture, security usability, and hardware security; he has discovered several flaws in publicly released cryptosystems and protocols.
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Anne Salmond
- Occupations
- historianacademicanthropologist
- Biography
-
Dame Mary Anne Salmond ONZ DBE FRSNZ is a New Zealand anthropologist. She was New Zealander of the Year in 2013. In 2020, she was appointed to the Order of New Zealand, the highest honour in New Zealand's royal honours system.
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Jonathan Hunt
- Enrolled in the University of Auckland
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in study of history
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Jonathan Lucas Hunt ONZ PC was a New Zealand politician and diplomat. He started a 38-year parliamentary career as the Baby of the House and retired as Father of the House. During that tenure, he was Speaker of the House of Representatives. Afterwards, he served as New Zealand's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2005 to March 2008. He was a member of the Order of New Zealand, New Zealand's highest civilian honour, and given the nickname "Minister for Wine and Cheese" for enjoying those items.
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David Beattie
- Occupations
- judge
- Biography
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Sir David Stuart Beattie, GCMG, GCVO, QSO, KStJ, QC was an Australian-born New Zealand judge who served as the 14th governor-general of New Zealand from 1980 to 1985. During the 1984 constitutional crisis, Beattie was nearly forced to dismiss the sitting prime minister, Robert Muldoon.
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Maurice Williamson
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Maurice Donald Williamson is a New Zealand politician and former diplomat.
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Lance O'Sullivan
- Occupations
- physician
- Biography
-
Lance O'Sullivan is a New Zealand Māori doctor (Te Rarawa, Ngati Hau, Ngati Maru) formerly practising in Kaitaia, Northland. He is also an author, public speaker and public health advocate. In 2013 O'Sullivan was declared Ngā Toa Whakaihuwaka (Supreme Māori of the year), and in 2014 he was declared New Zealander of the Year 2014 for bringing health programmes to disadvantaged in rural areas.
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Murray McCully
- Occupations
- diplomatlawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Murray Stuart McCully CNZM CF is a New Zealand former politician. He is a member of the National Party, and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2017.
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Jonathan Coleman
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Jonathan David Coleman is a retired New Zealand politician and medical practitioner, who most recently served as Minister of Health and for Sport and Recreation under the Fifth National Government. Coleman also served as Minister of Defence and Immigration within the first two terms of that government, and represented the parliamentary constituency Northcote for the National Party from 2005 to 2018.
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Margaret Wilson
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
-
Margaret Anne Wilson DCNZM is a New Zealand lawyer, academic and former Labour Party politician. She served as Attorney-General from 1999 to 2005 and Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2005 to 2008, during the Fifth Labour Government.
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Jamie Whyte
- Years
- 20th Century
- Occupations
- foreign currency traderphilosopherpolitician
- Biography
-
Jamie Whyte is a New Zealand classical-liberal academic and politician who was the Leader of ACT New Zealand in 2014. He unsuccessfully contested the Pakuranga electorate in the 2014 general election. At the election, Whyte held the first position on the party list, but ACT did not achieve enough party votes to secure any list seats. Soon after the 2014 general election, he resigned from the leadership of ACT.
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Peter Gluckman
- Occupations
- scientistphysician
- Biography
-
Sir Peter David Gluckman is a New Zealand scientist. Originally trained as a paediatrician, he served as the inaugural Chief Science Advisor to the New Zealand Prime Minister from 2009 to 2018. He is a founding member and was inaugural chair of the International Network for Government Science Advice, and is president of the International Science Council.
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Benson Stanley
- Occupations
- rugby union player
- Biography
-
Benson Stanley is a rugby union player for US Montauban in the Pro D2. Stanley is a product of Auckland Grammar. He plays as a centre. Benson is one of the Stanley rugby clan that includes Chase, Joe, Jeremy, and Kyle. Benson is also the brother of Harlequin F.C. player Winston Stanley. Stanley was named in the 2010 All Blacks squad, making three appearances during the 2010 season. He played for the Blues in the Super Rugby competition between 2008 and 2012.
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David Epston
- Occupations
- psychologistpsychotherapistuniversity teachersocial worker
- Biography
-
David Epston is a New Zealand social worker and therapist, formerly co-director of the Family Therapy Centre in Auckland, New Zealand, formerly visiting professor at the John F. Kennedy University, formerly an honorary clinical lecturer in the Department of Social Work, University of Melbourne, and formerly an affiliate faculty member in the Ph.D program in Couple and Family Therapy at North Dakota State University. Epston and his late friend and colleague Michael White (social worker and psychotherapist) are known as originators of narrative therapy.
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Danny Hilman Natawidjaja
- Years
- 1961-.. (age 65)
- Enrolled in the University of Auckland
- Graduated with Master of Science
- Occupations
- geologist
- Biography
-
Danny Hilman Natawidjaja is an Indonesian geologist specializing in earthquake geology and geotectonics at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences Research Center for Geotechnology.
