Newshub journalist Oriini Kaipara has been appointed new Pouwhiringa Māori culture lead for the NZ Olympic Committee.
Kaipara, who hails from Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangitihi, will be charged with overseeing Māori cultural competencey and initiatives across the the organisation, as it prepares for next year's Paris Olympics.
"This role will greatly assist us in our Te Ao Māori journey and the development of Te Whare o Pou Tangata for the New Zealand team and our organisation," said NZOC chief executive Nicki Nicol.
"We're excited to work with someone of Oriini's calibre and we look forward to her growing the cultural capabilities of the NZOC."
Kaipara has worked two decades as a biliningual journalist across a variety of platforms, most recently with Warner Bros Discovery. She has been appointed to the Māori Language Commission’s Toi Reo Māori advisory group and is co-chair of Te Kāhui Kaiwhakamāori - the only Māori translators’ organisation in the world.
She has also represented Aotearoa New Zealand as indigenous ambassador at UNESCO, UN Women, APEC and the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.
"It's the start of a new journey for me, one where I will be able to bring and use the full extent of my expertise to achieve success," said Kaipara.
"With a huge year ahead, I know there is a lot of mahi being done already, so I cannot wait to start in 2024 and I plan to hit the ground running."
Kaipara isn't completely lost to Newshub - she will continue to present the news on a freelance basis.
