Maramena Roderick

Raised in Taumaranui, Maramena Roderick did a long stint as an NZ Herald journalist before moving into television. Fronting the camera as a reporter — including time in Europe as TVNZ's first Māori correspondent — led to work directing and producing a run of acclaimed documentaries. She won Qantas Awards for Best Māori Language Programme with both Māori leader series E Tu Kahikatea, and for Ka Haku Au - A Poet's Lament, a documentary about composer Kohine Whakarua Ponika. In 2014 Roderick was made Head of News and Current Affairs for Māori Television; later she became the channel's overall Head of Content.

When women on staff come and say they want to be in my job, I love it. I don't think anyone should be in a job forever — you always need fresh eyes. And I do hope, and I do believe, there'll be another wahine Māori who will come through and will take it to the next level, maybe because of a little bit that I did to open that door and get her there, and I'll celebrate that. Maramena Roderick, in Sunday magazine, 3 September 2017