Skills Active appoints Bentham Ohia as acting chief executive

Bentham Ohia has been appointed as Executive Director and acting Chief Executive of Skills Active Aotearoa, this week commencing a three-month fixed term, bringing considerable senior leadership experience combined with deep educational knowledge to the traning and skills organisation.

Formerly Chief Advisor Iwi and Māori Education Relationships with the Ministry of Education, Ohia worked for Te Wānanga o Aotearoa for 20 years as deputy chief executive officer and then chief executive officer. He is also the former deputy chair of Waikato Tainui College of Research and Development.

Ohia completed his MBA at the University of Waikato following a period tutoring in te reo Māori at the University of Otago, and teaching at Te Wharekura o Rakaumangamanga in Huntly.  In 2010 he was awarded the Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Waikato.

Ohia is currently a director of Puata Hou Ltd, a whānau business he operates with his wife Kate Cherrington; and is also in his fourth year as the lead lecturer for the University of Canterbury Masters of Māori and Indigenous Leadership programme.  

Ohia is of Te Āti Awa, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Te Roro o Te Rangi (Te Arawa), and Ngāti Rārua descent. 

Image courtesy of Maori Party Facebook