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Tā Mark Solomon spent 18-years at the helm of Ngāi Tahu. He was elected to the role in 1998 just as the iwi was about to sign its $170 million historic Treaty of Waitangi settlement.
Today Ngai Tahu's asset base stands at $1.2 billion with investments in property, fisheries, tourism farming and much more.
Over $320 million has been distributed to support tribal programmes. As well as guiding Ngai Tahu, Mark Solomon was instrumental in setting up the influential Iwi Chairs Forum.
He is a former chair of the Canterbury District Health Board, a former board member of Te Papa, and current director of a number of companies, and in 2013 was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Maori and business.
Yet the former foundry worker says the first time he stood up to speak on his iwi's behalf he was "tongue-tied and terrified".
He's just released a memoir in which he reflects on his life, those who've influenced him and on what leadership means to him.
