Deputy Chair of Maori Television Backs Process

MEDIA RELEASE
16 September 2013

Deputy Chair of Maori Television Backs Process

Maori Television Deputy Chair Tahu Potiki today backed the recruitment process to appoint a new Chief Executive, despite an appointment not being made.

“We would very much have liked to have made an appointment, but as we weren't unanimous, we thought better of it. We are now considering our options for a pathway forward,” says Mr Potiki.

“For the sake of the reputation of Maori Television, and our relationship with the Government, Te Putahi Paoho and the viewing public, it is better we take further time. I am confident that the process the Board followed was robust and fair.

“The process was agreed by the Board at the outset and left no room for any one individual to turn it to their own personal preference or advantage on the basis of any friendship or personal association with any of the candidates.  This includes our Chairman Georgina te Heuheu who at all times conducted herself in a professional and proper way.”

All decisions were made either by the Board as a whole, or the subcommittee of the Board. The subcommittee was delegated to work with the recruitment company to progress the standard search and advertising, preliminary assessments, shortlisting and due diligence with the sub-committee having the responsibility to come to the Board with a short list of candidates for their consideration.

“As happens often in such circumstances, competing priorities meant discussions may not always bring an agreed result. But I can say without qualification that none of those priorities had anything to do with personal friendships or associations in the process we ran.

“At no time did Georgina try to influence the process by virtue of her personal friendship with Mr Maxwell. She indicated her personal associations in relation to the full list of applicants to me very early in the process, as did other board members. She also made an explicit statement of her friendship with Mr Maxwell before the whole Board at the appropriate time.

“The Board stands by both this statement and our process, confident it was rigorous and fair.  We remain firmly focused on finding a Chief Executive.”

ENDS

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