South Island iwi Ngai Tahu has launched a new training programme for potential future directors of the tribe's commercial business.
The Manawa Nui programme includes specialist training and mentoring on governance for a year.
Three people have already started in the programme and are taking up associate governor roles on tribal commercial boards.
Reon Edwards will join the corporation's Ngai Tahu Seafood, Christopher Murphy will be involved with Ngai Tahu Tourism and Nadine Tunley will be an associate governor for Ngai Tahu Holdings.
Ngai Tahu Holdings Corporation chair Trevor Burt says he's impressed by the calibre of people who applied to be part of Manawa Nui.
Mr Burt says that the focus was on selecting people with strong senior executive experience who could sit around the board table and contribute confidently.
He says the purpose of Manawa Nui is to make sure the people who own the tribal assets become the governors of them.
Mr Burt says in two years he would like half the directors on its commercial boards being Ngai Tahu descent, and if that can be achieved then ultimately one day all directors would be iwi members.
