Cindy Kiro

Kiro made her first international visit as governor-general in May 2022, when she travelled to Abu Dhabi to represent New Zealand at the official condolence ceremony for Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the late president of the United Arab Emirates. On 1 June 2022, Kiro and her husband, Richard Davies, travelled to the United Kingdom for a week-long tour to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II. They attended the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral in London on 3 June, the Platinum Party at the Palace on the evening of 4 June, and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, which included New Zealand defence personnel, on 5 June. They also held bilateral meetings with some other Commonwealth governors-general.

Kiro and Davies travelled to the United Kingdom to attend the state funeral of Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on 19 September 2022, joined by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

In October 2020 Kiro was appointed chief executive of the Royal Society Te Apārangi, commencing on 1 March 2021.

On 24 May 2021, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, had agreed to her recommendation to appoint Kiro as the next governor-general of New Zealand from 21 October 2021. The five-year term of the previous governor-general, Dame Patsy Reddy, ended on 28 September 2021. Kiro is the first Māori woman to be appointed as governor-general.

Kiro gave her first royal assent as governor-general on 27 October, when she gave assent to the Financial Sector (Climate-related Disclosures and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021 and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Legislation Act 2021.

In the 2021 New Year Honours, Kiro was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to child wellbeing and education.

On 9 August 2021, Kiro was appointed as an additional Dame Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit and as an additional Companion of the Queen's Service Order in preparation for becoming governor-general. As governor-general, Kiro is entitled to be styled "Her Excellency" while in office and "The Right Honourable" for life.

On 21 October 2021, Kiro was appointed a Dame of the Order of Saint John by the Queen and appointed a prior of the same order as the governor-general.

Kiro returned to academia, as an associate professor at Massey University and heading its School of Public Health. In 2013 Kiro took a position as head of Te Kura Māori at the School of Education at Victoria University of Wellington. Kiro went on to serve as the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Māori) at the University of Auckland.

In 2012, Kiro received the Public Health Champion award from the Public Health Association of New Zealand, and a US Fulbright Travel Award. The same year she was also named the Māori of the Year for Community Contribution by Television New Zealand.

Kiro was appointed New Zealand's Children's Commissioner in 2003 and served in this role until 2008. While in this role she established the Taskforce for Action on Family Violence that included many government department chief executives, and people from areas such as the police, Family Courts, and Māori and Pacific Island representatives. The passing of the Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act 2007 during her tenure attracted considerable public and media interest. Kiro supported and advocated for the repeal of Section 59 of the Crimes Act, which provided a legal justification for using force against children.

From 1995 to 2000 Kiro was a senior lecturer in social policy at Massey University in Albany. Kiro was awarded her PhD in social policy from Massey University in 2001 for a thesis entitled Kimihia Hauora Māori = Māori Health Policy and Practice. She went on to gain a Master of Business Administration (Executive) from the University of Auckland.

She then joined the first cohort of social work students at Massey University in Palmerston North. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in social sciences from the University of Auckland. In 1987 Kiro graduated with a certificate in epidemiology from the European University Institute in Fiesole, Italy.

Kiro and Davies visited Samoa from 4 to 8 September to take part in celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of Samoan independence from New Zealand.

Dame Alcyion Cynthia Kiro GNZM QSO DStJ (/kɪəˈroʊ/; née Simpson; born 2 July 1958) is a New Zealand public health academic, administrator, and advocate, who has served as the 22nd governor-general of New Zealand since 21 October 2021. Kiro is the first Māori woman, the third person of Māori descent, and the fourth woman to hold the office.

Kiro was born in Whangārei on 2 July 1958, the eldest child of six. She is of Māori and English descent, affiliating with Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Kahu, and Ngāti Hine iwi. Her father was Norman Simpson, who was originally from the north of England. Her mother's maiden name was Ngawaiunu Kiro and her maternal grandparents were Te Rangihaeata Hemi Kiro and Hukatere Miha Maihi.