Tupe Solomon-Tanoa'i is a New Zealand public servant and media producer. She is a board member of the Asia New Zealand Foundation, Philanthropy New Zealand and the

Broadcasting Standards Authority The Broadcasting Standards Authority (; abbreviated BSA) is a New Zealand Crown entity created by the Broadcasting Act 1989 to develop and uphold standards of broadcasting for radio, free-to-air and pay television. The main functions of the B ...

, and in 2020 was the winner of the diversity category at the Women of Influence Awards.

Early life and education

Solomon-Tanoa'i is of Samoan and Fijian heritage, and grew up in

Māngere Bridge Māngere Bridge may refer to: *Māngere Bridge (suburb), a suburb of Auckland *Māngere Bridge (bridges) Māngere Bridge, officially also called the Manukau Harbour Crossing, is a dual motorway bridge over the Manukau Harbour in south-weste ...

in Auckland. Her parents, Arthur and Maretta Solomon, established a private training establishment and were both appointed

Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

in 2015 for services to education and the Pacific community. She was educated at Baradene College, and studied languages and law at the

University of Auckland The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loc ...

, graduating with

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

and

Bachelor of Law A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

(Hons) degrees in 2006.

Career

After university, Solomon-Tanoa'i joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and spent two periods representing New Zealand in

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

. Since 2020, Solomon-Tanoa'i is the Chief Philanthropic Officer at the Michael & Suzanne Borrin Foundation, which was set up from a bequest by Judge

Ian Borrin Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, which is derived from the Hebrew given name (Yohanan, ') and corresponds to the English name John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename ''Iain''. This name is a popu ...

to support legal research, education and scholarship. She is also a member of the Asia New Zealand Foundation board, the Deputy Chair of the Board of Philanthropy New Zealand, and has been on the board of the Broadcasting Standards Authority since 2021. With her husband, Solomon-Tanoa'i set up Poporazzi Productions, and wrote and produced a six-part web series about the struggles of a young Pasifika woman against unconscious bais in the workplace.

Honours and awards

Solomon-Tanoa'i was the winner of the diversity category of the 2020 Women of Influence Awards, for her work "helping finance criminal justice and family law research nd as acampaigner for cultural recognition and inclusion". In 2020, the University of Auckland included Solomon-Tanoa'i as one of their '40 under 40', a list of inspirational young alumni. Solomon-Tanoa'i's father is from the village of Malaemalu in

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...

. In 2024 the village awarded her the chiefly title of Pulotu.

References

External links

*
Leading Through Self-Acceptance
', TEDxPipitea, November 2021 {{DEFAULTSORT:Solomon-Tanoa'i, Tupe Year of birth missing (living people) Living people University of Auckland alumni New Zealand people of Samoan descent New Zealand people of Fijian descent New Zealand producers People educated at Baradene College of the Sacred Heart 21st-century New Zealand diplomats 21st-century New Zealand women public servants