Cindy Kiro

Dame Cindy Kiro
Official portrait, 2023
22nd Governor-General of New Zealand
Assumed office
21 October 2021
Monarchs
Prime Minister
Preceded byDame Patsy Reddy
Children's Commissioner
In office
1 September 2003 – 1 September 2008
Appointed bySteve Maharey
Preceded byRoger McClay
Succeeded byJohn Angus
Personal details
BornAlcyion Cynthia Simpson
1958 (age 67–68)
Whangārei, New Zealand
Spouses
Children2 children, 2 stepchildren
Signature
Scientific career
Alma mater
FieldsPublic health
ThesisKimihia Hauora Māori = Māori Health Policy and Practice (2001)
Doctoral advisors
  • Michael Belgrave
  • Chris Cunningham
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "termstart2". Replace with "term_start2".
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "termend2". Replace with "term_end2".
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "primeminister". Replace with "prime_minister".

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

Before she was announced as governor-general designate, Kiro was Chief Executive of the Royal Society Te Apārangi and was previously the Children's Commissioner, head of school of the School of Public Health at Massey University, head of Te Kura Māori at Victoria University of Wellington, and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Māori) of the University of Auckland.

During her term as governor-general, Kiro responded to the death of Elizabeth II, and has undertaken several overseas visits, including attending the Platinum Jubilee and state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles III in the United Kingdom.