Whaimutu Dewes, Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Rangitihi, has been involved Maori economic development for as long as he can remember. Clarity of identity and purpose are key concepts on which he was nurtured. Currently working in economic development areas Whaimutu is also a director of Contact Energy and Housing New Zealand and Chairs the boards of Ngāti Porou Forests, Ngāti Porou Seafoods, and Aotearoa Fisheries. Holding Bachelors degrees in Arts and Law from Victoria University of Wellington and a Master in Public Administration from the Kennedy School (Harvard), he was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in 1977.