Hon. Ron Mark was the 40th Minister of Defence of New Zealand. He served six terms in Parliament with New Zealand First Party, from 1996-2008 and 2014-2020. He was the Minister of Defence and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs between October 2017 and November 2020.

His military background spans service in the New Zealand Army and with the Sultan of Oman’s Special Force. He received numerous awards, including “The Order of the Special Royal Emblem” and the “Distinguished Service Peace Award”.

He has also held significant local-government leadership roles, serving three times as Mayor of Carterton District. In addition, he has more than 29 years’ experience in iwi and Maori governance. He was the highly successful Lead Negotiator for the Treaty Settlement Trust and now serves as the Chair of the Audit Finance & Risk Committee.

He was appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal in January 2025 by Minister for Maori Development, Hon Tama Potaka, and as an independent Ministerial Advisor on Youth Justice by Minister for Children, Hon Karen Chhour.