Summer Wharekawa (Ngāti Tahu, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Maniapoto) joined TVNZ in 2019. Prior to TVNZ, Summer worked and for a number of independent production companies producing Māori content for broadcast, before shifting into a commissioning role at Māori Television, and then a short stint as Interim Head of Content Development. Since 2019 Summer’s roles at TVNZ have included Commissioner, Māori and Pasifika, Local Content Manager, and Manager HEIHEI. She manages a commissioning team of 6 and has been Head of Commissioning since 2025.