Dame Jacinda Ardern
Prime Minister of New Zealand (2017 – 2023)
About The Speaker
Dame Jacinda was New Zealand’s youngest Prime Minister when elected to office in 2017. During her tenure, she faced New Zealand’s worst terror attack, a deadly volcanic eruption, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Her deft and compassionate response to these challenges defined her image around the world, earning her one of New Zealand’s highest honours – she was made a Dame Grand Companion – and cementing her reputation as a global icon for progressive politics.
Since leaving politics, Dame Jacinda has announced she will be taking on dual roles at Harvard University, serving as the Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow, and the Hauser Leader in the School’s Center for Public Leadership.
Dame Jacinda is also a passionate advocate for climate action, and is a board member of The Earthshot Prize, which focuses on finding solutions to climate change and environmental issues. In her farewell address to the New Zealand parliament as Prime Minister, Dame Jacinda reiterated that “Climate change is a crisis. It is upon us,” and implored the House to "take the politics out of climate change".