About this person
Patsy Reddy is a New Zealand lawyer, businesswoman and former governor-general. As the twenty-first holder of the office, she represented the British monarch Elizabeth II in New Zealand from 2016 to 2021.
She was born in Matamata into a family of teachers and grew up in several towns in the Waikato region. She studied law at Victoria University of Wellington and later served as a junior lecturer at the same university. She then moved into legal practice and became a partner at a law firm.
Before being appointed governor-general, she held numerous roles in business, public life and the cultural sector. She led a major review of the intelligence services, served on several boards, chaired the New Zealand Film Commission and worked as a chief negotiator in settling claims under the Treaty of Waitangi.
She was appointed to the office on the recommendation of Prime Minister John Key and was sworn in on 28 September 2016. During her five-year term, she served under the governments of John Key, Bill English and Jacinda Ardern.