The Rt Hon Dame Jacinda Ardern

The Right Honourable Dame Jacinda Ardern is a one-woman masterclass in leadership. In 2017 she became the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand at just 37 years of age and also leader of the Labour Party, a position she held until 2023. During her time in office, she faced the challenges of a live-streamed domestic terror attack against New Zealand’s Muslim community, a volcanic eruption, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her focus on people, kindness, and what she has called “pragmatic idealism” saw New Zealand achieve some of the lowest losses of life experienced by any developed nation through the pandemic, the ban of military-style semi-automatic weapons in her country, and the creation of the Christchurch Call to eliminate violent extremism online, for which Ms Ardern continues to hold the role of Special Envoy.

Jacinda Ardern is a champion of women's empowerment. While in office, New Zealand reached 50 percent representation of women in parliament, and on government-appointed boards. She decriminalised abortion, improved pay equity laws, and extended paid parental leave to 6 months - all while being only the second woman in the world to have a baby while leading her country.

Ms Ardern is a passionate advocate of climate action and is a board member of The Earthshot Prize, focusing on solutions to climate change and environmental issues. She is also an Arnhold Distinguished Fellow, Conservation International where she is advocating for climate action and better treatment of the environment.

Dame Jacinda Ardern is the 2023 Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Hauser Leader in the School’s Center for Public Leadership, a program where leaders from public, private, and non-profit sectors engage with students and faculty on building skills in principled leadership.

Born in Hamilton, Jacinda Ardern grew up in Morrinsville and Murupara. She joined the Labour Party at the age of 17 and, after graduating from the University of Waikato in 2001, she worked as a researcher in the office of Prime Minister Helen Clark.

She later worked in London as an adviser in the Cabinet Office during Tony Blair's premiership. In 2008, Jacinda was elected president of the International Union of Socialist Youth. She was first elected as an MP in the 2008 general election, when Labour lost power after nine years. She was later elected to represent the Mount Albert electorate in a February 2017 by-election.

She was unanimously elected as deputy leader of the Labour Party on 1 March 2017, after the resignation of Annette King. Exactly five months later, with an election due, Labour's leader Andrew Little resigned after a historically low opinion polling result for the party, with Jacinda Ardern elected unopposed as leader in his place.

Labour's support increased rapidly after Ms Ardern became leader, and she led her party to gain 14 seats at the 2017 general election on 23 September, winning 46 seats to the National Party's 56. She was sworn in by the governor-general on 26 October 2017. She became the world's youngest female head of government at age 37. Jacinda Ardern also gave birth to her daughter on 21 June 2018, making her the world's second elected head of government to give birth while in office (after Benazir Bhutto).

She is also the Knight Tech Governance Leadership Fellow at Harvard Law School’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, where she is focused on ways to improve content standards and platform accountability for extremist content online.

Ms Ardern holds an Honorary Doctorate from Harvard University.

The Rt. Hon. Dame Jacinda Ardern is a highly sought-after keynote speaker on authentic leadership, gender equity, social justice, online extremism and climate change.

She is also now a Senior Fellow at Harvard University with fellowships at Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership as well as Harvard Law School’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society.

Lead As You Are: Lessons from Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern
When The Rt. Hon. Dame Jacinda Ardern took office, she worried she would need to change drastically in order to become the leader her country needed. As she faced challenges, however, she learned that her sensitivity, compassion, and authenticity were her true gifts.

In this candid and powerful talk, Ardern inspires audiences to find strength in who they are and stresses that authentic leadership is about putting people first. Drawing upon her own experiences, Ms Ardern shares how to create a culture of inclusivity and belonging where everyone feels valued for their unique perspectives and experiences.

Taking the Politics Out of Climate Change
A visionary leader and champion of climate action, The Rt. Hon. Dame Jacinda Ardern urges us to recognise climate change not as a political issue, but as a humanitarian crisis.

Drawing upon her experiences as the Prime Minister of New Zealand and board member of The Earthshot Prize, Ms Ardern weaves together compelling stories and astute policy insights to issue a profound call to collective action. Illuminating the urgent need for global co-operation in the face of our planet's greatest challenges, she reveals how we can forge a path towards a more sustainable existence for all living beings.

By sharing practical solutions and innovative approaches, Ardern leaves audiences optimistic about their role in the climate solution.is a highly sought-after speaker on authentic leadership, gender equity, social justice, online extremism, and climate change.