Ruma Karaitiana Chairs the commercial arm of Rangitāne o Manawatū iwi as well as the Board of Education Services Limited and the Board of the Central Energy Trust. He has worked in governance for thirty years and served on many Boards, working parties and advisory groups including the Board of ACC. He currently also serves on the Board of Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (the former Correspondence School) where he Chairs the Risk and Audit Committee and is a member of the Massey Business School Advisory Board.

Ruma spent 25 years in Chief Executive roles including 10½ years as the Chief Executive of the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation. During that time he was Deputy Chair of the Industry Training Federation; a member of Construction Industry Council; and Chaired the Skills Strategy Work Stream of Construction Sector Productivity Partnership.

More recently he was Chair of the Manawatu Whanganui Regional Skills Leadership Group through the initial period of establishment and delivery of its first Regional Workforce Plan.