Selwyn Parata is the Chairman of Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou and has acted as chairman or director of a number of the iwi’s commercial investments. He was a member of Te Haeata, the Ngāti Porou Treaty Negotiation Team until 2011.

Selwyn is the Chairman of Te Matatini Incorporated and acts as one of the judges for that organisation’s biennial National Festivals.