When Ardern assumed office in October 2017, she became New Zealand's youngest leader in 150 years.
Her platform focused on education reform, poverty, and mental healthcare, and she campaigned with "relentless positivity," NPR reported at the time.
Ardern, was a welcoming presence who occasionally spoke to reporters directly in the beginning stages of her leadership, instead of going through a spokesperson.
An Australian journalist from ABC Radio said shortly after Ardern was named the country's next prime minister, he called her office to determine how to pronounce her last name.
He said on Twitter — and Ardern later confirmed, according to the Associated Press — that it was Ardern who unexpectedly answered the phone.
"It was funny. I was in a meeting and my desk phone started to ring, and it doesn't ring much, so I went over and I saw it was an international number, and I just picked up," Ardern told The New Zealand Herald.
how's this. heard variant pronunciations of jacinda ardern, so called her office. got JA on the blower immediately. she confirmed: AH-durn
— Tiger Webb (@tfswebb) October 20, 2017