MTANZ Speakers

The Hon. Simeon Brown is the Minister of Health, Minister for State Owned Enterprises and Minister for Auckland. He is the MP for Pakuranga. Prior to entering politics, Hon Simeon Brown completed Law and Commerce degrees at the University of Auckland and worked in Commercial Finance at the Bank of New Zealand, as well as serving as an elected Local Board member at Auckland Council.

The Rt Hon. Sir William (Bill) English is one of New Zealand’s most respected leaders, renowned for his transformative impact on economic policy and social investment. Serving the nation and the National Party for nearly three decades, Bill entered Parliament in 1990 and rose to become Finance Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and ultimately Prime Minister of New Zealand. As Finance Minister from 2008 to 2016, Bill guided the country through the Global Financial Crisis and the Christchurch earthquakes, returning the Government’s books to surplus and positioning New Zealand as one of the fastest-growing economies in the developed world. His tenure was marked by bold public sector reforms, innovative balance sheet management, and the pioneering Social Investment approach—an internationally recognised model for improving outcomes in health, education, and welfare. Bill became Prime Minister in 2016, focusing on building a fair and prosperous New Zealand that rewarded enterprise and cared for its most vulnerable citizens. Under his leadership, the National Party secured 44.4% of the vote in the 2017 general election, the highest of any party. Knighted in 2018 as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the state, Bill now applies his expertise in governance, finance, and social impact across commercial and philanthropic ventures. He is a director of Wesfarmers, one of Australia’s largest conglomerates, and Todd Corporation, and chairs Mt Cook Alpine Salmon. Through his consultancy, he advises governments and businesses in New Zealand and Australia on financial services, infrastructure, and social investment. With his family, he invests in social impact and data-driven enterprises serving the philanthropy and disability sectors, alongside interests in private primary production companies. Born in Lumsden in 1961, Bill studied Commerce at the University of Otago and English Literature at Victoria University before working as a Treasury analyst and returning to his family farm in Dipton. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to sound economic management, innovative policy, and improving lives through evidence-based solutions.

Experienced executive with a strong commercial focus and a diverse background in the health sector, spanning not-for-profit, public, and private organisations. Currently serving as the CEO of the NZ Medical Technology Association (MTANZ), she has previously held senior roles in procurement and supply chain, international business development, and clinical research. Beginning her career as a Registered Nurse, she continues to be driven by a passion for improving health outcomes and achieving equity, principles rooted in her early work in New Zealand public hospitals.

Reuben is the Member of Parliament for Christchurch East and Labour’s spokesperson for Economic Development; science, Innovation and Technology; and Broadcasting, Media and the Creative Economy. Before entering Parliament, Reuben built a career in the screen industry which gave him strong expertise in the digital and creative sectors, working across multidisciplinary teams to bring ideas to life. Reuben believes New Zealand is well placed to lead the world through innovation. By empowering our technology and creative sectors, he believes we can grow high-value industries and create great jobs for New Zealanders. He is passionate about exploring how New Zealand can support cutting-edge ideas, strengthen the innovation ecosystem, and ensure the country remains a place where creativity, technology, and entrepreneurship can thrive.

Caro is a registered Pharmacist, BPharm, PG Dip Clin Pharm (Dist), Otago University. Caro has 10 years experience working in hospital pharmacy in Auckland and London, working in paediatric medical specialities, transplant, intensive care and medicines information. Caro joined Pharmac in 2013. Previous Pharmac roles include Senior Therapeutic Group Manager/Team Leader and Acting Manager Pharmaceutical Funding. Caro enjoyed a secondment to the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) as Portfolio Manager, Acute Care in 2020-2021. Caro brings a strong understanding of Pharmac’s work in medicines and medical devices, the health sector, and experience with evidence-based decision making and strategic commercial management. Caro is always keen to support engagement with the health sector, industry colleagues and consumers to help inform better funding decisions within the available funding.

Catherine joined Pharmac as the Director, Medical Devices in August 2023. Catherine has held senior leadership roles in public and private healthcare organisations in Aotearoa, for more than 10 years, including as Executive Director Allied Health, Scientific and Technical at Capital and Coast District Health Board. Since then, she has led a broad portfolio at WorkSafe including leading the regulator’s contribution to reducing harm to people’s health from the work they do, including Carcinogens, Mentally Healthy Work, and Musculoskeletal Harm. Catherine is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Managers, and originally trained as a Speech-language Therapist working clinically with people with a range of disabilities. Catherine also enjoys a governance career with Board Director roles at Mary Potter Hospice, and as Deputy Chair of the Stroke Foundation NZ.

Andrea joined HNZ in January 2026. She is an experienced Procurement Leader with over 25 years of experience across diverse industries, including Airlines, Telecoms, and FMCG. Andrea was the first Global Head of Procurement for Fonterra and has led procurement transformations at Air New Zealand, Spark and Suntory. She is a founding member of the New Zealand Procurement Excellence Forum and her commitment extends to improving procurement maturity across NZinc. Andrea is particularly interested in how synergies across a whole ecosystem can create value benefiting all parties involved.

Over 25 years’ experience in Regulatory Affairs and Quality Management Systems. Leanne’s area of expertise is across a range of regulations from Medical Devices, IVDs, Prescription and OTC medicine. She has worked in numerous industries involved in Dental and Orthodontic products, Blood Products, Surgical wound care products, Surgical preps, IVD kits and Pharmaceuticals. She started her career in quality, GMP, moving on to become a third-party auditor assessing ISO9000 quality systems in healthcare industries. Then moving to the USA, she transferred to Regulatory where shewas involved in IVD devices. Moving back to NZ 13 years later she has remained in Regulatory Affairs managing a team in Australia from New Zealand across a wide portfolio of Medical Devices and Medicines.She has been engaged in external associations such as MTAA in Australia; MTANZ in NZ and CHMP for OTC medicines in NZ. Holding a science degree in molecular biology and pharmacology and RAC certification in global regulatory affairs has led to a rewarding career in healthcare. Leanne focuses on pragmatic solutions to complex regulations to ensure patient care remains at the forefront of regulation. Current interests include regulatory intelligence and artificial intelligence.

Sarah Hogan is Deputy Chief Executive (Wellington) and Principal Economist at the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER). She specialises in health and social sector research, bringing over 20 years of experience to her role. Her work focuses on health economics, methods of economic appraisal including cost-benefit analysis, and social investment. Before joining NZIER, she worked in the Office of the Chief Economist at the Ministry of Health, led a data analytics and insights team at Capital and Coast DHB, worked in health policy and research at Health Canada, and contributed to health technology assessment (HTA) reports for the Australian Medical Services Advisory Committee. She has taught several university courses on health economics and health policy.

Chris is the Group Manager of Medsafe, the medicine and medical device regulator in New Zealand. Chris is a registered pharmacist, including working in paediatric and neonatal pharmacy. He has completed post graduate qualifications in clinical pharmacy and public health. Chris joined Medsafe in 2006 and has experience in premarket pharmaceutical chemistry assessment and post market monitoring (pharmacovigilance). Chris has been Medsafe Group Manager since 2015.

Trent is a Professional Engineer, management consultant, and an international senior executive with career experience across a broad range of sectors that include technology and IT, education, and healthcare. He has served as a director on the Boards of several Private and Public organizations; both profit and not-for-profit, and is the Founder and Chair of a New Zealand charitable trust involved in community health and wellbeing. Trent is married, with four daughters and has family members who are doctors and medical specialists. He is passionate about the greater integration of community-led healthcare services with both the primary and secondary healthcare sectors. Through his current work in healthcare, Trent is focused on equitable, improved patient outcomes at a community level, and the delivery of world class, optimal healthcare for all New Zealanders. Trent currently serves as a cardiac consumer and patient voice on the following Government committees: Pharmac Reset Consumer and Patient Working Group National Cardiology Clinical Network Consumer & Whanau Committee Northern Region Cardiology Clinical Network Consumer & Whanau Committee

Lyndsay Le Comte is Head of Digital Solutions at New Zealand Health Group, one of New Zealand’s largest providers of community health, disability, and wellbeing services, where she leads the digital services that underpin workforce operations and client care at scale. With a background in public and primary health, alongside clinical research, she brings a practical understanding of how systems, data, and frontline care intersect. Her work centres on reducing friction for frontline teams, improving access for clients and referrers, and turning complex systems into usable, outcome-driven solutions. She leads business analysis, testing, and delivery across initiatives including telephony transformation, client and referrer platforms, and the evolution of NZHG’s core systems. Lyndsay is particularly interested in how digital and AI can reshape workforce models—freeing clinical capacity, improving coordination, and creating more time for human connection where it matters most—grounded in a strong focus on measurable outcomes, efficiency, and experience.

James Le Fevre is the Health Technology Evaluation Pathway clinical lead and Chair of the National Clinical Practice Committee, which assesses and provides recommendations about non-pharmaceutical health technologies to Health New Zealand. He is an Emergency Medicine Specialist and experienced health sector governor. He has worked as an Emergency Physician and Prehospital and Retrieval Doctor across New Zealand and Australia. His clinical work includes a landmark collaboration with the NZ Blood Service to introduce prehospital whole blood transfusion in the Auckland region. He has published research in peer-reviewed journals on topics ranging from health system targets to e-scooter injuries. James works at the intersection of clinical evidence and health system decision-making. His work focuses on helping decision-makers navigate uncertainty and understand the value and comparative value of diverse health technologies. He has a particular interest in strengthening New Zealand's health technology assessment capability and supporting consistent approaches to health technology investment and adoption. To his three young boys, he is dad.

Jenny Marcroft has deep experience in the media following a more than thirty-year career as a broadcaster. Ms Marcroft is serving her second term in parliament for the New Zealand First party. She is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Ministers for Oceans and Fisheries, and for Media and Communications. Mrs Marcroft is the party spokesperson for Health (Primary Care and Pharmac) and Disabilities and is a current member of the Health Select Committee. As Under-Secretary to the Hon Shane Jones, her delegations include engagement with domestic oceans and fisheries stakeholders, and representation of New Zealand in international fisheries governance forums such as the Pacific Island Forum. As Under-Secretary to the Hon Paul Goldsmith, her delegations include Regional Media, Radio Broadcasting, and Media Workforce Development. Within her Communications portfolio delegations include Rural Connectivity and Communications Infrastructure. After leaving parliament in 2020 Ms Marcroft worked for a Primary Health Organisation further deepening her knowledge of the health sector after a term on the Health Select Committee.

Dr Erik McClain is an Internal Medicine physician who is dedicated to safe and innovative medical practice. He has spent the last 15 years here in New Zealand testing and trialling digital tools, remote practices, and hybrid models of care in rural and urban centers. Dr McClain has been involved in projects like Robot Rounding, Remote Monitoring for Chronic Disease, and developing Hospital in the Home for New Zealand. Currently, He is the Clinical Lead for the Northern Region Hospital in the Home services and Chair for HitH Society Australasia, NZ Chapter.

Natalie McMurtry joined Pharmac, New Zealand’s Drug and Medical Device Agency, as Chief Executive in September 2025. She is an experienced health care leader with more than 25 years’ experience as a frontline clinician and senior executive in Canada. Natalie began her career as a pediatric critical care pharmacist at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton before moving into senior leadership roles across the health system. She held executive positions with Alberta Health Services, including Vice President of Provincial Clinical Excellence, and served as Assistant Deputy Minister for Pharmaceutical and Supplementary Health Benefits with the Alberta Government. Most recently, she served as Chief Transition Officer for Alberta’s new Acute Care Agency. Her leadership also extended nationally and in the community. She served on the boards of the Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance and Canada’s Drug Agency. Natalie is a licensed pharmacist with degrees in pharmacy and business administration.

Zane first joined the freight forwarding industry with DHL in New Zealand in 1983 and has held various positions during his career, including Operations, Sales & Marketing, Ocean Freight, and various Station Management positions. In 2006, Zane relocated to Dubai where he was based as the Regional Marketing & Sales Director for DHL Middle East and Africa - Global Forwarding division. He returned to New Zealand in 2010 and was appointed Head of Ocean Freight in 2012, and subsequently assumed the role of Head of Sales NZ in 2015. Appointed as Managing Director of DHL Global Forwarding (New Zealand) Limited in December 2020, Zane leads the organization and oversees the growth of the business in both New Zealand and Fiji.

Before joining the New Zealand Private Surgical Hospital Association in May 2025, Chris was working as a business consultant. His varied career has included almost eight years as chief executive of Tourism Industry Aotearoa, and part-ownership of a respected research agency. He began his career as a radio journalist before working as a media advisor at Parliament. Chris then worked in Corporate Affairs in the energy and tourism sectors before taking on his first association head role with TIA, where he ably led the tourism industry through the COVID pandemic

Todd Stephenson MP was born in Lumsden and has spent much of his life in rural communities across Southland. Todd has been a member of the ACT Party since its inception and has had a successful career working for multinational healthcare companies overseas. Todd was elected to Parliament as an ACT MP in 2023, and outside of politics enjoys hiking and travelling.

Dr Tim Vines is the manager of the Therapeutics policy team at the Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora. Tim moved to Aotearoa New Zealand from Canberra, Australia in 2019, having spent the previous 10 years working in the Australian Public Service. In Australia, Tim led a number of projects at the National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia’s main public funder of health and medical research) involving clinical trials policy, the development of the national Human Research Ethics Application system, and the establishment of the Australian Research Integrity Committee. At the Ministry of Health, Tim leads the policy team that oversaw the passage of the Therapeutic Products Act in 2023. The team is now working on a new Medical Products Bill.

Aisling joined AROA in 2025 as General Counsel, bringing deep expertise in healthtech and healthcare law. With a career spanning leading firms and industry, she has advised some of New Zealand’s most prominent hea lth industry organisations on complex commercial, regulatory and compliance matters. Prior to AROA, Aisling held Special Counsel roles at Buddle Findlay and Claro, a specialist health law firm.

David has led and been involved with numerous projects in local, regional and metropolitan development, business, cluster and industry development, corporate citizenship, governance, strategy and sustainable development. From 2004-2013 David moved from program lead economic development to Director of AUTs Institute of Public Policy. During that time he designed and taught the only academic programme in New Zealand dedicated to economic development professionals. From 2006 to 2010 David was integral in the design and implementation of the ‘Metropolitan Auckland Project.’ David was on the international review team, governance team, took part in various work-streams, arranged and facilitated numerous forums, peer reviewed economic development in the Royal Commission’s report on the governance of Auckland, organised and lead a number of submissions to government and worked in the Auckland Transition Agency on the design brief for ATEED. David's doctoral work traces the impact of the Metro Project on Auckland. Prior commercial experience ranges from working in small, medium and corporate businesses in sales, marketing, product management, business unit management to owning and operating his own successful retail business for 15 years. David led Northland Inc from 2013 - 2019. During this time he facilitated the development of the Te Tai Tokerau Northland Economic Action Plan with Government (at all levels), Business and Iwi. Projects included The Hawaiki international Submarine cable, commercialisation of Kingfish production at NIWA, the Twin Coast Discovery revitalisation project designed to attract visitors to engage with all that Northland has to offer. "This job was more of a crusade than a job!" Having resigned from Northland Inc in March 2019 he founded Cities and Regions Ltd to act as a consultant in regional development building on my previous roles and experience. I am now privileged to be using my skills and experience in service to New Zealand as a member of Parliament.