Our clinical leadership team

Kiley Clark is a registered midwife. She is dedicated to advancing maternity services and achieving health equity in Aotearoa New Zealand. Previously Clinical Midwife Coordinator at Hawke's Bay Hospital. Kiley brings a comprehensive understanding of clinical practice across diverse settings, from tertiary care to community-based lead maternity care, over 15 years.

Her strategic leadership and governance experience includes

• Co-Chair of the Midwifery Council
• New Zealand Breastfeeding Alliance board member
• Disability Sport and Recreation Hawkes Bay committee member.

Of Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Rongomaiwāhine descent, Kiley advocates for culturally and clinically safe care for everyone. She has completed postgraduate studies in Māori Health.

Dr Leeanne Fisher is a consultant psychiatrist with more than 20 years’ public mental health services experience in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.

Leeanne held clinical leadership roles in Victoria including:

• Deputy Chief Psychiatrist, Mental Health and Wellbeing Division of Victoria’s Department of Health
• Consultant psychiatrist, Triage and Autism Assessment teams at Austin Health
• Clinical director Child and Youth Mental Health Services, Melbourne.

Trained in New Zealand, she spent 6 years as a psychiatrist with Capital and Coast DHB, with a focus on young people.

Leeanne’s focus is on improving high-quality care for everyone and addressing health inequities, particularly for Māori.

Nadine Gray has significant strategic leadership and clinical expertise.

She has a deep commitment to advancing Māori health outcomes.

Her previous roles include:

• Chief Nursing Officer, Te Aka Whai Ora | Māori Health Authority
• Clinical Chief Advisor Nursing, Manatū Hauora – Ministry of Health
• Māori Clinical Nurse Specialist in Cancer Care, Capital and Coast DHB.

Nadine holds a Master of Health Sciences with First Class Honours and a Bachelor of Nursing. She is an adjunct teaching fellow at the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Practice at Victoria University of Wellington.

Dr Sarah Jackson has more than 30 years’ experience working to improve quality and safety of care for patients and their whānau.

She is a qualified anaesthetist specialising in neuroanaesthesia. She was previously Interim Chief Medical Officer at Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley DHBs. Sarah has:

• led changes to models of care
• established clinical governance boards at district and regional level.

She is:

• Chair of the Central Region Clinical Board
• Anaesthetic representative on the Cancer Services Planning — Surgical Services team.

Jacqui is an experienced leader with an international profile and extensive multi-professional networks. Her previous experience includes:

• technical advisor to the World Health Organisation in Geneva for more than 10 years
• Chief Health Professions Officer for the Scottish Government for 17 years.

Jacqui was awarded an Order of the British Empire in 2015 for services to healthcare and health professions. She is:

• an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• a Doctor of Queen Margaret’s University
•  a Member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.

Jacqui was Executive Director AHS&T for Waitaha and Te Tai o Poutini from 2018 to 2024.

Pauline Fuimaono Sanders, (Acting) National Director of Pacific Health, brings over 25 years of experience in health, spanning:

• clinical nursing
• workforce strategy
• leadership.

A registered nurse with a Masters in Professional Practice, she has worked across secondary and primary care on both sides of the Tasman.

Pauline played a key role in the Northern region's COVID-19 response. She serves on the NZ Nursing Council and Pan Pacific Nurses Association NZ Boards. She is also an Aniva alumni and a member of the College of Nurses Aotearoa.

Dame Helen has decades of experience in the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom (UK).

She was previously

• A frontline NHS general practitioner
• Non-Executive Director, NHS England
• Professor of Medical Education, University of Birmingham
• Royal College of General Practitioners first female Honorary Treasurer, becoming  Chair in 2016
• Chair of the UK Academy of Medical Colleges from 2020 to 2023
• On several national advisory boards and groups in the UK.

She has also worked in obstetrics and gynaecology.  

Dame Helen was awarded a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to general practice.