Our team

Amarjit has a passion for Primary and Community Care. She has been involved in the transformation of primary health care in Aotearoa, New Zealand, including the business case and implementation planning for the ‘Better, sooner, more convenient’ mahi. She has worked at the Ministry of Health supporting the PHO Services Agreement and was also part of the inaugural team that began the roll out of the Health Care Home Model of Care across the Capital and Coast DHB region.

Amarjit has also worked in local government, both in the UK and Aotearoa, New Zealand where she managed a number of teams, including Community Development, Finance, and Planning, Performance and Research.

She is accredited in project management (PRINCE2) as well as a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and holds an Honours degree in Business and Finance. She has completed the Institute of Directors Governance course as well as other post graduate qualifications including, Economic and Community Development.

Jazz has a diverse background in both the health and social care sector spanning over 30 years in the UK and Aotearoa. With a career that began in psychology and social work, Jazz has been involved in leading innovation and change focused on the prevention of family violence, sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) and youth suicide, both locally and across the motu.  More recently her mahi has been on developing and implementing strategic interventions for improved integration of primary, secondary and community services to better serve the health needs of vulnerable people and their whanau.

This experience has ignited her passion for supporting and empowering the health and disability sector to collaborate with communities to address system challenges and achieve Māori health equity, especially as we navigate the transformational reform of our health and disability system.

Jazz lives in the Hutt Valley by Te Awa Kairanga with her teenagers. In her spare time, she enjoys teaching and practicing yin yoga and gardening.

 

Jontel has whakapapa to Ngātiwai, Ngāti Hine, Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Koāta, Ngati Tahinga and Ngāti Whakamarurangi. She comes from a whanau of wāhine toa and a long line of tāne in the military, providing a deep life experience with organisational systems and an equally wild streak. Through her world travels she observes people in their environment and has been welcomed into many communities, which always re-enlivens an appreciation of the breadth of mana, opportunity and abundance that exists in Aotearoa, her turangawaewae. Through mahi in education, government, NGOs, holistic health and the health sector she has developed and continues to grow her kete of relationships, connections and dynamic approaches to change across micro and macro scales.

 

Jontel is passionate about empowering people with the tools, knowledge, language and mindsets needed to claim mana motuhake for themselves, communities and generations to come, which is why she is drawn to Collaborative Aotearoa – the mahi and the team.

 

Jontel is a qualified Naturopath and Medical Herbalist, Kaimirimiri, PADI Divemaster, jazz singer and holds a Bachelor of Natural Medicine and Master of Health.

Petria has a rich work background from General Practice Management, Event Management through to Real Estate.  She has come to Collaborative Aotearoa from a Health Care Home Lead position in WellSouth Primary Health Network. This role along with her Practice Management background brings the knowledge and hands on experience from both the Practice and PHO standpoint in the Health Care Home Journey. 

She loves to connect and build relationships with people and helping them to improve access, promote whānau voice and achieve equity in the health sector is a daily pleasure.  She is excited to bring her people and project skills to the team. After an extended stint in Australia Petria is enjoying being back home, spending time with whānau and rediscovering her beautiful home country.

With her love of travel expect to see her in your rohe over the next year. 

Chris has a background in adminstration and operations.

She has always enjoyed problem solving and building relationship with people. She loves working with others and appreciates the different experiences and styles of thinking that people bring to problems.

Chris splits her time between working as a Project and Change Lead for Collaborative Aotearoa and working with her husband in their store as a Colour and Design Consultant.

Chris lives in Wellington with her husband and daughter. She loves to visit her son who lives in Christchuch. When she’s not at work, Chris enjoys going on walks with friends and is always looking for new scenic routes to explore.

Liana’s background is in operations management, logistics, travel and Project administration.

As a travel agent and tour operator for 15 years, it is all about attention to detail. Liana will be bringing those organisational skills to the team and helping to co-ordinate day to day tasks amongst all of the team members, preparing for events, workshops and special projects. She has a passion for community and whānau relationships and is excited to be working in a team that is really making a difference in this area. New to the Health Sector, she loves the new connections she is making and always strives to view every project through an equity lens.

Liana enjoys living in sunny Central Otago with her husband and two boys, and loves being involved in her community through children’s clubs and sports, and also the local Youth Trust.

Liana has whakapapa to Ngāi tahu and Nofoalii-Samoa.