Collaborative Aotearoa Symposium 2022

Auckland City Missioner Helen Robinson took up the position on 2nd April 2021.

Helen has a wealth of experience in social services and a deep commitment to a more equitable Aotearoa. She also has a deep understanding of the social issues facing Aotearoa and a commitment to justice and equity in our country.

Helen’s adult life has been devoted to addressing our country’s social issues. Starting as a youth worker and social worker, she subsequently gained a broad range of experience primarily in a community development context. She has worked with some of New Zealand’s most excluded and marginalized people in a range of organisations and roles.

Helen held the position of General Manager of Social Services at the Auckland City Mission for the four years prior to her appointment as City Missioner. In that time, she has overseen the development of services to include a Housing First programme and the opening of two transitional housing programmes including one specifically for women. Helen has led significant improvements in all services to provide a dignified experience for people needing the Mission’s support.

For the four years prior to becoming General Manager of Social Services, Helen held leadership roles in both the Mission’s homelessness and food security teams. Before joining the Mission, Helen established and led The Logos Project – a not-for-profit youth development organisation supporting 5000 young people. Prior to that, Helen gained experience with a range of social agencies in the UK and Aotearoa.

Alongside her practical work, Helen has released research into the measurement and experience of food insecurity in New Zealand. Her commitment to resolving food insecurity also includes taking a lead role in the creation and implementation of Kore Hiakai, the national collective working towards a food secure Aotearoa. Helen is currently co-chair of Kore Hiakai.

A Victoria University graduate in law and social policy, Helen completed a Master of Social and Community Leadership in 2019.

In August 2021, the Auckland City Missioner was gifted the Māori title of Manutaki, which in essence means the bird that leads. Helen says she will wear the title with pride and gratitude.

Hon Andrew Little is currently the Minister of Health and Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. He is also the Minister Responsible for the GCSB, NZSIS, and for Pike River Re-entry. In addition, he has been appointed the Lead Coordinating Minister for the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission’s Report into the Terrorist Attack on the Christchurch Mosques.

Andrew has devoted his whole life to advocating for New Zealanders.

Growing up in New Plymouth, Andrew organised a cake-stall fundraiser for hungry and homeless African children. After university, where he studied law and philosophy, Andrew headed the Victoria University Students’ Association and New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations where he marched for better access to affordable education.

After graduation Andrew became a lawyer with the engineers’ union, ensuring employers lived up to their employment obligations to treat their staff with dignity and respect. In 2000, he was appointed EPMU national secretary and led New Zealand’s largest private sector union for a decade.

Andrew entered Parliament in 2011 with a mission to leave behind a better country – a New Zealand where everyone has the opportunities he and his wife, Leigh, wish for their teenage son, Cam.

As Leader of the Opposition (2014 – 2017) Andrew stood alongside unions and workers to successfully end zero-hours contracts.

Andrew, Leigh and Cam live in Island Bay, Wellington, with Harry the dog.

Margie Apa is Chief Executive of Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand, the government’s new centralised national health organisation. She has more than two decades of health-sector leadership experience, previously serving as CEO of Counties Manukau District Health Board.
Before becoming CEO of Counties Manukau District Health Board, Margie was Director of Population Health and Strategy at the district health board. She is the first Samoan to lead a district health board in New Zealand and has also served as Deputy Director-General Sector Capability and Implementation at the Ministry of Health. In December 2021 she was named as Chief Executive of Health New Zealand, which is set to come into operation on 1 July 2022.

Margie graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in management and employment relations, and also has a Master of Public Administration (Executive) from Victoria University of Wellington.
She has been on the Board of World Vision New Zealand since 2011 and was appointed Chair of the Board in 2019. She is also a Trustee of the Middlemore Foundation for Health Innovation, Middlemore Clinical Trials and Lifeline Foundation Charitable Trust.

Margie is an active member of the Pacific Island Presbyterian community and carries the honorific title Fepulea’i from her family village of Sale’aula, Savai’I in Samoa.

Riana’s previous role was Chief Executive Officer of Hauraki Primary Health Organisation and Te Korowai Hauora o Hauraki. She has invested heavily in developing strategic, visionary leadership within the Māori and health sectors, and been involved with Kaupapa Māori organisations for most of her career.

 

Ko Riana Manuel taku ingoa
Ko Moehau kei waho
Ko Te aroha ki uta
Ko Hauraki te Whenua
Ko Tikapa te Moana
No Te Awaawa o Manaia toku ūkaipo
Ko Ngāti Pukenga, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Kahungunu oku Iwi
Ko Mataatua, Tainui, Takitimu oku waka

I am a village girl and have spent my whole career working to improve the outcomes for our people here in Aotearoa.

I am a registered nurse by trade and have enjoyed a career that has seen me work across many different parts of the sector developing strong relationships as I go.I am a daughter to two of the best parents one could have asked for, a wife to an amazing husband, a mother to my beautiful tamariki, a nanny (which is by far my favourite role), a sister, and an aunty to many.

I am deeply committed to improving the health of wellbeing of my people and believe in doing so it will impact positively on the health and wellbeing of our great country, Aotearoa.

Ma te kahukura, ka rere te manu.

INsert Bio

Helmut is an experienced director, executive and consultant with specialist skills in implementation and change management, business and economic development (including new venture identification, planning and establishment), strategic analysis and planning, public policy and finance. Helmut has extensive consulting experience in a wide range of private and public sectors (particularly health) including appointment to the boards of PHARMAC, Capital & Coast District Health Board, Health Information Standards Organisation and Health Information Strategy Action Committee.

Helmut completed his BCA and MBA, which led him initially into accounting and finance, and then enabled him to transition into economic development (as the inaugural CEO of Poutama Trust) and management consulting. He also ran his own management consultancy (Arrus Knoble Developments) for 12 years and has been a CEO specialising in change, growth, mergers and turnaround companies for the last 14 years.

Helmut is a life-long serial entrepreneur and loves to create exciting new ventures, and is fiercely passionate about working to enhance the well-being, prosperity and mana of Ngāti Toa.

Gary is the coordinator of Health Navigator’s Health Consumer Advisory Service. His health-related background is primarily in mental health initially when he accessed mental health services as a result of experiencing depression and anxiety associated with an impending business failure in the early 1990s. Over the past 30 years, Gary has experienced both recovery and relapse and learned much about himself and the mental health system.

Gary joined the mental health workforce in 2004 and his work since then has included peer support and advocacy, leadership and management roles, consumer audit work, training and development. Gary lives in Auckland with his wife of 47 years. He has two adult children and five granddaughters.

Gary retired from the workforce in April 2017 after three and a half years employed as a peer support specialist, self-management facilitator and health coach with East Tamaki Healthcare (now Tamaki Health). However, in his “retirement”, he continues to work in the health sector and does some voluntary work in the community.

In addition to Gary’s role as coordinator of the Health Consumer Advisory Service, his assignment work to date includes representation on the governance of the Kaiawhina Workforce Taskforce, the Interventional Cardiac Registry governance group (ANZACS QI), Health Care Home Collaborative, and the Ministry of Health Diabetes Action Plan expert advisory group as a consumer representative.