For over 25 years, Reweti Ropiha has led Turanga Health as the Chief Executive, transforming it from a small health provider into a regional powerhouse serving over 3,000 whānau across Tairāwhiti. His vision has always been clear: to take healthcare to the people, rather than waiting for the people to come to healthcare.
Dr Nadine Houia-Ashwell is a trailblazing Māori doctor and health researcher whose leadership is grounded in whakapapa, shaped by lived experience, and driven by a deep love for whānau.
Rawiri Blundell is a transformative Māori health leader, researcher, and equity strategist whose mahi is grounded in whānau, whakapapa, and justice. With over 20 years of experience across the health sector, Rawiri has championed Māori-led solutions that prioritise mana motuhake, cultural safety, and system change.
Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāi Tahu, Rangitāne o tamaki nui a rua
Helena’s leadership is grounded in a belief that Māori must not only be participants in biomedical research but also decision-makers, defining ethics, leading innovation, and shaping outcomes.
Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Apakura, Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki
As a clinician-researcher, Jade is committed to health equity. Her doctoral work at the University of Auckland investigated treatment inequities in thyrotoxicosis for Māori, laying the foundation for her continuing research into ethnic inequities in endocrine health. E kore e mimiti te puna o te aroha o tōku whānau whānui. Whether in the clinic, classroom, or meeting room, she carries the aspirations of her people and strives to uplift Māori voices in all spaces.
Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Rakaipaaka
Hiraina’s legacy is one of transformative leadership, where equity is not a goal, but a lived, ethical responsibility. She continues to empower mana wāhine and uplift the next generation of Māori clinicians, knowing that whānau hold the solutions to their own wellbeing.
