Ko Ngātokimatawhaorua te waka

Ko Puke Huia me Puke Haua ngā maunga

Ko Hokianga Whakapau Karakia te moana

Ko Ngāpuhi me Ngāti Porou ngā iwi

Ko Ngāti Hau me Te Mahurehure ngā hapū

Ko Kerri Butler āhau

Kerri Butler brings over a decade of experience in senior project management and lived experience leadership roles within the mental health and addiction sector. Her passion and strength lie in developing practical, lived experience-informed solutions to improve mental health and addiction services for tāngata whaiora and whānau.

Kerri has held influential positions on national boards and advisory groups, including Te Pou Board of Director’s, Co-Chair Manatū Hauora Mental Health Act Advisory Group and the Health and Disability Standards Review Committee. In 2018, she led Te Kete Pounamu, the National Organisation of Māori with lived experience.

Under her leadership, Te Kete Pounamu:

Established national and regional networks for Māori with lived experience.

Created platforms for kōrero and shared aspirations.

Advocated for systemic change and challenged institutional bias and racism.

Strengthened workforce development for Māori.

Ensured high-quality care for Māori within mental health and addiction services.

Kerri is the founder and director of Take Notice Limited, a Māori-led organisation promoting the voices of lived experience at all levels of service development and delivery. The organisation, inspired by the Mental Health Foundation’s Five Ways to Wellbeing, was born out of Kerri’s strategic vision during her business studies in 2014. It combines her expertise in facilitation, education, project management, and lived experience to deliver meaningful outcomes for tāngata whaiora.

Since 2009, Kerri has contributed to local, regional, and national initiatives, including roles with Te Rau Ora, Te Kete Pounamu, Counties Manukau Health (CM Health), and Take Notice Limited. Her work reflects a deep commitment to equity, empowerment, and Māori-focused solutions. 

Kerri's academic and professional qualifications include:

Awaiting results for Master of Public Health - The University of Auckland (2024)

Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health at Auckland University (since 2021).

Bachelor of Business with majors in Accounting and Management (2014).

Kerri’s lived experience informs all aspects of her leadership, ensuring that services are shaped by those directly affected. She is a strong advocate for tāngata whaiora, blending professional expertise with a personal understanding of the challenges and opportunities in mental health and addiction care.

Her contributions continue to create pathways for better care, equity, and understanding, advancing the health and wellbeing of Māori and Aotearoa as a whole.

Links:

Kerri Butler – Research Gate