New members to Board of Māori Health Authority appointed

The Associate Minister of Health (Māori Health) has today announced the appointment of three new members to the Board of Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority. They will support current members in providing oversight, insight, and foresight for the organisation.

The new members are:

Kim Ngarimu – Te Aitanga ā Mate, Ngāti Porou

Ben Dalton – Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou

Helmut Modlik – Ngāti Toa Rangatira

“These members bring a wealth of knowledge in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, mātauranga Māori, kaupapa Māori approaches, commissioning, governance and financial management. They join five other members, one of whom I’ve reappointed, to make up a balanced board of four wāhine and four tāne,” Minister Henare said.

Kim Ngarimu, of Te Aitanga ā Mate and Ngāti Porou, has been appointed as the Deputy Chair for a three-year term.

“Kim Ngarimu is the Director of Tāua Limited, a consultant company specialising in public policy and public management, and the Deputy Chair of Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa, Medical Council of New Zealand. She brings with her a deep understanding of the machinery of government and executive level experience as a former Deputy Secretary at Te Puni Kōkiri. She is also a system level thinker, strategist, and influencer with proven capability in stakeholder engagement,”  Minister Henare said.

Ben Dalton and Helmut Modlik have been appointed as members for a three-year term.

“Ben Dalton is a resilient, disciplined, diligent and determined leader. He currently works as the Deputy Chief Executive at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. Like Ms Ngarimu, he brings to his role government leadership experience at a Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive level. He also has entrepreneurial experience through his Chief Operating Officer role for the Provincial Development Unit of the Provincial Growth fund.

“Helmut Modlik brings an extensive network across government and iwi, and a positive reputation for making real change. He is the current Tumu Whakarae of Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira and a former Board member of PHARMAC, Capital & Coast DHB, and the Health Information Standards Organisation. He has strong executive and governance experience, including in public health, and a proven capability to advance Māori outcomes at an iwi level,” Minister Henare said.

To ensure the most appropriate people were appointed to these roles, Minister Henare consulted the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee.

“As part of identifying candidates, the committee focused on leaders with the skills most needed right now to strengthen the Board’s capability. I firmly believe we’ve selected the perfect candidates for that purpose.

“We are one year into the establishment of Te Aka Whai Ora. They’ve achieved a lot in that first year and it is now time to build on that momentum. The Board will provide the necessary and strategic leadership to support that,” Minister Henare said.

(With Inputs from New Zealand Government Press Release)