Our people

I am an experienced Corporate Support Manager with a background in Finance. I have been a Chartered Accountant since 1995 and also hold a marketing diploma. I have a particular interest in strategic and business planning.
I am a keen trail runner and multi-sporter, having completed the Captain Cooks Challenge on the Queen Charlotte Track. I am married with three adult children and a daughter-in-law. My husband and I live in Carterton and I commute daily to Wellington.
My history with MND is that my father passed away as a result of MND in 1999. I’m keen to give something back to my community and I feel MND is a good fit.

I am a consultant neurologist currently working in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. I completed my training in Internal Medicine and Neurology in Cape Town, South Africa. I have been qualified in Neurology since 2015. I moved to New Zealand in 2018.

I have been privileged to care for people with motor neurone disease throughout my career. I have always admired the brave and positive manner in which the majority of people manage to face the condition, however I am also aware of the intense support that they need to help them do this.

Organisations such as MND New Zealand play an extremely important role in providing, coordinating, and advocating for this support at a practical and legislative level.

Although always aware of MND, I became more intensely aware 2 years ago when my husband was diagnosed with MND. To be able to assist with support, education, research, and advocacy for people with MND and their families is an honour. I have experience of being on a non-for-profit board, and college boards, also reporting to a NFP board in 2 of my career positions, where I pride myself on the ability to communicate in a fully transparent way to the stake holders and serve them in an honest and professional manner.

I have always been aware and ensured I have practised in a voluntary and work environment that any group I’m managing or representing are involved in the discussions or decisions. My working career is extensive and varied - I started my career as a nurse and continued on a part time basis while raising 3 children. Then started my own business in the wool industry. After 10 years I sold the business and moved into the non-for-profit sector as a Development Manager at St Peters College, until moving to the Maritime Museum as the Commercial Manager. Since then, I have been NZ Manager for a variety of international brands like Swarovski, Guess, Monte Blanc and currently Calendar Club.

I started my working career in health as a Registered Nurse (and later Registered Midwife), training and living in Taranaki. I'm married (Marlene) and with two daughters (Abby and Victoria), and have been in Canterbury since the early '90s, with a break of eight years living in the South Wairarapa.

Since stepping out of clinical work in the late '80s, I've worked in a range of health management roles including senior management in home and community services, GM of Christchurch Hospital, international health service development in China and more recently overseeing the programme work of the South Island District Health Boards.

I have an abiding interest in the improvement of health services at all levels, covering acute and planned care, as well as supporting those with chronic and debilitating health issues. In other words, the system can always do better and the strongest voice should be always be from those in need.

I have some peripheral, but nonetheless impactful experience with a friend diagnosed with MND, albeit some time ago. My career has therefore exposed me to services at individual, local and sector wide levels, and my approach is always about the consideration of the person in the middle, the whole of system approach, and how to ensure that an equity focus underpins it all.

Tricia brings to her role extensive health and business expertise. Tricia has held senior management roles in the National Health Service (UK), and then worked developing countries prior to coming to New Zealand. Driving for better health outcomes for all New Zealanders through a culture of innovation and improvement are the cornerstones to Tricia’s work ethic.