HPF Co-Deputy Executive Director To Take Up Senior Māori Leadership Role At PHARMAC

After leading Maori health promotion for more than 10 years, the Health Promotion Forum’s Co-Deputy Executive Director Trevor Simpson will be the inaugural Chief Maori Advisor at PHARMAC, as from next month.

HPF’s Executive Director Sione Tu’itahi says Mr Simpson will be more than capable of taking on the challenge of his new role at PHARMAC.

“We are glad that Trevor’s new role is testimony to our HPF culture of building capacity to deliver outcomes, and enhancing service-leadership,” says Executive Director, Sione Tu’itahi.

“Trevor was outstanding in his commitment to building the Maori health promotion workforce, and taking Indigenous health promotion to the international level.”

“After playing a leading role in the successful outcomes of our World Conference on Health Promotion in Rotorua last year, we agreed that our team members were ready to take on new and greater challenges, for the wellbeing of Maori, and all. Trevor leaves us with our full support and best wishes,” Mr Tu’itahi adds.

Among other major roles, Trevor was in charge of HPF’s workforce development, President of the International Network for Indigenous Health Promotion Professionals (INIHPP) of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE), and Regional Vice-President for the South West Pacific Region of IUHPE.

Mr Simpson says it has been an honour and a privilege to have worked for HPF for more than a decade.

“Sione, the board and staff, both past and present, leave an indelible mark on me. Over the years I have had the deep satisfaction of being part of an organisation that both demonstrates and entrenches its constitutional values and overarching principles in all that it does,” he says.

Mr Simpson says this can be seen not only in HPF’s adherence to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, health as a human right, social justice and the pursuit of health equity but in the way it puts its people first- whether it be staff, organisational members or the public.

“HPF positions wellbeing, inclusiveness and aroha at the forefront. It is these attributes that I will miss the most. The element of human relationships and an authentic world-leading group that has much to share with Aotearoa New Zealand and the global community.”

Meanwhile, to ensure stability and continuity, Dr Viliami Puloka, our Senior Pacific Health Promotion Strategist, will take over as co-Deputy Executive Director – Health Promotion, with Ms Leanne Eruera, Co-Deputy Executive Director – Corporate Services.

PHARMAC is the New Zealand government agency that decides which medicines and related products are funded in New Zealand.

PHARMAC ‘s media release on Mr Simpson’s new role can be viewed here.

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