Welcoming the Interim Chair for Te Whatu Ora

Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall has today appointed Naomi Ferguson as the interim Board Chair for Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand, effective immediately and until a permanent appointment is made.

Please join me in warmly welcoming Naomi to this role. I look forward to working with her as interim chair as we progress our priorities and work programmes under the reforms.

Naomi is a current Te Whatu Ora Board member and a highly accomplished leader. She brings significant experience in both governance and executive roles, including having served as Commissioner and Chief Executive of Inland Revenue where she led a major transformational change. Naomi is a very strong champion of diversity and inclusion and led this work across the Public Sector as co-chair of Papa Pounamu. Naomi is also currently Chair of Education Payroll Ltd.

In stepping into the interim Chair role, Naomi is very focused on continuing our delivery under Te Pae Tata | the Interim New Zealand Health Plan; ensuring we keep our strong focus on supporting our diverse workforce; and continuing our close partnership with Te Aka Whai Ora, something that is critical to our delivery on the aims and expectations of the health reforms. Naomi’s transformation experience at IRD will also continue to be invaluable to us as we move our own organisation change and development ahead.

Naomi has asked me to underscore the Board’s strong support for you and the work each of you do every day for our communities, including the outstanding effort of many to support the response and recovery effort of recent extreme weather events. It’s a very real example of how working as one team across the motu we can support our local communities and our people in a time of great need. Thank you again.

Naomi’s full bio is available on our Te Whatu Ora website.