Executive leadership team

Dr Mike Shepherd

Interim District Director

Mike has been a Paediatric Emergency Medicine Specialist for 15 years and Director of Starship Child Health (Medical and Community) for the last six years.

As Director of Child Health, Mike has been involved in a range of areas including clinical governance, staff development, service development, staff wellbeing, research and innovation, facilities improvement and financial sustainability.

Mike continues to work in the Children’s Emergency Department in Starship.

Key roles and responsibilities:

• Provider integration operational management
• Accountable for all services and employees in provider functions
• Provider arm performance.

Dr Karen Bartholomew

Director of Health Outcomes, Te Whatu Ora | Te Toka Tumai & Te Whatu Ora | Waitematā

Key roles and responsibilities:

• Health needs assessment
• Planning and reporting
• Population health
• Healthy workplace.

Margaret Dotchin 

Chief Nursing Officer

Awarded Te Tohu Ratonga Tūmatanui | The New Zealand Public Service Medal for 2020.

Margaret completed her nursing training at Middlemore Hospital as a registered general and obstetric nurse in 1985. Margaret worked in a variety of roles as a registered nurse both at Middlemore Hospital, National Women’s Hospital and overseas prior to her first senior nursing role as charge nurse gynaecology oncology, National Women’s in 1990. She was appointed to the role of Chief Nursing Officer in July 2012. Prior to this Margaret held the position of Director of Nursing for Adult Services.

Margaret has held both general management and nursing leadership roles across Adult Health Services and Women’s Health Services. She is passionate about nursing and the contribution the profession brings to the delivery of safe, high-quality, compassionate, family-centred care – balanced with financial sustainability.    

Key roles and responsibilities:

• Professional accountability and leadership
• Infection control
• Falls and pressure injuries
• Patient and whānau experience.

Mark Edwards

Chief Quality, Safety and Risk Officer

Mark has worked as an anaesthetist with us since 2005. Prior to his appointment to the role of Chief Quality, Safety and Risk Officer in 2019 he held leadership positions as a Clinical Director of Anaesthesia, Director of the Cardiovascular Service and Director of Clinical Quality and Safety. He continues to practice anaesthesia for patients with heart and lung disease undergoing surgery.

Key roles and responsibilities:

• Clinical Quality and Safety
• Health and Safety
• Enterprise Risk Management
• Patient feedback and experience.

Dame Naida Glavish

Chief Advisor Tikanga, Te Whatu Ora | Te Toka Tumai & Te Whatu Ora | Waitematā

Key roles and responsibilities: 

• Relationships with mana whenua and Mātā Waka
• Cultural support to all staff, patients and their whānau.

Dr Debbie Holdsworth

Director of Funding, Te Whatu Ora | Te Toka Tumai & Te Whatu Ora | Waitematā

Key roles and responsibilities:

• Lead funding directorate across Te Whatu Ora | Te Toka Tumai & Te Whatu Ora | Waitematā
• Ensure funds are allocated effectively and efficiently for health outcomes.

Auxilia Nyangoni

Interim Chief Financial Officer

Key roles and responsibilities:

• Corporate governance and risk management
• Estate strategy and facilities management
• Supplier contract management
• Commercial services.

Sue Waters

Chief Health Professions Officer 

Key roles and responsibilities:

• Professional accountability and leadership
• Health and Safety
• Family violence and child protection
• Disability and rehabilitation
• Corporate governance and risk management.

Greg Williams

Interim Chief Digital Officer

Greg has been a General Paediatrician at Starship for 14 years and Service Clinical Director for General Paediatrics for the last eight years. He was appointed to the role of Clinical Informatics Director for Te Toka Tumai in 2020, and Interim Chief Digital Officer in 2022.

Key roles and responsibilities:

• Digital transformation
• Data and analytics
• Digital resiliency
• Digital enabled care delivery.

Dr Margaret Wilsher 

Chief Medical Officer

Margaret was appointed Chief Medical Officer in 2010. A medical graduate of the University of Otago, she trained as a specialist in respiratory medicine at Green Lane Hospital and undertook post-fellowship clinical and research training in London. After a number of years as a practising clinician and clinical academic, she has assumed an increasing number of clinical leadership and administration roles in health. A key component of the CMO role is ongoing clinical practice. Margaret considers this essential as she sees the hospital when it is busy, experiences the same challenges as her clinical peers and importantly, hears patient stories at source. 

Margaret has a number of health leadership responsibilities outside our region, including membership of the partnership groups overseeing major capital investment in Canterbury and Southern hospitals, advisory roles to ministry and minister of health. She has also held leadership roles within her clinical profession. 

Key roles and responsibilities:

• Medical professional accountability and leadership
• Research
• Clinical Practice Committee
• Patient safety
• Auckland Academic Health Alliance.