Leadership team

Manahautū | Chief Executive

Tēnā tātou katoa
Nō Ireland, nō Scotland ōku tīpuna
Engari i tipu ake au i Aotearoa
Ko Awhitu te maunga
Ko Manukau te moana
Ko Waiau Pā te whenua tupu
Kei Tāmaki Makaurau ahau e noho ana
Ko Fiona Kingsford tōku ingoa
Tēnā koutou katoa

Fiona joined Whānau Āwhina Plunket as the Chief Executive in October 2022.

A transformational leader who cares deeply about creating a better Aotearoa, she is a champion for change and leads by example.

Fiona has a deep understanding of the importance of stakeholder relationships and skills needed in working in complex social and political environments.

The former CEO of Competenz, she was instrumental in transforming the industry training organisation to one based on customer centricity, product innovation, technology adoption and enablement.

Fiona started her career in human resources moving into change and organisational development, sales and business development, strategy, mergers and transformation.

She says it’s a challenging time for the not-for-profit sector financially, however alongside this is the opportunity to proactively contribute to the health reforms and shaping the future for our pēpi and tamariki.  She is committed to working closely with government ministries and health authorities to bring focus to both.

General Manager Transformation & Digital

Tēnā tātou katoa
Kei raro i te maru o Takarunga tōku kāinga 
Ko Waitematā te moana e mahea nei aku māharahara.
Ko Aotearoa te whenua o tōku whānau. 
Kei Tāmaki Makaurau mātou ko tōku whānau e noho ana
He uri Pākehā ahau.
Ko Aaron Clark tōku ingoa.
Tēnā koutou katoa

Aaron joined Whānau Āwhina Plunket as General Manager Transformation & Digital in June 2026. A people-centred leader who believes technology and transformation exist to serve communities, he brings a track record of leading meaningful change across complex organisations.
Aaron has a deep commitment to the intersections of digital innovation, service design, and organisational capability—and understands that lasting transformation is built on trust, relationships, and a clear sense of purpose.

In his former role as GM Technology Delivery at Genesis Energy, he was instrumental in embedding digital thinking across the organisation, connecting technology investment to real outcomes for customers and communities.

Aaron started his career spanning digital, data and business transformation across media, energy, and the broader private sector, building expertise across ICT, insights, and service integration.

He says it is a genuinely exciting time to be joining Plunket—an organisation with a profound legacy and a real opportunity to evolve how it reaches and supports whānau across Aotearoa. He is committed to listening deeply, building strong partnerships across the organisation, and ensuring digital and data capability serves those at the heart of Plunket's mahi.

General Manager Corporate Services

Kia ora koutou katoa
Ko Ingarangi te whenua ō ōku tīpuna
Engari, i tipu ake au ki Kōtirana
Ko Edinburgh te kāinga
E noho ana au ki Te Whanganui-a-Tara
Ko Louise Eunson tōku ingoa

Louise Eunson joined Whānau Āwhina Plunket in 2020 as Head of Performance, Assurance and Reporting. She progressed to General Manager Performance, Risk and Governance in 2021, and General Manager Strategy and Performance in 2023. In 2026 Louise was appointed General Manager Corporate Services.

A systems-focused and people-centred leader, Louise brings strategic clarity, enterprise leadership and a strong focus on delivering meaningful outcomes. She leads a range of corporate services functions, translating strategy into direction that strengthens decision-making and builds organisational capability by aligning people, priorities and systems.

Louise trained as a Chartered Accountant before moving into assurance, risk and strategic planning roles across commercial, consulting and purpose-driven sectors in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Prior to joining Plunket, she built a deep understanding of the health sector through a range of leadership roles at the Ministry of Health.

Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, Louise moved to Aotearoa in 2011 and is a committed advocate for health equity and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 

General Manager Māori and Health Equity 

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangatanga maha, tenā koutou katoa 
He ngakau whakaiti tēnei e mihi kau ana ki a koutou
He uri tēnei no Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, Rangitāne me Ngāi Tahu
Ko Huia Haeata tōku ingoa

Huia Haeata joined Whānau Āwhina Plunket as General Manager Māori and Health Equity in June 2026, bringing more than 25 years’ senior leadership experience across tertiary education, Māori development, government and system transformation.

Huia is known for bringing clarity and purpose to complex environments, supporting teams through change, and translating strategy into practical action. Her leadership approach is values-led, collaborative and outcomes-focused: she builds strong relationships, supports people to grow, and keeps attention firmly on work that makes a meaningful difference for whānau and communities.

Huia brings a strong commitment to advancing equitable outcomes for Māori and priority populations, embedding mātauranga Māori into organisational practice, and strengthening systems that enable pēpi, tamariki and whānau to thrive. She is focused on supporting Whānau Āwhina Plunket to give practical effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, deepen relationships with communities and partners, and ensure the organisation’s services, strategy and decision-making contribute to improved Māori and health equity across Aotearoa.

General Manager, Service Delivery

Nō Australia, nō Scotland ōku tīpuna
Engari i tipu ake au i Aotearoa
Ko Tuhipa te maunga
Ko Orauta te awa
Ko Moerewa te whenua tupu
Kei Te Whanganui-a-Tara ahau e noho ana
Ko Denise Shera tōku ingoa
Tēnā koutou katoa

Denise is the General Manager Service Delivery at Whānau Āwhina Plunket, where she leads the nationwide delivery of services supporting pēpi, tamariki and whānau across Aotearoa. Born and raised in Moerewa, Te Tai Tokerau, her upbringing has strongly shaped her belief that all tamariki count and that every whānau should be able to access the support they need.

Since joining Whānau Āwhina Plunket in 2009, Denise has held leadership roles spanning technology, PlunketLine, transformation and operations, building extensive experience in service delivery, organisational improvement and leading change.

A practical, values-led leader, Denise is known for translating strategy into delivery, strengthening operational performance and service quality, and leading nationally distributed teams through significant change. She maintains a strong focus on ensuring services are accessible, responsive and centred on the needs and experiences of whānau.

Denise is committed to improving equitable access, strengthening partnerships and supporting innovation that delivers sustainable outcomes for pēpi, tamariki and whānau across Aotearoa. 

General Manager People & Culture

Tēnā tatou katoa
Ko Aoraki te maunga
Ko Waitaki te awa
Ko Moeraki te marae
Ko Ngai Tahu te iwi
Ko Kaiapoi te whenua tupu
Kei Kerikeri ahau e noho ana
Ko Brent Sincock tōku ingoa
Tēnā koutou katoa

Brent joined Whānau Āwhina Plunket as General Manager People & Culture in September 2023.

A strategic and people-centred executive, he is passionate about creating workplaces where people feel valued, supported, and able to contribute at their best.

Brent brings more than 35 years of human resources and organisational leadership experience across the public and private sectors in New Zealand and Australia. His career has spanned primary industries, banking, health, central and local government, tertiary education, technology, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, financial services, and iwi organisations.

Before joining Whānau Āwhina Plunket, Brent was Group Head, Toi Tangata — People & Culture at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. He has also held senior executive people and culture roles with Ara Poutama Aotearoa — Department of Corrections and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

Since returning to Aotearoa in 2013, Brent has valued the opportunity to work within kaupapa Māori organisations and to deepen his understanding of his own whakapapa. He brings a strong commitment to supporting kaimahi, building organisational capability and creating cultures grounded in trust, inclusion, and care.

At the heart of Brent’s decision to join Whānau Āwhina Plunket is whānau. As a son, father and grandfather, he is grateful for the support of his own family and friends and is proud to contribute to an organisation focused on improving outcomes for pēpi, tamariki and whānau.

Chief Nurse

Ko Te Kohurau te mauka
Ko Arai Te Uru te waka
Ko Arai Te Uru te tai
Ko Oraumoa te awa
Ko Poutaiki te pā neherā
Ko Moeraki te kāika
Ko Uenuku te marae
Ko Kai Tahu me Kahungunu ōku iwi 
Ko Zoë Tipa ahau
E noho ana ahau ki Whangārei
Tēnā koutou katoa.

Zoë is the Chief Nurse for Whānau Āwhina Plunket, providing strategic nursing leadership and professional governance across Aotearoa New Zealand. A registered nurse, educator and researcher, she has worked across aged care, Māori health, education and Well Child Tamariki Ora, and nursing leadership throughout her career.

Her doctoral research explored Māori experiences of Well Child Tamariki Ora services and led to the development of Mahi Ngātahi Aotearoa—a relationship-centred framework that supports culturally safe, whānau-led practice. Today, this framework underpins Whānau Āwhina Plunket's approach to care and continues to influence nursing practice, service design and organisational transformation.
Zoë is passionate about strengthening the nursing workforce and ensuring evidence, indigenous knowledge and whānau voice shape the future of health care. She is committed to creating systems that enable nurses to deliver equitable, culturally responsive care while building authentic partnerships with whānau and communities.

She believes every interaction is an opportunity to uphold mana, strengthen relationships and ensure tamariki and whānau receive the care and support they need to thrive.