Meet the team behind Māia – an
energetic and passionate group
made up of our ambassadors,
staff and board of trustees.
Māia Health Foundation is thrilled to announce New Zealand cricketer and local hero Tom Latham as an Ambassador for Māia.
A born and bred Cantabrian, Tom wants to be part of Māia’s mission to take our health services from good to great, particularly in child health. Tom’s partner Nicole, is an early childhood teacher and he appreciates the difference that enhancements to the children’s facilities will make for families.
Tom has represented New Zealand in all formats of the game and has captained them in ODI cricket. He is primarily a batsman who has also acted as wicket-keeper. We’ll be right there with Tom at upcoming international cricket fixtures, with the Māia logo proudly displayed on his Kookabura bat.
The Māia Health Foundation is pleased to introduce the Morrell-Gunn family as ambassadors.
The family including Kiwi broadcasting legend Jason Gunn, Janine Morrell-Gunn and their children Eve, Grace, Faith and Louis are excited to support a venture that is very close to their own hearts.
“A little can go a long way; if you have a child in hospital you want to be right by their side the whole time. One of the many things that Māia is fundraising for is parent beds next to every child’s bed in the new acute services building in Christchurch Hospital – what a world of difference that will make.”
The family are no strangers to supporting great family causes in Canterbury. Janine is on the Board for Cholmondeley Children’s Home and was founder of Adopt-A-Christchurch-Family.
“As a Canterbury family we believe these projects just simply have to happen. A rooftop helipad instead of landing in Hagley Park will reduce the transfer time before the patient receives treatment by around 13 minutes – that can make a lifetime of difference.”
“If a lot of people gave a little, we could have the best hospital. Let’s just do it, Canterbury!”
Jake Bailey inspired millions of people across the globe when he delivered a heart-wrenching speech at his final school assembly - just days after being diagnosed with a life-threatening cancer.
Jake is now in remission, and grateful to the CDHB team who helped him through. By supporting Māia as an ambassador, Jake believes he is giving back to the community that supported him through his illness, and he hopes that others can benefit from the enhanced healthcare Māia will provide.
Singer, songwriter, and mother of three Bic Runga may have spent more than half her life travelling and living around the world, but Christchurch is still her home town.
Her desire to give back to the place that she’s from, and her understanding of the challenges faced by the South Island’s health system, are behind her decision to support the Māia Health Foundation as an ambassador.
As the captain of one of the strongest New Zealand cricket teams of all time, Brendon understands the importance of team spirit, and the ability of a like-minded collective to achieve great things.
Now retired from the Black Caps, Brendon is providing invaluable support to the Māia Health Foundation as an ambassador.
Chief Executive
Michael has 20 years’ experience in a variety of marketing related roles. Throughout the 2010/11 earthquakes he was the Marketing Services Manager at the Christchurch City Council, leading the team that developed the award winning “Share an Idea” community engagement programme.
Michael is a born and bred Cantabrian and the father of three young children.
As Chief Executive of the Māia Health Foundation, he is excited to be working in the health system and helping take it from good to great for future generations
Contact —
michael.flatman@maiahealth.org.nz
021 421 531
Fundraising & Communications
Jo has extensive experience in both the public and private health sectors, having worked for 25 years in both clinical and corporate services, and more recently as a practice manager at Grace Orthopaedic Centre in Tauranga.
She has a qualification in Business Studies from Massey University, with an interest in PR and communications.
As Fundraising & Communications Coordinator for Māia Health Foundation, Jo ensures that all gifts are acknowledged and recorded, manages the day to day administrative and finance processes for the Foundation, and supports the Board of Trustees. She also assists with digital communications, managing the website and social media.
Contact —
jo.starr@maiahealth.org.nz
027 205 1133
Fundraising & Marketing
Anna heads the Fundraising and Marketing team at Māia. Previously Anna worked for Ronald McDonald House SI, responsible for the fundraising team and as Development Manager at St Andrew's College.
Anna has qualifications from University of Canterbury, Christchurch College of Education and Victoria University, Australia.
Alongside work and education, Anna played semi-professional netball from 1996 until her retirement in 2012. In 2002 she represented New Zealand at the Manchester Commonwealth Games, winning a silver medal with the Silver Ferns netball team. Now a mum of three active teenagers many hours are spent on the sidelines coaching, watching and managing sport.
Contact —
021 499 353
Fundraising & Events
Robyn is Māia's Fundraising Events Manager.
She has a vast network of contacts and experience in fundraising and has worked at Ronald McDonald House SI for three years prior to starting at Māia. Robyn is married to Mike and they have three teenage boys who keep them busy with school and sports.
Planning and organising the finer details of Māia events is Robyn's key role and she is blazing a trail!
Contact —
robyn.medlicott@maiahealth.org.nz
027 212 5319
Trevor is experienced in governance and the strategic leadership of large and complex corporate organisations and has a proven record of implementing change and achieving results. His career includes a number of years as a senior executive for global companies running businesses in Australia, China, the USA and Germany.
Trevor is currently Chairman of Ngai Tahu Holdings Corporation and Lyttelton Port of Christchurch, Director of Silver Fern Farms, New Zealand Lamb Company, PGG Wrightson, Landpower NZ as well as a former member of the Executive Board of the Munich based Linde Group.
Tony Sewell is an independent director and the principal of Tony Sewell Limited - a provider of strategic property advice. He has over 40 years of commercial experience in the construction and property sectors, most recently as the Chief Executive of Ngai Tahu Property.
Tony has significant governance experience in the not-for-profit sector having undertaken governance roles on school boards of trustees, sports clubs, the Art and Industry Biennial Trust, and as a member of the Christchurch Catholic Cathedral Management Board.
Jock holds a number of Directorships in health-related businesses including The Heart Centre at St George's and as a trustee at Ronald McDonald House SI. Prior to working in the health sector (both private and public) he had extensive experience in major contract management, sales and marketing with BP Oil, and financial services with Westpac.
Janine Morrell-Gunn was appointed as a Trustee in September 2018. Janine and her husband Jason are also Ambassadors for Māia.
Janine is one of New Zealand's leading children's television producers. She trained as a producer and director with TVNZ before spending seven years as Executive Producer of TVNZ's Children's Unit. In 1998 Janine and husband, Jason Gunn, formed Christchurch based production company, WhitebaitMedia.
She is also the Chair of Cholmondeley Children's Centre and a Trustee of Uru Manuka Trust.
During the Canterbury earthquakes, Janine established the charity Adopt a Christchurch Family which raised over $1 million for Canterbury families in need.
Read more of Janine's impressive back story here.
A New Zealand trained urologist, Peter gained experience in uro-oncology and minimally invasive urological treatments during fellowships in Rotterdam and Dallas. He has been a member of the Department of Urology at Christchurch Hospital and of Urology Associates, since 1993.
Peter is also strongly interested in governance, and is a past chairman of the New Zealand section of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand. He has also had a longstanding involvement with the Cancer Society, including chairing the Canterbury-West Coast division and sitting on the Cancer Society of New Zealand Board.
Peter’s current governance roles include membership of a number of boards, and chairmanship of two CDHB committees (the Surgical Working Group for the Christchurch Hospital Rebuild and the IT Hospital Advisory Group).