New Board Directors announced

Published: 19 September 2024

The Heart Foundation has appointed two new Board Directors.

Associate Professor Dr Matire Harwood and Dr Raewyn Fisher both bring significant experience in leadership and medical expertise within the broader health sector and wider community.

“We are delighted to welcome them to the Heart Foundation and feel very fortunate to have them join the Board,” Heart Foundation Chief Executive Clive Nelson says. 

A dedicated advocate for Māori health, Matire (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Rangi ki Moerewa) is an accomplished researcher and leading academic in her role as the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at Auckland University.

Matire is also a primary care GP and in July 2022, she was awarded the prestigious Community Service Medal from the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners for her services to Māori hauora during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Raewyn is an experienced clinical cardiologist with a special interest in heart failure, rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, coronary disease and hypertension.

She is the former Director of Cardiology at Waikato Hospital and has led the Waikato Heart Failure Service.  

After 25 years at Health Waikato, she moved to new cardiology challenges working in Te Tai Tokerau and developing cardiology services across Northland where she is now based.