Our leadership

Claire brings impressive credentials to the role, with 20 years in CEO and senior leadership roles in the Not-For-Profit sector, most recently as Head of Women’s Rugby at NZ Rugby, and prior to this as CEO of Triathlon New Zealand, where she led major strategy and commercial transformational change. Claire has a wealth of experience, in the health, sport and wellbeing sectors, with a reputation for developing clear strategies, a positive team culture and achieving social impact outcomes. Claire has a huge passion for ensuring all New Zealanders live happy, healthy lives, and we know she will continue to drive outcomes, and advocate for those living with Asthma and COPD in New Zealand.

Emma-Kate is a commercially minded professional, experienced in leading corporate affairs teams and strategic projects in the telecommunications, media and energy sectors. She has broad experience across sustainability, media and public relations, government relations and regulatory affairs in New Zealand and Australia. An adaptable leader, Emma-Kate has also led experienced teams in people and culture at New Zealand energy company, Genesis. She is currently Chief Customer Office at 2Degrees. Emma-Kate holds a senior executive MBA from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Digital Business from the University of Waikato. 

Yong Shan is highly passionate about public health, in particular bringing people together to mobilise creative and innovative solutions that allow communities across New Zealand to truly flourish. She has broad experience in healthcare strategy and operations, including large-scale technology implementations, across the public and private realm, which has built robust understandings of the health and social landscape. She operates with an equity-based lens, which drives her commitment to advocate for community-led health and awareness for chronic, long-term conditions. 

Dr Julie Blamires is a senior nurse lecturer and child and youth health researcher at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), New Zealand. With expertise in respiratory (bronchiectasis, asthma) and rheumatology, she bridges clinical practice and academia. Leadership experience includes her role as Associate Head of Postgraduate Research for the School of Clinical Sciences, Associate Head of Research Nursing, and Programme Leader for Postgraduate Child Health.

Julie’s research focuses on the experiences of children, young people, and their families living with long-term illness. She is passionate about ensuring their participation, engagement, and voices in healthcare.

Aravind is a Partner at Deloitte NZ, leading the firm’s AI & Data Capability. With over 20 years of global experience in top-tier consulting and professional services, he specialises in helping organisations harness the power of data, analytics, and artificial intelligence to drive impactful outcomes.

He has broad experience across a range of industry verticals including health, telecommunications, public sector, manufacturing, consumer goods, and financial services. Aravind is passionate about making an impact through the use of technology and AI in the health sector and has experience supporting the Northern Region health entities in this space.

Aravind has a family member struggling with Asthma, and has a real motivation to join the Asthma NZ board to help improve the lives of those with Asthma and other respiratory conditions.

Dr Amy Chan is our newly appointed Clinical Director for Asthma NZ, providing clinical advice on medicines and asthma to our respiratory nursing team and people living with asthma. She is a clinical academic pharmacist with particular expertise and interest in asthma. She is currently Associate Professor at the University of Auckland School of Pharmacy and works with people with asthma in the community.

 For over 15 years, Amy has been conducting research into ways to improve asthma, including how technologies can promote adherence and improve asthma outcomes. Amy is also a member of the European Respiratory Society Clinical Research Collaboration CONNECT which aims to move digital innovations towards connected respiratory care, the Respiratory Effectiveness Group, PSA Respiratory Taskforce and the scientific advisory board of Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ.

Living with asthma herself, Dr Chan brings both expertise and empathy to her work and is passionate about improving the lives of people with asthma.