Chief Executive of Te Aka Whai Ora - Māori Health Authority, Riana Manuel, is pleased to announce the appointment of Juanita Te Kani (Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga) to the role of DCE – Strategy, Policy, and Monitoring.

Juanita comes to Te Aka Whai Ora from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD/MYD) where she led the Ministry of Youth Development. She championed the voice of rangatahi in the shaping of government policies supporting young people to participate confidently in their communities. 

She has over 20-years’ experience working in the public service in a range of different sectors including Ministry of Social Development, Justice including the Waitangi Tribunal and the Māori Land Court, Housing, and the State Services Commission.

Juanita Te Kani is the second permanent appointment for Riana Manuel, and she is thrilled that she has accepted the appointment.

“Our objective is to bring strong leadership and experience to the role and Juanita’s experience is extensive, especially in working at the heart of Ministerial decision-making,” Riana says.  

“I am really looking forward to seeing her lead in this role where she will be responsible for developing policy advice for government Ministers, supporting Ministerial services, and building teams to deliver system strategy, system monitoring and evidence and insights.“  

Juanita has been on secondment to Te Aka Whai Ora from MSD since February 2022 where she has set up the Policy and Governance teams.   

She is a strong believer in working in partnership to influence change and encourages a collective approach to improving outcomes for Māori.

“I believe in facilitating and sharing best practice and knowledge between our stakeholders and developing with my colleagues at Te Aka Whai Ora centres of expertise, that will benefit Māori health outcomes”.

Juanita begins her role on 7 October 2022.