Keynote Speakers

HiNZ is delighted to confirm the following high-profile keynote speakers for the upcoming Digital Health Week NZ, taking place in Hamilton from 2-5 December 2024.

Professor Lester Levy, CNZM, MBBCh, MBA, FRACMA, FNZIM

Lester is the appointed Commissioner of Health New Zealand, Professor of Digital Health Leadership at AUT, Chair of the New Zealand Health Research Council and an independent advisor on leadership and leadership development. He is a medical doctor and MBA with a postgraduate professional qualification in medical leadership and is registered as a medical specialist with the Medical Council of New Zealand. In the 2013 New Zealand New Year's Honours Lester was appointed by the Queen as a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for services to health and education.

Dr Khulood Alsayegh

Khulood Alsayegh, MD is an accomplished healthcare leader, qualified at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Harvard Medical School, Boston. She has over 14 years of clinical experience in Europe and the United Arab Emirates.

A two time winner of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Awards, she has participated as a speaker in multiple local and international conferences including WorldExpo2020. She is a non-resident research Fellow at the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government, an IEEE AI Ethics Lead Assessor and a GP consultant in Dubai.

Key Expertise:

Healthcare regulation which includes the ongoing development of clinical standards with a focus on delivering service excellence.
Telehealth regulation which includes the ongoing the development of telehealth Standards, telehealth guidelines, training healthcare providers and reviewing new requests. Worked on the establishment of the very first telehealth governmental platform " Doctor for Every Citizen" in Dubai Health Authority, which was used extensively during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Consultant Family Physician with subspecialisation in Diabetes.

Dr Immanuel Azaad Moonesar

Professor Dr. Immanuel Azaad Moonesar, professor of health policy and systems research at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, Dubai, UAE is a distinguished academic and researcher with deep expertise in public health, health policy, and quality of care. His research focuses on improving healthcare systems, with a particular emphasis on quality of care, patient safety, and health service delivery.

Dr. Moonesar has contributed significantly to understanding how healthcare quality impacts patient outcomes, especially in the context of emerging economies. His work has been published widely (255+), and he has attained over 3.875 million USD in grants. He is also recognized for his commitment to advancing healthcare standards globally through research, teaching, and policy advocacy.

Cecilia Robinson

Cecilia Robinson was named Innovator of the Year at the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year 2024 Awards. This prestigious recognition is a testament to her leadership, vision for the future of healthcare, and steadfast commitment to making a difference to the lives of all Kiwis.

Her personal health experiences have motivated her to dedicate the rest of her life to improving healthcare outcomes for our Tamariki via the creation of Tend Healthcare.

Cecilia is a true entrepreneur, alongside Tend she has founded two other hugely successful businesses - Au Pair Link and My Food Bag - and was inducted into The New Zealand Hall of Fame for Women Entrepreneurs.

Dr Raj Jena

Dr Raj Jena is an academic radiation oncologist working at the University of Cambridge and Addenbrooke’s Hospital. His clinical interests are in the treatment of primary and secondary tumours of the brain and spine. His research interests span areas of imaging, radiomics, machine learning and advanced radiation therapy treatment.

Dr Jena is chief investigator of the CRUK VoxTox computational radiotherapy programme, a Clinical Consultant member of the Innereye team at Microsoft Research, an Investigator at the EPSRC Centre for Mathematical Imaging in Healthcare, and a founding member of the European Network for Light Ion Therapy based at CERN.

Dr Shane Reti (Virtual)

Dr Shane Reti is the Minister of Health and Minister for Pacific Peoples.

Dr Reti’s career began in family medicine and dermatology in Whangarei where he practiced for 16 years. He served three terms on the Board of the Northland DHB and was awarded a QSM for Public Service in the 2006 New Year Honours List.

In 2007 Dr Reti was awarded a Harkness Fellowship to Harvard, in Boston, where he was chief operating officer and professor at the Division of Clinical Informatics.

Dr Reti is the first New Zealand graduate Māori Minister of Health.

Greg Mirams

Founder and Managing Director of Techion Greg Mirams has a passion for innovation and farming, propelling him to the forefront of digital diagnosis and data management.

A respected figure in the agritech industry, Greg is driven by a belief in the power of data technology to solve critical issues facing our world. Greg led the Techion team to develop FECPAKG2 an affordable, portable, easy-to-use digital microscope and data platform that enhances production animal health by providing digital analysis to allow farmers and animal health specialists to make informed treatment decisions.

Greg's vision for Techion extends beyond animal health into digital intelligence for people and our environment. Under his leadership, Techion has become renowned for its cutting-edge FECPAKG2 diagnostic tool that assists farmers and which is being extended to offer affordable and timely diagnosis and data at the point of care for people and our environment. Greg is currently leading an innovative healthcare project involving Awanui – New Zealand’s largest diagnostic provider and Microsoft. The project will validate an end to end solution for digital microscopy tests on Techion’s platform.

Jacqui Lunday

Jacqui Lunday is National Chief, Allied Health, Scientific and Technical, Health NZ - Te Whatu Ora. She is an experienced and impactful AHS&T leader with an international profile and extensive multi-professional networks. Her previous experience includes more than 10 years as a technical advisor to the World Health Organisation in Geneva, alongside working as Chief Health Professions Officer for the Scottish Government for 17 years.

Darren Douglass

Darren Douglass is Chief Information Technology Officer (acting) at Health NZ - Te Whatu Ora. He brings extensive expertise in strategic leadership, investment portfolio management, and digital service delivery in the healthcare sector within New Zealand and the UK. Prior to his role at Health NZ as Director of Strategy and Investment for Data and Digital, he served as the Group Manager of Digital Strategy and Investment at Manatū Hauora Ministry of Health. He is dedicated to enhancing health outcomes through technology.