Our people

The main role of the Health and Disability Commissioner is to ensure that rights of consumers are upheld. This includes making sure that complaints about health or disability service providers are taken care of fairly and efficiently. Morag McDowell, Health and Disability Commissioner, began her term in September 2020.

Morag took up the role after serving nearly 13 years as a Coroner based in Auckland. She was formerly a Crown Prosecutor, Director of Proceedings for the Health and Disability Commissioner’s Office, and a Senior Legal Adviser at Crown Law. Since completing her Master of Laws degree, her legal practice has had a strong focus on healthcare law, and she has appeared in different courts and tribunals on a variety of health-related litigation. She has also lectured and published on a range of medico-legal issues.

Morag is committed to promoting and protecting the rights of health and disability services consumers where the Code sets the benchmark for good practice, and opportunities for learning and quality improvement are embraced. She strongly values the importance of fair, timely, transparent, and culturally appropriate processes where people are engaged, and given the opportunity to be heard.

Rose was appointed HDC’s Deputy Commissioner, Disability in August 2013.

A nurse by training, Rose has been involved in a number of different areas in the public health system for around 30 years. This has given her a broad insight into service quality, government strategy, the regulatory environment, and how the health and disability system works.

Rose’s role at HDC fulfils her natural desire to help people, particularly the more vulnerable who are less able to speak up for themselves.

Dr Vanessa Caldwell (Kāi Tahu, Te Rapuwai, Waitaha, Kati Māmoe) was appointed to the role of Deputy Commissioner in 2021.  She brings extensive knowledge of the health system with particular experience in mental health and addictions.

Her previous roles have included Clinical Executive, Mental Health & Addictions, MidCentral DHB and National Director of Matua Raki, Addictions workforce development. Vanessa has a doctorate in Health Science, an MBA, and practised as a registered psychologist.

She is an elected member of the Te Ati Awa/Ngati Toa Hauora Partnership Board and is passionate about developing consumer and whānau-centred health systems, workforce development, and ensuring that people of Aotearoa New Zealand have equitable access to high quality care when needed. 

Deborah James began her role as HDC’s Deputy Commissioner, Complaints Resolution in August 2021, and in November 2024 took over responsibility for HDC’s strategy team.

Deborah brings significant public sector and community sector leadership skills to the role. Deborah is motivated by a strong commitment to equity and social justice and her experience includes developing inclusive programmes to meet the needs of diverse communities.

She has previously worked as Sector Manager for the Office of the Auditor-General and Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Auckland Council. She is a former registered general and obstetric nurse.

Her experience also includes setting up women’s psychosocial support centres in Sarajevo during the war and working with at-risk youth and their families in South Auckland.

Deborah has a law degree and an MSc Econ in International Development Studies from Cardiff University. She was admitted to the Bar in Auckland in 2001.

Deborah’s focus is on ensuring that HDC’s complaints process works well for all of Aotearoa’s diverse communities; and on leveraging insights from this process to ensure that the experiences of health and disability service users are understood by the sector.

The Aged Care Commissioner advocates on behalf of older people to improve both the quality of their care and lives. The role exists to drive quality improvement across the aged care sector, and encourage collaboration and positive change.

Carolyn was appointed to the role in December 2021 and started in March 2022.

She brings a wealth of health sector leadership experience in Australia and New Zealand. Her previous roles include Executive Director, Clinical Operations for the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, General Manager for Canterbury DHB, Chief Operating Officer at Wairarapa and Hutt Valley DHBs and, Managing Director and Lead Nurse at Bupa NZ.

Charmaine Pene, Te Atihaunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, joined HDC as Director of Advocacy in September 2023.

With a career built around contributing to the delivery of patient safety and quality health services, Charmaine has senior leadership and operational experience across the health sector, including as a lead health and disability auditor and more recently as Quality Manager at the National Screening Unit, Health NZ|Te Whatu Ora.

She previously served as a layperson on the Dental Council of NZ and the NZ Medical Council Professional Conduct Committee and is currently a layperson on the NZ Medical Council Temporary Committee – Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in State Care.

Charmaine has held senior health management and leadership roles in the New Zealand Defence Force over a 25-year period and in 2006, received an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit award.

As a wahine Māori executive leader, Charmaine brings a strong and respectful te Tiriti voice and first-hand lived experience of whānau being impacted with inequities of health outcomes. She is a strong advocate for enabling consumer and whānau voice to be heard ensuring consumer-empowered improvements that deliver equitable access and health outcomes.

Ko Tainui te waka

Ko Taupiri te maunga

Ko Waikato te awa

Ko Waikato te iwi

Ko Ngaati Maahuta te hapuu

Ko Tuurangawaewae te marae 

Ikimoke has extensive experience working across government agencies and has worked with Department of Corrections, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education and more recently Ministry of Health. He was previously the Director of Tikanga within the Maaori Equity and Health Improvement Directorate at the Waikato District Health Board.

As Director Maaori, Ikimoke Tamaki-Takarei supports the Health and Disability Commissioner in its relationships with Maaori communities and giving practical effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Ikimoke provides direct advice and collegial support to the Commissioner, Governance Group and Executive Leadership team in the development and implementation of HDC’s Te Tiriti strategy and provides tikanga advice and support across all functions of HDC. 

The Maaori Directorate provides tikanga and evidence-based advice to the Health and Disability Commissioner to ensure our complaints process is responsive to Maaori. 

Ki te kotahi te kaakaho ka whati, ki te kaapuia e kore e whati

Jane Herschell was appointed Director of Proceedings | Pouārahi o Ngā Hāmenetanga in August 2024.

Jane has 25 years’ experience practising civil litigation in New Zealand and England, specialising in the medico-legal field. She was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in New Zealand in 1998 and admitted as a Solicitor in England and Wales in 2003. Jane joined the independent bar in New Zealand in 2004 and over the years has assisted several Directors of Proceedings with prosecutions before the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal and proceedings in the Human Rights Review Tribunal.

Jane holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (English and History) degrees from Victoria University of Wellington.