Hanga-Aro-Rau warmly welcomes Debbie Chin as the newly appointed Chair of our Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. Debbie brings a wealth of private- and public-sector experience through roles including Chair of Tū Ora Compass Health PHO, CEO of Capital and Coast District Health Board, Chief Executive of Standards New Zealand, and Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Health.

Debbie has held several similar governance roles, including Chair of the Waikato District Health Board’s Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. “I have embraced the natural transition from executive roles into governance,” she says. “As I have stepped back from hands-on management, I have found different ways of supporting businesses through my knowledge and experience of what works and what doesn’t.”

Debbie looks forward to bringing her diverse perspectives and wide-ranging industry- experience to the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. “I am best and most stimulated by the ability to contribute during periods of significant change, in both the public and private sectors. During my time with Standards NZ, I worked closely with the Industry Training Organisations where I gained exposure to vocational education; I also bring with me a background understanding of Government and how that interface works.”

As Finance, Audit and Risk Committee Chair, Debbie will help Hanga-Aro-Rau navigate any organisational adjustments over the year ahead. “My understanding is that the WDC has been functioning well but will be undergoing a period of change. My role is to support the organisation through the Government transitions to a new model, and to put plans in place to manage and mitigate those risks.”

The Committee will provide much-needed continuity and stability through the changes ahead. “One of our core functions is to ensure good stewardship of the resources – both human and financial – over the next financial year as Hanga-Aro-Rau shifts to whatever the future holds for the organisation,” Debbie says. “Our presence will help to smooth that transition to what comes next.”