Boards, committees & leadership teams
Ngā poari, ngā komiti me ngā tīma ārahi
Meet the boards, committees and leadership teams that help guide Pinnacle's direction, governance, decision-making and organisational leadership.
Who are we?
Through representation on our boards and committees, GPs, nurses, practice managers and other health professionals advocate on the network's behalf, helping ensure clinicians and their patients have access to the best general practice support, services and systems they need.
This page explains who does what, including the difference between the Pinnacle board and the Trust board, which have different roles and purposes.
Pinnacle board
Pinnacle Incorporated Executive Committee ("Pinnacle board")
The Pinnacle board is the governing body for Pinnacle Incorporated. It provides governance oversight and sets direction across the wider Pinnacle group. The Pinnacle board includes GP representatives appointed by Pinnacle Incorporated members at the annual general meeting each year, alongside independent directors. This balance helps ensure decisions are clinically grounded, well governed, and built for long-term sustainability.
The Pinnacle board is responsible for:
Governance oversight, including strategy, performance, risk and accountability.
Representing and promoting the interests of Pinnacle Incorporated members.
Oversight of Midlands Health Network (MHN) operations, including delivery of operational services and operational capability that supports the Trust’s PHO functions.
Oversight of the Primary Health Care Limited (PHCL) group of practices and the Patient Access Centre.
Strong governance that includes both GPs and independent directors
GP members bring the day-to-day reality of general practice, including what pressures look like in clinics and what will and won’t be workable. This clinical judgement is central to decisions that affect patient care and the realities of running a practice.
Independent directors bring complementary governance capability and perspective (including risk oversight, finance, strategy, workforce, digital, equity and long-term sustainability). Their role is to provide constructive challenge and strengthen decision-making, not replace clinical judgement.
Meet our chair
Meet Amit Prasad, the independent chair of the Pinnacle board. In this video, he walks you through his role, shares some personal things that ground him outside work, and explains the important dynamics of having both general practice board members and independent directors in this governing body.
Amit Prasad
Independent Chair
Trust board
Midlands Regional Health Network Charitable Trust Board
The Midlands Regional Health Network Charitable Trust Board is the PHO function within the group. It is made up of eight members: two clinical representatives and an independent director from founding GP provider networks, two Māori partner representatives, two community representatives and an independent professional chair.
Foundation Trust
The Pinnacle Foundation
The Pinnacle Foundation was established to reinvest surplus income from Pinnacle's profit-for-purpose entities back into general practice and the communities we serve. Its focus is on practical, meaningful initiatives that improve access to care, strengthen and support the workforce, build capability through education, and invest in innovation and technology that makes a real difference on the ground.
The Pinnacle Foundation Trust Board is proudly GP-led, with representation from the Pinnacle Incorporated Executive Committee and Te Taumata Hauora Māori, bringing together strong governance, clinical insight, and a clear commitment to equity, partnership, and community wellbeing.
Advisory groups
Other key advisory and assurance groups
Pinnacle has several key advisory and assurance groups that provide expert guidance and oversight. These rōpū/groups are accountable to Pinnacle Incorporated and report through to the Pinnacle board following each meeting.
Māori advisory
Te Taumata Hauora Māori
Te Taumata Hauora Māori is Pinnacle's Māori health advisory rōpū. The rōpū works closely with the Pinnacle board and leadership team to provide strategic advice, expert guidance and a Māori lens across our work, strengthening our cultural capability and helping address Māori health inequities.
Established in 2019, Te Taumata Hauora was developed over time and grounded in kaupapa Māori. The name Te Taumata Hauora was gifted in 2020 by Ngāti Hauāa kaumātua Tom Wheki — a taonga that comes with wairua and mana, and a clear expectation that the work ahead is significant.
Through regional Midland Māori membership, Te Taumata Hauora supports ongoing connections with Midland iwi Māori, strengthens relationships with Māori stakeholders, and helps ensure our governance and senior leaders are making the best possible decisions for Māori health. Te Taumata is accountable to Pinnacle Incorporated and reports through to the Pinnacle board following each meeting.
Rural advisory
Regional Rural Advisory Group (RRAG)
The Regional Rural Advisory Group provides Pinnacle with independent, expert rural advice to help ensure strategy, funding and advocacy genuinely reflect and support the needs of rural general practice and rural communities. RRAG helps keep rural realities visible in decision-making, including workforce pressures, access, distance and service sustainability.
Members:
Dr Brendon Eade
GP, Health Te Aroha/Health Ngātea
Lorraine Macallister
Business Manager, Mercury Bay Medical Centre
Dr Keith Buswell
GP, Te Kūiti Medical Centre
Dr Nick Loveridge-Easther
GP, Coastal Medical Group
Dr Michael Miller
GP, Whangamatā Medical Centre
Dr Mike Loten
GP, West Coast Health Centre
Dr Roger Smith
GP, Dallas Clinic
Rebecca Townsend
Business Manager/Owner, Whangamatā Medical Centre
Hilary Morrish Allen
Practice Manager, Pihanga Health
Clinical governance
Clinical Governance Group (CGG)
The Clinical Governance Group provides clinical advice and oversight to support safe, high-quality care across the network. The group brings together GPs, nurses and clinical team leaders, alongside Pinnacle clinical governance and screening managers, to help ensure our work is grounded in clinical best practice and real-world delivery.
The CGG supports clinical direction across the Pinnacle group, including quality improvement and screening priorities, and provides advice on clinical risk, consistency and improvement opportunities. The CGG is accountable to Pinnacle Incorporated and reports through to the Pinnacle board following each meeting.
Members:
Jan Adams
Nursing Director
Dr Jo Scott-Jones
Clinical Director
Dr Dave Maplesden
GP
Selena Batt
Regional Support Manager - Screening Services
Jane Wilkie
Clinical Services Manager/Nurse Lead
Michelle Bayley
Clinical Governance Manager
Dr Robin Baird
GP
Jessica Knight
Nursing Lead
Pen Blackmore
District Manager - Lakes
Managing risk
Risk and Audit Committee (RAC)
The Risk and Audit Committee provides independent assurance to the Pinnacle board and the Trust board that the Pinnacle group and the Midlands Regional Health Network Charitable Trust are financially sound, well controlled, compliant, and managing risk appropriately.
Members:
Doug Wilson
Independent Chair
Amit Prasad
Pinnacle Inc. Chair
Manu Sione
Pinnacle Inc. representative
Dr Giles Turner
Pinnacle Inc. representative
Wayne Mulligan
Midlands Regional Health Network Charitable Trust Board representative
Jan Adams
Clinical Governance representative
Leadership
Pinnacle Leadership Team
Our leadership team is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and delivery of Pinnacle's work across the network. They work alongside practices, partners and our teams to deliver excellent support and services, and to turn strategy into action.
