About our speakers

Tane Cassidy

Of Ngāpuhi descent, Tane Cassidy has worked in the areas of health marketing, funding and contracting, and policy development since graduating from the University of Otago in the 1990s. He has worked with a wide range of government and non-government organisations, Māori, private businesses, and community groups.

Tau Huirama

Ki a mihi atu ki a ratou 
Kua mene ki te po
Haere Haere Haere 

Ka huri atu ki te mihi ki te Kingi a Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero tuawhitu
A rire rire hau paimarire

Ko Ngati Tamainupo te Hapu  

Kaumatua: Maunga Tautari Huirama (Tau)

Tau Huirama has more than 20 years professional experience as a cultural supervisor, coach, mentor and facilitator of crucial conversations.
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He provides trustworthy, wise and knowledgeable cultural and bi-cultural advice and support to Māori and non-Māori seeking to deliver the best possible results for their whānau and stakeholders.

Karen Stewart

Karen has worked managing research commissioning and contracting for over 16 years at Te Hiringa Hauora/Health Promotion Agency and previously at the Families Commission/Superu. Karen will be facilitating this webinar.

Claud Ibbotson

Claud Ibbotson has been a Senior Advisor in the Mental Wellbeing team at Te Hiringa Hauora for two years. 

They have lived experience of mental distress and Rainbow expertise, and use this passion to fuel their mahi. They were involved in the design and development of the Nōku te Ao procurement process, and they were the lead in developing the kaupapa Māori-based contracts that emerged from this. 

Claud has a background in mental health strategy and policy, and brings a human rights lens to all that they do. Achieving equitable health outcomes for marginalised populations is their main goal.

Michael Naera

Michael has made significant contributions for improving mental health services and suicide prevention strategies and activities for Māori across Aotearoa New Zealand.

He is recognised in the 100 Maori Leaders alongside Sir Mason Durie and Dame Tariana Turia to name a few. As a sort after keynote speaker Michael has spoken at the World Congress on Public Health Conference as a Global Leader on Indigenous Suicide Prevention. Not to mention traveling to indigenous nations to present on Māori and indigenous suicide prevention.

In 2016, Michael was one of the project leaders for the very first World Indigenous Suicide Prevention Conference and Indigenous Youth Summit. He led the roll out of conference recommendations, in particular, The Tūramarama Declaration document which is recognised internationally by indigenous nations. Currently he is studying for his PHD in Philosophy at Massey University.

Susan McIntyre