Lee Wharerau
Health Executive
Auckland,New Zealand
Summary
Executive Leader | Healthcare Operations | Governance | Change & Workforce Development Senior executive leader with 25+ years’ experience across healthcare, emergency services, NGO, public and private sectors in New Zealand and Australia. Proven capability in national operations, organisational change, workforce strategy, financial governance, and culturally responsive leadership. Recognised for leading complex services, stabilising operations, delivering large-scale change, and building trusted relationships across executive, clinical, community and government stakeholders.
Knowledgeable Health Executive with proven history of leading high-performing teams and executing strategic initiatives that drive organizational growth. Successfully directed cross-functional projects that resulted in significant process improvements and operational efficiencies. Demonstrated leadership and communication skills in fostering collaborative environments and delivering impactful results.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director/Owner
Evoke Consulting Ltd
Auckland New Zealan D
01.2012 - Current
- Business strategy, growth and financial management
- Recruitment and development of sales and consulting teams
- Stakeholder partnerships, branding and market positioning
- Development of quality management systems
- Governance and Consulting
National Programmes Manager
Ronald McDonald House Charities NZ
Auckland
05.2024 - 10.2025
- National operational oversight of 7 Ronald McDonald Houses
- Lead best-practice operational frameworks and optimisation strategies
- Oversight of facility management, compliance, and health & safety
- Development of annual R&M and Capex budgets
- Implementation of cultural competency and family violence escalation frameworks
- Review and improvement of national IT systems and service pathways
- Lead nationwide operational change initiatives aligned to mission delivery
Operations Manager
Te Whatu Ora
Waitematā
05.2021 - 05.2024
- Waitakere Hospital Emergency Department
- Executive leadership of Emergency Department operations
- Established GP pop-up clinic onsite saving 6133 hours over winter 2023
- Workforce recruitment, retention, performance and succession planning
- Financial oversight of operational budgets and performance targets
- Risk, quality and complaints management
- Strategic planning and collaboration across divisional and external partners
- Cultural leadership in equity and Te Tiriti Waitangi
Senior Business Advisor
ProCare Health Ltd
Auckland, New Zealand
05.2016 - 05.2021
- Advisory leadership across 29 General Practices spanning 3 DHBs
- Business case development, mergers, acquisitions
- Contract management and stakeholder relationships
- Financial growth, workforce mentoring and succession planning
- Cultural model implementation and equity-focused service delivery
- Led operational change driven by MOH/DHB/PHO policy reform
- Established and operationalised the Pukekohe Community-Based Assessment Centre within 4 days, including site setup, staffing, IT, PPE, security, and stakeholder coordination
National Recruitment Manager
Mike Pero Real Estate
Auckland
01.2011 - 12.2011
- National recruitment for franchise establishment phase
- Secured General Manager, National Sales Manager and 25 franchise owners
- Franchise negotiations, onboarding and regional development planning
- Implementation of quality and change management frameworks
Senior Healthcare Operations & Administration Leadership
Several Healthcare Institutions
NZ & Australia
01.1997 - 01.2010
- Director of Finance & Administration - Emergency Services ( Calvary Hospital, Cairns, Australia)
- Practice Manager - Private Surgical Practice
- Patient Services Manager / Emergency Department Manager - Private Hospitals
- End-to-end operational and financial leadership of emergency and surgical services
- Workforce restructuring, recruitment and performance management
- Quality improvement, accreditation and risk management
- Disaster and emergency response (cyclones, international deployments)
- Hospital acquisitions, service redesign and facility fit-outs
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Health Management
James Cook University
Cairns, QueenslandSkills
- Healthcare Operations
- Governance
- Strategic & Business Planning
- Te Tiriti Waitangi & Equity Leadership
- Stakeholder & Partnership Management
- Organisational Development
- Financial Management and Reporting
- Risk & Compliance
- Facilities Management
- IT Systems & Service Pathways
- Cultural Leadership & Equity
- Merger & AcquisitionBusiness Strategy & Growth
Accomplishments
- Successfully implemented standard operations across Ronald McDonald House Charities previously 3 separate charities over 7 sites.
- Established a Pop-Up GP Clinic alongside Waitakere Hospital Emergency Dept during the winter of 2023 saving 6133 ED Hours. Significantly reducing wait times, Ambulance ramping, patient distress and promoting equity.
- Led a delegation of 6 ED specialists to Darwin, NT Australia to present at "Developing Emergency Medicine conference" 2022 My presentation was titled "Indigenising Healthcare Spaces"
- Was asked to re-present the above presentation at the ACEM conference "Manaaki Mana" the following year.
- Established Pukekohe CBAC during Covid. (4 Days)
Certification
- ADKAR Change Management Certification
- Prosci
- Certificate in Te Reo Māori (Level 5)
- Te Wānanga Takiura
- Diploma in Mentoring
- Unitec NZ
- Improvement Facilitators Programme
- Ko Awatea
Interests
Arts, Marae, Outdoors, Travel, Whānau
Timeline
National Programmes Manager
Ronald McDonald House Charities NZ
05.2024 - 10.2025
Operations Manager
Te Whatu Ora
05.2021 - 05.2024
Senior Business Advisor
ProCare Health Ltd
05.2016 - 05.2021
Director/Owner
Evoke Consulting Ltd
01.2012 - Current
National Recruitment Manager
Mike Pero Real Estate
01.2011 - 12.2011
Senior Healthcare Operations & Administration Leadership
Several Healthcare Institutions
01.1997 - 01.2010
Bachelor of Arts - Health Management
James Cook University
TRAINING / COURSES
- Advanced Life Support & Resuscitation (Levels 3 & 4)
- Unitec NZ
- Certificate in Computing (Level 2)
Presentations
- Speaking Engagements
- 11/2022 - 11/2022
- Developing ER Darwin NT Australia
- Was invited to lead a delegation of 6 ED specialists to speak on the topics regarding First Nations Peoples in Aotearoa.
- My topic was "Indigenising a Healthcare Space"
- ACEM Manaaki Mana 2023
- Whangārā Marae
- Was asked to represent topic in Darwin to the Aotearoa College Emergency Medicine Māori Health Equity Conference