National TEAM
Heather Verry - Chief Executive
Heather has been at the helm of Diabetes NZ since 2017. She has a strong background in not-for-profit organisations. Since working at Diabetes NZ she has completed a full national unification of the organisation, driving positive change and engagement around the country. Heather has the experience to ensure Diabetes NZ continues to grow its reach into communities and through key stakeholders to improve diabetes awareness, education and advocacy.
Prior to joining Diabetes NZ Heather has held Chief Executive roles with the NZ Police Association and the Manfeild Park Trust, a motor racing circuit and events centre in Manawatū. Heather has also acted as Deputy Chief Executive of the New Zealand Council of Victim Support Groups.
Nicky Katsanos - Head of Corporate Services
Nicky is a Chartered Accountant who joined Diabetes NZ in 2015. Her key responsibility is to work alongside the Chief Executive to provide essential support to internal and external stakeholders across three main areas: finance, management support and payroll.
Nicky leads and manages the Finance, Membership and Administration team to provide financial reporting, business and budget planning, forecasting, process reviews and management of all supply and procurement contracts. In addition Nicky has responsibility for all property matters and health and safety operations.
Jo Chapman - Head of Business Development
An extensive background in the not-for-profit and health & exercise industries allows Jo to blend her experience to lead the business development team; Fundraising, Communications and Marketing.
Jo is the key relationship contact for champion sponsors, partnerships and financial stakeholders. She is responsible for ensuring Diabetes NZ has adequate financial support so that people with diabetes can continue to receive free resources, help and advice and is able to advocate for improved health and medical opportunities for all.
Liz Dutton - Head of Clinical Services
Liz manages the Diabetes Community Coordinators around the country. Liz’s role is to establish partnerships, and with engage with, clinical teams in PHOs where Diabetes Community Coordinators are located or plan to be located. Liz has ensured the Diabetes Your Life Your Journey programme designed by Te Whatu Ora Capital Coast and Hutt Valley, Otago University, and Tū Ora Compass Health, is co-facilitated between the Diabetes Community Coordinators and clinicians in the Diabetes Community Coordinators regions.
Liz was a former Clinical Nurse Specialist in Diabetes at Tū Ora Compass Health PHO, Wellington. She achieved a distinction in post-graduate diploma in Primary Health Care with a focus on Long Term Conditions and Diabetes. Her last role as Programme Lead: Long Term Conditions at Compass Health, involved the management and development of the multi-disciplinary Diabetes team and Long-Term Conditions services in the PHO.
Liz’s diabetes knowledge and skills are an asset to her role at Diabetes NZ, being a clinical advisor.
Matire Ropiha - Head of Engagement
(Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngai Tāmanuhiri, Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Haumia)
Ko Māhanga te marae
Ko Te Poho o Rongomaiwahine te wharenui
Ko Ngai Tū te hapū
Ko Rongomaiwahine te iwi
Matire has been a part of Diabetes NZ since 2020, initially stepping in as the first Diabetes Community Coordinator based in Ngāmotu | New Plymouth in Taranaki. Her personal journey with Type 2 Diabetes, which includes time living abroad before returning to Aotearoa NZ, fuels her commitment to supporting others affected by diabetes. Driven by a desire to promote mana motuhake | self-empowerment, Matire focuses on helping people self-manage their condition effectively.
Recently, she has advanced to the role of Head of Engagement within the Senior Leadership team. In this capacity, Matire not only supports the Diabetes Community Coordinator team but also fosters partnerships with other organisations to enhance collaborative efforts. She is dedicated to ensuring that Diabetes NZ is both effective and comfortable operating within Māori spaces, furthering the organisation's mission to support and empower the diabetes community.
Cara Thomas, Head of Community Services
Cara joined the Diabetes NZ leadership team in 2023, joining us from an extensive career spanning health and mental health in non-government organisations, primary and secondary care settings. A graduate from Massey University (BSW), and health social worker by profession, Cara has worked in direct clinical, project and programme management, workforce development, and senior leadership roles. “Mahia te mahi, hei painga mō te iwi”- do the work for the betterment of the people. Her role has a portfolio focus on delivery of community services which promote awareness, prevention, understanding, education and self-management of Type 2 diabetes in particular.
Marsha Mackie - Head of Youth and Type 1
As Head of Youth and Type 1, Marsha’s role is to support and manage Diabetes New Zealand’s Youth Coordinators and to focus on Type 1 advocacy, education, awareness and youth development in Aotearoa. Marsha chairs the national youth forum which includes Diabetes New Zealand’s youth coordinators and volunteers who are also passionate about improving the lives of youth with diabetes in Aotearoa.
Prior to taking on this role, Marsha managed multiple key projects for Diabetes New Zealand including production of the Eat Well, Live Well cookbook, the review and creation of our policy suite, as well as the Annual Reports and Conferences.
Nicky Steel - Corporate Services Coordinator
Through the 0800 DIABETES information line, Nicky has the privilege of a front-line role in supporting Diabetes NZ members and other people with pre-diabetes or diabetes. Another key role is to support GP surgeries, PHOs, DHBs and other health sector organisations by providing them with our Diabetes NZ information resources.
After a career that has included policy and communications roles, Nicky loves the opportunity this role affords to help New Zealanders manage a health challenge so that they can reach a happy and healthy place in their lives.
Stephen Jarvis - Accounts Support
Stephen has been with Diabetes New Zealand since 2019 and has a background in providing database support to not-for-profit organisations. He works with the finance team in the National Office and helps with a wide range of activities from reconciling payments and keeping records up to date, to monitoring expenditure and processing invoices.
Stephen can also be found helping process orders for our ‘healthy plates’ resource, which gives a visual representation of how to make sure your plate contains a healthy range of food.
Kim Verry-Bester, Funding Manager
In 2022 Kim joined Diabetes New Zealand as Funding Manager, bringing a variety of experience to role. She has a background in the health and fitness industry specialising in rehab, personal training both in NZ and overseas. A taste for adventure sent her overseas for some years to work in the travel industry. Upon returning to New Zealand Kim spent 8 years in the hospitality industry, setting up her own business with a focus on healthy food.
Kim is responsible for grant funding across the organisation, with her fundriaisng and business skills Kim has enabled us to apply for, and win, significant funding – meaning we can support more New Zealanders with diabetes.
Claire Meirelles, Marketing Manager
With a background in the not-for-profit industry and digital marketing, Claire brings a range of marketing, fundraising and communications experience to Diabetes New Zealand.
Claire is responsible for both digital and printed communications including the website, our monthly electronic newsletter Connect, Diabetes Wellness Magazine and Fundraising. Her role includes communications and marketing strategies, policy development and brand management.
Sarah Pritchard, Communications Coordinator
Sarah joined Diabetes New Zealand in 2024 after moving to Aotearoa with her family from the UK. She has experience in communications and marketing for a variety of organisations including the UK National Health Service, where she helped to manage digital communications during the covid-19 response.
Sarah looks after our social media channels and helps develop content for the website, as well as supporting with newsletters and the Wellness magazine, and any other communications requirements as they arise.
Amy Leung, Data Administrator
Amy looks after the Diabetes New Zealand database. This means entering and maintaining information for our donors and/or people who are newly diagnosed, those who have signed up to hear from us with support or communications, as well as business analysis, data entry and some coding. Amy also supports the finance and marketing teams by processing daily transactions and helping to unpick technical issues or find data.
Amy was a software engineer before becoming a full-time mum and in any spare time she does have (which isn’t a lot!) she is the President of her local toy library, where she writes grant applications, maintains their database and organises fundraisers.