Our Board

Paula Bennett (Chair)

In addition to being the Pharmac Board Chair, Paula is the Director of Strategic Advisory at Bayleys Real Estate and board member of New Zealand Green Building Council and Sea Cleaners. 

Previously Paula was a Member of Parliament for 15 years and a Cabinet Minister for 9 of them with a broad range of 14 different portfolios and served as Deputy Prime Minister. 

She is a motivational speaker and has a podcast with NZME where she seeks advice on interesting topics. Paula loves charity work, reading, and is happiest on, in, or under the water.

Paula joined the Board in May 2024.

Dr Peter Bramley (Deputy Chair)

Dr Peter Bramley has extensive management experience. He studied at the University of Otago where he gained a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Physiology and also completed his PhD in Medicine. He has previously lectured in Biochemistry and in Dunedin and Christchurch.

He has worked in a wealth of management positions in the health sector. Most recently as Chief Executive of Canterbury and West Coast District Health Board.

Peter is an energetic and passionate people manager, with a strong focus on improving equitable health outcomes and on the importance of accessing healthcare close to home.

Peter joined the Board in April 2023.

Talia Tiori Anderson-Town

Ko Talia Tiori Anderson-Town tōku ingoa. I te taha ō tōku matua ko Ngāti Maru (Hauraki) tōku iwi, I te taha ō tōku whaea ko Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa, Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Te Atihaunui-a-Pāpārangi me Ngāti Kahungungu. Nō reira ko Rātana tōku tūrangawaewae, tōku kainga. 

Talia is a director and audit partner of Silks Audit Chartered Accountants Limited. She is a Chartered Accountant and Qualified Auditor with Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand, Appointed Auditor of the Office of the Auditor General and Licensed Auditor registered with the Financial Markets Authority. Talia has over 16 years of audit experience while having the roles of graduate, senior auditor, audit manager and engagement partner. 

She is also Chair of the Whanganui Local committee for Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand and also a board member on a Māori business network and Māori charitable incorporation. Talia was also a board member on the Whanganui District Health Board and Chair of the Finance Risk and Audit committee.

Talia joined the Pharmac Board in December 2021.

Dr Diana Siew

Diana is the Strategic Partnership Lead at Auckland Bioengineering Institute (University of Auckland). She is responsible for strategic initiatives and stakeholder relationships to support and grow two national initiatives hosted by the Auckland Bioengineering Institute – the Consortium for Medical Device Technologies (CMDT) and Te Tītoki Mataora MedTech Research Translator (MedTech Translator). Both are a partnership between Universities of Auckland, Canterbury and Otago, AUT, Victoria University of Wellington and Callaghan Innovation. 

Previous roles include working at Callaghan Innovation. She currently has Advisory roles on Precision Driven Health and the HealthTech Activator. Diana is presently on the Board of Directors of Creative HQ.

Diana is passionate about developing NZ’s innovation ecosystem and taking research outcomes into the commercial arena with a special interest in health technology innovation.

Diana joined the Board in March 2022.

Dr Margaret Wilsher

Dr Wilsher (MD, FRACP, FRACMA) graduated from the University of Otago. She trained as a respiratory specialist at Green Lane Hospital and then completed a research fellowship at the National Heart and Lung Institute and Royal Brompton Hospital in London.

She has continued her academic and clinical career in respiratory medicine in Auckland, specialising in interstitial lung disease.

She has also accumulated a busy health management and governance portfolio of activities across New Zealand. Her current roles include Respiratory Physician and Chief Medical Officer ADHB and Honorary Professor University of Auckland. 

Margaret joined the Board in July 2023.