Following Haemophilia New Zealand’s (HNZ) recent board meeting, the national executive along with the board are delighted to advise that Deon York has been appointed as Chief Executive of HNZ. Deon brings extensive governance and leadership experience from the health and community sector to this role and is a strong champion for improving the lives of people affected by haemophilia and all inherited bleeding disorders. Deon is driven by contributing to a health care system that is determined and shaped by what matters to the people it serves. This theme has been constant in his career.

He is certainly no stranger to the community, having been a passionate advocate for the New Zealand bleeding disorders community for more than 25 years, holding many roles at board level. He also served as a director of the board of the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) for ten years (2010 - 2020), and chaired or served on a range of WFH committees. In 2024 he was awarded the International Frank Schnabel Volunteer Award in recognition of his global contributions to training and advocacy.

He completed his undergraduate studies at Victoria University of Wellington, and postgraduate studies at the University of Auckland. Following his studies, Deon was involved with research exploring the experiences of the bleeding disorders community, culminating in the publication of More than a bleeding nuisance: Haemophilia in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2019, co-authored with Julie Park, Kathryn Scott, and Mike Carnahan.  He is a member of the national haemophilia management group, and an ex officio member of HNZ’s board.

Prior to this appointment, Deon’s most recent role was as Director of Consumer Engagement at Te Tāhu Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission, leaving a legacy of a strong patient, consumer and whānau voice shaping the organisation along with secondary legislation (code of expectations) requiring all health entities to engage with patients and consumers at all levels and at all stages of the design, delivery, and evaluation of the health system. He has previously worked at the Ministry of Health, tertiary institutions, and held research and evaluation roles early in his career.

Hemirau Waretini (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato Tainui), has now been appointed as acting chair, and Karl Archibald has been appointed as acting treasurer. These roles will be confirmed at the next annual general meeting in November. Both Hemi and Karl were endorsed by the board and will continue to contribute their skills and expertise to HNZ.

Deon says ‘I am honoured to take up this position, working for an organisation I have a deep affinity with. The people are inspirational and will motivate me every day. I remain committed to ensuring that HNZ is strong and delivers for its members’.

Deon is HNZ’s fourth Chief Executive, and first with severe haemophilia A.