Nancy Taneja
Chief Information Security Officer – Primary Health Sector Data and Digital
Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand

Te Whatu Ora, Health New Zealand recently welcomed a new primary health Chief Information Security Officer to it’s cyber security portfolio/team. Nancy Taneja is the country’s first dedicated primary health cyber security leader.

She joins the team from THINK Hauora where she was instrumental in dealing with cyber- attacks and leading out mitigation plans. Taneja brings an understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing primary healthcare providers. She built the IT security operations for THINK Hauora from the ground up.

The Primary care CISO (P-CISO) is responsible for information security across the primary health sector. This includes leading the creation of security strategies, policies, governance, capabilities, and ensuring compliance to the Health Information Security framework. Taneja is a trusted advisor to the primary sector executives as well as ensuring there are active strategies in place to manage cybersecurity risks.

Matt Lord
Interim Chief Information Security Officer
Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand

Matthew wears two hats – he is responsible for the security of the shared health systems across New Zealand and he is also the chief security advisor for the health sector. Matthew comes from NTT NZ as their Head of Cybersecurity practice, which includes responsibility for security consulting, incident response and offensive security testing. He has more than 20 years’ industry experience and has worked in senior cybersecurity leadership positions in a number of global organisations across a range of industry sectors. He has participated in a number of cybersecurity industry boards, including as joint Chairperson of the Australasian Chapter of The Information Security Forum. He has also contributed to the development of international cybersecurity standards, including the Open Group’s Jericho forum Identity Commandments and ISACA’s CoBiT IT Governance implementation guide. 

Sonny Taite (Ngāi Te Rangi)
South Island Regional Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand

Sonny Taite is the Te Waipounamu - South Island Regional Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).

As regional CISO, the focus is on leading District’s information security strategy, while advocating for cyber related risks at senior management levels. Located in Canterbury, the role is accountable to a regional governance group for the whole of the South Island and Sonny will also work together with other regional CISOs across the country under a new national cybersecurity governance structure.

Sonny has a background in specialist security intelligence roles for New Zealand Defence and senior business leadership roles with Datacom Group, including General Manager Networks and Security, Head of Regional New Zealand, and finishing as Head of South Island for Datacom in 2020. Most recently, he has been working as a social innovator and technologist with Tokona Te Raki, under the mana of Ngāi Tahu.

Sonny says after developing a diverse portfolio across his career, he’s now focussed on roles that have significant purpose for our local community and wider Aotearoa New Zealand.

“Protecting our health data, while ensuring we deliver the outcomes our community needs has never been more important”.

Pete Bailey
Head of Cyber Security
Theta

Pete Bailey heads up the Cybersecurity team at Theta. Pete has a diverse background in process improvement, training and digital marketing, and has spent the last decade in security, previously running one of New Zealand’s largest information security consultancies. He has a wide range of experience working with boards and executive teams to help them understand their cyber threats and implement sustainable change. Pete is also called on regularly for comment by the media on major cyber incidents or for general cybersecurity advice.

Pete lives north of Wellington on a lifestyle property with his wife and three children, where they raise cows and horses.

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Rebecca McBeth
HiNZ News Editor

Rebecca McBeth joined the HiNZ team as editor of eHealthNews.nz in January 2018. Rebecca was previously news editor at Digital Health Intelligence in London and prior to that, was the senior health reporter at The Christchurch Press, where she won a NZ Canon Media Award and a NZ Reporting Diversity award. Based in Auckland, she is committed to communicating news, experience and knowledge throughout New Zealand’s data and digital health sector.