Māori Responsiveness Team

Haere mai, he mihi -

E ngā mātāwaka, e ngā karangatanga maha kei waenganui i a tātou, nau mai, haere mai ki te paetukutuku e kīia nei ko ‘Te Whaioranga’.

Ātene Andrews

Ngāti Porou, Mataatua

Ātene Andrews (Ngāti Porou, Mataatua) is PHARMAC's Kaiwhakahaere Whakarata Māori / Manager, Māori Responsiveness. He's been in this role since 2014. Ātene leads the work within PHARMAC to bring Te Whaioranga 2013-23 into life.

Ātene came to PHARMAC from MBIE, Dept of Labour, Crown Forestry Rental Trust and Foreign Affairs. His first profession was an English teacher in South Auckland, Mangakino, Niue, Aitutaki and Singapore.

Ātene has three Masters Degrees: an MBA from Victoria, an MEdAdmin from Massey and a Tāhuhu Mātauranga Māori from Te Wānanga o Raukawa.

Ātene is married to Mariana. They have three children — daughter Sunny and sons Sam and Kiwa — but most important of all is moko Maxie.

Karen Jacobs-Grant, Kaihonohono Whakarata Māori - Senior Advisor Māori Responsiveness Strategy

Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Torehina

Karen’s focus is on PHARMAC’s work with Whānau Ora Collectives bringing to the Te Tira Whakarata Māori, health professional expertise and programme management experience from her previous role as National Programme Manager, One Heart Many Lives.

Karen has extensive sales and marketing experience having worked in the pharmaceutical industry in sales management and in marketing and brand management on a national and global basis in the UK and Europe.

A Registered General and Obstetric Nurse with Post Graduate diploma, Karen has worked in the hospital arena over many years in New Zealand, Australia and England.

Karen completed her MBA at the University of Warwick Business school when working in the pharmaceutical industry (UK).

Karen is married to Michael. They have two teenage children, Hanna and Richard.

Contact Karen at tewhaioranga@pharmac.govt.nz