Veterans' Health Advisory Panel members

The Panel is made up of a maximum of nine members. The legislation requires that one is an ex officio medical practitioner nominated by Chief of New Zealand Defence Force, one is an ex officio appointed by Veterans’ Affairs, and one is a Veterans’ Advisory Board ex officio appointee.

Panel Chair, Ms Cathy O'Malley

Appointed Panel Chair July 2016

Cathy has extensive governance, strategic and operational health sector experience. Cathy recently retired as GM Systems Integration for Te Waipounamu, at Health New Zealand where she lead commissioning of approximately $2 billion of community based health services. Cathy graduated from Otago University with a Bachelor Physical Education and has been fortunate to participate in international leadership programmes at Harvard Business School and the Global Health Leadership Forum at the University of California, Berkley's School of Public Health. She has travelled extensively studying health systems in UK, USA and Europe.

Her career to date spans 35 years in Primary and Community care, as Ministry of Health Deputy Director General Sector Capability, in DHB GM Planning and Service Commissioning and Primary Health Organisations. Her earlier career was working in Community Development and Children’s recreation, for the YMCA.

Cathy is also a member of the Nelson Tasman Hospice Trust Board.

Deputy Chair, Emeritus Professor Ian Civil

Appointed Member August 2014
Appointed Deputy Chair December 2016

Ian is an Internationally recognised trauma surgeon with extensive research into trauma and injury care. Ian is a veteran of Desert Storm, Commanding Officer of First NZ Army Medical Team. He is a past leader of the NZ National Trauma Network and long-standing clinical leader of the Trauma Service at Auckland City Hospital.

Ian’s past roles also include membership of the Priory Trust Board of the Order of St John, Chair of the St John Clinical Governance Committee and Chair of the Safe Surgery Advisory Group for the Health Quality and Safety Commission. His previous senior medical positions include membership of the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, Director of Surgery at Auckland City Hospital and President of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Professor Marie Bismark

Appointed Panel Chair August 2014
Reappointed as a member July 2016

Professor Marie Bismark is a psychiatrist, public health physician, and health lawyer and leads a research team which focuses on the interface between clinician wellbeing and patient safety. 

Marie has strong governance experience, serving as a non-executive director of several large health sector organisations including Summerset retirement villages. She is an elected medical practitioner member of the Medical Council of New Zealand. Marie has previously completed a Fellowship at Harvard University, and she has served as a Director of the Accident Compensation Corporation. Marie has been involved veterans’ health since 2009 when she was appointed as a member to the former Expert Panel on Veterans’ Health.

Marie is also a member of the Military, and Veterans’ Mental Health Network Committee of the Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.

Daniel Patrick

Appointed November 2016

Daniel is the former Director of New Zealand’s Biological Heritage National Science Challenge and the former Executive Director of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence hosted by the University of Auckland. 

Daniel has extensive research leadership experience across higher education, government, and iwi partnerships, including in data governance, analytics, research investment, and public-good contracting. Earlier in his career, Daniel served as the Programme Manager, Social Statistics Research Group, and Co-founder of COMPASS (Centre of Methods and Policy Applications in the Social Sciences) at the University of Auckland. 

Daniel is also Co-founder of two national research entities - the NZ Social Statistics Network (NZSSN) and the NZ Social Science Data Service - supporting advanced methods training and secure access to research data nationwide.  He holds a Master of Health Sciences (Hons), University of Auckland.

Rex Alexander (ex-officio Veterans’ Advisory Board)

Appointed June 2025

Rex is a Vietnam Veteran and member of the Executive Committee of the New Zealand Vietnam Veterans’ Association and Memorandum of Understanding Working Group subcommittee. 

Rex is a graduate of Otago Polytechnic with a Master in Chemical Emergency Management, post graduate studies in toxicology and adult education. He serves on the Polytechnic’s Permanent External Advisory Committee and is currently undertaking Doctoral studies advocating for more equitable recognition in law for psychological and medical conditions affecting Defence Force and Emergency Service personnel.

Rex is a semi-retired consultant advising on hazardous substance compliance and is President of Hazard Substances Professionals (HSPNZ) Inc. and is a Governance Board member of Health and Safety Associations of NZ (HASANZ) Inc.

LTCOL Robert Duncan (ex-officio Chief of Defence Force)

Appointed April 2018

Robert has 35 years’ experience as a Military Medical Officer, involved with healthcare delivery, medical training and health management. He is currently employed as the Chief Medical Officer, NZDF. 

Robert has operational experience with both the British Army and New Zealand Defence Force and has deployed to Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Kosovo and Iraq.

His roles included that of a pre-hospital Medical Officer and In-Command of deployed healthcare facilities. Robert is also a member of the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.

Dr Michael O’Reilly (ex-officio Veterans’ Affairs)

Appointed May 2020

Michael is a Military medical doctor with thirty years’ service in the New Zealand Defence Force, twenty in the Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps, including as the Principal Medical officer and a Strategy Advisor / Projects Officer within the Defence Health Directorate. 

Michael is currently employed as the Principal Medical Advisor at Veterans’ Affairs, New Zealand. With previous roles in primary care, hospital medicine and health leadership.

Michael is a veteran who has deployed to Timor Leste, Afghanistan and Iraq.