Our Executive Team
Our Executive Team run the day-to-day tasks of managing Mary Potter Hospice.
Tony Paine – Chief Executive
Tony comes most recently from Life Unlimited Charitable Trust, a national disability service provider, where he was Deputy Chief Executive. He took up this role after leading the AccessAbility Group into a merger with Life Unlimited in 2021. He has over 30 years experience in not-for-profit leadership and management working in the health, social service, and cultural sectors.
Tony’s career includes work with the NZ AIDS Foundation, the Christchurch Methodist Mission, and in CEO roles at Comcare Trust, the Christchurch Arts Centre, Victim Support, New Zealand Red Cross, Philanthropy New Zealand and the AccessAbility Group.
Tony served on the Board of Housing New Zealand for five years, has a masters in management, is Chair of the Silver Noodle Soup Trust that runs drama and film making with young disabled people, and lives in Wellington with his partner Bernadette and their two daughters, Sally and Maggie-Rose.
Dr Alex Lavigne – Medical Director
Alex moved to Wellington in 2024 from the United States where he was working as a Palliative Medicine consultant for AdventHealth since 2017 in Orlando, Florida.
There, he has helped develop the Palliative Medicine service line for the Central Florida region, assist with quality improvement projects, as well as serve as faculty for the AdventHealth Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program.
Alex obtained his bachelor’s degree in Biological Engineering from the University of Florida. He received his medical degree from Nova Southeastern University. He completed his Internal Medicine training through Atrium Health in North Carolina followed by a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine in Tampa Bay, Florida.
He is a member of the Australia-New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine (ANZSPM), the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), and the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC).
He lives in Wellington with his partner, Kayla, and three children, Charlotte, Jace, and Emma.
Donna Gray – Director Clinical Services
Donna is qualified as both a Registered General Nurse and a Registered Sick Children’s Nurse, with post-graduate certificates in Palliative Care, High Dependency Nursing and Teaching and Assessing, as well as a post graduate Diploma in Professional Practice, with a focus on clinical leadership and research in the field of palliative care. She has worked in a number of management and leadership roles in the UK and New Zealand across inpatient and community settings and contributes to regional and national work.
Donna has been with the Hospice for over 15 years and is committed to the provision of high quality, equitable palliative care for those in our community. As well as leading the clinical management team, Donna also leads the Quality and Education team, supporting the implementation of the Hospice Strategy, Our Place in Palliative Care. Donna is a member of Nurse Executives Aotearoa.
Peter Sewell – Director Retail
Peter joined Mary Potter Hospice in May 2021 to lead the retail operations. He brings a wealth of experience guiding the performance of retail and hospitality businesses, and leading sales and service teams to deliver a great customer experience.
Peter is looking forward to further developing operational practices and working with the team to provide value to local communities through our charity shops and important revenue for the hospice service.
Julie Watson – Director Support Services
Julie started her career as a nurse. She has worked in support services in government departments and comes to us with 15 years’ experience at Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society of New Zealand; first as Business Services Manager and then, as the organisation grew, moving into a GM Corporate Services role where she was responsible for HR, Health & Safety, ICT, finance, assets, and volunteering, with a strong focus on HR.
Julie is looking forward to working with the team to provide the best possible services to support the wellbeing of our palliative care patients.
Ross McLeod – Director Fundraising, Marketing & Communications
Ross joined the Mary Potter Hospice from Operation Mobilisation, a provider of relief services and international volunteer opportunities, where he was National Director.
Leading the development of fundraising, philanthropic, and marketing activities for more than 20 years, he has worked extensively with both local and international not-for-profits. An accomplished leader and manager, Ross has worked in the corporate and charitable sectors with organisations such as Standard Corporate Merchant Bank, World Vision, and Blind Low Vision NZ.
Born in South Africa, he is committed to seeing lives positively impacted, is an advocate for philanthropy and a keen sailor. Ross lives with his wife and two children in Wellington.
Karen Jacobs-Grant – Director Health Equity
Ngāti Whatua Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Torehina
Ngāti Whatua Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Torehina
As the Director Health Equity at Mary Potter Hospice, I’m committed to ensuring equitable access to specialist palliative care services for Māori and other communities underserved by the health system.
My focus is on patient and whānau-centred approaches, cultural safety, working with and in communities, fostering a sense of belonging and building a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve.
Equity is everyone’s responsibility at Mary Potter Hospice. Inequities identified anytime by anyone here need to be managed well and eliminated. If any of our people identify an inequity they are encouraged to take steps to remove it, e.g. share it with their team, their manager/director, seek advice from the Health Equity Champions Group and our Te Pou Tautoko and Pacific advisory groups, take it further and make a plan to eliminate it.
Nō reira, Tēnā koutou, Tēnā koutou, Tēnā tātou katoa