Our Board

Dr Samantha Murton is a Distinguished Fellow and Wellington GP. She was the College’s first Medical Director and was voted into the President role in 2018 and was uncontested in 2022. In 2021, Samantha was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in Queen’s Birthday Honour.

Dr Kiriana Bird (Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngati Porou) is a GP and Medical Director at Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga in Hastings. Kiriana was appointed to the Board in 2020 as the Te Akoranga a Māui representative and previously held the twelve-month Board Apprentice role in 2014.

Ko Hikurangi, Ko Taranaki ōku Maunga
Ko Waiapu, Ko Waitara ōku Awa
Ko Ngāti Porou, Ko Taranaki me Te Āti Awa ōku Iwi
Ko Melanie Wi Repa taku ingoa.
Tihei Mauriora.

Dr Mel Wi Repa was born and raised in Te Tai Rāwhiti. She is the great-granddaughter of Dr Tūture Wi Repa, the third Māori Doctor to graduate from Otago University in 1908, following Tā Māui Pomare and Tā Te Rangihīroa (Peter) Buck.

She attended Auckland Medical School as a MAPAS student. She completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Paediatrics. She worked in hospitals in NZ, UK and Ireland for 10 years before entering general practice in 2011, completing Fellowship in 2017. She was Deputy Chair and then Chair of Te Akoranga a Māui from 2016-2020). She has sat on various college and regional health groups and most recently on the National Advisory Committee in 2024. She has been a Mock Examiner for the Māori and PI GPEP year 1 exams. She completed the RACMA Leadership for Clinicians program in 2022 with support from AIDA and Te ORA. She has been a member of Te Ora for many years and enjoys attending PRIDOC (Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors Overseas Conferences).

She currently lives and works as a Locum GP in Tauranga Moana. This is her first appointment to a Board as a representative of Te Akoranga a Māui in 2025.

Dr Christie is a working GP at St Martins Medical Centre in Christchurch and has over 10 years of extensive clinical leadership through roles at Pegasus Health where she is currently the Deputy Chair, as well as her previous role at BPAC NZ as Director. Caroline was elected to the Board in 2023.

Dr Karl Cole (Ngāi Tahu) is a GP and co-owner of Papatoetoe Family Doctors. He has extensive experience within ICT-enabled change and is passionate about patient-centred care with an emphasis on self-management. Karl was elected to the Board in 2022.

Susan (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāi Tuahuriri) is based in Auckland and has a management background in marketing, human resources, internal audit, environment, and communications. Susan was appointed to the Board in August 2019.

Michael is based in the Waikato and has 40 years business experience across a wide range of sectors. He has a strong financial background with robust turnaround experience and experience in dairy, horticulture, international trade, insurance, retail and pharmacy. He is a Chartered Accountant, an enrolled Barrister and Solicitor and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors.

Dr Kerryn Lum is a GP based in Hawke’s Bay. As Censor in Chief, Kerryn is an ex-officio Board member and is responsible for deciding if a doctor should be awarded a College Fellowship, approving internationally trained doctors, and overseeing the academic training programme.

Sophie is a GP Fellow based in Auckland and was elected as Chair of the Auckland Faculty in 2023. She worked for nine years in South Auckland and is now in central Auckland working for an Iwi practice. She has been the lead medical educator for Auckland South for four years.

Andrew is a Rural Hospital Medicine Fellow working on the West Coast of Te Waipounamu. He is currently the clinical lead for Te Whatu Ora Te Tai o Poutini West Coast and has just taken up the role of Council Chair for the Division of Rural Hospital Medicine (DRHM) at the College. He hopes to bring to the College Board the perspective of his colleagues who are pushing out their extended skill sets and working at the complex end of rural hospital practice.

Manasi works in central Wellington and received her Fellowship in August 2024. She has previously worked in a diverse range of general practices settings in Tāmaki Makaurau. She is also an Advanced Trainee in Public Health medicine, working at Te Aho oTe Kahu – Cancer Control Agency and prior to this worked at the National Public Health Service. Manasi brings a commitment to honouring Te Tiriti, and a central focus on health equity to her work.