We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Chris Mitchell as Chief Executive Officer of the New Zealand Association of General Surgeons (NZAGS). Chris joins us on the 23rd February 2026.
Chris brings extensive leadership experience from across New Zealand’s health sector, with a proven track record in strategic planning, service delivery, and stakeholder engagement. Most recently, he has served as Manager of Workforce Monitoring at the Ministry of Health, where he developed comprehensive workforce monitoring systems and provided strategic insights to support health sector planning and policy development.
His diverse career includes senior leadership roles with Te Whatu Ora, where he successfully led the 2DHB Community COVID Response, managing complex health initiatives including vaccination programmes, testing strategies, and community care frameworks. As General Manager of Selina Sutherland Hospital and Director of Surgical Services at Taranaki DHB, Chris demonstrated exceptional capability in improving service delivery, building collaborative partnerships, and achieving performance targets.
Chris’s commitment to equity-driven healthcare, his strong relationships across the health sector, and his expertise in change management and service development make him ideally suited to lead NZAGS into its next chapter.
