Sorensen, Debbie

Jocelyn Peach
Jul 2, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Jan 6

CEO / Chief Executive Officer, Pasifika Medical Association Group, C.C.T,

CMInstD, MNZIOD

Mrs Debbie Sorensen is the CEO of the Pasifika Medical Association Group of charitable companies and Pasifika Futures the Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency for Pacific families in New Zealand.

Mrs Sorensen is a New Zealand-born Tongan, with family connections to Leimatu’a in Vava’u and Tongaleleka in Ha’apai. She is a Tongan leader, a mother and a grandmother, who started her health career as a registered nurse.

Mrs Sorensen branched out into governance, management, and health advocacy for the Pacific community when she helped establish the Pasifika Medical Association in 1996. The association includes Pasifika Futures, the Whanau ora Commissioning Agency for Pacific families and ETU Pasifika Primary Care services in Auckland and Christchurch.

Mrs Sorensen is a health strategist and management expert specialising in projects that address the health challenges that face Pacific communities in New Zealand and in the Pacific region. She played a leading role in the establishment of the Pacific health sector in New Zealand and continues to be active in the region in delivering specialist health services and building workforce capacity and capability in partnership with Ministries of Health.

Mrs Sorensen has been instrumental in the development of Pacific health services in New Zealand over the past 30 years including as the first Chief Advisor Pacific Health to the Minister of Health. She has led the development of the Pasifika Medical Association group over the past 15 years transforming it into the largest Non-Governmental Pacific organisation in the region.She has held many senior roles including Chief Advisor Pacific Health , Ministry of Health, General Manager Pacific Health Counties Manukau District Health Board and has worked for both Deloitte Touche Tomatsu and Arthur Andersen as a Senior Associate. In 2011 Debbie was awarded a prestigious ANIVA Fellowship which enabled her to travel to the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University to undertake additional executive development study.

She is a health leader, international development practitioner, health strategist and management expert specialising in projects that address the health challenges that face Pacific communities in New Zealand and in the Pacific region. She is the current Chief Executive for the Pasifika Medical Association and the Pacific Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency – Pasifika Futures which has engaged over 202,000 Pacific people in Aotearoa through its partner network of over 60 partners.

Mrs Sorensen has led the establishment of the Moana Pasifika Women’s Network, the Pasifika Medical Association Education Fund, Health Science STEM Academy at Otahuhu College. She is sought after as an international speaker including at the UN Gender Equality Forum in 2021. She also attended the Harvard Women’s Leadership Summit and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Strategic Leadership for the 21st Century.

In 2015, Mrs Debbie Sorensen was invested as a Commander Royal Order Crown of Tonga, by His Majesty King Tupou VI in recognition of her services to the people of Tonga.

Mrs Sorensen is an experienced Company Director holding current governance roles as Vice Chair Moana Pasifika Rugby and a Trustee of the Milford Foundation. She is a member of the governing council Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwi Centre of Pacific and Global Health University of Auckland and is a Honorary Lecturer. She is a member of the Health Advisory Committee for the Privy Council to His Majesty King Tupou VI and is a Strategic Advisor to Te Marae Ora Cook Islands. Debbie is the Chair of the Pacific Expert Advisory Committee to Hon Minister Reti and has previously served for 11 years as a trustee of the Fred Hollows Foundation, was a founding Chair of Make a Wish Pacific and is a Chartered Member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors. Debbie was invested in 2015 as a Commander of the Royal Crown of Tonga by His Majesty Tupou V for her work in the health sector in Tonga.

June 2024