Our leadership team

Chris leads the DSS group at MSD.

His focus is to stabilise disability support services, so they are fairer, more consistent, more transparent, and sustainable into the future.

Chris joined DSS from his Group General Manager – System Leadership position at NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.

With a strong financial management background and experience running large complex systems and services, Chris has also held senior management roles at MBIE and Treasury.

Anne leads DSS delivery.

She joined DSS in 2024 to lead the team delivering DSS-funded services to disabled people, their whānau and carers.

She spent the last decade on executive leadership teams at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

At HUD, Anne was responsible for contracting more than $2b funding for public and transitional housing delivery and housing support programmes, including Housing First.

Al heads up the DSS Taskforce, which is implementing the findings of the Independent Review of DSS.

This includes policy work and a service design programme with the focus on improving how supports are commissioned and provided to disabled people, in consultation with the disabled community, their whānau and carers. 

He joined DSS from the Public Service Commission where he was a Deputy Commissioner and led the organisation’s governance, communications and engagement, and legal functions, and served as Chief of Staff to the Public Service Commissioner.

Al previously held a variety of advisory and management roles in MSD including as MSD Private Secretary to the Minister for Social Development.