Matthew Slater joined Council in 2022 as a member of the Finance, Audit, Investment and Risk Committee. He became Chair on September 8th 2023, when Professor Cathy Stinear retired from the role.

Based in Christchurch, Matthew brings a finance and investment background from various commercial roles at Ravensdown, Ngai Tahu Holdings, Bank of New Zealand and National Australia Bank. He has governance experience from roles at Waikato Milking Systems, St Michael’s Church School, various limited partner advisory board roles with NZ and Australian private equity funds, and the Halswell/Westbridge Combined Board. Currently CEO, Christchurch City Holdings.

Matthew has a strong personal interest in neurological disorders due to his family’s links to the genetic-based neurological condition, Fragile X Syndrome. He sees great value in the Foundation’s ability to raise awareness of neurological conditions which together with its support for novel research providing an avenue to improve the lives of those impacted by such conditions.

Ailsa McGregor is a neuropharmacologist, Head of Faculty, Faculty of Health Professional Programmes, at the University of Otago. She became Deputy Chair of Council on September 8th 2023.

Ailsa has previous experience working with Big Pharma in Japan, Switzerland and the UK. The goal of her research is to turn ideas from lab, clinic and big-data studies into treatments that improve the health of people living with neurological conditions. She has a particular interest in stroke and Huntington’s disease.

She joined the Scientific Advisory and Personal Awards Committees in 2018 to help the Foundation support research that makes a real-life impact. She aims to bring an academic and industry perspective to Council discussions.

Ailsa was a member of the ANZCAART Openness Agreement drafting group and is Deputy Director of the Brain Health Research Centre.

Mike joined Council in 2023 and is the Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

Mike is an experienced finance professional and has extensive charitable and governance experience in health related organisations. Mike was the Group Chief Financial Officer for Southern Cross Healthcare for 17 years with governance roles in hospitals and health related organisations around New Zealand. Mike continues to lend his expertise to independent consulting and governance roles.

Mike is a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand.

Mike continues to contribute his commercial and governance experience to the Neurological Foundation helping to continue the essential work in research and education for neurological disease in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Stephanie is a registered nurse with over 35 years of nursing experience with the past two decades mainly in not-for-profit management and leadership roles including at Parkinson’s NZ and Age Concern NZ.

Stephanie is currently the Chief Executive of Dementia Wellington.

Stephanie also enjoys lecturing and marking at the University of Otago Centre for Postgraduate Nursing Studies, Gerontology and Leadership and Management courses.

Stephanie has personal experience within her family with family members living with autism and cerebral palsy. She has desire to see everyone with neuro diversity achieve their full potential in life and is inspired to join the Neurological Foundation, a leader in striving for knowledge through research.

David joined the Neurological Foundation Council in January 2025, bringing more than 40 years of experience across global financial markets and investment leadership.

His career includes senior roles with ANZ, Salomon Brothers, NatWest and Citigroup, with postings in Australia, Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York. Most recently he held several executive positions with Jarden Group, including Managing Director and Head of Markets. Prior to that, he led Jarden’s Wealth Management business, overseeing more than $12 billion in investments for individuals, families, iwi and charitable organisations.

David currently serves as a Director and Chair of the Investment Committee for Quayside Holdings, a $3.5 billion intergenerational investment fund. His governance and investment experience brings valuable perspective to the Foundation’s long term financial stewardship.

He has a strong interest in ensuring that organisations manage their resources well to support their purpose and long term impact, and he contributes this focus to his role on Council.

Sonja Clapham is a barrister and a member of Shortland Chambers, Auckland. She was appointed to the Council of the Neurological Foundation in late 2019 and is a member of the People and Performance Committee (which she chaired from 2020–2025). Sonja is the Neurological Foundation’s representative on the Advisory Committee of the Neurological Foundation Human Brain Bank.

In her practice as a barrister Sonja is primarily engaged in providing advice and advocacy in disputes regarding wills and deceased estates. She presents at, or chairs, seminars for the legal profession on issues regarding wills and the administration of deceased estates.

In her practice she regularly represents parties in cases where brain function and cognition are central to the dispute. In these cases the validity of a testamentary document is in issue as there is evidence the will-maker may not have had the required mental capacity to make a will or codicil. In situations where the will-maker was elderly, or suffering from dementia, a brain injury or a psychiatric disorder, expert evidence is given as to whether the condition had an impact on the will-maker’s cognition, and if so, to what extent.

After experiencing an episode of Guillain-Barre syndrome in 2012, (from which she fully recovered) Sonja has a heightened awareness of, and interest in, disorders and diseases of the nervous system.

Sonja is a member of The Law Association Family Law Committee, was on the executive and currently is a member of the Auckland Women Lawyers Association and of the New Zealand Bar Association (to which she was appointed a Life Member in 2022 in acknowledgement of her contribution to the NZBA.)

Matt Caughey joined Council in early 2024 as a member of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. He currently works in Commercial Insights and Product Management for Fisher & Paykel Healthcare – a leading international medtech company based in New Zealand – within the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Product Group.

He has over 25 years of international marketing and strategy executive experience, recently having worked for two of New Zealand’s largest and most innovative manufacturers: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited.

He studied for an MBA at the University of North Carolina graduate school.

Matt is also a member of the Institute of Directors and was the inaugural Chair of the Investment Committee of a Family Office based in Auckland. He has a passion for investing and would love to see continuous improvement in the oversight of the Foundation’s investments, so they become a sustainable source of research funding over the long term.

His personal interest in serving on the Neurological Foundation council started as he has watched his mother come to terms with, and now live with, Parkinson’s disease.

Debbie is a Clinical and Neuropsychologist as well as a Professor at the University of Otago based in Christchurch. She joined the Council in February 2024.

Debbie’s clinical background is in brain injury rehabilitation, and she has worked clinically for many years especially focusing on outcomes and recovery after concussion. In her research she is focused on improving outcomes for people living with neurological conditions and particularly enjoys working with researchers and clinicians around Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally, and with people who live with neurological conditions and their families and whānau. One important focus is a passion for seeing practice change that leads to better health outcomes and she brings this translational perspective to the Foundation.