Our leadership

Anoop Singh is Awanui’s inaugural CEO, a role he took on when the group was purchased by its current owners.

Anoop has held a number of senior leadership roles in the healthcare industry in the Asia-Pacific region over the past 30 years. His breadth of experience includes a strong understanding of pathology operations, strategic health policy matters and Government relations.

Prior to joining Awanui, Anoop held commercial and general management roles in large diversified companies such as Healthscope, Mayne Group and Symbion Health.

Brendon is the CFO of Awanui, bringing with him over a decade of extensive commercial experience in the food service and oilfield services industries across Europe, USA, and New Zealand. He began his career in audit at PwC before transitioning into commercial finance roles. Brendon is a Chartered Accountant in New Zealand.

Since joining Awanui in 2020, Sam has been a senior HR business partner and people leader throughout one of the most challenging and busiest times for the pathology sector. She brings broad and valuable experience across a diverse range of industries including healthcare, professional services, digital entertainment, and retail.

Sam has a proven track record of optimising organisational structures, refining processes, implementing effective policies and systems, and equipping managers and senior leaders with the essential skills to nurture and develop their teams.

In her Acting CPO role Sam is focused on building motivated, empowered and effective team members who are supported throughout their careers.

Sam holds a Bachelor of Commerce – International Business and Management from Victoria University of Wellington.

Brent Glanville is the Chief Information Officer at Awanui, a role he has held since 2019. Before this he was the General Manager of Applications for Healthscope NZ for over a decade, and the head of IT at Southern Community Laboratories between 1995 and 2019.

This makes Brent one of NZ’s most experienced laboratory IT professionals, in a career that has seen him lead the implementation of Laboratory Information Systems at 19 different sites across the country.

Working for over 25 years in the New Zealand pathology and health sector has enabled Brent to forge long established relationships with both vendors and key personnel within District Health Boards and the Ministry of Health.

Chris Davey moved to New Zealand in 2015 to lead the successful establishment of our integrated pathology services in the Wellington region. Chris has held the position of General Manager of Labtests and Northland Pathology, overseeing an extension to the 4 Northern Region DHBs contract until 2026.

Chris joined us from Healthscope in 2011 where she was the National Operations Manager, and responsible for pathology operations in Australia and procurement projects for Healthscope International Pathology.

With her background as a medical laboratory scientist, Chris has more than 40 years experience in multidisciplinary laboratories, providing services to hospital and community patients in both the public and private sectors.

Andrea is Awanui Labs General Manager for Te Waipounamu/ South Island region. Andrea has been part of the Awanui team for 19 years gaining broad experience in laboratory operations and management.

Prior to Awanui she worked in a variety of public and private hospital and community laboratories in Australia, the UK and New Zealand, developing extensive laboratory experience across multi-disciplinary roles.

Andrea‘s focus is to deliver an exceptional patient-centred diagnostic laboratory service and build a culture which puts the needs of patients and healthcare referrers first.

Andrea holds a Bachelor of Applied Science In Medical Laboratory Science.

Vicki has more than 30 years experience in public and private medical laboratories in NZ & the UK. Prior to becoming General Manager Vicki held a number of laboratory and management roles, most recently as Wellington SCL’s Laboratory Operations Manager, and before that as General Manager Corporate Services for Aotea Pathology.

Dr Richard Steele has extensive experience in laboratory services both here in Aotearoa and in Australia, returning to Awanui in 2022 as Medical Director, Clinical Pathology.
Dr Steele has previously been Medical Director of Wellington SCL, and the New Zealand Vice President of the College of Pathologists Australasia.

He has experience in all aspects of clinical immunology and immunopathology including allergy, autoimmune diseases, primary immunodeficiency and HIV. Dr Steele has a particular interest in autoimmune disease including coeliac disease, neuroimmunology and quality assurance.

He is currently an examiner for the Royal Australasian College of Pathologists and also sits on the Medical Technical Advisory Committee for IANZ. He holds academic positions with the University of Otago (clinical lecturer) and Victoria University Wellington (Adjunct Professor).

MBCHB Otago University 1984, FRCPA 1994 and FIAC 2000. Training Dunedin, Auckland, Sydney, London. Area of subspecialisation cytopathology. Regional editor ACTA Cytologica. Publications in cytopathology and gynaecologic pathology. Invited speaker national and international pathology meetings. Invited advisor to NZ Govt. screening programs. Shareholder and director Southern Community Labs 1995-2007 and Medical Director of Awanui from 2000-current.

Peter has been a pathologist for 28 years. For all of this period I have had a close relationship with the management of the business. In the first 10 years I worked alongside the founder of SCL my father Dr Norman Fitzgerald. During this period we and many others expanded the laboratory from a small regional Otago service into a national laboratory network extending from Auckland to Southland. While the ownership of SCL has changed over time our uncompromising commitment to quality and patient care remains the same.

Trevor English is the Head of Strategic Business Development at Awanui, a role he has held since 2021. Joining the group in 2016, Trevor was Southern Community Laboratories Relationship Manager for five years.

With extensive leadership experience in both the New Zealand and Australian health sectors, he played a pivotal role in navigating Awanui through the challenges of the country’s testing response.

Trevor has active interests in science, technology, innovation, and information systems, particularly how their practical application and integration can lead to improved health outcomes.

Trevor holds post graduate degrees in science in Clinical Biochemistry and an MBA from Macquarie University.

Heather has been with the group since 2021 as the Head of Communications and Marketing at Awanui. Prior to this, Heather built and operated a digital communication services agency in Wellington specialising in health, property, IT, pest control and horticulture.

Over the past 12 years Heather has worked on public affairs campaigns with patient advocacy groups including Crohn’s & Colitis, Multiple Myeloma, CLL and prostate cancer. She brings a deep level of experience in supporting organsitions to better use digital channels to engage, connect and provide services.

Heather holds a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology from Victoria University of Wellington.

Saad Mansour is the Group Manager of Quality Health and Safety and brings a wealth of experience to the position after spending close to a decade leading these functions in our Labtests Auckland laboratory.

During that time Saad has been at the centre of maintaining Labtests’ outstanding record of compliance with the International Accreditation New Zealand, while also delivering on some of Auckland’s largest projects. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Saad oversaw the fit out of Aotearoa’s largest molecular testing laboratory, greatly aiding in the country’s PCR testing response.

Saad believes quality systems are the foundation which defines the Awanui offering and is excited to share his knowledge with the Executive Team and the wider group.

James Richardson in the General Manager of Gribbles.

James has worked primarily in animal pharmaceutical and vaccine laboratories supplying to New Zealand veterinarians, firstly with Young’s Animal Health and then with Virbac New Zealand for 13 years.

He has held many different commercial roles and responsibilities during this time, including senior management roles. More recently James has been with VetSouth where he has served as Productivity and Development Manager reporting to the owners of the business for over three years gaining an in-depth understanding of the workings and challenges of a very busy and complex veterinary business.

James graduated from Lincoln College (now Lincoln University) in the late 1980’s.