INTERVIEW: HPF’s Deputy Executive Director elected to IUHPE Board
HPF’s Deputy Executive Director, Leanne Eruera was recently elected to the International Union for Health Promotion and Education’s (IUHPE) Board at the recent 25th IUHPE World Health Promotion conference hosted in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre in Abu Dhabi (UAE).
Sixth fr left front row: Leanne Eruera with the IUHPE Board for the 2025-2028 term in Abu Dhabi.
In a written interview for Hauora News Leanne shares how she feels about stepping into this new role and what inspires her the most about it.
Leanne says while she is new to the Board, she has been involved with IUHPE for close to a decade.
‘It’s been a consistent space of connection, learning, and inspiration. I see this role as one of service in supporting the ongoing evolution of our shared work in health promotion.'
INTERVIEW:
Hauora News: Congratulations on your election to the IUHPE Board. How are you feeling stepping into this new role?
Leanne: Thank you — I’m feeling both humbled and energised. While I’m new to the Board, I’ve been involved with IUHPE for close to a decade and it’s been a consistent space of connection, learning, and inspiration. I see this role as one of service in supporting the ongoing evolution of our shared work in health promotion.
Hauora News: How will your regional perspective shape your contribution at the international level?
Leanne: Coming from Aotearoa New Zealand, I hold a perspective that’s shaped by collective values.
As a Māori woman, health isn’t seen in isolation, it’s understood in connection with the wider eco systems. These are powerful, practical models for holistic health promotion. As we face global challenges like climate change, inequality, and injustice, to have space for this kind of leadership at the governance level is a wonderful opportunity to contribute to ensuring health promotion remains relevant, responsive, and impactful.
Hauora News: What inspires you most about serving on this board, and what do you hope to contribute during your tenure?
Leanne: What inspires me most is the opportunity to engage with a diverse range of minds and experiences from across the globe.
I feel truly grateful to be part of the IUHPE Board, that brings together diverse cultures, knowledge systems, and ways of working.
During my tenure, I hope to bring a strong commitment to inclusive leadership that honours Indigenous perspectives, particularly those of Indigenous women, and to help ensure our strategies reflect the diverse realities of communities worldwide. With a background in business and finance, I hope I can also contribute meaningfully in this way too.
(Pic fr left: Leanne with IUHPE's new President, Louise Potvin and Immediate Past President, Sione Tu'itahi)