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About Us

Proudly representing New Zealand’s natural health products sector

Natural Health Products NZ is the national industry organisation representing the natural and complementary health products sector since 2002. Our mandate is as follows:

Inspiring growth: Enable members to capitalise on opportunities

Advocacy: The influential and trusted voice of the industry

Membership: The connection hub for members

Relationships: Boldly lead a collaborative and connected sector

Brand: Position Natural Health Products and our members as world leaders in the sector

New Zealand is an internationally recognised source of high-quality natural health products

New Zealand’s historical focus on agriculture and food production, its natural environment, and wealth of unique resources have combined to create a flourishing natural and complementary health products sector.

From harnessing the antibacterial properties of mānuka honey, to research and development that has identified bioactive properties in New Zealand grown fruit, the country has a long track record of identifying and utilising the medicinal and nutritional uses of natural products.

Exports include plant and marine oils and extracts, fruit extracts, medicinal honey products, deer velvet, botanical and dairy products.

New Zealand’s natural health products industry is worth NZ$2.3 billion annually and growing, with major markets already established in Asia/Pacific, North America, and Europe. Stringent manufacturing and employee wellbeing regulations, and a commitment to maintaining New Zealand’s world leading animal health status, underpin the expanding sector.

Our Mission

Enable a vibrant environment for growing New Zealand’s natural and complementary health products sector.

Our Vison

The natural and complementary health products sector will be widely acknowledged as the rising star in New Zealand’s value-added economy.

Membership
Be the connection hub for members

Understand members’ issues and requirements

Provide platforms for industry intelligence sharing

Provide networking opportunities

Success Stories:

Approx 80% of the industry are members

Summit and Suppliers Day continue to grow and are highly regarded

Lunchtime webinar series launched to extend intelligence sharing

Inspiring Growth
Enable members to capitalise on opportunities

Understand key trends

Foster innovation

Promote opportunities for funding of R&D

Provide export opportunities

Success Stories:

Industry has grown from $1.4billion in 2014 to $2.3billion in 2019

NZ delegation to Healthplex HNC with extensive China networking opportunities

Brand
Position Natural Health Products NZ and our members as world leaders in the sector

Implement a comprehensive Communications Plan

Encourage international preference for Brand NZ

Provide a respected halo brand

Success Stories:

Development of Sector Story with toolkit for exporters including video, images and infographic

Host and promote Annual Industry Awards, celebrating excellence

Relationships
Boldly lead a collaborative and connected sector

Facilitate collaboration

Nurture mutually beneficial relationships with industry partners

Success Stories:

Strong spirit of collaboration with NZTE, building recognition of the industry

Provide networking opportunities with leading science institutions

Advocacy
Be the influential and trusted voice of the industry

Advocate for positive regulatory outcomes

Ensure credibility within the health sector

Uphold Code of Conduct

Champion sustainability

Success Stories:

Faulty/damaging fish oil research paper retracted

Misguided Wellness Bill withdrawn

Essential Business status confirmed for supply chain members

Our Board

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Lorraine Moser
Chairperson

Nearly two decades in the natural health industry has given Lorraine a wealth of knowledge, experience and contacts in the New Zealand, Australian and export markets.

Lorraine originally began her natural products career with Nutra-Life Health as Marketing and Sales Manager. During this time she played an active role in Australia and New Zealand’s natural health industry and retail trade including being a member of the Complimentary Healthcare Council (CHC) of Australia and the Self Medication Industry Association. In more recent years she been Vitaco’s Innovation Manager for supplements, sports and food. She has been part of the Natural Health Products NZ Board since 2016.

Lorraine is passionate about proactive health and wellness and the natural health industry. She uses her Natural Health Products NZ Board role to work with the membership and extended industry partners in a capacity that will make a difference and ultimately help tackle the challenges and opportunities that face the industry.

Jake Clayton
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Jacob Clayton

Director

Jake is the General Manager of Swisse New Zealand, leading the business across sales, marketing, operations, logistics and finance. With extensive experience working at the coal face of FMCG and retail, Jake brings a practical, consumer-first perspective shaped by close collaboration with grocery, pharmacy and specialty health retail partners.
Originally trained in environmental science, Jake has a long-standing interest in sustainable systems, evidence-led decision making and the responsible role industry plays in supporting long-term health outcomes. This lens has influenced his leadership of the Swisse NZ business, where he has helped ground the operation through increased local manufacturing and a stronger focus on local relevance and supply.

Jake is passionate about health and wellness, consumer advocacy, and the importance of clear, responsible science communication through advertising and marketing. He is known for balancing scientific integrity with strong commercial execution, translating complex nutritional concepts into accessible, trusted messaging.

Jake brings a practical, commercially grounded perspective, drawing on on-the-ground retail experience, with a focus on strengthening local capability, supporting New Zealand manufacturing, and helping the industry present a unified, credible voice to regulators, retailers and consumers.

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Michelle Cubitt

Director

Michelle has over 15 years experience in Quality and Regulatory roles in the natural health industry. She studied Biotechnology at Massey University and graduated with honours.

Michelle currently runs her own regulatory consultancy Smart Regulatory Solutions. In her current role she provides advice and strategic input for businesses looking to access global export opportunities in food, natural health and personal care products. She brings extensive global regulatory knowledge to the Natural Health Products NZ Board. Michelle sees the range of opportunities and challenges facing New Zealand businesses and is passionate about assisting the continued global growth of the innovative natural products sector.

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Scott Haycock
Director

Scott holds a BSc in Human Nutrition and a Postgraduate Diploma in Dietetics from the University of Otago, and an MBA specializing in Strategic Management from the University of British Columbia. Currently serving as the Commercial Director at Keraplast, Scott brings a unique blend of scientific expertise and business acumen to the role.

Along with a foundation as a registered dietitian, Scott has over eight years of commercial experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, working across both global multinationals and mid-sized local companies. Another 10 years was spent as a senior executive within the Theme Park/Waterpark construction space. His business experience spans commercialisation, business operations, and strategic growth, with a particular focus on North American and Asian markets.

Prior to his corporate career, Scott spent three years as a professional rugby player in Italy, adding resilience and teamwork to his professional toolkit.

Passionate about showcasing New Zealand’s world-class ingredients and products on the global stage, is dedicated to driving innovation and sustainable growth. His work is grounded in a commitment to quality, science-backed solutions, and delivering high-value offerings to international markets.

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Susan Hur
Director

Currently serving as the Head of Legal for Australia and New Zealand at GMP Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Aunew Group Ltd, Susan brings over 7 years of legal experience acquired both at a leading specialist law firm and through in-house roles.

Susan is an award-winning lawyer who was nominated for and won the Rising Stars awards from NZ Lawyer for three consecutive years (2022, 2023, and 2024).  She was also the finalist for the New In-House Lawyer of the Year 2022 (In-House Lawyers Association of New Zealand (ILANZ)) and also for Sole In-House Counsel of the Year 2023 (ILANZ) with her team being nominated for the Simpson Grierson People and Culture Excellence Award 2024 (ILANZ).  She holds a Bachelor of Laws/Arts conjoint degree from the University of Auckland, and is a dual-admitted and dual-licensed lawyer in New Zealand and NSW, Australia. 

She is committed to strengthening New Zealand’s position in the global market, and most recently has helped in evaluating the Therapeutic Products Bill for NHPNZ.

Mahara Inglis
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Mahara Inglis
Director

Mahara is the CEO of MitoQ, a pioneering New Zealand supplements brand exporting around the world and specialising in healthy aging and longevity.

Prior to joining MitoQ, Mahara led the global probiotics business at Fonterra and before that was a consultant with McKinsey & Company. In addition, he has held a range of roles across industry, government, and not-for-profit.
Despite being a self-proclaimed ‘jack of no trades’, Mahara brings experience in strategic & commercial expertise, navigating uncertainty, and a global perspective.

Mahara holds an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a Fulbright Scholar, and holds dual undergraduate degrees in commerce and science from Victoria University of Wellington. He currently sits on the New Zealand China Council and was part of the New Zealand Prime Minister’s business delegation to China. Mahara has whakapapa to Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Ruanui and Ngāruahinerangi and speaks conversational Te Reo Maori.

Ultimately, Mahara is a purpose driven leader with a passion for supporting people to live healthier lives, building New Zealand businesses on the global stage, and strengthening New Zealand’s reputation as a trusted, science-led producer of premium high quality products.

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Chris Johnson
Director

A founding Anagenix director and investor, Chris is an experienced investor and business advisor who understands the path to success in the nutraceutical ingredients market. Before joining Anagenix, he assisted a number of New Zealand businesses to successfully export premium gourmet foods to the USA and UK. He also founded and grew a New Zealand tech company to become a global leader in the printing and graphic arts industry.

With his time at Anagenix, Chris has become passionate about the health and wellness sector and developing solutions from New Zealand grown bioactives that can deliver beneficial solution to health.

Chris has been on a number of boards either as Chairman or Director and understands the importance of good governance and working collaboratively with the management team. He brings to the Natural Health Products NZ Board first-hand experience of growing a New Zealand-based company in the natural products sector and the issues and challenges that companies encounter.

Patricia Kitchen
Director

Patricia Kitchen is the CEO of Alaron Products, a leading New Zealand-based contract manufacturing organisation specialising in nutraceuticals. With a career spanning over 25 years, Patricia brings deep operational and strategic experience across the consumer health, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and biologics sectors.

Before joining Alaron, Patricia held global leadership roles overseeing product supply chains, R&D and operations for some of the world’s largest health and wellness companies. She was also the CEO of a global biotechnology organisation where she led initiatives in alternative health delivery systems- advancing innovation in how natural and nutraceutical products are developed and delivered to consumers.

Her international experience gives her a unique perspective on global market trends, regulatory landscapes and opportunities for export growth- insight that she believes can help New Zealand’s natural health sector remain competitive and forward-thinking on the world stage. Patricia is passionate about building strong, resilient supply networks and ensuring New Zealand companies are equipped to scale efficiently and compliantly in international markets.

Patricia is particularly committed to ensuring that the regulatory framework supports innovation while being risk-proportionate, science-driven, and aligned with global best practices. She sees collaboration between industry, government, and research as essential to creating a thriving ecosystem for natural health products.

Patricia is looking forward to contributing her global expertise, network, commercial leadership and strategic vision to the NHPNZ Board. She is excited by the opportunity to help shape a fit-for-purpose regulatory environment that fosters innovation and accelerates the success of New Zealand’s nutraceutical industry.

Linkedin
Phil Rasmussen
Director

Phil Rasmussen (M.Pharm., M.P.S., Dip. Herb. Med.; M.N.I.M.H.(UK), M.N.H.A.A; F.N.Z.A.M.H.) is a medical herbalist, pharmacist and researcher with 30 years of broad-ranging industry experience, including formulating plant based natural health products, and founding, managing and building a successful New Zealand GMP certified and exporting natural health product company. He is a longstanding advocate for building the local raw material supply chain for New Zealand natural health products, and the ethical and sustainable use of indigenous plants as medicines.

Over the years, Phil has lectured at natural medicine colleges and universities, written extensively on herbal subjects for practitioner and consumer publications, and presented at conferences in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. He is the former Deputy Chair of the Interim Expert Advisory Committee on Complementary & Alternative Medicines (IEACCAM), established by the New Zealand and Australian governments, and in 2016 was appointed Chair of the Interim Technical Expert Advisory Committee on Natural Health Products – Permitted Substances List (PSL) Subcommittee, established by the NZ Ministry of Health.

Phil has experience as CEO, Technical and R&D Director, and in a range of governance roles for privately owned, voluntary and government established organisations. He now works as a podcaster, consultant and advisor to the natural health products industry and educational providers, and in private practice as a phytotherapist. Phil is a founding director of Natural Health Products New Zealand, and has been on the board since 2002.

Our Staff

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Kerry Warn
General Manager

Kerry joined Natural Health Products NZ in 2013 and was promoted to General Manager in 2017.   She is responsible for implementing the association’s strategic objectives, managing day-to-day operations, communications and member support activities including the annual Summit, Innovation Expo and Industry Awards. She is passionate about creating opportunity and connections for the vibrant natural health products sector, enabling growth and contribution to New Zealand’s economy and wellness.

Kerry has a Bachelor of Business Studies (Marketing) and previously enjoyed a 15-year career in the advertising industry, working in large multinational agencies in Auckland and London.

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Sheryl Coombe
Executive Assistant

Sheryl Coombe manages the Association’s events, day-to-day accounts and technical requirements. She provides assistance to the Board and GM, and the overall membership. Her previous roles include Business Analyst/Project Manager, Research Assistant, Customer Service and Office Administrator. This varied background has given Sheryl excellent organisational skills and a keen attention to detail. Sheryl has a Masters in Organic Chemistry (Honours) from the University of Auckland.

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Samantha Gray
Government Affairs

Samantha, a molecular biologist by training, has over 20 years’ experience in the natural health products, pharmaceutical, medical diagnostic, and biotechnology industries. She was Technical and Process Improvement Manager for Healtheries of New Zealand and an independent consultant to Vitaco Health NZ Ltd and Lifestream International Ltd. She has also held a variety of roles with the US blue-chip companies Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Diagnostics & Invitrogen Life Technologies.