Taylor is a senior policy professional and leader, with a special talent for bridging the gap between complex data and practical interventions that improve people’s quality of life. She’s passionate about prevention measures and policies that support people to live their best life possible, including future generations.  

Taylor joined MartinJenkins in 2023, bringing public-health expertise from different parts of the health system in Aotearoa as well as from her work in London with Cancer Research UK, the world’s largest independent cancer research organisation.  

She is a calm, strong performer under pressure, with proven experience in national initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the rollout of New Zealand’s Vaccine and Immunisation Programme. Taylor successfully led and developed a team through a significant period of change that included both the pandemic and the 2022 health reform.  

With the analytical skills she honed working in public health and epidemiology, Taylor systematically breaks down the complexities and intricacies of policy problems, getting to the root to develop and assess potential solutions. She’s also well-versed in the machinery of government. 

Taylor is passionate about fairness and equity for all the people and communities of Aotearoa, and she puts human beings at the heart of all her work. When she’s not working, Taylor enjoys travelling, going on multi-day hikes, and swimming in the ocean. 

Examples of Taylor’s work include:

• She developed an impact analysis for a potential expansion of a public-health programme, including the impact on the resources that would be needed. 

• She developed a contracting and funding model for a publichealth programme, in partnership with the funded organisations doing the work on the front line. 

• Taylor designed and developed an online dashboard to clearly communicate complex data related to the early diagnosis of cancer to non-technical audiences. The key audiences – the media and researchers – were then able to self-service when they needed information. 

• She managed international reporting requirements and prepared submissions to UNICEF, WHO, and the OECD for New Zealand’s national immunisation programme. 

• As a Team Lead at Te Whatu Ora, Taylor evaluated and streamlined reporting processes and advisory functions for several different projects.  

Taylor’s qualifications

Taylor has a Master of Public Health – Epidemiology (Distinction) from the University of Edinburgh, a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health – Epidemiology (Distinction) from the University of Otago, and a Bachelor of Biomedical Science from Victoria University of Wellington. 
Taylor also attended a One Health course at the University of Rwanda in Kigali. This focussed on designing and implementing cross-sector programmes and policies to advance the health of people, animals, and ecosystems.