My governance playlist – Dr Jess Keepa

Dr Jess Keepa MInstD has a background in general practice and clinical leadership, with board roles that align with her commitment to community-led organisations, values-based governance, primary care and hauora – a holistic Māori framework encompassing physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing.  

Dr Jess Keepa MInstD

These spaces enable her to support better outcomes for whānau, with a strong focus on equity. Currently, she is a member of the Council of Medical Colleges (CMC) and Ngāti Porou Oranga – a charitable trust and subsidiary of Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou – the iwi’s post-settlement governance entity.  

Based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, she is a general practitioner and hauora Māori leader with the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.  

This week, she shares a book that reveals why governance decisions are never neutral.  

What is the name of the governance or business book (or other media) that inspires your thinking as a director?

Drawing on my background in primary care and hauora Māori, the book that most deeply shapes my thinking is Ora: Healing Ourselves: Indigenous Knowledge, Healing and Wellbeing, edited by Leonie Pihama and Linda Tuhiwai Smith. While it isn’t framed as a leadership or governance text, it powerfully centres indigenous ways of being, knowing, healing and wellbeing. These foundations shape how I think about leadership, accountability and decision-making at a governance level.

How would you describe the style of writing? 

The writing is scholarly, reflective and deeply grounded in lived experience. It challenges dominant Western paradigms of health and wellbeing, while affirming indigenous knowledge systems as rigorous and transformative.

What drew you to the book and what resonated the most?

I was drawn to the book for it unapologetic centering of indigenous worldviews in health and healing. It resonates strongly with my work in primary care, where wellbeing cannot be separated from whakapapa, whānau and whenua. It speaks to health as something not delivered to people, but held collectively within communities.

What have you taken away from this book that continues to influence your board roles?

It has reinforced that governance decisions are never neutral. They land in real communities, affect real lives and have the potential to shape futures across generations. 
It has also strengthened my commitment to long-term thinking – making decisions today with an intergenerational lens, mindful of the legacy we leave for our tamariki and mokopuna.

How does reading or listening to podcasts feed your practice?

I regularly listen to Board Matters, BoardPro Podcasts, and Taringa. These help to translate theory into practice, particularly when leaders speak honestly about power, tension and complexity rather than idealised governance models.

When you’re not reading about governance, what kind of books or media do you enjoy?

I enjoy reading novels and pūrākau (traditional Māori stories, myths and legends) with my tamariki. It keeps me grounded and connected to what matters most.

What governance issues are top of mind for you, and why?

Workforce sustainability in primary care, cultural safety and equity are front of mind. I’m also thinking a lot about how boards hold accountability to communities, not just compliance frameworks or financial performance. 
What has surprised you most about yourself – and others – while serving on boards? 
I’ve been surprised by how often ‘courage’ in governance looks like slowing down and holding space – pausing, asking curious questions, naming discomfort and challenging assumptions around the status quo.

What would you like to see more of at the board table – and why?

I’d like to see more values-based decision-making. In particular, a deeper understanding that partnership means co-creation, not consultation – building with communities, not for them. That requires boards to take time to understand what success looks like from the perspective of the communities they serve, how wellbeing is understood in that context and how accountability is defined. When boards are willing to slow down and engage in that way, decisions are more durable, more legitimate, and ultimately more effective with impact that extends beyond the present and into future generations.

If you’d like to submit a review on a book, podcast, film, documentary or other medium, please email: sonia.yee@iod.org.nz