Senior Leaders
Dr. Ross Freebairn
Medical Director (MBchB, Dip Obst, FANZCA, FRCPE, FCIM)
Ross is a full-time Intensive Care Consultant and the Associate Dean (Otago University) at Hawke’s Bay Hospital, Medical Director of NZ Air Ambulance Service, and Past President of the College of Intensive Care Medicine (of Australia and New Zealand).
Dr Freebairn serves as vice President of the Council of the Asian and Pacific Association of Critical Care Medicine.
He is a founding member of the BASIC steering group and is actively involved in courses running in NZ, Australia, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Pacific and Europe.
Dr. Shay McGuinness
Medical Director (MBChB, FFICM, FRCA, FANZCA)
Shay is the Clinical Director for NZAAS and a specialist in intensive care at the Cardiothoracic and Vascular Intensive Care Units (ICU) at Auckland City Hospital, one of the busiest ICUs in Australasia.
He has been the Medical Director for NZAAS since 2015. He provides clinical oversight for patient transports performed via dedicated air ambulance or commercial airlines and clinical advice via telemedicine to hospitals throughout the South Pacific.
Outside of medicine, Dr McGuinness is a qualified aeroplane and helicopter pilot and has a keen interest in boating, fishing and scuba diving.
Angela Coward
Director of Flight Nursing
Angela has been a flight nurse for the previous nine years, with the past seven years being full-time in Darwin, Australia and more recently in New Zealand. Angela has completed post-graduate studies in critical care and aeromedical retrieval.
Angela is involved in training NZAAS flight nurses and forms part of the ICU retrieval flight team in addition to flying on commercial airlines, caring for their patients worldwide.
Tom Bridgeman
Finance Manager
Tom is the Group Finance Manager and a qualified Chartered Accountant.
Tom has been with the company since 2018. He started his career with BDO in Wellington before living and working abroad in Edinburgh for two years.
Tom has an analytic and critical eye and heads up an enthusiastic admin division which keeps the finances operating smoothly.
He always seeks improvement and brings this positive change mindset to the role.
Outside of finance, Tom is a keen mountain biker and enjoys getting into the outdoors.
Dylan Robinson
Quality & Safety Manager
Dylan started his career as an Aeronautical Maintenance Engineer with Air New Zealand before becoming an Auditor/Investigator for the Airline’s Operational Integrity Team. After ten years with Air New Zealand, he spent some time as an Auditor/Investigator within New Zealand’s rotorcraft sector.
Dylan is passionate about aviation safety and ensuring we have a positive and engaged safety culture and a coordinated SMS, always looking for improvements.
Outside his role, he enjoys classic car restoration and getting out and exploring New Zealand’s scenery with family and friends.
Phil Slattery
Maintenance Controller
Phil Slattery is our Maintenance Controller responsible for the fleet.
He brings nearly 30 years of aeronautical engineering experience to the role with a broad background ranging from small, fast jets to heavy transport and rotorcraft.
Phil has been with the team since December 2015 and assisted with establishing the maintenance division NZCAA Part 145 certificate in 2016.
Martin Dulon-Barre
Flight Operations Manager
Martin joined the team in 2015, bringing over ten years of experience flying twin-engine turboprop aircraft throughout New Zealand, the Pacific, Middle East, and Europe.
Martin will be found on or in the water when not flying, having a passion for watersports and the marine environment.
Warwick Wild
Check & Training Manager (CAA FI/FE, ATPL)
Warwick Wild has a strong passion for flying and joined us with a wealth of knowledge and experience from various backgrounds, including scheduled airline, charter, aeromedical, aerial surveying and international operations. Warwick is a certified flight examiner conducting flight tests under Part 125, 135 to ensure the company maintains a high set of standards.
Outside of his role, he has a keen interest in boating, fishing and biking.