Donnell Alexander

Donnell Alexander is a New Zealand Registered Dietitian with broad experience across public health, research, government, industry, communications, and advocacy.

She is co-convenor of the ONLP course working group for 2027 and facilitator of the ‘advocating for good nutrition policy’ workshop.

Her career has included roles with the New Zealand Public Health Commission, the Ministry of Health, the UK Department of Health, and the University of Cambridge, where she contributed to nutrition research, policy, science communication, and national survey coordination.

She has also held nutrition and research roles in the food industry, including at Fonterra, where she managed clinical trial programmes for specialised consumer products and ingredients, and at Network Communications, where she led food and nutrition communications, stakeholder engagement, and translation of complex science into practical messages.

At the Ministry for Primary Industries, Donnell focused on nutrition science and regulation, including health claims, systematic review evaluation, and trans-Tasman regulatory work.

She is currently Health and Regulatory Manager at the New Zealand Food and Grocery Council, supporting members, coordinating the Health and Regulatory Working Group, and advocating on issues including food labelling, nutrition, and policy.