Alison Eddy

Alison Eddy was elected President of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) in June 2026. As President, Alison leads the Board in meeting its strategic and governance responsibilities and represents ICM and the midwifery profession globally.

Alison is a registered practising midwife with more than 25 years of experience in midwifery practice, leadership, governance, advocacy and health policy.

Alison is the Chief Executive of the New Zealand College of Midwives. She has worked across clinical practice, professional leadership, workforce development, quality improvement and health system reform. She has played a leading role in developing national midwifery frameworks, funding models, education standards, professional guidance and workforce initiatives in New Zealand.

Throughout her career, Alison has held numerous governance, advisory and research leadership roles. These include serving as Deputy Chair of New Zealand’s Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee, as a member of the Lancet Commission on Maternal and Newborn Health and as a contributor to World Health Organization midwifery initiatives.

Her areas of expertise include midwifery leadership, maternal and newborn health, governance, strategic planning, financial oversight, policy development, association capacity building and equity-focused health system improvement. Alison has also published research and contributed chapters to leading midwifery texts.

Alison holds a Master of Public Health with Distinction from the University of Otago.

As ICM President, Alison is committed to strengthening midwifery worldwide and ensuring that women, gender diverse people, newborns and families have access to respectful, culturally safe, equitable and evidence-based care. She is passionate about supporting midwives, advancing justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, fostering global collaboration and amplifying the collective voice of the midwifery profession to improve health outcomes for communities everywhere.

Based in: New Zealand
Midwives’ Association: New Zealand College of Midwives
Languages: English