Marie-Thérèse Doreen Zelia was born on 1 June 1981. She is married with three children and resides at Au Cap, Mahé.
Doreen completed her primary and secondary education at Bel Ombre Primary School and Beau Vallon Secondary School. After the National Youth Service in 1998, she joined the Seychelles Polytechnic where she obtained a Certificate in Secretarial Studies. She later pursued a Diploma in Management at the Seychelles Institute of Management (2012) and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from ESAMI/University of Seychelles (2017), for which she received the Meritorious Award for Best Performer.
She has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to continuous professional development. Over the years, Doreen has undertaken training in administration, public policy formulation and analysis, , health system governance, data management and use, digitalisation, protocol and etiquette, and leadership. These programmes were completed through institutions including the University of Pretoria, the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, the World Bank Group, WHO, Africa CDC, and India’s National Centre for Good Governance under the ITEC Programme.
Doreen joined the public service in 2001 as a Private Secretary and subsequently served for several years as a Personal Assistant. In 2014, she was appointed Director in the Office of the Speaker of the National Assembly, where she supported parliamentary governance and institutional strengthening.
In 2017, she moved to the President’s Office as Programme Development Officer within the Secretariat for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation, later advancing to Principal Planning Officer. In this capacity, she contributed to national reforms, programme coordination, and institutional consolidation in the field of substance abuse prevention and rehabilitation.
From 2021 to 2025, Doreen served as Principal Planning Officer in the Ministry of Health. In this role, she supported national health policy processes, strategic planning, intersectoral collaboration, and key technical working groups, including those related to Health-in-All-Policies. She led and coordinated major health events and high-level engagements at ministerial level and with the National Assembly, and played a critical role in the planning of the SIDS-AFRO Health Ministers Conference in 2024. Her contribution to the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic was recognised with a Certificate of Appreciation from the Minister for Health.
Throughout her career, Doreen has represented Seychelles in numerous international missions across Africa, Asia, and Europe, acting as Rapporteur, supporting protocol functions, and participating in high-level conferences and engagements. She is widely recognised as a strong team player, known for her collaborative approach, sense of duty, professionalism, and diplomacy, often serving as a trusted link between institutions and partners.
With close to 25 years of experience in the public service, rising through the ranks from the lower cadres to Principal Secretary, Doreen brings a broad and grounded perspective on the realities faced by staff at different levels. This experience underpins the human touch she brings to leadership, decision-making, and the way she approaches her work.
Doreen is fluent in English, French, and Seychellois Creole. She enjoys reading and cooking.
She was appointed Principal Secretary for Administration in the Office of the President on 17 November 2025.