Get in touch: +64 (09) 802 1532
Head of Content, Communications and Marketing, FSC.
Clarissa Hirst is the Financial Services Council’s (FSC’s) Head of Content, Communications and Marketing, leading the Council’s consumer strategy, diversity and inclusion initiatives and research programme. She’s passionate about industry collaboration, driving impactful initiatives, breaking down jargon, financial literacy, and empowering wāhine to create the lives they love by becoming financially confident.
CEO, FSC.
Richard is the Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Services Council – New Zealand. He has extensive experience in leading and transforming Industry Associations, Life Insurance manufacturers and Financial Advice businesses, having held senior leadership roles in all sectors over the past 16 years. Organisations include Sovereign Assurance, ANZ Banking Group, Association of Financial Advisers and ING Richard is known as a community builder, skilfully engaging and influencing a diverse range of stakeholders to create common purpose, connection and enable collaboration.
Richard holds an MBA from the Macquarie Graduate School of Management, a Bachelor of Arts and Diploma of Education from Macquarie University and recently completed the Denison Miller Senior Executive leadership program as well as the innovative ‘Rethinking Leadership’ program with the Hunger Project in India.
Chief Medical Officer, Southern Cross Health Society
Dr Stephen Child, Chief Medical Officer, provides clinical oversight and is responsible for health technology assessment at Southern Cross Health Society. A Canadian-trained General Physician with a respiratory interest, he continues weekly private clinics and is a consultant with the Department of General Medicine at Auckland DHB.
Stephen is a member of the Medical Council of New Zealand (Council) and previous roles have included Chair of the New Zealand Medical Association, DHB National Workforce Strategy Group member, the Minister of Health’s Medical Training Board member, Northern Clinical Training Network Board member, and Health Workforce New Zealand Clinical Advisor.
A recipient of the NZMA 2018 Fellowship award, Stephen continues to make an impact in the health sector. He is particularly committed to exploring the relationship between public and private healthcare with an interest in how technology will continue to change the delivery and practice of medicine.
Director, CodeHQ
Mitchell Pham is a director of CodeHQ (formerly Augen) in New Zealand and Vietnam, and cofounder of the Kiwi Connection Tech Hub – a platform for NZ technology businesses to accelerate presence & engagement in South East Asia. He has nearly three decades of experience in information management, software products & services, sales & marketing, international operations, strategy development, collaborative partnerships and business growth through digital innovation. He now shares his experience as a governance and strategy advisor to other businesses.
In government, industry and community spaces, Mitchell serves as the chair of the Digital Council for Aotearoa NZ, NZTech, FinTechNZ, the NZ Asia Institute and the ASEAN Business Alliance. He is an honorary advisor at the Asia New Zealand Foundation, Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the University of Auckland Business School, trustee of the Auckland Refugee Family Trust and board member of HOST International NZ.
Internationally, Mitchell is a member of the Strategic Alliance Vietnamese Ventures International network and an executive of the global Vietnamese diaspora business network. He is recognised in leadership as a World Class New Zealander by KEA, an Asia 21 Fellow and Global Council Member of the Asia Society, and a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
Consultant, Chapman Tripp
Specialising in investment, funds and savings products, Mike has a specific emphasis on workplace savings, KiwiSaver and superannuation and related financial services regulation.
He acts for the trustees, managers and sponsors of major workplace savings and KiwiSaver schemes throughout New Zealand, as well as for trustee corporations.
Mike has a strong interest in law reform and policy issues and in recent years he has been instrumental in a number of workplace savings and KiwiSaver legislative reforms, industry exemptions and compliance cost saving initiatives. He was a member of the Government-appointed Savings Product Working Group whose recommendations led to the KiwiSaver legislation.
Formerly a Chairman of ASFONZ (later Workplace Savings NZ) and a long-standing Workplace Savings NZ Councillor, Mike is now on a range of Financial Services Council Committees and Working Groups, including the KiwiSaver and Investments Committee and the Workplace Savings Committee.
He is recognised as a Band 1 lawyer by Chambers Asia Pacific 2022 and as a leading individual by Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022.
Senior Associate - MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Maria is a Senior Associate in the financial services team at MinterEllisonRuddWatts. She has particular expertise in financial services regulation, and advises on a range of issues related to offering securities and operating financial services or financial advisory businesses in New Zealand.
Maria started her legal career with another top tier New Zealand law firm, before working in offshore funds and banking for Babbé, a Guernsey law firm.
Maria works extensively with retail and wholesale fund managers, trustee companies, insurers, and other major financial institutions. She also supports numerous overseas clients with their regulatory obligations (including in relation to applicable exemptions) under New Zealand financial services law. Maria advises on all aspects of the Financial Markets Conduct Act (FMCA) and the suite of financial services legislation generally. Her FMCA expertise includes discretionary investment management services, managed investment schemes, and the financial advice regime under the Act. In addition, Maria advises clients on the regulation of cryptocurrencies in New Zealand and has assisted with a number of merger and acquisition transactions involving insurance entities. Her work involves regular engagement with the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) and Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
Ranked as a Rising Star in Investment Funds by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Maria is an expert in her field and an active contributor to thought leadership, frequently writing articles for insurance publications such as Cover to Cover (the firm’s insurance legal industry magazine) and Covernote (an online insurance magazine).
Deputy Governor, RBNZ
Christian has been with Te Putea Matua since 2019. Prior to his appointment as Deputy Governor/General Manager Financial Stability Group, Christian was the Assistant Governor and General Manager of Economics, Financial Markets and Banking.
Christian was also part of the team that established Harbour Asset Management, which was awarded Morningstar New Zealand Fund Manager of the Year in 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Before this, Christian spent 9 years at the Bank of England, where he held senior positions including Private Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Chief Manager of Sterling Markets and Head of Market Intelligence.
Christian graduated from the University of Canterbury with a Master of Commerce (Hons) majoring in Economics.
Co Founder, Voices of Hope
Genevieve Mora, 26 spent most of her teenage years battling mental illness. She is now a proud survivor and has made it her mission to offer hope to those fighting mental illness. Genevieve co-founded Voices of Hope and through this uses her lived experience to show people that recovery is possible and that there is no shame in having a mental illness.
Political Reporter
With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.
Assertive, direct and opinionated, Heather is well respected by leading news makers, business leaders and political insiders. As well as setting the news agenda, this show has a major focus on local and international business, ensuring our listeners are engaged and informed. Heather du Plessis-Allan is a driving force at the centre of New Zealand’s biggest newsroom and number one radio station.
Co-Founder and CEO, Pathfinder Asset Management Limited
John is an advocate for responsible investment and for greater transparency around investment products. He is CEO (and co-founder) of Pathfinder Asset Management, a boutique fund manager specialising in ethical investment. Pathfinder’s funds include ESG-focused water, global equity and global property strategies.
John is a trustee of Men’s Health Trust NZ and a director of Punakaiki Fund Limited (a venture capital investor in NZ growth companies). He is also a member of the Government’s Code Working Group which is designing a new code of conduct for financial advice.
Director of Investment Management, Financial Markets Authority
Paul is responsible for the FMA’s strategy and approach to investment management providers and products, including KiwiSaver. His experience includes Chief Operations Officer at PIE Funds, positions in the investment and communications teams at the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, and communications management roles at Macquarie Group, SKYCITY and Westpac.
Chief Executive, Financial Markets Authority
B.Com (Econ), BCA Hons (Econ), MSc (Econ)
Samantha first arrived in New Zealand at the age of 7 with her parents and sister from the UK. She is a dual New Zealand / UK national. She grew up in Christchurch and attended Christchurch Girls’ High School before attending the University of Canterbury (B.Com (Econ) 1987) and Victoria University of Wellington (BCA. Hons (Econ) 1988).
She joined the Reserve Bank of New Zealand as an economist in 1988. In 1993 she moved to London to attend the London School of Economics where she was awarded an MSc in Economics. In 1995 she joined the Financial Services Authority in London (now the Financial Conduct Authority) which was responsible for the prudential and conduct of business regulation of the UK financial markets. She served successively as an Economist, a Supervisor in the Markets and Exchanges Division and a Manager in Conduct of Business Regulation.
Between 2005 and 2009, Samantha was a Director at the London Investment Banking Association where she worked on behalf of investment banks to develop and implement strategic advocacy programmes with the UK, EU and other national governments and national and international regulatory bodies. In 2009 Samantha took her regulatory knowledge and skills from the financial to the legal sector when she was appointed as an Executive Director at the Solicitors Regulation Authority with responsibility for leading the SRA’s work to transform the regulation of solicitors. This was the most significant element of the transformation of the legal services market in England and Wales enabled by the UK Legal Services Act 2007. It included implementing a new regulatory regime allowing for non-lawyer investment into, and ownership and control of law firms.
2014 saw Samantha return to financial services when she was appointed Chief Executive of the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission. Samantha led the prudential and conduct regulation of a complex financial services sector that primarily exports financial services and which represents around 25% of Gibraltar’s economy.
This period was characterised by the significant global and EU regulatory reform in the wake of the 2007/08 financial crisis. Between 2014 and 2019 the GFSC secured the confidence of governments and regulators in key export markets that Gibraltar was implementing these reforms in substance as well as form.
During this period the Commission also developed and implemented the first comprehensive international regulatory regime for firms using distributed ledger technology to hold and transfer value. These successes required strong connections with regulators in other markets, particularly in the UK and Europe but also further afield. They also saw the Commission expand substantially in terms of staffing and capability.
Between 2018 and 2019 Samantha, with the support and approval of the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission’s Board, served as a member of PwC (UK)’s Public Interest Body, responsible for independent oversight of PwC (UK)’s approach to protecting the public interest in its activities in the UK economy. Samantha stood down from this body on her appointment as Chief Executive of the Business Banking Resolution Service (BBRS) in November 2019.
As CEO of the BBRS, Samantha was appointed to lead the establishment of a non-statutory alternative dispute resolution scheme for banks and their larger SME customers. The scheme was a response to concerns, which began to surface as a result of the financial crisis, over the way banks had treated their SME customers. Because the scheme did not have statutory backing, the task involved complex negotiations with banks and the SME sector, and attracted close political and regulatory scrutiny. The scheme was launched in February 2021 with business body and political cross-party support in all nations of the UK. Having led the establishment of the BBRS, Samantha stood down to take a planned break, including taking time to pursue her interest in theatre.
When not regulating financial and professional services Samantha tries to find time for her passion for the theatre. Wherever in the world she has lived and worked, she has involved herself with theatre groups, acting, producing, governance and many other of the wide variety of roles needed to support live theatre. In her younger years, this included Wellington and Canterbury Repertory theatres. Samantha has three children who are at university in the UK.
Chair, Women in Super
Tracey Cross has significant experience in funds management, superannuation law, corporate governance and financial services regulation. She acts for a wide variety of significant financial institutions and superannuation schemes and a number of overseas issuers offering their funds into New Zealand.
Tracey's experience includes scheme establishment, compliance, interpretation of trust deeds, risk management, and advice on powers, authorities and discretions.
Tracey has been involved with KiwiSaver since its inception and has established many of the current KiwiSaver schemes. She actively advises providers and employees of their KiwiSaver obligations, and advises providers and advisor groups on compliance and disclosure requirements under the Financial Adviser regime.
Tracey routinely advises on regulatory compliance and disclosure for funds and trans-Tasman mutual recognition and has been involved in the establishment of compliance plans and the identification of individual statutory obligations across the complete business of many clients.
General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer, Southern Cross
Laura holds the dual roles of General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer for Southern Cross Health Society.
In her General Counsel role, she provides legal counsel to the society’s board of directors and senior management and leads the legal and governance team that advises on, among other areas, corporate governance, privacy law, insurance and financial services law and commercial transactions. In her Chief Risk Officer role, she leads the Risk and Compliance Management teams, which oversee the Society’s risk governance framework and risk appetite, and ensures all risks generated by the it’s businesses are measured, reviewed and monitored on an ongoing basis.
Prior to working at the Society, Laura has had a career within financial services both in New Zealand and the UK, having held the roles of: Head of Risk, Compliance and Conduct for Westpac’s Institutional, Business and Commercial bank; General Counsel and Head of Risk for Flexigroup (an ASX registered company); Head of Legal for Latitude Financial Services and GE Capital; Lawyer and Director at Royal Bank of Scotland and ABN AMRO Bank; Legal Counsel at Barclays Bank; Senior Corporate Solicitor at NY law firm Kaye Scholer, and Solicitor at DLA Phillips Fox.
Laura lives in Auckland with her family, dogs and cat and is seen out of office hours on sidelines of her kids’ sports, as well as baking, beaching and generally getting outdoors.
General Counsel and Company Secretary, ANZ
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, a large language ocean.
Even the all-powerful Pointing has no control about the blind texts it is an almost unorthographic life One day however a small line of blind text by the name of Lorem Ipsum decided to leave for the far World of Grammar.
Minister of Finance
Hon. Grant Robertson studied politics at Otago, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in 1995. At university he was the President of the Otago University Students’ Association and became Co-President of the New Zealand University Students Association.
Grant joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1997 where he managed the New Zealand Overseas Aid Programme to Samoa. He was then posted to the United Nations in New York, working on global environment and development issues.
On his return to New Zealand, Grant became an advisor to former Prime Minister Helen Clark. Following this, he took a business development role with the University of Otago, working with researchers, investors and businesses to develop and commercialise the university’s world-leading research.
In Opposition, Grant held a range of portfolios, including Finance from 2014 to 2017. After the 2017 election, Grant was appointed Minister of Finance, Minister for Sport and Recreation, and Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage.
Grant also served as Deputy Prime Minister under Jacinda Ardern in the 2020 Labour Government. He is currently the Minister of Finance, Minister for Sport and Recreation, and Leader of the House.
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Partner, Chapman Tripp
Chief Marketing Officer, FSC
David is experienced in leading and consulting marketing and corporate communications, specialising in growing capability for organisations.
He has worked in the financial services industry for over 20 years in both government and private sector roles in the UK, US, EU and more recently in New Zealand at the Financial Services Council.
Originally an engineer, David is a Chartered Marketer, holds a master's degree in Strategic Marketing and recently graduated with a master's degree in Wine Science and Business from the University of Auckland.
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CEO, Akahu
Akahu is an open finance platform, focused on New Zealand. Akahu manages data integrations with banks and other financial institutions, and bundles those integrations into an API for developers. Akahu’s purpose is to empower Kiwi consumers to gracefully control and leverage their data.
Josh is the CEO of Akahu. He was previously co-founder and CEO of Snowball Effect, and worked at WeWork and Bell Gully.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Spokesperson for Finance, New Zealand National Party
Nicola Willis is a List MP based in Wellington, having entered Parliament in April 2018, and being re-elected in October 2020. She is currently National’s Deputy Leader, Spokesperson for Finance, and Social Investment. She is a member of Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Select Committee and the Intelligence and Security Select Committee, and has previously served on the Environment Select Committee, the Education and Workforce Select Committee, and the Regulations Review Select Committee.
Prior to becoming an MP Nicola held a number of senior management roles at New Zealand dairy co-operative Fonterra. Her work at Fonterra included leadership of the business’s global trade strategy team, permanent membership of the global incident management team, operational management of Fonterra-owned farms and work on a number of major projects alongside Fonterra’s global customers, manufacturing teams and farmer shareholders. Nicola also served on the boards of Export NZ and policy think-tank the New Zealand Initiative.
Nicola was a senior advisor to Prime Minister John Key during his first term in Government, having been a member of his winning 2008 campaign team, a senior advisor during his time as Leader of the Opposition and a researcher for then opposition education spokesperson Bill English.
She has also worked in a number of small businesses including jobs selling shoes, clothes and bagels.
Nicola is a proud graduate of Victoria University of Wellington with a first-class honours degree in English literature. She was a successful university debater, captaining teams and competing around the world. She grew up in Wellington, and today she lives there with her husband Duncan and their four children aged 6, 9, 10, 12.
General Counsel and Company Secretary, AIA
Jackie leads our award-winning Legal, Corporate Governance and Regulatory Affairs teams, who are passionate about AIA’s operating philosophy of ‘doing the right thing, in the right way’. Jackie joined AIA NZ in 2017 and was instrumental in the acquisition and integration of the Sovereign business and the portfolio transfer of the ex-AIA International Ltd NZ Branch business into AIA NZ. Prior to joining AIA, Jackie spent over ten years as Principal Legal Counsel at Barclays Bank / Absa Bank in South Africa and the UAE and held a number of legal roles in London with a dual qualification to practice law both in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Head of Customer Success, NZFSG
Trecia has had over 35 years experience in financial services and has been actively working with financial advisers and their businesses . Her career has spanned roles at various insurance companies and now is working with a Financial Advice Provider - NZFSG. Her previous roles has enabled her to build a reputation as one of the most competent coaches/ leaders in her field. Her ability to develop teams, help advisers to build sustainable businesses and build regulatory support programmes are some of her many strengths. Trecia has a warm and empathic style and has the ability to simplify concepts and processes so that advisers feel comfortable embracing new ideas and putting them into practice.
Head of Advisory Distribution Funds, ANZ
At ANZ Investments my team and I are totally committed to supporting authorised financial advisers by providing products and solutions that are simple and transparent, independently rated, have competitive fee structures and provide access to specialist investment managers.
I joined the financial services industry in 1990 and my passion to ensure all New Zealanders receive high quality financial advice and appropriate solutions is unwavering.
I lead a highly specialised sales team who have strong adviser relationships built on trust, honesty, and mutual respect.
General Manager - Corporate Trustee Services, Public Trust
David joined Public Trust as Chief Risk Officer in September 2019. In 2022, he took over as the General Manager of the Corporate Trustee Services team.
David has previously been Chief Risk Officer at Tower for more than 3 years, where his team oversaw risk, compliance, legal and governance for the Tower group.
Prior to this, he was Chief Risk Officer at RACQ Insurance in Australia.
Consultant, Chapman Tripp
Specialising in investment, funds and savings products, Mike has a specific emphasis on workplace savings, KiwiSaver and superannuation and related financial services regulation.
He acts for the trustees, managers and sponsors of major workplace savings and KiwiSaver schemes throughout New Zealand, as well as for trustee corporations.
Mike has a strong interest in law reform and policy issues and in recent years he has been instrumental in a number of workplace savings and KiwiSaver legislative reforms, industry exemptions and compliance cost saving initiatives. He was a member of the Government-appointed Savings Product Working Group whose recommendations led to the KiwiSaver legislation.
Formerly a Chairman of ASFONZ (later Workplace Savings NZ) and a long-standing Workplace Savings NZ Councillor, Mike is now on a range of Financial Services Council Committees and Working Groups, including the KiwiSaver and Investments Committee and the Workplace Savings Committee.
He is recognised as a Band 1 lawyer by Chambers Asia Pacific 2022 and as a leading individual by Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022.
Chief Medical Officer, Southern Cross Health Society
Dr Stephen Child, Chief Medical Officer, provides clinical oversight and is responsible for health technology assessment at Southern Cross Health Society. A Canadian-trained General Physician with a respiratory interest, he continues weekly private clinics and is a consultant with the Department of General Medicine at Auckland DHB.
Stephen is a member of the Medical Council of New Zealand (Council) and previous roles have included Chair of the New Zealand Medical Association, DHB National Workforce Strategy Group member, the Minister of Health’s Medical Training Board member, Northern Clinical Training Network Board member, and Health Workforce New Zealand Clinical Advisor.
A recipient of the NZMA 2018 Fellowship award, Stephen continues to make an impact in the health sector. He is particularly committed to exploring the relationship between public and private healthcare with an interest in how technology will continue to change the delivery and practice of medicine.
Head of Industry Engagement Manager, Partners Life
As Head of Industry Engagement Manager at Partners Life, Mark’s role includes developing strategies to help financial advisers transition to the financial advice regime (such as the Partners Life Adviser Support Programme). Previously, Mark worked in intelligence at the Financial Markets Authority, where he drove the project reviewing replacement business in life insurance, which won an innovation award from the NZ Institute of Intelligence Professionals. Mark is active in the Financial Services Council, and suggests crazy ideas that sometimes become living, breathing industry projects.
Chief Executive, Institute of Directors NZ
Kirsten Patterson is the Chief Executive of the Institute of Directors. She is a qualified lawyer and a Distinguished Fellow of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand.
Her governance roles include:
With extensive governance and leadership experience, she is actively involved in community initiatives.
A strong advocate of diversity, KP was also a founding member of Global Women’s ‘Champions for Change’, a group of senior executives and directors who commit to diversity in the workplace, and a founding member of WiSPA, an organisation promoting women in sport, and mentors a number of business leaders.
Partner, Dentons Kensington Swan
David is a partner in Dentons Kensington Swan's banking and financial markets team, which is top ranked for its financial services specialty by Chambers Asia Pacific legal directory, with David also top ranked. He chaired the Code Committee appointed by the FMA under the Financial Advisers Act until its repeal in March 2021, and is a former chair of Workplace Savings NZ.
David is an expert in the regulation of financial services. He helps the providers of financial products and services understand and manage their obligations in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. He also helps them identify and benefit from the opportunities presented by regulatory reforms.
David has been at the forefront of the extensive regulatory reforms impacting on the provision of financial advice services. His reputation in this area of law was formally recognised in 2009 through his appointment to the Financial Advisers Code Committee, a professional conduct rule making body David chaired from 2012 to 2021. David’s expertise includes advising on agency relationships and financial advice provider disclosure and conduct obligations, and assisting clients develop effective business models for delivering financial advice.
David advises both large and boutique providers of investment funds, as well as insurers, trustees of workplace schemes, providers of discretionary investment management services (DIMS) and investment platforms. He assists reporting entities with their AML and CRS obligations, and has been heavily involved in recent years in assisting a number of banks and insurers and financial advice providers with conduct and culture initiatives and licensing readiness. He has extensive experience in advising on cross-border offers of financial products and services, assisting a wide range of offshore providers manage their New Zealand financial services regulatory footprint.
CEO, AIA NZ
As CEO for AIA NZ, Nick is proud to lead a passionate team with the dream of making New Zealand one of the healthiest and best protected nations in the world.
With 30 years of experience in the financial services sector, Nick has held a diverse range of senior leadership roles in New Zealand, including CEO at Sovereign prior to the acquisition by AIA and Executive General Manager of Wealth & Insurance at ASB Bank Limited. Earlier in his career Nick held a variety of key leadership roles within ASB including General Manager Corporate Banking and Working Capital Services, General Manager Business Banking and General Manager of Business Banking and Retail Specialist Services.
Born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Nick is married with two daughters. Outside of work, he enjoys keeping active, is a keen cyclist and gym goer and has competed in triathlons and Ironman events.
Principal, MJW
Steve Grant is responsible for the superannuation administration line of business at MJW.
Steve has been with MJW since 2000 and seen them through significant growth in the restricted scheme administration space. Steve is passionate about these Restricted Workplace Savings schemes and ensuring their existence in the Financial Markets Conduct Act world as a viable retirement savings benefit sitting alongside KiwiSaver.
Steve is a member of the Workplace Savings committee of the Financial Services Council.
Chief Product & Investments Officer, AIA NZ
As Chief Product and Investments Officer, Len is responsible for the design and pricing of AIA’s risk and health products, as well as AIA Vitality.
As a qualified actuary and former consultant, Len's experience spans across the financial services industry. Prior to joining Sovereign, Len worked as an actuary at MLC, managing the company's asset-liability risk. He also worked as a consulting actuary at Deloitte, where he led numerous Australian and international engagements, business development campaigns, and research projects.
Len is passionate about the role that insurance plays in securing people’s futures and helping to restore people's health.
Head of the Medical Genetics Group, Associate Dean (Research), Acting Director for the Centre for Cancer Research, University of Auckland
Professor Andrew Shelling is Associate Dean (Research) at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, and co-Director for the Centre for Cancer Research at the University of Auckland. His research is primarily interested in understanding the molecular changes that occur during the development of genetic disorders, focusing on breast and gynaecological cancer, and reproductive disorders.
Andrew began at Otago University with a degree in Physical Education and PhD in Biochemistry. He spent three years in Oxford, UK, as a Nuffield Medical Fellow, studying the genetics of ovarian cancer, before being appointed to Auckland University as a Lecturer in 1996, eventually becoming Professor in 2015.
Andrew has served as Deputy Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (2001-2013), President of the New Zealand branch of the Human Genetics Society of Australasia (2002-2004), Deputy-Chairperson of the Advisory Committee for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (2006-2012), Director of the Bachelor of Medical Sciences Honours programme (2008-2016) and as Associate Editor for the Human Reproduction journal (2004-2013). He is currently on the Editorial Board for the Human Reproduction Update and Clinical Genetics journals, on the Board of Breast Cancer Cure and Trustee for the Nurture Foundation for Reproductive Research.
Investment Director, Craigs Investment Partners
Mark is Investment Director for Craigs Investment Partners, and is a member of the company's Executive Committee.
He joined Craigs in 2004, having worked in the electricity sector before this. He started as an equity analyst, before leading the Private Wealth Research team from 2007 until 2022 and focusing on economics, portfolio strategy and investor education.
He spends much of his time engaging with a wide range of clients across the Craigs network, interacting with media organisations, as well as supporting other departments and the broader Craigs leadership team.
Founder and Managing Director, Partners Life
Keystone Business Solutions Consultant, Objective Corporation
Natasha Gray is a highly accomplished professional with 20 years of experience in Financial Services, working for renowned companies such as MLC Australia and Insignia Financial Group. As a Product Disclosure Specialist and subject matter expert for Objective Keystone, she has expertise in optimising the product disclosure process, ensuring full regulatory compliance and overall efficiency within the disclosure governance team at both MLC and Insignia.
Head of Responsible Investment, ANZ
Helen leads Responsible Investment across ANZ Investments ~$34bn of assets under management*. She has over 25 years of experience in the investments industry, holding various senior roles in both the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
She’s passionate about sustainability and responsible investment with over 15 years’ experience in this field. She sits on the FSC Climate and ESG committee and is the funds management industry lead on the FSC Climate Related Scenario Analysis Steering Group. She joined ANZ in 2022 after almost five years at Craigs Investment Partners where most recently she was Head of Emerging Wealth.
Helen is a member of the Institute of Directors and a certified member of INFINZ.
*as at 31 May 2023 $33.8bn AUM
Director , NZ Financial Education and Research, Massey University
Pushpa is the Director of the NZ Financial Education and Research at Massey University. Dr Wood was appointed as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honours List for 2016 for her services to financial literacy and interfaith relations. She is the first person in the country to be awarded such an honour for services to interfaith relations and financial literacy. She is also the first Indian woman in the country to be awarded with such a high honour and in two areas.
She has extensive experience in developing teaching and learning resources, training and development, and stakeholder relationships and is regarded one of the key academics involved in developing resources for financial literacy and building capability of financial literacy educators.
Pushpa also specialises in Hindi language and literature and her PhD thesis combined her Hindi language expertise with the religious dimensions of medieval India. She acts as an expert witness for the Crown in Indian culture, customs, and beliefs.
Director - Business Development, UnderwriteMe
Stephen is the Director, Business Development at UnderwriteMe, a leading provider of automated underwriting solution that helps insurers transform their business process and make insurance more accessible. Driven by a passion for digital innovation and transformation, he is responsible for driving sales strategy and market development in Australia and New Zealand. In this role, he aims to create value for clients through enhancing their underwriting and claims automation proposition.
With over 15 years of experience working in the life insurance industry in Australia, he has built his expertise in underwriting, team leadership, project management, digital innovation, and relationship management.
Non-Executive Director and Trustee, Breast Cancer Cure
Fay Sowerby with an industrial psychology background, had a career spanning over 20 years as a business consultant. During that time while working at KPMG, KPMG Consulting and her own consulting business, Fay played a pivotal role in global and local projects, operationalising change including the implementation of new technologies across several industries. She has served on the board of a sports organisation, three educational organisations, a crown owned entity, three NGO’s and three national committees.
In 2009, when a young family member was diagnosed with cancer, Fay joined Breast Cancer Cure (BCC), an organisation dedicated to finding a Cure for breast cancer through novel research. BCC has funded $11.5M of research. Fay has learned the central role that genomics and molecular targets play in improving health outcomes.
Fay was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013 and since 2015, has been an active member of Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition (BCAC), holding the position of Secretary. BCAC is a patient-based organization that strives to support, represent, and inform patient groups.
Fay's advocates for research and system changes for greater precision in prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment for those at risk of or diagnosed with breast cancer including establishing pathways and funding for molecular and genomic testing. She has an unwavering commitment to equity and enhancing the quality of life for New Zealanders affected by cancer.
She serves on various committees and working groups, including the Health Research Council of New Zealand Assessment Committee (7 years), Breast Cancer Trials Fundraising and Communication Committee (2017-2022), Enhancing Clinical Trials in New Zealand Steering Committee (2020-2022), the National Breast Cancer Quality Performance Indicator Working Group (2022-Present), Breast Screen Aotearoa Action and Advisory Committee (2023 ongoing), Breast Special Interest Group (2015-Present) and Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer Group (2020-Present) as a consumer representative.
Outside of her professional endeavours, Fay is married to Warren, a mother to two grown daughters, and a grandmother to four grandchildren based in New Zealand and the United States.
Fay is a respected leader and advocate in the cancer field. She is a member of the Institute of Directors, the New Zealand Society of Oncology, the European Society of Medical Oncology and an Affiliate of Breast Cancer Trials.
Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Christian has been with Te Putea Matua (Reserve Bank of NZ) since 2019. Prior to his appointment as Deputy Governor/General Manager Financial Stability Group, Christian was the Assistant Governor and General Manager of Economics, Financial Markets and Banking.
Christian was also part of the team that established Harbour Asset Management, which was awarded Morningstar New Zealand Fund Manager of the Year in 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Before this, Christian spent 9 years at the Bank of England, where he held senior positions including Private Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Chief Manager of Sterling Markets and Head of Market Intelligence.
Christian graduated from the University of Canterbury with a Master of Commerce (Hons) majoring in Economics.
Country Manager, New Zealand and Pacific Islands, Mastercard
Ruth Riviere, Country Manager New Zealand and Pacific Islands, Mastercard, brings her global experience to deliver some of the best solutions for both businesses and consumers. Ruth joined the global technology company in the payments industry in 2012. She has had various roles across Mastercard’s UK business, including driving digital sales and managing strategy and operations as the Chief of Staff for Ann Cairns, President of International Markets.
Financial inclusion to drive sustainable economic growth is one of Ruth’s passions. Before being appointed Country Manager, she was Director of Social Impact at the Mastercard Centre for Inclusive Growth, where she designed and directed the Centre’s global philanthropic programme work to support sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion. This included programmes in Indonesia, Romania, Mexico, Egypt, Rwanda, Nigeria and the US.
Senior Underwriting Consultant, Swiss RE
Shane is a Senior Underwriting Consultant with Swiss Re Australia / New Zealand with a focus on cross functional stakeholder risk advice on underwriting philosophy, automation, innovation, and product development.
His career spans 25+ years across the reinsurance / insurance markets. He has been a member of local senior management executive teams via his Chief Underwriter and Claims Manager roles during his career.
He is an active participant and risk advocate in key industry bodies and represented the Life Ins. industry on the Australian Federal Government's Human Genetics Advisory Committee (HGAC) from 2009 - 2012.
Shane has been published in numerous national and international industry journals. He has presented at major industry conferences such as the FSC Annual Life Conference, Australian Institute of Actuaries Summit and the ALUCA conference.
He is a Fellow- ALUCA, Senior Associate- ANZIIF, Associate- Academy Life Underwriting (with distinction) and has a Diploma in Health Counselling. Shane also holds a Diploma in Theology and is a trained school chaplain.
Executive Director - Regulatory Delivery, Financial Markets Authority
Clare is leading the implementation of the new conduct regime for banks, insurers and non-bank deposit takers at the Financial Markets Authority.
Clare previously worked for the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK for almost 20 years in a variety of policy, change implementation and supervision roles, including oversight of large banking groups and financial advisers. She also spent two years at the UK Treasury, leading capital markets and prudential policy.
Head of Financial Advice, Financial Markets Authority
Michael has been with the FMA for 6 years in the Supervision Team – he is currently Head of Financial Advice, leading the FMA’s largest licenced sector. This includes licencing support, on-site monitoring and guidance papers.
Michael co-lead the Life Insurer Conduct and Culture Thematic in 2019, and has authored other thematic studies including the Fire and General study and CCRI study.
Director, Licensed Independent Trustee, Lawyer, Juno Legal
Sarah is an experienced lawyer, Licensed Independent Trustee and Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors. She currently holds a number of directorships in the financial services area and acts as a licensed independent trustee for several of those boards.
Sarah has a broad range of legal experience, predominantly in in-house roles. She headed up the legal team at New Zealand Post for 8 years and now works with Juno Legal providing advisory, coaching and legal services centred on in-house legal functions.
Chief Executive, Ringa Hora
Kari Scrimshaw is a globally experienced consultant and leader who has spent the last 25 years working with organisations across the breadth of the Services sector to help them deliver critical or complex programmes of work.
As Chief Executive of Ringa Hora Services Workforce Development Council she now gets to work in an area she is passionate about every day – developing peoples potential at work.
Financial Ombudsman and CEO, FSCL
Susan Taylor is the Financial Ombudsman and Chief Executive Officer of Financial Services Complaints Ltd (FSCL). FSCL has over 7,000 financial service providers, including several thousand financial advisers, as scheme participants.
FSCL investigates complaints made by consumers against FSCL scheme participants. As the Ombudsman, Susan is the decision-maker on complaints and has the power to make binding decisions up to the sum of $350,000 where a complaint is upheld, and a direct financial loss has been suffered by the consumer.
Susan has over 25 years’ experience in dispute resolution in the financial services industry and has presented at financial industry and consumer conferences both in New Zealand and overseas.
Susan is a qualified lawyer and, prior to joining FSCL, was the Deputy Banking Ombudsman.
Susan is also a public member of the Advertising Standards Appeal Board and a trustee of the Dame Malvina Major Foundation.
Head of Regulatory Affairs, Fidelity Life
As Head of Regulatory Affairs for Fidelity Life, Sam is responsible for maintaining relationships with regulators, policy makers and industry stakeholders and supports the business’ response to regulatory change.
Sam has over 11 years’ experience in the financial services sector in legal, regulatory and management roles - most recently as ASB Bank’s Head of Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs and prior to that at Sovereign (now AIA). Sam is passionate about building trust in the life insurance industry to help more kiwis access protection to enjoy a more rewarding life.
Global CEO, CoreData
Andrew Inwood is the founder and principal of CoreData and has more than 30 years’ experience in the Australian financial services industry. He started his career at Rothschild Australia Asset Management where he headed the marketing team, before moving to AMP Investments where he spent more than a decade. During his time at AMP, he was seconded to Virgin Direct in the UK to help establish the finance and investment arm of the group.
Andrew returned to Australia to be marketing director of Wizard Home Loans. From Wizard he moved to Telstra where he spent three years as general manager of applications and hosted services, before leaving to start CoreData. In the past 20 years, CoreData has expanded out of Sydney to have offices in Perth, London, Boston and Manila.
Andrew is the author of more than 50 pieces of significant research into clients and their behaviour and has a particular focus on the value of the client experience in financial services. He is a highly regarded speaker and has delivered keynote speeches in every Australian capital city, London, Edinburgh, New York, Tokyo, Queenstown, Monaco and Berlin.
Andrew has served on a number of charity and sporting club boards and been a seed investor in and director of a number of start-up businesses, particularly in the online sector, a practice which he continues to this day.
He has a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sydney ASIA.
Director, Aynsley and Associates
For over 35 years Chris has advised clients ranging from the self-employed contractor to the largest of corporates. The core focus for Chris remains unaltered: no matter how complex the insurance programme is, its sole purpose is to protect the wealth and financial security of the affected family. This commitment, combined with in-depth knowledge and expertise of life insurance, has earned Chris a nationwide reputation as an industry leader and innovator.
Known as one of the most data-led advisers in business, since having a computer terminal on his desk in 1986, Chris has continued to push the envelope with using data and computing to provide the best, most effective customer outcomes.
CEO, FSC Australia
Blake became CEO of the Financial Services Council Australia in January 2022 after re-joining the FSC as Deputy CEO in 2020, where he was responsible for policy and advocacy on behalf of FSC members.
Blake has extensive experience as an advocate for the financial services industry. Blake has previously worked for Westpac Group, as Head of Government Affairs for Wealth, and at the FSC as Senior Policy Manager for Superannuation. Blake has also worked as a policy adviser and industrial advocate for the Commonwealth Government and the NSW Business Chamber.
Blake is also a member of the Board of Advice for the University of Sydney Business School's Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies. Blake holds a Juris Doctor from the University of New South Wales and a Bachelor in Commerce (liberal studies) from the University of Sydney.
Author and Founding Director, enable.me
Hannah McQueen has the unique ability to inspire confidence and foster understanding of how to achieve better financial outcomes whether she’s working with you one-to-one or speaking in front of a live audience at your conference.
Hannah communicates financial matters in a way few other speakers can. She combines obvious expertise and depth of experience with pace, humour, and relatability. Once you’ve seen her present you’ll understand why she’s often described as a financial force of nature! It’s her ability to bring finances alive with colour and humour that gives her that X-factor.
And, there’s no doubt as to Hannah’s expertise. She’s a Chartered Accountant Fellow with her Masters in Tax, an Authorised Financial Adviser, a best-selling personal finance author, media commentator, columnist and the founder of the financial strategy and coaching company, enable.me. She also owns the patent for the mortgage optimisation formula she developed with the University of Auckland that shows how you can pay off your mortgage in the shortest time, with the least interest cost, and the most flexibility.
Hannah speaks on a range of important topics like the impact of financial stress on everything from sleep to productivity, how to improve financial resilience amid uncertain times, and how to get ahead faster while still having a life.
Personal Finance Lead, Te Ara Ahunga Ora: Retirement Commission
Te Ara Ahunga Ora is the office of the Retirement Commissioner, which aims to help New Zealanders retire with confidence. It’s the agency that built Sorted, a strong, trusted, independent brand to help Kiwis end up on the winning side of their money decisions. Tom’s focus as personal finance lead is dialing up New Zealanders’ long-term wellbeing by helping them get ahead financially.
He contributes to the Sorted ecosystem of websites, campaigns, calculators, seminars and publishing, as well as workplace, school and community programmes.
He also regularly comments in media, particularly around KiwiSaver and personal finance issues. His background in journalism and finance dovetails to support the Retirement Commissioner and the team to lift financial capability across the country.
Chief Executive, Braemar Hospital
Fiona has experience in technology, banking, insurance, public service, health, property, primary industry and utilities - both here and overseas.
She holds an MBA from the University of Auckland, is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and is a Chartered Member of the NZ Institute of Directors. Fiona is currently the Chief Executive of New Zealand’s second largest private hospital, Braemar Hospital in Hamilton, and is an Independent Director for both Fortuna Group (dairying) and New Zealand Medical Indemnity Insurance.
Fiona has won numerous awards in New Zealand and Australia for achievement in human resources, leadership, culture, ethics and industrial relations, and was a finalist in the 2021 Westpac Women of Influence Awards for her work on the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. Fiona and her family divide their time between Hamilton and their lifestyle block in Raglan.
CEO, YWCA Tāmaki Makaurau and C0-founder, Mind the Gap NZ
Dellwyn Stuart is a proud intersectional feminist and servant leader with a track record of developing and executing transformational strategy, successfully influencing decision makers and stakeholders, and finding solutions in complex, ambiguous environments.
Currently as CEO of YWCA in Tāmaki Makaurau, she is passionate about contributing to a future for Aotearoa that is more equitable for all, and finds joy and optimism in her work with young women. She is the Co- Founder of the Mind the Gap campaign and founder of the Women’s Funds movement in Aotearoa. Her career spans both the commercial and not for profit sectors.
Chief Economist, Kiwibank
Jarrod Kerr is Kiwibank’s Chief Economist. Jarrod has a passion for the environment, financial markets, and everything economics. Although born and schooled in New Zealand, he cut his teeth in US, Swiss, and Australian banks, and has spent most of his career overseas. Jarrod started off as an economist at JP Morgan in Sydney.
He then moved into financial markets as an interest rate strategist for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, before moving to Credit Suisse in Singapore as Head of Australian and New Zealand fixed income and economic research. After 16 years abroad, Jarrod returned home to the mighty Kiwibank in 2018.
Director, Deloitte New Zealand
Christina is a Director in Deloitte New Zealand’s Strategy and Business Design Consulting practice, and has an extensive Strategy Consulting experience at Deloitte New Zealand, working with some of the most iconic businesses in New Zealand and globally.
Christina is one of the Insurance sector leaders at Deloitte New Zealand, and is passionate about working on some of the most complex client issues across all parts of the value chain for our insurance clients, ranging from strategy development, growth strategy, customer strategy, business design to operations transformation including data, technology and people capability improvement projects.
MP, ACT Party of New Zealand
Damien is originally from Northern Ireland and is an ex-banker, Corporate Structured Finance & Family Office Adviser & Independent Company Director. He has a Masters in Business Administration (MBA). He has worked in Britain, Australia and New Zealand over the past 25 years.
Manager of Health Sector Engagement and Performance, ACC New Zealand
Stafford has been a practicing physiotherapist for 20 years working in a range of management and leadership roles within New Zealand and Australia. He currently works at ACC as a Manager of Health Sector Engagement and Performance, Stafford’s work supports the engagement and monitoring of health providers delivering services for ACC.
Diversity Equity and Inclusion Consultant
Joe is an independent Diversity Equity and Inclusion Consultant working with a range of organisations and sectors to harness the power of inclusion to drive greater and innovation and performance. Previous to his consulting career Joe was at Chartered Accountants ANZ, where he was New Zealand GM. Joe also led the global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy for the accounting profession and was on global taskforce for DEI. In 2022 he published the Gender Pay Gap Playbook which had a reach of over 840,000 people and was recognised by the Minister for Women.
Executive Director, AI Forum New Zealand Te Kahui Atamai Iahiko o Aoteraoa
Madeline joined the AI Forum as Executive Director in 2022. She has extensive experience in strategy, transformational change and helping people to see the potential that innovative technologies bring.
Originally from New Zealand, Madeline spent 20 years working with AI and Tech in the mental health, financial services and regulatory sectors in the UK. Her more recent work included helping to shape and deliver the Financial Conduct Authority’s internationally renowned RegTech innovation programme; and Head of Innovation and Product for a science based digital mental health service. She brings new thinking and international to the AI community.
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Executive Chair, KPMG New Zealand
A genuine, authentic, values-driven leader, Matt Prichard is the Executive Chair for KPMG New Zealand. He is a dedicated husband and father of five.
Matt joined KPMG in 1994, and during this time has made his way around the world, working at KPMG offices in Wellington, Auckland, Luxembourg, Botswana and London as well as spending significant time in Southern Africa and Vanuatu.
An experienced audit and advisory partner, Matt has managed some of KPMG’s largest audit and advisory relationships across a range of sectors, helps lead the firm’s work with Māori and has previously been a member of the firm’s Executive Team.
Through his work, Matt has developed a network of trusted relationships at Executive and Board level across New Zealand and Trans-Tasman major corporates.
Matt is passionate about inclusion across our communities and is a proud board member and supporter of World Vision New Zealand, a facilitator for the Springboard Trust’s critical work with school principals, and Co-Chair for Global Women’s Champions for Change group.
In 2005 Matt was named “Young Chartered Accountant of the Year” by the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration (BCA) from Victoria University of Wellington and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Treasury from the Australian Securities Institute.
Matt is a Chartered Accountant through CAANZ and a Certified Treasury Professional through INFINZ.
Director Sustainability Reporting, External Reporting Board (XRB)
Dr. Amelia Sharman is Director Sustainability Reporting at the External Reporting Board (XRB), responsible for managing the execution and coordination of the climate-related disclosure framework for Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as the XRB’s wider sustainability reporting work programme. Dr Sharman has an extensive background in climate and sustainability policy areas, most recently as Head of Policy at Ara Ake, focused on supporting the transition to a low-emissions energy future. She has held a range of project and policy roles across the public and private sectors in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. She has a PhD from the London School of Economics, an MSc from the University of Oxford, and an MA(Hons) from the University of Auckland.
Partner, Mosaic FSI
Originating from Reunion Island, Emilie offers over 15 years of specialist banking expertise gathered in New Zealand and abroad.
Having spent a significant proportion of her career working with international Financial Institutions and developing thought leadership, Emilie is well recognised for her subject matter expert in Correspondent Banking and International Payments.
Emilie has held specialist and senior positions in France, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, leading teams and implementing new channels, where she excelled in building strong and mutually beneficial relationships with customers and stakeholders.
Adept at working within multicultural, diverse and technically complex environments, Emilie offers pragmatic advice and solutions for the efficient development and execution of growth strategies and change.
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Assistant Governor and General Manager of Strategy, Governance, and Sustainability at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Simone is Assistant Governor and General Manager of Strategy, Governance, and Sustainability at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. She is responsible for the Bank’s strategic planning and performance, enterprise delivery, communications, governance, and internal audit. Simone is also responsible for leading and co-ordinating bank-wide strategies including Climate Change, Te Ao Māori and South Pacific.
Simone is also a member of the Leadership Group for Toitū Tahua: Centre for Sustainable
Finance.
Simone has a wealth of experience gained from roles across both the public and private sectors, in financial services and legal firms. Prior to joining RBNZ Simone held senior leadership roles at the Financial Markets Authority.
UNCLASSIFIED
Student
Amber is a 1st year undergraduate at the University of Auckland. She is studying the Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Accounting and Finance.
The driving forces in her life are productivity, contribution, and investment, enabling the positioning to become the best version of herself!
Amber finds pure satisfaction in helping Gen Z construct an open mindset, where barriers are seen as guidelines and become financially independent.
Te Whanau Ora Community Clinic
I am a dynamic individual passionate about global transaction banking, financial institutions, marginalised community development and making a positive impact on society. With a diverse range of experiences and a commitment to social issues, I've emerged as a formidable force in the realms of both finance and advocacy.
With a unique blend of skills, experiences and expertise, I strive to make an impact in all domains of life. My expertise in global transaction banking coupled with my involvement in the New Zealand Māori Council, charity and dedication to fighting for social issues has positioned me to help shape a better future for all.
General Manager Strategic Developments, ProCare
Paul is the General Manager Strategic Developments at ProCare in Auckland. ProCare is New Zealand’s largest primary health network, supporting 850,000 patients across a network of 170 general practices.
Originally a clinical pharmacist; over the last 25 years Paul has designed and led clinical programmes to improve health outcomes across the ProCare network and in some instances nationally. Paul has a strong interest in the design of health systems and supporting technology infrastructure and has deep understanding of quality improvement through innovation and change.
Paul has created and implemented a number of innovative projects with key stakeholders including private healthcare providers, public hospitals, Government agencies and NGOs, typically combining evidence, technology and empathy to create new services that improve health and wellbeing as well as drive down costs.
Partner, Mosaic FSI
Mark has over 20 years of experience in the financial services sector across NZ, Australia and UK.
He has held senior executive leadership positions at New Zealand’s largest Corporate Trustee and Licenced Supervisor, which has provided him with in-depth knowledge and a unique understanding of the application of fiduciary standards and duties to NZ’s investment and wealth management industry, along with the operational and regulatory environment in which it operates.
He has successfully led teams through significant internal change and assisted financial market participants to interpret, prepare and operationalise pragmatic responses to regulatory change, challenges, and guidance while always keeping the end customers in mind.
Mark is currently a Partner at Mosaic and is committed to helping to enhance trust and confidence in NZ’s investment management industry and capital markets.
Partner, Deloitte/ Vice-President NZ Society of Actuaries
Lee-Ann is the Deloitte Insurance Sector Leader as well as the lead Partner for Actuarial Services in Deloitte New Zealand. She is a Harvard Business School Alumni with over twenty-five years of diversified experience in the financial services industry. Lee-Ann is the vice-President of the New Zealand Society of Actuaries (NZSA) and will become President in November 2024.
Lee-Ann actively participates in the key Insurance Industry issues in New Zealand, including working with Insurers to find solutions to the challenges they face. She has previously been in executive roles including Chief Marketing Officer, Head of Direct Sales, and Chief Customer Officer for a large composite insurer in South Africa before joining Deloitte New Zealand.
ve leadership positions at New Zealand’s largest Corporate Trustee and Licenced Supervisor, which has provided him with in-depth knowledge and a unique understanding of the application of fiduciary standards and duties to NZ’s investment and wealth management industry, along with the operational and regulatory environment in which it operates.
He has successfully led teams through significant internal change and assisted financial market participants to interpret, prepare and operationalise pragmatic responses to regulatory change, challenges, and guidance while always keeping the end customers in mind.
Mark is currently a Partner at Mosaic and is committed to helping to enhance trust and confidence in NZ’s investment management industry and capital markets.
Former Leader, New Zealand National Party and CEO, Auckland Business Chamber
Simon Bridges is a New Zealand leader and household name given his time in politics and his high media profile over many years.
A lawyer turned senior National politician and MP for Tauranga, Simon held a raft of senior responsibilities in New Zealand politics, including as Leader of the National Party and of the Opposition.
As a Minister in the Key/English governments Simon held a wide variety of Ministerial portfolios including Economic Development, Transport, Communications, Energy & Resources, Labour, Associate Finance and Leader of the House.
Prior to Parliament, Simon started his career in a national law firm and was then a Crown prosecutor for several years conducting many serious criminal jury trials.
Simon has an LLB (Hons) and BA from Auckland University where he received a Senior Law Prize, and a Bachelor of Civil law from Oxford University (where he met Natalie). In addition, Simon has studied at the London School of Economics and interned at the British House of Commons as part of a Chevening-Hansard Society Fellowship.
In 2021 Simon’s personal memoir, National Identity, became a bestseller, and received significant critical acclaim. It is a heartfelt wide-ranging book of self-reflections and on what it means to be a New Zealander.
Simon has recently retired from politics and today is the CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber.
In addition to his commercial and media work Simon is husband of Natalie and dad to Emlyn, Harry and Jemima. At home he enjoys board games and getting out and about with his kids. He also plays the drums (enthusiastically but not so well these days) and likes red wine, podcasts and reading.
Storyteller
Rachel Smalley has spent more than two decades working across all media platforms – digital, television, radio and print. The majority of her career has been in broadcasting, working as a Foreign Correspondent, Senior Anchor and Producer for a number of international and domestic TV news channels.
She was based in Europe for several years reporting on globally significant events including political elections in France and Britain, and was in Washington D.C in 2008 reporting on Barack Obama’s historic election to the White House. Her career has taken her to Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America, including assignments in Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, South Sudan, Niger and South Africa.
Rachel now works in a strategic communications and storytelling capacity for Sherson Willis. She also dedicates time to her passion project, The Medicine Gap, which is a storytelling platform that profiles the impact of our unfunded medicines crisis.
Chief Underwriter, Asteron Life
Adrianne is Chief Underwriter for Suncorp New Zealand's Life Insurance business offering products under the intermediated Asteron Life brand and the direct to consumer AA Life channel.
Having started her career in the New Zealand Life Insurance industry in 2006, Adrianne has 17 years' experience in underwriting, operations and management.
During her 14-year tenure with Asteron Life, Adrianne has overseen all aspects of the Life Underwriting function, and as Chief Underwriter for the last 6 years has also lead her own highly specialised Technical Underwriting team.
With a passion for improvement and growth Adrianne is responsible for creating, maintaining, and driving upgrades to underwriting strategy design and philosophy, from underwriting rule design through to claim outcomes, across multiple distribution channels.
Chief Underwriter, Asteron Life
Andrew is NIWA’s Chief Scientist for Climate, Atmosphere and Hazards. He specializes in applications of climate data and products, and climate change impacts and adaptation research.
Andrew studied Climatology at the University of Otago and undertook a PhD at the University of Colorado, USA studying the utility of satellite data for snow studies. He returned to New Zealand in 2000 to work for NIWA, where he has been ever since.
Andrew has led research programmes on climate change impacts and implications and the development of an urban impacts toolkit. He was a lead author of the Australasia chapter of the IPCC Fifth Assessment WGII Report. He has also been seconded to the Ministry for Primary Industries to work on the Primary Sector Science Roadmap and to the Department of Conservation to build internal capacity around the utilisation of climate data and climate change projections.
Partner, Chief People Officer, PwC New Zealand
Erin is a Partner and the Chief People Officer at PwC NZ where she is responsible for driving the people-related strategic priorities of the firm, focusing on ensuring a unique people experience and an inclusive and diverse culture.
Building on her passion for driving long term sustainable business growth by unleashing the potential of people, she also helps lead PwC's workforce practice, which helps clients with their workforce-related issues and strategic opportunities. In this role, Erin is part of a team that provides a fully integrated service offering ranging from payroll and employment taxes, workplace law, and remuneration & reward advisory, to broader HR strategic transformation, workforce strategy, and organisational culture & leadership.
Partner, PwC New Zealand
Keriana (Ngāti Pahauwera me Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa) joined consultancy in October 2022, after 34 years in the Public Service with more than 20 years in health. Keriana has worked in all aspects of the health continuum and has held leadership roles in community, primary care and hospital delivery, government policy and regulatory functions, and most extensively in commissioning. These roles have seen her work very closely with iwi/hapū and communities particularly in Te Tairāwhiti and Te Matau a Māui. The primary focus of recent work is to create systems and culture within her domain to provide different and better access, experience and outcomes for whānau pounamu, our most precious people, who need our systems and services the most.Keriana (Ngāti Pahauwera me Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa) joined consultancy in October 2022, after 34 years in the Public Service with more than 20 years in health.
Keriana has worked in all aspects of the health continuum and has held leadership roles in community, primary care and hospital delivery, government policy and regulatory functions, and most extensively in commissioning. These roles have seen her work very closely with iwi/hapū and communities particularly in Te Tairāwhiti and Te Matau a Māui. The primary focus of recent work is to create systems and culture within her domain to provide different and better access, experience and outcomes for whānau pounamu, our most precious people, who need our systems and services the most.
Co-founder, Director and 3EO, Sharesies
Leighton Roberts is the co-founder and 3EO (co-CEO) of Sharesies. Leighton drives Sharesies’ business growth and continuity and ensures that Sharesies is making the most out of every opportunity available. Before taking the leap into the start-up world, Leighton led the Home Loan and Business lending portfolios at Kiwibank. He’s experienced the benefits of investing on a regular basis—he’s been a part of an investment club since the age of 17.
