Agenda

Katie Bhreatnach, Chief Executive, Global Women

From surviving trauma to becoming a world champion, Mea Motu’s journey is a masterclass in resilience, courage and belief.

• Developing the mindset that turns setbacks into comebacks

• How to find strength when self-belief is at its lowest

• Building resilience that sustains performance under pressure – why resilience isn’t about being unbreakable, but about finding the courage to rebuild again and again

Mea Motu, IBO World Super Bantamweight Champion

Explore how leadership is evolving in a landscape defined by disruption, innovation, and constant change. From AI transformation to climate accountability and shifting workforce expectations, leaders are making decisions today that will define the organisations of tomorrow.

• How CEOs balance short-term pressures with long-term strategy in an uncertain global landscape

• How AI is reshaping productivity expectations and leadership priorities – and how to ensure new technologies don’t widen the gap

• Approaches to maintaining resilience, energy, and trust across leadership teams and organisations.

• How CEOs are building leadership systems that are future-ready, melding diversity, inclusivity, and sustainability with organisational performance.

Moderator: Katie Bhreatnach, Chief Executive, Global Women

Fiona McTavish, Chief Executive Officer, Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana

Bridget Snelling, Country Manager, Xero

Shelley Katae, Chief Executive Officer, Tamaki Regeneration

Jason Shoebridge, Chief Executive, NZ Institute of Economic Research

Mai Chen, Barrister, Chair, President NZ Asian Lawyers, Superdiversity Institute

• How to lead decisively when visibility is low and pressure is high

• Balancing stakeholder demands, values, and performance under fire

• What grounded their leadership during the most difficult moments

• What they’d do differently and what they stand by

Margie Apa, Former Chief Executive Officer, Te Whatu Ora

Jo Avenell, Chief Executive Officer, Russell McVeagh

• Exploring leadership models that prioritise collective wellbeing, legacy, and guardianship (kaitiakitanga)

• How Māori concepts of whanaungatanga (relationships) and manaakitanga (care/hospitality) can strengthen trust and cohesion in teams

• Embedding intergenerational thinking in strategy and decision-making and leading with future generations in mind

Traci Houpapa, Chair of the Federation of Māori Authorities, Chartered Fellow of the NZ Institute of Directors

Step into a focused 45-minute session which are designed to help you deepen key leadership capabilities skills. Each lab offers a chance to explore real-world challenges, exchange ideas with peers, and walk away with tools to accelerate your impact.

Lab A: Resilience in High-Pressure Environments

How do you keep people motivated when the pace is relentless? This session helps you sharpen the ability to make clear decisions in uncertain conditions, sustain your team’s energy, and remain composed when pressure builds.

Skills Learned: Decisive decision-making, stress management, sustaining team motivation, and role-modelling resilience.

Alison McDonald OBE, Deputy Secretary, Immigration, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment | Hīkina Whakatutuki

Lab B: Building Executive Presence and Self-Belief
Executive presence is critical for leaders who want to influence decisions and advance their careers. This lab will help you strengthen self-belief, communicate with confidence and authority, and position yourself effectively for progression opportunities while staying authentic to your leadership style.

Skills Learned: Strengthening executive presence, communicating with authority, building self-belief, and strategic self-advocacy.

Loren Thomas, Head of People Strategy & Experience, Trade Me

Lab C: Leading High-Performing Teams

Unpack what it really takes to build and sustain a team that consistently delivers results. This lab focuses on the behaviours, systems and leadership practices that drive accountability, trust and performance for long-term success – even in the face of conflict, underperformance, or team dysfunction – to support long-term success.

Skills Learned: Building accountability and trust, fostering psychological safety, managing conflict and underperformance, strengthening team cohesion, and applying practical frameworks to sustain motivation and performance under pressure.

Anna Calver, Chief Economic and Engagement Officer, Wellington City Council

• How boards and executive teams are building sustainable leadership continuity and future-ready leadership pipelines in a volatile landscape

• Where the biggest risks and gaps lie – and what’s being done to address them

• Rethinking succession: from names on a list to building capability, adaptability and leadership depth

• Making succession a leadership priority, not a background process

Vanisa Dhiru MNZM, Advocate for Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

Kate Daly, Managing Director People & Culture, Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited