KEYNOTE
TALKS
Inspiring and empowering through fresh perspectives and impactful stories from influential change-makers across sectors
INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS
Hands-on learning and collaboration, enabling participants to engage, share ideas, and apply insights in real-world scenarios.
PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Bringing diverse perspectives together to spark engaging conversations through dialogue between leaders and experts.
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
Connecting attendees to build relationships, exchange ideas, and ignite meaningful conversations and collaborations.
DRAFT PROGRAMME
The Draft Programme is now Live!
Starting from 09:00 AM
Starting from 09:25 AM
Starting from 10:15 AM
Starting from 10:40 AM
Starting from 11:15 AM
Starting from 12:00 AM
Starting from 01:00 PM
Starting from 01:30 PM
Starting from 02:25 PM
SPEAKERS
Michele A'Court
Summit MC
Winner of “Comedienne of the Decade” at the 2010 NZ Comedy Awards, Michèle A’Court is a stand-up comedian, writer and bestselling author.She has been on New Zealand TV screens since 1987 and still turns up all over the place. She talks a lot – sometimes on radio and TV, sometimes in pubs and clubs – and works the comedy circuit in places like San Francisco, Las Vegas, Vancouver, Brisbane, Adelaide, Auckland and Mangawhai.
Michèle has authored two books, and has been writing a weekly opinion column since 2008, initially with the Press and Stuff, and now for the iconic NZ Woman’s Weekly. She is also in demand as a social commentator on television and radio. She likes to say she has a “portfolio career” which includes work as a corporate MC and entertainer, an actor, voice artist, podcaster and freelance feature writer.
Hon. Judith Collins KC
Former Attorney-General of New Zealand
Prior to being elected as a Member of Parliament, Judith Collins practised law in Auckland for 21 years, primarily in the areas of commercial, property, tax and employment law. She undertook governance positions with both private and public entities.
Judith was elected as a Member of Parliament for 24 years and held 18 portfolios as a Minister of the Crown, including Justice, Police, Corrections, Defence, Energy and Resources, Space, Science, Innovation and Technology, Digitising Government, the Public Service, Revenue, and New Zealand's intelligence and security agencies. Judith is a former Attorney-General of New Zealand and has a strong record in advocating for the Rule of Law and comity.
Judith is a past President of the Auckland District Law Society (now The Law Association of New Zealand), and a Vice-President of the New Zealand Law Society. She is an honorary life member of The Law Association of New Zealand.
She is a Vice-Patron of the Vietnam Veterans Association Children’s & Grandchildren’s Trust, an honorary life member of the Long-Range Desert Group, and an honorary member of the Sappers’ Association (NZ).
With an interest in AI, Judith was pleased to have been an Advisory Board Member of the NAOInstitute (Natural, Artificial, and Organisation Intelligence Institute) of the University of Auckland.
Judith holds a Bachelor of Laws, a Master of Laws (Honours) and a Master of Taxation Studies from the University of Auckland, and a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety from Massey University.
Judith is a barrister and was appointed a King’s Counsel in 2023. Judith is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Western Sydney University.
Judith is President of New Zealand’s Law Commission.
Melanie Beirne
Founder of Women Step Forward
Introducing Melanie Beirne – founder of Women Step Forward | Wāhine Mā Rere Ki Runga, leadership expert, Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, and passionate champion for women in leadership.
With more than 25 years of senior leadership experience, Melanie has developed leaders across Aotearoa through her work with the Leadership Development Centre, Victoria University of Wellington, public sector clients, and her own women and leadership programmes and mentoring circles.
Her commitment to this work is deeply personal. As a young leader, Melanie experienced many of the barriers women still face today - age and gender discrimination, workplace bullying, toxic leadership, having her expertise questioned, seeing others take credit for her work (to name a few). At just 24, she challenged a significant pay inequity, negotiating directly with a Chief Executive to advocate for her worth.
Rather than diminish her, these experiences forged the wahine toa within and fuelled her passion for empowering women to build confidence, find their voice, realise their potential, and take their seat at the table.
Melanie is a solo mum of two daughters and a wāhine of Pākehā and Māori (Ngāi Tahu) descent.
Emily Broadmore
Voice on AI
Emily Broadmore is a cultural curator and social entrepreneur — not your typical voice on artificial intelligence. She began inside the machinery of government, advising MPs and ministers in the Key administration, before founding the nationwide communications consultancy Heft, the members-only social enterprise Wellington Writers' Studio, and the internationally award-winning literary publishing house Folly. Her debut novel will be published by Penguin Random House in early 2027.
An official engagement partner to the NZ AI Forum, where she sits on the Creative Industries Working Group, Emily helps organisations navigate the AI era — not as a technologist, but through the lens of human mindset, cultural change and institutional dynamics. She speaks internationally on creativity, leadership, and how we hold our nerve in an age of social unrest.
Kirsty Fraser
Leadership Coach
Dr Kirsty Fraser is a leadership coach, facilitator, and speaker with a passion for helping people thrive sustainably in both leadership and life. Drawing from academic research and frontline experience, Kirsty brings a warm, practical, and deeply human approach to conversations around wellbeing, purpose, resilience, and performance. She is known for creating engaging and psychologically safe spaces where people feel empowered to reflect honestly, connect meaningfully, and grow with courage. Kirsty delivers workshops and keynotes across leadership, mental health, neurodiversity, and high-performance wellbeing, blending evidence-based insight with authenticity, humour, and real-world application.