Meet Our Presenters
Melissa Clark-Reynolds
A street-smart futurist and tech entrepreneur who helps leaders cut through noise, tackle change head-on, and build clear pathways to tomorrow. Trained by the Institute for the Future and appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the technology industry, she’s worked with everyone from Spark and IAG to NASA and Australian Pork, tackling everything from company strategy to digital disruption. Melissa brings principled insight and practical tools that help teams turn uncertainty into direction.
Rob Dorey
Rob is a Business Advisor and Angel Investor who helps founders and SME owners reduce execution risk and build businesses that scale. As a Certified Professional Business Advisor, Rob brings nine years of hands-on SME advisory experience, backed by 35 years of corporate transformation leadership across forestry, biotech, aquaculture, manufacturing and agribusiness in Canada, UK, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia. Rob specialises in practical, structure and process first transformation using the BSP STEP Programmes: Step Up, Step Back and Step Out. Rob focuses on clarity, operating rhythm, and the six critical operating levers that drive performance, scale and better outcomes for owners, employees and investors.
Tanya Drummond
Tanya is a sharp-witted legal strategist and trusted commercial counsellor who helps growth-minded exporters navigate complex cross-border deals and scale with clarity. With two decades of experience advising New Zealand and Australian companies on high-value mergers, corporate transactions, restructuring and governance, she brings principled insight and practical solutions. Tanya is known for cutting through complexity and equipping business leaders with the confidence to make bold, well-grounded decisions.
Kevin Flint
Kevin is originally from the United Kingdomand joined Oasis in 2007. With more than 30 years’ experience in the manufacturing industry, he has held senior leadership roles across R&D, product development, operations and general management. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a member of the Institute of Directors. Kevin also contributes to the wider sector as an advisory member of ExportNZ and Advanced Manufacturing Aotearoa. He is committed to continuous improvement, including Lean Manufacturing and Industry 4.0, and is passionate about developing people and building high-performing teams. He strives to foster a culture of passion, innovation and excellence within the organisation.
Brad Hook
Brad is an author, speaker and podcaster who explores resilience, meaning and values-led living. His book Start with Values (Penguin) empowers people to align their lives with what truly matters. Through The Brad Hook Podcast he interviews thinkers, creators and leaders to unpack the science and stories behind human performance and wellbeing. Brad’s work blends curiosity, clarity and creativity to help people
Sam Kidd
Sam is the CEO of LawVu, a Tauranga-based in-house legal software company he co-founded 10 years ago. An advocate of the SaaS business model, Sam is passionate about helping organisations to improve how they communicate and collaborate using technology. His can-do attitude coupled with his entrepreneurial nous make him the driving force behind LawVu, which is transforming and empowering in-house legal teams on a global scale. navigate modern life with purpose.
Steph Kennard
Steph is the founder and CEO of BONNET, New Zealand’s fastest-growing vehicle compliance and fleet automation platform. With over 60,000 vehicles on the platform and integration with NZTA, BONNET is reshaping how consumers and fleets manage WOF, COF, rego, RUCs and GPS tracking. Steph is a driven tech leader who blends innovation with relentless execution, building one of Aotearoa's most dynamic SaaS companies. She’s on a mission to simplify compliance for millions and scale BONNET globally.
Tom Lear
Tom is a strategic creative director and founder of Society, a brand and creative studio based in Pāpāmoa. He helps businesses define and grow brands through clear thinking and idea-led design. With more than 15 years’ experience across agencies, including Allison Mitchell London, CHE, JWT and Saatchi & Saatchi, Tom’s award-winning work spans creative strategy, brand identity and campaigns.
Nina Le Lievre
Nina is CEO of Enterprise Angels, New Zealand’s largest angel investment network. A Chartered Director with an investment banking background, Nina serves on the EA GP Investment Committee, Inhibit Coatings Board, and EA Nominee Board. She brings deep expertise in finance, governance and early-stage investment, and has spent over a decade helping New Zealand companies access capital and expertise. Focused on innovation and impact, Nina is committed to building a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem across the Bay of Plenty, Waikato and beyond.
Alex Metson
Alex brings with him over 15 years’ experience creating attitude-shifting work across both behaviour change and brand strategy. He’s impacted sectors from government to finance and FMCG, with work for Waka Kotahi (NZTA), the Ministry of Social Development, Te Whatu Ora Health NZ, ACC, Wellington and South Australia Tourism, Medibank Insurance, ANZ Bank, National Australia Bank, Honda, and Carlton United Breweries. Alex’s work has been globally awarded for creativity and effectiveness, and has been ranked in the top 20 copywriters in te world by the global WON report.
Korey Rubenstein
Korey is a technology commercialisation leader focused on customer-centric AI transformation. At Parallo, he helps organisations implement cloud and AI solutions impacting over 250 million end users. Previously, Korey helped standup kiwiSaaS, the world’s first nationwide SaaS community, gaining deep insight into the challenges and opportunities of 700 innovative New Zealand companies while creating programmes to accelerate their global growth. Today, he is passionate about driving measurable business outcomes by optimising cloud environments and harnessing emerging technologies like AI to deliver operational excellence and commercial success.
Jules Simpson
Jules is the Lead Coach and Facilitator at Thrive People, a New Zealand-based consultancy dedicated to helping individuals and organisations transform how they work. With a gift for asking powerful questions, she supports leaders to navigate change with clarity, courage and care. Jules combines her deep experience in coaching, team development and people strategy to build thriving work cultures.
Dr Trevor Stuthridge
Trevor has held senior executive roles in a range of international and NZ innovation-based organisations, and also led deployment of spin-out platforms, served as Chair/Director for multiple start-up, commercial and R&D companies, and been strategic advisor for industry/academic research consortia. He has served as an Adjunct Professor at several NZ/Canadian universities and is an Executive-in-Residence for Foresight Canada. In 2022, Trevor transitioned into entrepreneurship via his role as a founder and CEO for Cetogenix – a climate tech start-up company focused on generating high-value economic and environmental benefits through its proprietary organic waste conversion technologies.
Jay Tihema
Josh Turner
Josh is a Workplace Culture Consultant & Clifton Strengths Coach who, for the past 13+ years, has helped organisations across New Zealand move from confusion to role clarity. A keynote speaker and podcast guest on leadership and team alignment, Josh brings an unexpected background – he went from touring Europe as a band frontman to accidentally discovering his passion for helping people find love in their work, and getting teams to use their differences as a strength.
Jeanine Walsh
Jo Wills
Jo has been working in sustainability for close to 20 years, 11 of that in the Lead Team with Sustainability Options, a for-purpose business. She is a mobiliser, educator, writer and thought leader, stimulating values-based conversations and accountability through action. Her experience spans certification in The Natural Step, governance roles within Trade Aid NZ, assessing hundreds of businesses during her time at the Sustainable Business Network, and she is an Inner Development Goals (IDG) Ambassador. Jo delivers community workshops, business forums, runs Tauranga Green Drinks and the IDG hub to unpack the complex challenges we’re facing and advocating for system change.