Keynote Speakers
Rt Hon Winston Peters
Winston Peters entered Parliament in 1978 for the National Party as the MP for Hunua and was MP for Tauranga from 1984 till 2005. Mr Peters left the National Party in 1993 to establish the New Zealand First party and has been its leader ever since.
Mr Peters grew up in Northland and holds a BA and LLB. He has worked as a primary and secondary school teacher and has practised as a Barrister and Solicitor, including in his own law firm.
He is a former New Zealand Māori rugby representative.
Mr Peters is the Deputy Prime Minister (Until 31 May 2025), Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister for Racing and Minister for Rail.
Kaye-Maree Dunn
Managing Director - Making Everything Achievable
Kaye-Maree Dunn, co-founder of Making Everything Achievable, is a renowned Māori tech entrepreneur. Leading Ahau NZ and Indigital Blockchain, she's involved with North Hokianga Development Trust and Āhau Tātai Hono Trust and is a Sir Edmond Hillary Fellow. Dedicated to Māori and community development for over 24 years, her roles span Child, Youth, and Family, The Department of Labour, Māori Land Court, and NZ Maori Tourism. Active in Te Whare Hukahuka, she uplifts transformative capabilities in New Zealand's economic landscape. Recognised as Māori Entrepreneur of the Year in 2023, her recent pursuits include Social Enterprise Development and Governance Training.
Senthil Nathan
Chief Executive, Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand
Senthil is the Chief Executive of Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand and serves as a Non-Executive Director of the Australian Council for International Development(ACFID). With over two decades of experience spanning more than twenty countries across the Asia-Pacific, he has spearheaded transformative initiatives that bridge business, development, and sustainability.
Senthil’s visionary work in promoting responsible sourcing within the agri-food sector has driven large-scale investments to empower smallholder farmers and build sustainable supply chains. Beyond his executive roles, Senthil is also the host of the acclaimed podcast "Business & Society with Senthil Nathan," where he engages some of the world’s most influential thinkers in dialogue on the evolving role of business in society.
Kate Russell ONZM, FFINZ
Executive Director, Hagar New Zealand
Kate Russell has a 30 year history of work in the New Zealand NGO sector, having held executive positions in a number of charitable organisations. Kate led Cystic Fibrosis NZ for 11 years, the Canterbury Medical Research Foundation and NZ Brain Research Institute for five years and worked within the local government sector as a Community Partnerships Manager.
Awarded an ONZM in 2016 for services to governance and health, Kate has mentored a number of organisations to upskill toward best governance practice, manage change and transformation and create robust strategic and fundraising plans. She has held Chair and Board Trustee positions in several NGOs and has been with Business Mentors NZ for eight years, specialising in advice for the NGO sector.
Having sat on a number of government advisory committees, including Chairing the Pharmac Consumer Advisory Board and advising the Charities Commission during the changeover to the DIA, alongside managing various government contracts over her 30-year career, Kate has a good working knowledge of government and political processes.
Rachel Harrison
Humanitarian Lead, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
Rachel’s journey in international development began with her Postgraduate Development Studies at Victoria University and a Volunteer Service Abroad placement in Tonga. Since joining Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand in July 2020, she has played a pivotal role in development programming across Kiribati, Tonga, and the Solomon Islands.
The 2022 Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai eruption and tsunami marked a turning point in her career, steering her focus more intentionally toward humanitarian response programming. In her role as Humanitarian Lead for CANZ, Rachel continues to work extensively in humanitarian response and emergency preparedness. Her contributions span the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, including work in Cox’s Bazar, and extend to Caritas’ international emergency programming in the Middle East and Africa.
Rachel brings a wealth of experience, a collaborative approach, and deep regional knowledge to her role as Chair of the CID Humanitarian Network, where she is committed to advancing humanitarian standards and resilience in the Pacific and beyond.
Toleafoa Alfred Schuster
Director, Tutulumanulagi Ltd
Toleafoa Alfred Schuster is a Pacific leader with deep experience in regional governance, development partnerships, and culturally grounded policy work.
He has worked across the Pacific for over two decades, including leading the Smaller Island States strategy at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and supporting countries through regional planning, partnerships, and strategic reform. He brings a strong grounding in Pacific values, languages, and ways of working.
He has advised on partnership and programme design work with MFAT, DFAT, UNICEF, SPREP, and others - helping shape policies and partnership efforts in education, health, and regional cooperation. His work often focuses on creating space for local voices, building strong partnerships, and making sure Pacific-led solutions guide decision-making. At the heart of his approach is a belief in respectful relationships, shared learning, and the power of Pacific knowledge to drive change.
Amie Richardson
Communications, Media and Campaigns Director
Amie Richardson is an experienced communications professional, who has worked for a variety of not-for-profit organisations, companies and media outlets over 20 years. She first joined the industry as a journalist, before moving into a freelance career where she split her time between journalism and TV documentary making and PR consultancy and communications.
With a particular expertise across all aspects of storytelling, strategic communications and media relations, Amie first began working with Save the Children in 2020 to support media engagement around Five to Thrive, a multi-agency advocacy campaign ahead of the General Election, before coming onboard officially as Communications Director in 2021.
Outside of work, Amie enjoys running and yoga, exploring nature and spending time with friends and whānau.
Amy Gildea
Managing Director, Tetra Tech International Development
As Managing Director of Tetra Tech International Development, I lead the lndo Pacific
team to design, deliver, evaluate and transform projects in more than 100 countries
around the world to deliver vital aid projects and provide the tools to enable people,
communities and the planet to thrive. Together with my team, I lead the acquisition and
delivery of high value technical solutions that deliver results.
As part of Tetra Tech's global international development services, I have overall
responsibility for leading and growing Tetra Tech's international development business
across the lndo Pacific. Working with governments and donors across the region,
including the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Asian
Development Bank and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the
United States Agency for International Development, and the UK Foreign
Commonwealth Development Office.
Samson Samasoni
News Director at Pacific Media Network (PMN)
Samson has more than 40 years' experience in journalism, broadcasting, and strategic communications across New Zealand, the Pacific, and the Middle East. PMN is New Zealand’s largest Pacific media organisation, delivering news, radio, and digital content that reflects and celebrates Pacific communities. Broadcasting in 10 Pacific languages and English, PMN connects Pacific communities at home and abroad through culturally grounded, multilingual content. www.pmn.co.nz
Samson’s career spans media, government, and consultancy, including roles as a journalist, producer, and senior communications advisor in both public and private sectors. He has lived and worked extensively across the Pacific, including supporting government agencies and communities in 13 countries through a UNDP/GEF initiative focused on environmental and governance programmes.
Samson also spent a decade in the Middle East as a communications specialist and management consultant. During that time, he served four years as managing director of an international PR firm based in Qatar, where he advised a range of clients across the region, from government bodies to major NGOs.
Michelle Sharp
CEO, UNICEF Aotearoa
In December 2020, Michelle was appointed CEO of UNICEF Aotearoa New Zealand. UNICEF drives change for children and young people every day, across the globe. They work in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. And never give up.
Prior to this appointment, she was drawn to the role of Chief Executive Officer at Kilmarnock Enterprises; a pioneering social enterprise providing education, employment and opportunities for people with learning disabilities. For over 11 years, her passion for the non-profit sector enabled me to use commercial excellence as a tool to demonstrate the value of people with intellectual disabilities to customers and the community.
Elijah Buol OAM
Managing Director of Smart Answers Group (Australia)
With extensive experience in the NGO and public sectors, Elijah recently served as the Chief Executive Officer of Act for Peace. He is currently the Managing Director of Smart Answers Group, a pivotal organisation dedicated to empowering, raising awareness, and fostering understanding in strategic leadership, peace, and conflict management.
Elijah brings a deep understanding of the issues faced by people experiencing displacement and conflict. After losing his parents to conflict when he was a child, he spent many years in refugee camps in Uganda before coming to Australia in 2002 as a humanitarian unaccompanied minor.
Elijah is a distinguished advocate and community champion! Since his arrival, he has actively embraced the opportunities available and dedicated himself to supporting marginalised communities. His advocacy played a crucial role in the successful removal of children under the age of 18 from adult prisons in Queensland.
He strongly believes in the collective power of society to uphold compassion and humanity to create impact.
Heidi Cotzee
Executive Director, CID
An experienced leader with strong business, management and accounting skills gained through a career in both corporate and not-for-profit organisations. Heidi’s business interests include developing partnerships that will positively influence strategic direction and performance, enabling the achievement of organisational objectives.