Hon Todd McClay

MINISTER FOR TRADE

Nicola Grigg is the Minister of State for Trade, Minister for Women, and Associate Minister of Agriculture (Horticulture). Nicola has been the MP for Selwyn since 2020.

Nicola was born and raised on the family sheep and beef farm in Mt Somers, and studied at the New Zealand Broadcasting School, graduating with a Degree in Broadcast Communications and Diplomas in Television and Radio News.

Nicola has worked as a reporter and newsreader and was a press secretary for Sir Bill English during his tenure as Minister of Finance, and Prime Minister. Following that, Nicola worked with a wide range of agri-businesses in export marketing and business development. 

Anoush der Berghossian

HEAD OF TRADE AND GENDER OFFICE
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION

Shiro Armstrong is a Professor of Economics at the Crawford School of Public Policy in the College of Asia and the Pacific at The Australian National University. He is Director of the Australia–Japan Research Centre, Co-Editor of East Asia Forum, and Director of the East Asian Bureau of Economic Research. He is also a Visiting Professor at Keio University, Research Associate at the Center on Japanese Economy and Business at the Columbia Business School, Visiting Lecturer at the University of Tokyo, Visiting Fellow at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan and Research Associate at the New Zealand APEC Study Centre.

Vangelis Vitalis

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE
DEPUTY SECRETARY TRADE AND ECONOMIC

Reshaad is a Geographer by background and gained his doctorate at the University of Nottingham. He started his career at Deloitte before moving to IBM Global Business Services, spending six years in their consultancy division based in Brussels, advising multinationals on locations of new operations worldwide and working with national and regional investment promotion agencies on their strategies to attract foreign direct investment.
Reshaad’s first position in the UK Government was in Cabinet Office in the Cities Policy Unit working with city authorities across England on the local growth agenda. Reshaad has held a number of posts in the Department for Business and Trade including as Deputy Head Investment Africa and Head of Delivery for the Prime Minister hosted UK-Africa Investment Summit 2020. He has had postings as Director Trade and Investment in Johannesburg, Toronto and most recently Dubai. He starts his posting as Consul General Auckland at the British Consulate-General in September 2024.
Reshaad is the author of ‘The Indentured Archipelago’ published by Cambridge University Press in 2021.

Professor Natasha Hamilton-Hart

WAIPAPA TAUMATA RAU, UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND

Within a broad public and regulatory practice, Sarah specialises in advising clients on the laws governing the food, healthcare, technology, industrial products and consumer goods sectors. She also focuses on helping clients navigate all aspects of government decision-making, regulatory investigations, international trade and financial sanctions. She is named on NZ Lawyer’s Elite Women List 2023.

Sarah routinely assists private sector clients with complex, sensitive, and often high-profile public law, regulatory and government relations matters. She helps them to understand complex legal requirements, conduct due diligence, capitalise on regulatory opportunities, file and contest Official Information Act requests, participate effectively in regulatory investigations and public inquiries, present persuasively in disputes with decision-makers, and develop arguments and strategies that secure favourable legislative and policy changes. She is personally recognised for Public Law and her team is ranked Band 1 for Public Law by Chambers Asia Pacific 2024. She is also personally ranked for Government Practice and Public Law by the Best Lawyers™ in New Zealand.

Associate Professor Steve Noakes

WAIPAPA TAUMATA RAU, UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND

Stephanie Honey

HONEY CONSULTING

Diane LaCoste

HEAD OF TRADE, EU DELEGATION TO NEW ZEALAND

Mitchell Pham

AUGEN SOFTWARE GROUP

Jennifer Curtin is a Professor of Politics and Public Policy in the School of Social Sciences. I am also Director of the Public Policy Institute in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Auckland (ppi.auckland.ac.nz (http://ppi.auckland.ac.nz). My research and publications focus on Australian and New Zealand politics and policy, gender, policy analysis and political leadership, and the politics of sport.

My research involves engagement with a range of government agencies, policy consultancies and non-profit organisations, and my publications appear in scholarly journals both internationally and in New Zealand, as books, editions, and peer reviewed reports. I regularly share my findings with community organisations and the media, both in New Zealand and Internationally.

I am currently leading externally funded projects on the following topics: Gender Responsive Budgeting in New Zealand; the Gendered Effects of COVID19; Gender and Political Leadership at the Subnational Level in Australia and Canada; as well as being a Principal Investigator on the New Zealand Election Study. You can find more of my policy-relevant research on the PPI-sponsored website Auckland Policy Commons (policycommons.ac.nz (http://policycommons.ac.nz), and our Gender Responsive Analysis and Budgeting website (www.grab-nz.ac.nz (http://grab-nz.ac.nz).

I teach comparative public policy, lesson drawing and the gender analysis in the Master of Public Policy, I have supervised more than 30 PhD and Masters theses to completion, and currently I am the PhD Adviser for Public Policy.

Tribal Affiliations – Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Mākino, Tuhourangi-Ngāti Wāhiao & Samoan

Dr Tunui is currently a Lecturer at Te Kawa a Māui (School of Māori Studies) at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant with 35 years’ experience in banking, investment, business and risk management. He has significant governance/leadership experience in previous roles as the Chair of Poutama Trust; member of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa and Ngāti Awa Group Holdings Limited Audit, Risk and Finance Committee; and Hapū Representative for Ngāti Awa ki Pōneke. He is currently a Council Member of Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, Director of Ngāti Mākino Assets Limited, Commissioner – Mere Tapu Commission.

His research interests are Māori Economy, Māori Business, Trade and Investment. He lectures in Māori Research Methods and Methodologies, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Introduction to Māori Society.

Nichola Te Kiri (Tūhoe), of dual Māori and Pākeha heritage, was raised in Kirikiriroa (Hamilton), Aotearoa (New Zealand). Her upbringing within two worlds has helped develop her aesthetic for bold and courageous lines, prints and designs.

She is a wife, mother, sister, daughter, aunt and so much more to many others. Nichola has always been interested in the arts and was encouraged by her whānau to explore this talent of hers. From drawing pictures for others, to reconfiguring outfits and items of clothes, Nichola has always been on the cutting edge of fashion.

Her belief in mahi telling a story is important to Nichola. Every item has a journey from inspiration to creation. It is the sharing of this story which makes the taonga come alive.

No Ngāti Hine, Ngātiwai me Te Whakatōhea, Tane Waetford is Lead Adviser Māori Trade in the Trade Policy Engagement and Implementation Division (TPEI). TPEI is responsible for managing MFAT’s Māori and stakeholder engagement on trade issues, and for the ongoing implementation and periodic upgrade of New Zealand’s in-force trade agreements.

Tane joined MFAT in 2009 and has worked in a number of different Wellington-based teams including North Asia Division (Taiwan desk), APEC, United Nations, Human Rights and Commonwealth Division (2015-16 Security Council Campaign), APEC21 (Māori Success Team) and the Māori Policy Unit. He has had overseas postings to Brazil and Argentina, as well as short-term assignments to the Philippines and Ireland. Tane studied at Victoria University of Wellington | Te Herenga Waka, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (2005) and a Master of Laws (2009).

Carrie descends from the Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whātua tribes of Aotearoa New Zealand and serves as a board member on New Zealand’s Trade for All Ministerial Advisory Group, Te Taumata – Māori Trade Advisory Board and the Global Centre of Indigenomics Board founded by leading Indigenous Economist, Carol Anne Hilton. She holds a Masters in International Law & Politics (First Class Hons) where she focused on indigenous trade, international relations and the WTO. Carrie project managed World Expo’s first official indigenous led event Te Aratini that was held at Dubai in 2021 and is a voluntary member of the World Economic Forum’s Indigenous Trade Steering Committee. Inspired by her ancestors, she is committed in her work to surfacing cultural connections globally through trade and economic cooperation, and sees trade as a mechanism for enduring peace.

Dr. Kelly Garton is a Research Fellow in Waipapa Taumata Rau School of Population Health. She is an expert on the commercial determinants of health both globally and in Aotearoa New Zealand, in particular how global trade and investment shapes populations’ consumption of food and beverage products, alcohol, and tobacco. Her research focuses on how international trade and investment policy can be adjusted to effectively promote population health, and healthy and sustainable food systems, alongside economic goals. 

Phil Houlding is the Divisional Manager for Trade Policy, Strategy and Systems within MPI. In his role he leads international trade strategy and prioritisation for MPI, including the interaction between domestic and international systems important for trade. His teams lead for MPI in New Zealand’s multilateral, regional and bilateral trade negotiations.

Prior to this, as MPI’s Director of International Policy, Phil led teams responsible for New Zealand’s international approach to environmental and sustainability policy; was New Zealand senior official to the UN Food Systems Summit and chaired the APEC Policy Partnership on Food Security in 2021; and led key bilateral primary sector engagements with China, the EU, Australia, the United States and others.

He has previously been a New Zealand trade negotiator and diplomat, with postings in Indonesia and the United States. Outside of Government, he worked for the New Zealand Meat Industry Association as Trade and Economic Manager.

As co-CEO of the New Zealand Food Innovation Network (NZFIN) Grant Verry is a skilled business leader, experienced in national and global operational management, commercial sales, marketing, manufacturing and supply chain across multiple business environments. He is Chairperson of the Asia-Pacific Food Innovation Network (APacFin) and sits on the Board of Directors for Singapore’s FoodPlant, a subsidiary of the Singapore Institute of Technology.

Grant is recognised for innovative initiatives that deliver high value outcomes for stakeholders. He is adept at building cohesive, top-performing teams both locally and across internationally dispersed locations and believes the key to unlocking high performance is strong culture, commitment, teamwork, collaboration and innovation.

Joanna Kempkers has been in the role of Divisional Manager for South and Southeast Asia since 4 December 2023.  In this role she’s responsible for the management of the bilateral relationships with the 10 ASEAN member states, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste.

Joanna is a career diplomat who has served in France, Fiji, the Cook Islands and as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Ambassador to Nepal.  Most recently she has served as Divisional Manager Global Development and Scholarships where she was responsible for managing New Zealand’s bilateral and regional aid programmes outside the Pacific and the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship Programme.

Cath leads the BARNZ team as they advocate on behalf of their members on policy, regulatory and operational matters affecting the airline industry. A passionate advocate, Cath is driven to achieve best settings for aviation recovery in New Zealand. 

As an aviation professional, Cath is able to understand the needs of BARNZ members, and to leverage strong relationships across airports and government agencies to broker successful outcomes. Her regulatory background in both aviation and energy means she is well placed to advocate for members affected by prices set by regulated airports.

Before joining BARNZ in August 2022, Cath spent five years at Air New Zealand, most recently as Head of Regulatory Affairs. In this role, Cath advocated for legislative change to ensure sustainable aviation settings, and represented the airline in reviews of airport pricing. During the response to Covid-19, Cath worked closely with government agencies to ensure Air New Zealand’s leadership was well advised as they navigated the pandemic response.

Cath is well connected to industry groups beyond New Zealand, enjoying good relationships with international industry bodies such as IATA. She has previously been a board member for Airlines for Australia and New Zealand (A4ANZ). 

Cath has a Masters degree in Art History from the University of Auckland, and has undertaken executive education at the London School of Economics and Politics, and at Harvard University in Boston Massachusetts.

Andrew is an experienced business strategist, deal maker, and problem solver. His background is in planning, strategy, corporate finance and consultancy. He has a proven track record for delivering complex transactions including the procurement of NBN Co’s satellite network. Andrew has a Bachelor of Business Studies in Accounting from Massey University and an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management.

Chris Nixon has worked in many industries examining their economic issues and developed practical solutions for the problems they face. He firmly believes that it is the fine details of specific industries that help understand how durable solutions can be found. They also drive strategic approaches. He has worked mainly in land-based industries, regional development, environment, trade, development, R&D, and trade policy issues.

Chris’ most recent experience has been in strategy development, CBA, regional development, and analysis of the potential impact of regulatory decisions. He has also worked on regulatory costs of compliance in fields as varied as the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act, CAA rules on single-engine planes, and food labelling standards.

Performance and evaluation issues have also been an important part of Chris’ work for a number of government and private clients.