Alex is currently Deputy Commissioner Workforce, Employment Relations and Equity at Te Kawa Mataaho| the Public Service Commission.

She is responsible for the Equal Pay Taskforce which drives system-wide work to close gender and ethnic pay gaps across the Public Service. Under Alex’s leadership, the Public Service gender pay gap dropped by one-third in three years and there has also been positive progress in reducing Māori, Pacific and Asian pay gaps. Alex sits on the Public Sector Pay Equity Governance Group which advises Ministers on the progress of pay equity claims in the Public Sector.

She is also a current Trustee of Diversity Works New Zealand.

Betsy is an experienced HR professional and ICF certified coach. She is currently a People Business Partner at Metlifecare.

Bryan is an experienced marketer skilled in campaign and team management, project management, and end-to-end content creation. Bryan is currently the Marketing Manager at Find Recruitment.

Cathy leads Strategic Pay as the Managing Director and has over 15 years of remuneration consulting experience.

Over the last few years before becoming Managing Director Cathy successfully set up and ran our Tauranga office, resulting in significant growth in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty Region.

A focus of Cathy’s work has been pay equity where she has chaired the internal committee; developed and managed our systems, worked on and led client assignments in this area, and was a member of the group that presented to the parliamentary select committee on the draft legislation.

Fleur was appointed to her current role of General Manager, Performance and Reward for the SkyCity Entertainment Group in February 2019, and is responsible for leading the development and implementation of performance and reward strategy across the SkyCity group – which includes being the SME for Pay Gap and Pay Gap Reporting.

Prior to joining SkyCity, Fleur held senior performance and reward roles with Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, AMP and Apple.

Fleur lives in Tāmaki Makaurau and is a mum to Esme and Edie, a partner to Russell, and an ardent Warriors supporter.

Faye has over 20 years of experience in large customer focussed Australasian Banking and Insurance companies. Faye is currently the Head of Learning and Organisational Development at AIA New Zealand.

Joe is an independent diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) consultant and the Co-founder of Mobilise, the unique men-as-allies leadership development programme. He has worked with New Zealand’s leading 80 CEOs as the Director of Global Women’s Champions for Change. He was also the former DEI Strategy Lead and General Manager New Zealand for Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. Joe’s mission is to help organisations create world-class workplaces of the future where inclusion sits at the heart of high performance.

Tēnā koutou

He uri tēnei nō ngā waka Mātaatua, Te Arawa, Tainui me te Aotea

Ko Ngāti Awa, ko Te Arawa, ko Ngāi Tūhoe, ko Ngāti Raukawa, ko Ngāti Ruanui, ko Ngā Rauru ōku iwi

Ko Karli Te Aotonga tōku ingoa

Nō reira

E mihi ana ki a tātou katoa

Karli is wāhine Māori and a proud māmā to two boys Cobey and Woremu Te Awarua (with another boy on the way) – and share this with her hoa rangatira, Tiaki. Karli am passionate about strengthening organisations ao Māori capability and transforming HRM practices and leadership across Aotearoa.

Karli is currently studying towards a PhD in Māori Studies which is focused on tikanga-led restorative people processes in the Public Service.

Keegan is currently a Principal Advisor, Māori-Crown Capability for the Ministry of Education.

Rooted in the wisdom of my Tuvalu and Tokelau whakapapa, I integrate my Pacific heritage into every aspect of my life. Now calling Aotearoa my home away from home, I connect cultural traditions with innovative strategies to shape the future. Relational, perceptive, and resourceful, I excel at building meaningful connections and focusing on solutions to drive progress. As a natural innovator and strategist, I offer fresh perspectives and practical tools to address challenges, honouring my roots while navigating modern opportunities. Guided by the opportunities I’ve embraced, I am dedicated to uplifting and advocating for communities — especially my own and the overlooked — strengthening transformative change and creating pathways that will benefit generations to come.

Nina Russell (she/her) is the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the New Zealand Defence Force, a role she has held since Jan 2019.

Nina holds a Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) from James Cook University in Australia and is passionate about achieving equal outcomes using equitable processes for diverse groups.

Her advice to anyone working to support gender equality is ‘rest when you are tired, but don’t quit!’. One of her favourite whakatauki is: “Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui mō ake ake ake” - Be strong, be courageous, be generous, as you go into the future.

Rana whakapapa backs to Iraq and Syria and has built a life rooted in service and community. Born in New Zealand and raised in the UAE, she graduated from Waikato University with a strong commitment to youth and community development. Over the years, she has worked with and volunteered for numerous NGOs and governmental agencies, dedicating her energy to initiatives that empower young people and foster social cohesion.

Her leadership journey includes serving on multiple boards, where she has contributed her insights and passion to shaping impactful policies and programs. As an active member of the community, she is deeply involved in initiatives that strengthen connections and amplify underrepresented voices.

A driven and passionate young woman, she is committed to creating meaningful change and continues to inspire those around her with her dedication to fostering justice, equity, and opportunity for all.

Robin is a thought-leader in diversity, equity & inclusion, a qualified executive coach, a mentor and trainer, and an award-winning HR professional.  She is also a musician and a proud Mum to two teenage boys.

A chartered accountant by background, after spending the first 17 year of her career in finance positions around the world, Robin followed her heart into people and culture and has been HR Director at Lion NZ and Stuff.

Robin has championed gender inclusion at work throughout her career, and through her consulting practice is now helping organisations across Aotearoa build positive workplaces where everyone can belong and thrive.