Pre-Conference Workshops

09:00 Goal setting, positive mindset & steps to leadership success for women

The ability to reach goals and make lasting positive changes is something that almost everyone struggles with. Generating the momentum and enthusiasm to keep taking the necessary action and see things through can be difficult. In the past year, with the significant turbulence and uncertainty that the world has been going through, this has never been more true.

There is a secret to achieving success and reaching your goals. There is a key to making positive change happen. The best news is; it’s simple to learn and works for everyone.

This course is a half-day master class designed to give you the tools, skills and insights to make solid progress toward any goal. You will learn a simple, step-by step process and walk away with a blueprint to reach your goals. Along with this action plan you will also learn the skills to fine tune your mindset for success which will enable you to better conquer fears, doubts and any other blocks that have been getting in your way.

Key Course Takeaways:

• Take away the 5 step process to immediately achieve your goals and create change that lasts
• Create change and achieve anything you want
• Why people fail to reach goals, and what to do about it
• How you need to tap into motivation to create momentum
• Uncover blocks and build strategies to overcome them
• Understand what a success mindset is and how to achieve it
• Prevent sabotaging thoughts and return your mindset to positivity
• Take away the 4 essential mindset steps to reaching your goals

12:30 Lunch

13:30 No matter your role, it’s important that you speak your truth and learn how to communicate so that your voice is heard.

All too often we find ourselves leaving conversations frustrated that we haven’t been heard or understood clearly. There are times when we haven’t been able to find the space in a meeting to share our perspectives at all!

This half day masterclass will give you the opportunity to build your gravitas in all contexts, communicate with confidence and clarity, and make the practical mindset changes needed to remove roadblocks to expressing yourself. You will Learn Limit inner conflicts which might limit workplace performance Project more authority and communicate with gravity Master sustainable control of stress and stressors in the work environment Improve positive-attitude maintenance in challenging situations Assess and adjust personal leadership style quickly, accurately and privately By the end of the workshop you will have uncovered what is in the way of you finding and expressing your voice with confidence and clarity understood how to build capacity in your communication style and how to listen for and respond to other people’s styles of communication built the confidence and know how to show up and have your voice heard

Conference Day 1

9:00 AM: Mihi Whakatau 

9:30 AM: Opening Remarks from Emcee

SESSION 1:

9:30 AM: Leading Through Uncertainty: Clarity, Courage and Conviction

Leadership rarely comes with complete certainty. Some of the most important decisions are made in environments where the path forward is unclear, the stakes are high, and competing priorities demand careful judgement.

As Chief Executive of New Zealand's Climate Change Commission, Jo Hendy has built her career helping decision makers navigate complexI think that's the right call. Keep the session title aligned to the event theme and tailor the content to Jo. That gives you a stronger thematic thread across the entire summit.ity, build trust, and turn ambitious goals into meaningful action. Along the way, she has learned that leadership is not about waiting until you feel ready. It is about having the courage to step forward, make difficult decisions, and lead with clarity when certainty is not guaranteed.

In this opening keynote, Jo shares her insights on leading through complexity, backing your judgement, and building confidence through action. Discover how to navigate uncertainty with purpose and lead effectively when the answers are not always clear.

10:20 AM: Leadership Networking

10:40 AM: Morning Tea

SESSION 2
11:10 AM: INTERACTIVE KEYNOTE: Leading Before You Feel Ready 

Stepping into leadership rarely comes with certainty. For many women, growth brings self doubt, heightened visibility, and pressure to prove credibility in environments that often demand perfection. In this candid and empowering session, Dana Lightbody explores what it really takes to lead before you feel ready. 

Drawing on real world experience, practical insight, and the patterns she has observed across thousands of women leaders, Dana unpacks why confidence is not a prerequisite for leadership, but a result of action. She challenges common myths around readiness, authority, and self belief, and examines how women can build influence, presence, and trust without waiting for permission. 

This session is designed to help women reframe imposter syndrome, recognise their existing capability, and step forward with greater clarity and conviction. You will leave with practical ways to own your voice, lead authentically, and back yourself even when it feels uncomfortable. Because leadership does not begin with certainty. It begins with choosing to step forward.

SESSION 3
12:00 PM Speaking Up When It Matters Most

Knowing what to say is one thing. Saying it in the moment is another.

This session focuses on how to communicate with clarity and confidence in high stakes environments. Whether it is contributing in meetings, challenging ideas, or advocating for yourself, many leaders hold back when it matters most.

You will explore practical strategies to express your ideas clearly, hold your ground in difficult conversations, and speak with authority without over explaining or second guessing yourself.

Because your voice is one of your most powerful leadership tools. The impact comes when you choose to use it.

1:00 PM Lunch

2:00 PM From Insights to Action: What lessons have we learned so far?

SESSION 4
2:20 PM Clarity Under Pressure

Leadership often requires making decisions when the stakes are high, the environment is constantly changing, and there is no perfect answer.

As Chief Operations Officer at Auckland Airport, Chloe Surridge leads one of Aotearoa's most complex operational environments. From major infrastructure projects and operational transformation to managing disruption and preparing for future growth, her role requires balancing competing priorities while maintaining focus on people, performance, and long term outcomes.

In this session, Chloe shares the lessons she has learned about leading through complexity, making decisions under pressure, and maintaining clarity when uncertainty is unavoidable. Discover practical strategies for staying focused, building resilient teams, and navigating challenging situations with confidence.
Because strong leadership is not about eliminating pressure. It is about knowing how to lead effectively through it.

3:10 PM Afternoon Tea

SESSION 5
3:30 PM The Visibility Gap: Why Being Good Isn’t Enough

 For many people, success looks like reaching a goal and staying there. But some of the most rewarding opportunities come from having the courage to evolve, take risks, and embrace new challenges.

From dietitian to MasterChef winner, entrepreneur, author, television personality, and farmer, Nadia Lim has built a career defined by growth, reinvention, and a willingness to back herself in unfamiliar territory.

In this inspiring keynote, Nadia shares the lessons she has learned from stepping into the unknown, navigating change, and redefining success at every stage of her journey.

You will leave with practical insights into trusting your instincts, embracing new opportunities, and having the confidence to pursue a path that is uniquely your own.

4:20 PM Closing Reflections and Insights to Action

4:40 PM Close of Day one & Networking Drinks

Conference Day 2

9:00 AM: Opening Remarks from Emcee

SESSION 1
9:10 AM: The Invisible Rules of Leadership: Influence, Trust and Credibility

Leadership is not only shaped by what you do. It is also shaped by how you build trust, earn credibility, and influence outcomes in complex environments.
Throughout her career across financial regulation, broadcasting standards, enforcement, and executive leadership, Belinda Moffat has worked at the intersection of accountability, decision making, and public trust. She has seen first hand how effective leaders navigate competing interests, build productive relationships, and influence outcomes without relying solely on authority.

In this session, Belinda shares the lessons she has learned about leading in highly scrutinised environments, building credibility over time, and understanding the often unseen dynamics that shape decisions and opportunities.

Discover how trust is earned, influence is built, and why understanding the invisible rules of leadership can be one of the most powerful tools for career growth and leadership success.

SESSION 2
10:00 AM: Backing Yourself in the Moments That Matter

Every leadership journey includes defining moments where you are required to step up, make a call, or take a risk without certainty.

This session focuses on what it takes to back yourself in those moments. It explores how leaders navigate doubt, trust their judgement, and move forward even when the outcome is unclear.

Through real experiences and practical insight, you will learn how to recognise these moments and respond with clarity and intent.
Because the biggest shifts in your career often come from the moments where you choose to trust yourself.

SESSION 3
11:40 PM: Leading Through Change Without Losing Yourself

Change is a constant in leadership. New challenges, evolving expectations, and increasing responsibility often require leaders to adapt while remaining true to who they are and what matters most.

Throughout her career spanning banking, insurance, and now as Chief Executive of Public Trust, Glenys Talivai has led teams and organisations through periods of significant change and transformation. Along the way, she has learned that effective leadership is not just about driving results. It is about bringing people with you, staying grounded in your values, and maintaining a clear sense of purpose.

In this session, Glenys shares the lessons she has learned about navigating change, building resilient teams, and leading with authenticity in times of uncertainty. Discover how to embrace change with confidence, support others through transition, and grow as a leader without losing sight of what matters most.

SESSION 4
12:30 PM:  Redefining Success on Your Terms Clarity Under Pressure

For much of our careers, we are encouraged to fit a particular mould. To be more polished, more confident, more authoritative, or more like someone else. Yet some of the most successful and influential people are those who have learned to embrace who they are rather than trying to become who they think they should be.

Over a career spanning journalism, television, radio, and some of New Zealand's most recognisable media organisations, Hilary Barry has built a reputation for authenticity, resilience, and an ability to connect with people from all walks of life. Along the way, she has learned that confidence does not come from perfection. It comes from self acceptance, perspective, and having the courage to show up as yourself.

In this inspiring and highly entertaining keynote, Hilary shares stories from her remarkable career and reflects on the lessons she has learned about confidence, criticism, resilience, and staying true to yourself in a world full of expectations.

Because leadership becomes far more powerful when you stop trying to be someone else and start backing who you already are.

1:20 PM Lunch

2:20 PM:  From Insights to Action: What lessons have we learned so far?

SESSION 5
2:40 PM:  From Insight to Action: What Will You Do Next

Insight is only valuable if it leads to action.

This closing session brings together the key themes of the summit and creates space to reflect, consolidate learning, and identify clear next steps.

You will leave with a stronger sense of direction, practical actions to implement, and the confidence to apply what you have learned in your role.
Because the impact of this experience is defined by what you do after you leave.

3:30 PM: Bringing it all together: Final From Insights to Action

4:00 PM Conference Close

Post-Conference Workshop

The Practical Leadership Playbook: Leading with Clarity & Courage

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

“I wish I had done this workshop two years ago when I started as a manager”

What You’ll Learn:

Grounded in research and tested in practice, this masterclass will help you to: 

• Strengthen self-awareness and emotional regulation
  Understand your personal leadership style, manage emotional responses and build lasting resilience.
• Set clear expectations for behaviour, performance, and working relationships
  Create a culture of accountability and psychological safety through clear boundaries and shared commitments.
• Provide advanced support to your team
  Recognise and respond to what your team members need to succeed and grow and manage in challenging times.
• Deliver feedback that drives performance and development
  Learn how to give confident, constructive feedback that supports good behaviour, addresses concerns early and strengthens your team.
• Navigate brave conversations with clarity and care
  Use the Correction Continuum to prepare for and engage in the conversations that matter—early, effectively and with integrity.
•  

• A practical leadership workbook packed with tools, templates, conversation scripts, and frameworks you can use for years to come.
  
  
  

“Every time I need to have a brave conversation, I go back to the templates and scripts. They give me the support and confidence I need to prepare well

• A peer learning experience that connects you with like-minded leaders navigating similar challenges.
• The confidence and capability to immediately apply what you’ve learned in your leadership role.

“This is the most practical workshop I’ve ever attended.”