Speakers include:

Session: Transforming digital marketing and the customer experience through generative AI

Matt was appointed as Spark Marketing Director in November 2018, bringing his outstanding digital marketing and customer experience skills to place the customer right at the centre of Spark’s thinking and actions.

He was previously based in Amsterdam as European Managing Director for agency AKQA – one of the world’s leading innovation and brand experience agencies, with responsibility for 500+ employees across five countries. Over a 20-year career Matt has built an impeccable international reputation with some of the world’s greatest brands – Nike, Heineken, Mini, Rolls Royce, Siemens, EA Sports, Audi, Phillips, Tommy Hilfiger and KLM amongst others.

He has extensive experience using data and technologies like Artificial intelligence (AI) to enable organisations to better understand and predict their customers’ needs more accurately. Matt holds a Master of Commerce from the University of Auckland.

Session: Automating tasks using generative AI to increase efficiency and accuracy

Habib is a data insights and analytics leader passionate about building data products. His team resides within the intersection of applied machine learning, platform services, and business strategy. He’s a hands-on leader with broad experience ranging from building and architecting platform services to delivering new- to-the-world, machine learning based features.

As a lead data strategist, Habib identifies and integrates new datasets that can be leveraged through our product capabilities. He also works closely with the engineering team to strategize and execute the development of data products. He can devise and utilize algorithms and models to mine big data stores, perform data and error analysis to improve models, and clean and validate data for uniformity and accuracy.

Throughout his career, he has driven data and analytics literacy across the organization, supporting institutions to sustain customers through relevant communication and broader business strategy. He has also been recognized as a capable leader, motivating employees to operate autonomously and strive to enhance operational awareness.

Habib has a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from University of Oxford and successfully completed Chief Data Officer Certification and Executive Data Science certification.

Session: PANEL DISCUSSION: How can we give executives a balanced understanding of generative AI’s capabilities and limitations?

James is a senior executive with significant experience in technology strategy, enterprise architecture and software engineering, innovation management and leading high-performing teams.

James is responsible for working closely with the key senior leadership teams and stakeholders across Xero to define the future strategic direction of technology at Xero, including assessing the potential integration of emerging technology to solve customer problems.

Previously responsible for Xero's global engineering and architectural practices, his leadership has played a role in continuing to develop the structure and processes for how the teams work across Xero's product, platform and technology business areas.

With a background working with startups and technology companies, and with extensive experience in financial services and banking technology, James has a breadth of knowledge and expertise in developing best-in-class software architecture and engineering practices and evolving technical architecture to be sustainable at scale. He is passionate about the latest technology trends and democratising access to best-in-class digital solutions for small businesses around the world.

Session: Life after POC – AI capabilities in a production world

Fintan is the founder of DataSing, having spent much of his career helping organisations use data to make more informed decisions.  He has led major data analytics business transformations New Zealand’s largest government agencies developing an astute understanding of the mindset, technologies, skills and capabilities needed to generate repeatable value from data.

With a degree in pure Mathematics , Fintan hails from Sligo in the north-west Ireland and has previously worked in London, Atlanta and the place he has called home for the last ten years, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Session: Accelerating AI: Transforming Legacy Data into Actionable Intelligence

Tim Boyne, co-founder of the iconic Kiwi startup LawVu and current CEO of SmartSpace.ai, began his career in IT before stepping into the role of tech founder. His deep understanding of the challenges technology leaders face in the AI era inspired him to create SmartSpace.ai, a platform designed to simplify and accelerate AI integration for businesses.

Session: Opening remarks from the Chair

Session: Deploying generative AI to improve decision making and identify new business opportunities

Mira Bradshaw is the Head of Data Science for Stuff Limited - New Zealand's largest news organisation. Mira and her team are responsible for forecasting and prediction work, model, and segmentation development, and supporting analytics, insight, and data-based commercial activity across all areas of the business.

As part of Stuff's wider data squad, Mira champions a keen focus on data governance, privacy, and approaching everything with a Pou Tiaki lens to consider implications for diversity, equity, inclusion, and representation.

Mira is a career data specialist who has previously worked at Nielson, Sky TV, and TVNZ. Mira believes in relevant, timely and insightful data that can be used to make informed business decisions and drive commercial outcomes.

Session: PANEL DISCUSSION: How can we gather accurate and relevant data and optimise it for generative AI use?

Michelle Burke is an experience in Information and Data Management, data warehouse design, data integration and migration, analytics platforms, building strategy and roadmaps for delivering an increase in data capability. She has a keen interest in the ethical collection and use of data and AI/ML.

Session: Roundtable 2: Navigating evolving worplace behaviours & roles in the age of generative AI

Session: Using generative AI to improve project, product & program launches

Ravi has delivered product across a diverse mix of industries with many different constraints. He’s embedded this dimensionality into a set of leadership model parameters to unearth valuable insights from our data. Ravi thrives on teamwork and loves delving into our digital excavations. When not reinforcement learning, he enjoys spending time with his three dino-mite daughters.

Session: Transitioning generative AI projects from proof-of-concept to production to achieve tangible results

Dr. Alvaro Orsi is a Data Science Lead who has vast experience leveraging AI and advanced analytics to transform the landscape of insights-driven solutions across scientific and business domains. With a career over a decade-long, Alvaro has made significant strides in various roles, including a Principal Research Scientist at PlantTech Research Institute and currently spearheading the Data Science practice at the Institute for Environmental Science and Research (ESR).

Holding a PhD in Computational Cosmology from Durham University, UK, Alvaro's journey has taken him through postdoctoral appointments in Chile, an Astrophysics researcher position in Spain, and ultimately to the forefront of AI and data analysis in the primary industries sector. His expertise has been instrumental in tackling complex challenges in supply chain logistics, productivity, the environment, public health, and forensics for government agencies and the commercial sector.

At ESR, Alvaro's vision is to revolutionise the organization's products and services by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and data science technology. Leading a dynamic, cross-disciplinary team of data scientists, analysts, and engineers, Alvaro ensures the delivery of cutting-edge services and products to a diverse range of stakeholders. Central to his team's mission is the development of AI-powered solutions that are ethically defensible, transparent, and responsibly deployed, setting the gold standard for the industry.

Session: Masterclass A: The essential generative AI toolbox

Session: Opening remarks from the Chair

Session: PANEL DISCUSSION: How can we gather accurate and relevant data and optimise it for generative AI use?

Justin Flitter is a sought after tech marketer and AI for business speaker. He’s the founder of the Marketing Agency Unrivaled.co.nz, the Founder of NewZealand.AI, a Director on the board of Business Mentors New Zealand, and emcee of TEDxAuckland.

Session: Live Fireside Chat: AI startups and the future of generative AI in work

Jonathan is an experienced C-suite leader across technology, marketing and operations. He has a demonstrated history of leading transformation, fostering innovation, building teams and creating value. Jonathan has strong technology experience and is skilled in Innovation, Sales Leadership, Service Operations, Management, Start-ups, and Leadership.

Session: Turning data into high quality outputs to achieve business goals

Dr. Paulo Gottgtroy is an accomplished professional with over 30 years of experience in applying AI to business problems. He started as an Air Force pilot but discovered his passion for computer science and mathematical modelling while working on war rooms and simulations.

Currently, he serves as the Head of Decision Science & Analytics at Mercury NZ, leading various initiatives that focus on solving complex business challenges through AI applications. With a successful track record in strategic program delivery and leadership across diverse technical domains, Dr. Gottgtroy has earned recognition for his applied and innovative work.

His previous roles include Data Science Senior Manager at Air New Zealand and Chief Data Scientist at Inland Revenue NZ, where he consistently pushed the boundaries of AI to drive innovation and achieve remarkable outcomes.

Session: PANEL DISCUSSION: How can we gather accurate and relevant data and optimise it for generative AI use?

Rachel is the Domain lead for Decision Science & AI at ASB, where she has established and evolved the banks analytics functions since 2017.

With 20 plus years’ experience in analytics across many prominent organisations, Rachel combines her academic background in Computer Science, Statistics and Business with her practical experience across many industries to drive AI Innovation.
A commercially focused leader, Rachel excels in building high-performing teams and developing analytics capabilities that directly enhance business outcomes.

Rachels passion lies in championing the value of analytics and fostering an analytics culture within organizations.  She is committed to the ethical use of AI and leverages her deep understanding of what’s possible with AI to drive strategic decision-making.

Session: Transforming employee capabilities & opportunities through AI upskilling and training

Melanie is an experienced L&D specialist with a focus on Solution Design. She thrives in finding the correct solution to enhance business outcomes and create learning that is accessible and available at the correct time and place. She has experience with the full suite of learning and development tools from social learning through to augmented and virtual reality, it’s about finding the best tool to get the behaviour and skills change that is required.

Session: PANEL DISCUSSION: How can we give executives a balanced understanding of generative AI’s capabilities and limitations?

Jo is a visionary technology leader with over two decades of experience driving digital transformation and innovation across diverse industries within NZ and overseas. Currently serving as the Chief Technology Officer at Tourism Holdings Limited NZ, a global leader in RV experiences, Jo oversees IT operations and digital product delivery.

Joanne's expertise spans a wide range of areas, including large scale tech transformations, cloud technologies, cybersecurity, and implementing AI programmes of work.

Recognized as a thought leader in her field, Joanne is a two-time NZ CIO50 Award winner (2022, 2023) and a regular speaker at tech conferences in the APAC region.

During her free time Jo tries to explain her job to friends and family who still think she fixes faulty Wi-Fi connections and really wants to start golf but hasn’t quite made it to a course yet.

Session: From Hype to Action: Real Use Cases Driving Automation with Gen AI

Dave Howden is a seasoned technology leader and creative engineer from Auckland, New Zealand. With over two decades of experience in the emerging tech sector, Dave is the CEO and Co-founder of SupaHuman AI, where he helps organisations unlock the opportunities of artificial intelligence.

He has held pivotal roles at companies like BT, Orange UK, Umbrellar and Pax8. Dave believes in doing cool stuff with great people, keeping things fun and authentic along the way.

Session: PANEL DISCUSSION: What are the emerging threats and opportunities in generative AI over the next 6-12 months?

Caroline has worked in wide range of Data and Insights roles in different capacities over the past 20 years, during which time there has been a seismic shift in the way businesses generate, collect and use data.  In her most recent role as Head of Data & Insights at Plexure, the NZ tech business responsible for building and running the platform sitting behind the McDonald's app in 66 countries, she has encountered her most challenging data role yet.  The sheer scale of data generated daily by McDonald's customers, combined with the diversity of what that data represents, means that the range of data technologies and techniques required for Plexure to extract value, deliver customer engagement and drive innovation, the business is always pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

Session: PANEL DISCUSSION: How can we give executives a balanced understanding of generative AI’s capabilities and limitations?

Kari Jones is an experienced executive leader driven by a sense of responsibility to do work with meaning and purpose that inspires and motivates others to achieve their potential.

Kari is currently the Chief Data Officer at Health New Zealand, where is leading a major people and capability focused transformation program to unite the data team under a national structure alongside the challenge of unifying New Zealand’s health data in the National Data Platform.

Kari was previously General Manager for Analytics and Insights at Woolworths Group, where she led the WWNZ Advanced Analytics and Data Platform function, with a strong focus on customer and operational value. In her group role, Kari was instrumental in fostering a data-centric culture, contributing significantly to the Woolworths Data Academy. Jones is also an active member of the International Institute of Analytics (IIA) Research and Advisory Expert Network and serves on a number of boards.

Session: Using AI, chatbots & virtual assistants to benefit customers, gather data & minimise costs

Dr. Vikash Kumar is a tech-savvy, fun-loving AI enthusiast with over 13 years of pioneering Data & AI innovations in transport, telecom, wine-trade, and regulatory space. As the leader of a dynamic Data Science & MLOps team at the New Zealand Transport Agency, Vikash blends innovation with a passion for solving complex customer problems.

Vikash has over 15 international research papers to his name and experience at top research institutes in Germany, Austria, and Italy.
He is passionate about responsible AI tech practices and firmly believes in the importance of humanising technology.

Outside of work, you’ll usually find Vikash cooking up a storm in his kitchen, swimming across NZ’s stunning beaches or socialising with mates.

Session: Leveraging generative AI for increased opportunities and competitive advantage

Katie’s passion is leading people, developing high performing teams and scalable operational practices to create great products and customer experiences.

She has demonstrated achievements in Management, Product, Sales, Delivery, Operational and Governance roles. Through excellent communication and consultation skills and with more than 20 years of digital business management experience across multiple industries including media, IT Services, recruitment, automotive, health, telecommunications and hospitality, Katie has become a trusted leader.

Session: PANEL DISCUSSION: What are the emerging threats and opportunities in generative AI over the next 6-12 months?

Manvi is an experienced Data/Analytics/ AI Engineer, a keynote speaker, and a champion of responsible use of AI technologies. Manvi has been a keynote speaker at reputable engagements like the CIO Summit, Generative AI Summit, CIO Leaders' Summit, and the University of Auckland. Manvi’s’ career story has also been featured by UOA Grad Stories and Women in Data Science at Stanford University blog. She is currently a Finalist for CIO Awards’ Emerging ICT Leader Category.

Session: Roundtable 3: Powering organisational transformation with generative AI

Experienced change-maker and strategic thought leader, with a proven track record of developing and executing winning strategies to deliver strong commercial and customer outcomes. This includes revenue growth, product innovation, data strategy and roadmaps, and business transformation leading to cost reduction and enhanced customer experience. I bring wide-ranging experience having done a variety of roles, from leading Analytics and Insights teams through to overseeing large Product portfolios ($100m+ in revenues), and delivering on multi-million dollar enterprise-wide transformation programmes.

I enjoy building high-performing direct and cross-functional teams that are deeply engaged and empowered, and am known as a champion for change who is able to inspire and influence people across the organisation (from the front line to the Board) with a bold vision. I am a resilient leader skilled at managing challenging stakeholders, and navigating organisational complexity to deliver impactful results. I bring high levels of energy and passion, thrive off change and learning new things, and am widely seen as someone who gets things moving and delivers the "big stuff."

With an exceptional track record of making an impact at leading New Zealand businesses, I want to continue to use my skills to help organisations that are looking to accelerate growth, drive transformational change, or solve complex challenges. I believe that businesses can unlock tremendous value with a diverse workforce and a thriving culture where people are able to bring their whole selves to work. I enjoy mentoring people from various backgrounds, and sharing my personal journey where it can add value.

Session: PANEL DISCUSSION: What are the emerging threats and opportunities in generative AI over the next 6-12 months?

Adele has comprehensive experience in all aspects of vision and leadership in the strategic use of data and analytics, including data collation, provisioning, architecture, governance, and management.

In her specialties she has worked with organisations as a Senior Leader providing consultancy, thought leadership, practical roadmaps, program management, and team & people management in line with business strategy, goals, and objectives for business transformation through data utilisation.

Adele has completed several 'start ups' for Data and Analytics, as well as working to gain maximum value and improve maturity in data utilisation from existing environments, and share my experiences by regularly speaking at conferences as well as mentoring others. She has a reputation for 'getting things done'.

Adele is experienced in the Agile techniques and methodologies, taking part as both a Scrum Master and a Strategic Product Owner.

Session: PANEL DISCUSSION: How can we give executives a balanced understanding of generative AI’s capabilities and limitations?

Maria Mingallon is a structural engineer with professional engineering licenses in UK, Spain, and Canada (Quebec and Ontario). She also holds a degree in architecture from the prestigious Architectural Association School of Architecture in London from which she obtained her second master degree and graduated with Distinction in 2009. With more than 13 years of experience, Maria is a specialist in parametric design, advanced computation and digital fabrication of complex geometry structures.

From 2010 to 2013, Maria was also Adjunct Professor at the McGill School of Architecture, a position for which she was awarded the 'Gerald Sheff Visiting Professorship in Architecture' for outstanding part-time teaching, in 2011. She has been a research collaborator at the Facility for Architectural Research in Media and Mediation (FARMM) at McGill University from 2010 to 2017. She has previously taught internally at Arup and at the Architectural Association as a visiting tutor in the realm of Algorithmic Design. Maria has also published extensively on parametric design of complex geometry structures.

In May 2015, Maria received the Visionary Prize as part of the 13th edition of the 'Grands Prix de génie-conseil québecois' by the Québec Association of Consulting Engineers.

In May 2018, Maria joined Mott MacDonald as the Advanced Computational Design Lead for the region of Australia and New Zealand where she continues to demonstrate that she does not stop at the first feasible solution but instead, she aspires to explore and innovate at every opportunity.
Maria’s role at Mott MacDonald includes leading, training and inspiring people in the realm of computational design to render innovative solutions tailored to our clients needs.

Session: PANEL DISCUSSION: How can we give executives a balanced understanding of generative AI’s capabilities and limitations?

Dr Moyo is a cross-disciplinary, and delivery focused, data and research scientist with 15+ years of experience delivering Statistical decision and AI solutions.

He has a strong background in Statistics, Biomedical Sciences and Psychology of Values and Decision-making has helped him deliver pragmatic high value Statistical Model and AI solutions across different industries.

Session: ROUNDTABLE 1: Ensuring an organisation is ready for the realities of generative AI

Dr. Bryan Ng is Chief Data & Analytics Officer at New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) leading a team of analyst, architects, data engineers and data scientist. Bryan’s experience and track record in the data & analytics space spans the financial services industry, media. Prior to NZTE, he led data teams at Stuff and Panahome in addition to research & consulting with Orange and McKinsey. Bryan is also Honorary researcher at Victoria University and was visiting professor to Kyoto University, Japan and National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. He is presently adjunct professor at Inti University and teaching a course at Victoria University. He has published over a hundred articles in prestigious venues and is extensively consulted in the Data & Analytics industry within Australia and New Zealand.

Session: AI’s Game-Changing Promise and Potential for Peril

Anthony Rees is a seasoned Solutions Engineer at Airia Enterprise AI where he brings a wealth of experience to the forefront of artificial intelligence implementation in enterprise environments. Anthony's background spans cloud security, DevSecOps, infrastructure automation and AI digital transformation. His commitment to innovation and thought leadership in the AI / ML sector enables him to help companies seeking to leverage cutting-edge technologies to stay competitive in today's rapidly evolving business landscape.

Session: Using improved data quality to transform business processes with generative AI

Delia is a Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing scientist and leader with over 10 years’ experience building teams and products in start-ups, scale-ups and government. Passionate about making a difference for customers and organisations via AI/ML products.

Session: PANEL DISCUSSION: What are the emerging threats and opportunities in generative AI over the next 6-12 months?

Roxanne leads TSB’s technology business strategy and digital market-leading experiences for internal and external customers. She is well known for bringing her business expertise into the technology sector, and specialises in leading digital transformation across large enterprises. 

Roxanne has held leadership roles in the digital world in the insurance, energy, banking, telecommunications and publishing industries. Her expertise in digital transformation, innovation and disruption has been influenced by the changing economies of these industries. She is also a passionate supporter of women in sectors where they are underrepresented.

Session: PANEL DISCUSSION: How can we gather accurate and relevant data and optimise it for generative AI use?

In addition to being AI advisor at Narrative Muse, Dr Julian Seidenberg is Head of AI at Narrative, which builds AI-assisted software for professional photographers. Julian combines experience as a software architect and software developer with a PhD in artificial intelligence. He is a technical leader in applying AI to real-world business problems, always striving to make the technology practical and understandable for all the stakeholders involved. He is based in Auckland.