Jacqui Maguire 

Jacqui Maguire is a clinical psychologist on a mission to make gold standard psychological evidence and strategies accessible to all New Zealanders. As a prominent mental health thought leader, she harnesses her exceptional  communication skills, traditional media and modern technology to promote wellbeing and fight against our nation’s mental health crisis. Jacqui draws attention to challenges that could otherwise remain invisible in public discussion, and provides clear pathways for meaningful change.

Her professional career has been anchored in corporate wellbeing; providing wellbeing and mental health support across the public and private sector. 

She is TVNZ's go-to psychologist and a regular contributor to Stuff, NZ Herald, Radio New Zealand and Newstalk ZB. She is also the founder of the #1 ranking Mind Brew podcast, where she has interviewed some of the world's leading psychologists.

This year Jacqui also released her first children's book: When the Wind Blew, which has been written to support little people navigate their big feelings during times of unexpected change. 

Dave Wild

As a Creative Futurist living on the edge of the world in New Zealand, Dave has presented on stages and screens across the globe from South Auckland to Sydney to San Francisco. Unique to his approach is a Futurist focus on the new, which he applies when facilitating strategy sessions and coaching Futurework skills for clients such as Microsoft, Xero, Auckland Council, Wellington City Council, Department of Internal Affairs and ALGIM. 

As a Futurist Dave Wild can show you how to see the future more clearly.

How? First by detecting the signals of the future that are all around you. Then innovating to shift from predicting the future to creating it.

Paul Brislen 

Paul has been a technology commentator and journalist for 20 years, working for a number of specialist IT publications, television and radio. He's worked in corporate public relations and as a lobbyist for the telco users and today he runs his own consultancy, working with clients such as the Institute of IT Professionals, Datacom, Paymark and many others.

Michael Dugina 

Michael Dugina, Executive Director Customer and Corporate Services, City of Greater Geelong has over 20 years’ experience in finance and technology, in particular supporting and delivering major organisational change programs across the education, health, not for profit and government sectors. Michael is currently Executive Director Customer and Corporate Services for the City of Greater Geelong and is responsible for the delivery of the City’s  digital modernisation and civic accommodation projects the outcome of which is to  transform both customer and employee experience.

Justine Resta

Justine Resta is the Transformation Office Manager; currently working at the City of Greater Geelong helping to progress one of their major strategic programs of work - The Clever Together Project.

Justine has worked in LG for 20 years across four councils. Starting off in the records department back in the year 2000, and has held many roles - from scanning timesheets in the Family day care unit, to Performance reporting against the Council Plan and heading up an Organisational Development department.
Business Transformation was a role she landed on in 2014, and has since performed that role within three of those councils including the current position  at the City of Geelong.

As a side hustle, she is a member of the MAV technology Executive Committee (ALGIM's international equivalent and closest neighbour) - Justine is a ‘jack of all trades’ and not one to shy away from a challenge!

Sean Audain

Sean is City Innovation lead at Wellington City Council in New Zealand. Sean’s background is in urban planning and has worked for the past decade exploring and implementing Digital City concepts to improve Wellington’s Digital Inclusion, Resilience and deliver smarter local government. Sean has been recognised with national and International awards including Harvard Tech City Innovator for 2020 and ANZ Smart City Public Sector Leader of 2020. Sean serves on several governance bodies understanding and advancing our relationship with technology including the Open Government Partnership and World Economic Forums Global Futures Council.

Keri Niven

Keri is the Digital Practice Leader for Aurecon New Zealand.  Responsible for the strategic direction and growth of digital capability, Keri is a passionate believer in the power of collaboration and human centred design.  With a background in delivering major projects and creating high performing teams Keri is helping transform an engineering, design and advisory firm into an organisation of diverse, innovative and creative thinkers.

Dr. Christopher Laing

Dr. Christopher Laing is a business leader, technologist, and expert in Artificial Intelligence. He has worked in companies of all sizes, from the coal face of agile startups to executive roles in multinational corporations. He is currently the Director of AI and Data Science at Qrious, New Zealand's largest firm of data specialists, working to build the New Zealand AI economy. 

James Mowat

James is the Engagement Lead at LINZ, responsible for the major Landonline and property system external engagements including the programme to modernise Landonline. James is a land administration professional long involved in electronic land registration and associated services. During 2013 to 2015 James led the business case approval processes to future-proof the delivery of New Zealand's Land Title and Cadastral Survey system. Whilst a land lawyer by training he takes an interest in all aspects of the property system, including cadastral, property data, and council land development processes.

Dr. Dan Harvey 

Dan is (probably) New Zealand’s foremost expert on rattlesnakes, having completed his PhD on how the creatures adapt to the cold in his native Canada. Having found few snake-related opportunities on moving to New Zealand, he has leaned into his interest in data science and digital systems, eventually finding a home at the Ministry for the Environment working on monitoring of the RMA. He is currently looking at ways that digital technologies and associated practices may need to shift in response to changes to the RMA.
In previous roles Dan has assessed the impact of small business ICT adoption on productivity, estimated insulation rates across New Zealand, developed a database for home build guarantees, and built primers to identify traces of DNA in water. He is motivated by a desire for greater visibility and understanding of the consequences of decisions made about the natural and built environment. 

Alex Gelbak

Alex has spent fifteen years helping innovation & technology leaders in councils across Australia, New Zealand and U.S. re-imagine how they engage and serve their communities. Alex is passionate about sharing the stories and learnings from the incredible people around the world, shaping the future of digital government experience.

Vic Crone 

Vic has significant executive and governance experience in technology and innovation. She brings a strong customer focus, and a track record of leading and implementing strategy, and building organisational culture.

Vic was previously the Managing Director of Xero, NZ and New Markets, following executive roles at Chorus and Telecom New Zealand.

Vic is Chair of the Stats NZ Advisory Board and Figure.NZ Board. She has also been an Independent Director on the Boards of a number of companies and organisations in the technology sector, including RedShield, Creative HQ and the Hi-Tech Trust

Dr. Mahsa Mohaghegh

Dr Mahsa Mohaghegh is the Director of Women in Technology and a Senior Lecturer at AUT’s School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences. With a PhD in Artificial Intelligence, she is heavily involved in researching and developing high-level AI strategy in contexts such as the future of work and digital disruption. She is on the Executive Council for AI Forum, and is a board member of NZ Tech representing government and education, and on their sub-board for diversity and inclusion. She was also recently appointed to the board of Variety – the Children’s Charity, an organisation dedicated to supporting children and young people in need across New Zealand. She is an external technical advisor on AI strategy to a few New Zealand SMEs. Mahsa is also the founder and director of charitable trust She Sharp, which aims to encourage more girls to study STEM fields. She was one of ten finalists for the 2018 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year. In 2019 she was the Champion Award winner of the YWCA Equal Pay awards, and in 2020 presented with the Massey University Distinguished Alumni Award for community service.