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To download a pdf version of the presentations, please click on the Presenters name below

Tony Alexander  – Effect of the Economy on your Business 

Gill Genet – Delivery Models and Research on finding on embedded case studies

Karen Clark – Workshop: Training and Funding

Melissa Clark-Reynolds – Leadership and Change Management

Nicky Murray – Literacy and Learning

Jane Huria – Workshop: Governance

Presenters

Michele A’Court-MC

From NZ television to National Radio, pubs to theatres, corporate functions to

live television, Michele A’Court has forged a thoroughly deserved reputation as one of New Zealand’s funniest women.  Her unmatchable audience rapport, cut-throat honesty and razor sharp delivery have reduced audiences to uncontrollable laughter, even when the subject of the joke is themselves.

Michele's solo show, "Heritage 101", was awarded Best Show Concept at the Oddfellows NZ International Comedy Festival in 2005, during which time she also hosted the Comedy Convoy throughout NZ.

Other recent festivals include the 2004 Edinburgh Fringe and the 2004 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and every NZ International Comedy Festival since it's inception 12 years ago.  Michele was the winner of the NZ Comedy Guild Awards as Best Female Comedian from 2002 to 2006 and was a regular on television’s Pulp Comedy for the past nine years.  She hosted the Laugh! Festival Big Comedy Gala 2000 on TV2, has hosted the female comedians' showcase Divas annually in both Auckland and Wellington, and hosted New Zealand’s comedy Oscars, The Billy T Awards on TV2 in 1998.  Her earlier work is currently screening on the Comedy Channel in Australia.

With a degree in English Literature and Drama (1983), Michele was for two years the Auckland Correspondent for the highbrow "Sunday" radio programme, and is a regular book reviewer on National Radio's Nine till Noon programme, and social commentator on the Panel with Jim Mora.  With a NZ Certificate in Journalism (1979) she’s a freelance journalist for a number of national magazines and newspapers including Next, OnHoliday, She, Pet, Bride&Groom, and a columnist for NZ Political Review.

In 2003, Michele toured New Zealand in the sell-out, big theatre season of the stage play, "Mum's the Word" (Volcanic Productions) alongside international actors Blythe Duff (Taggart) and Victoria Alcock (Bad Girls), and NZ actors Jackie Clarke, Tahei Simpson (the Matrix) and Rebecca Hobbs (Shortland Street).

Tony Alexander, Chief Economist

After graduating with a Master of Arts (Economics) degree with first class honours from

Canterbury University in 1984 Tony went to Sydney to work for the Reserve Bank of Australia. In 1985 he joined Westpac and in mid-1987 transferred back to N.Z. into the Wellington Economics Department. From 1989 Tony was located in the dealing room as Treasury Economist

After graduating with a Master of Arts (Economics) degree with first class honours from Canterbury University in 1984 Tony went to Sydney to work for the Reserve Bank of Australia. In 1985 he joined Westpac and in mid-1987 transferred back to N.Z. into the Wellington Economics Department. From 1989 Tony was located in the dealing room as Treasury Economist

After leaving Westpac in 1992 Tony worked as Economist with sharebroking firm Garlick and Company, before joining the Bank of New Zealand in April 1993 as Deputy Chief Economist. In December 1994 Tony was appointed Chief Economist. He is primarily responsible for providing advise to the Bank's management and Board on economic developments and their impact on the Bank. Tony also gives his views on the economy to Bank customers through various written commentaries and public speaking engagements, as well as weekly columns in three regional newspapers.

Tony's interests include learning French and chain sawing trees. He has five children, two boys and three girls, and his wife is Chief Executive of the Early Childhood Association.

Effect of the Economy on your Business

Tony will talk about the economy and how the outlook for the next 5 years will affect your business. This will include the housing market , business funding costs (interest rates), likely exchange rate movements (export receipts, imported equipment costs), and the labour market.

Tony will discuss how the extent of funding for health and disability services is a function of the rate of growth in an economy's taxable economic base and the willingness of politicians to allocate funds to the sector. As our population is aging a shift in health resource allocation is required toward the health care of the elderly and public health initiatives.

Karen Schmidt

Karen Schmidt is the re-engagement expert who is on a mission to refresh, reignite and

re-engage teams for success. She is an award-winning speaker, workshop leader and facilitator with a background in Human Resource Management. Karen’s practical experience comes from hiring, firing, managing, coaching and training thousands of people in just about every industry.

She has experienced the workplace from the point of view of a staff member, manager, recruiter, contractor and consultant. So whether your people arrive at work wearing high heels, a hard hat or carrying a hand gun Karen can help you understand what it takes to engage them.

To back up her practical experience, she is:
– Degree qualified in Adult Education
- Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), the highest level of accreditation for speakers internationally
- Winner of the National Speakers Association of Australia QLD "Speaker of the Year" award in 2006
- Author of “Keep ‘Em Keen: A Guide For Managers On Engaging People Of All Ages And Career Stages” and “How to Feel F.R.E.S.H. at Work Every Day!”

An engaging speaker who delivers fast-paced and entertaining presentations, in her spare time Karen engages with life through her love of ballroom dancing, gardening and spending time with her cat Prince Frederick!

Keeping your Organisation F.R.E.S.H.

Karen believes that in tough times, engagement matters more than ever. She will talk about 3 key areas: Employee Engagement, Generational Engagement and Personal Engagement.

Smart people are realising they need to avoid getting caught up in the "survival" mentality being created by the global financial crisis. They also realise that there is a direct link between employee engagement and the bottom line performance of the organisation.
The individuals and organisations that will come out on top will be the ones that keep learning, keep growing and keep their attitude positive!

Karen is a Re-engagement expert on a mission to help refresh, reignite and re-engage people for success. She can help you find a way to refresh, reignite and re-engage your staff for success.

Melissa Clark-Reynolds

Melissa Clark-Reynolds is widely recognised as an inspirational role model and

entrepreneur.

In 1980, Melissa was the youngest woman to attend University in New Zealand. In her early 20’s, she went to the United States to attend Rutgers University in New Jersey, where she completed a combined Masters Degree in Health & Environmental Studies. She returned to New Zealand and became a sought after consultant in these fields.

Melissa established a health and safety and ACC consultancy which became New Zealand’s largest private accident compensation insurer – Fusion. Melissa was the general Manager of Fusion and in 2001 sold her interest to Southern Cross Healthcare.

Since selling her interest in Fusion, Melissa has invested in a range of businesses and specialises in tech company turnaround. She was CEO of INTAZ, a health and safety company which was sold in 2006. Following this Melissa has been Managing Director and CEO if PayGlobal Ltd until early 2007. Melissa believes we can create things that we can barely even imagine are possible, and her success in the accident insurance industry is an example of this. She has the ability to create, motivate and build an organisation from “potential” to successful.

Melissa is passionate about entrepreneurship and represented NZ at the APEC Forum on encouraging Women Entrepreneurs.  As well as being a judge for EY Entrepreneur of the Year (2000 and 2004) she is also featured in Her Business magazine's Hall of Fame and was named as one of the 150 most powerful women in NZ Business (Unlimited Magazine 2002).

She has been featured in a number of books including Success in New Zealand Business V2 (1997), A New Generation of Business Leaders (2000), Living Life Out Loud (2001) and The Kiwi Effect (2004). She has been on the cover of both Her Business and Management Magazines.

Melissa was recently chosen as one of only two New Zealanders, to train with Al Gore to present his updated Climate Project slideshow (as seen in the film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’) and is helping to spread his global warming messages to the masses.

Melissa is also becoming increasingly sought after for her thought provoking presentations on business sustainability which she highlights with a wide range of New Zealand examples and scenarios and glimpses into the business communities of the future.

Melissa is a self-made highly successful entrepreneur and millionaire. Her story is extremely inspirational. Her business acumen, skills, knowledge and experience have made her a popular speaker in both New Zealand and Australia on a range of business subjects, including entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainability.

Leadership and Change Management

Melissa is a self-made highly successful entrepreneur and millionaire who in 2002 was named as one of the most powerful women in New Zealand business. As a CEO herself she understands the issues faced and has navigated her way through some of the worst times.  In her high energy presentation she will discuss strategies on surviving and thriving in turbulent times, and provide advice on:

- Leadership and Change management
- How to conquer the current fear and find out what to replace it with,
- How to keep internal relationships strong when the pressure is on,

She has just recently been appointed as the entrepreneur in residence at the Wellington business incubator, Creative HQ.  

Karen Clarke

Standing on a diverse background in education and development practice Karen has established an impressive national reputation as a change and extreme facilitator since entering private consultancy in 1996. In that time Karen has been trusted by organisations large and small, corporate and industry focussed from the public, private, Maori, education and volunteer sectors - strategic management to business unit and production teams.

Working in an insightful, open, lively and interactive style Karen brings processes to build performance, commitment, relationships and morale resulting from times of growth, change and conflict. The values of manaakitanga and integrity guide her in every way. Client's report that “she’s really good with people stuff” and that she “gets to the heart of the matter”.

From timber yard to board room, school staffroom to campus lecture theatre, service centre to processing plant, Karen's extremely diverse client portfolio takes her to many different settings in the New Zealand socialscape.

Karen has worked as a change agent on behalf of the New Zealand Government in Nepal and with 14 Pacific Community nations consulting in educational and development programs.

Now living on the beautiful Kapiti Coast Karen manages her consultancy alongside her main passions – family building, personal development, music and her emergence as a local singer/songwriter