Since being elected Prime Minister of New Zealand in 2017, Jacinda Ardern has placed wellbeing at heart of her Government’s work. Along with holding the Child Poverty Reduction portfolio, she has championed efforts to tackle long-term challenges like climate change, social inequality, and housing unaffordability. She entered Parliament in 2008 as a list MP, and was later elected to represent the Mount Albert electorate. During this time, she was responsible for a wide range of policy areas, including Social Development, Arts, Culture and Heritage, Children, Justice, and Small Business. Throughout her career, she has been a strong advocate for children, women, and the right to meaningful work.

Director and Principal Architect of Eco Bumi Arkitek,
Brunei Darussalam Member of the Legislative Council (2017-2022),
Chair of ASEAN Business Advisory Council 2021,
Founding Member of ASEAN Future Workforce Council (AFWC),
Co-chair of Brunei’s Manpower Industry Steering Committee for
Construction (MISC Construction)

FDr. Ar. Siti Rozaimeriyanty DSLJ Haji Abdul Rahman is a disciplined individual with a strong passion for learning and working in an exciting and demanding environment. Professionally, she is a registered Practicing Architect with BAPEQS, RIBA Chartered Member, UK and ASEAN Architects. At the beginning of her career, she worked as a senior Architect with the Public Works Department, Ministry of Development of Brunei for 15 years, gaining professional experiences across various projects on public buildings. In 2010, She saw an opportunity to see the realization of her dream in establishing her own architect firm named Eco Bumi Arkitek (EBA). As she advanced in her career, she became the first female President of Institution of Surveyor, Engineer and Architect (PUJA Brunei) for term 2018 to 2019. Ten years into the establishment of Eco Bumi Arkitek, Ar. Siti Rozaimeriyanty was appointed by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam as one of the Brunei Darussalam Legislative Council (LegCo) Members for achieving distinction for a term of five years effective from 2017 until 2021 and also, as a member of ASEAN Business Advisory Council Brunei from 2019 until 2022.
Over the years as a legislative council member of Brunei Darussalam and ASEAN Business Advisory Council Brunei member, Ar. Siti Rozaimeriyanty actively reaches out to society in Brunei as well as across the ASEAN region and beyond as a speaker to numerous events and forums. She believes in expressing and raising opinions on issues particularly on quality education, skills development, economic growth and gender equality. In 2021, She chaired the women and economic committee for the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) General Assembly and also as the chairperson for the AIPA steering committee for the same year. During the year Brunei Darussalam as ASEAN Chairmanship in 2021, her capacity being the Chairperson of ASEAN Business Advisory Council initiated event such as the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS), ASEAN Business Awards (ABA) and also Brunei Legacy Project called Harnessing Impact with Resilient Employability Digitally (H.I.R.E.D) in support of the Chairmanship 13 Priority Economic Deliverables to push forward on the regional economic integration. She is also co-chairing the Manpower Industry Steering Committee (MISC) for Construction under the
Manpower Planning and Employment Council (MPEC) in Brunei Darussalam, a committee that links industry, relevant regulating agencies and training and education providers with the aim to align the industry’s demand to the right supply at the right time, both its quality and quantity.

Andy is an inspiring leader with entrepreneurial spirit that has driven 20 years’ non-stop successes under GLOCAL environments in retail, consulting, and premium manufacturing; ranging from business transformation ($200M savings), M&A integration ($1.5Bn deal), new market development (built a profitable Asia market in 3 years), corporate culture reshape to family business going public ($800M).

As the Regional CEO, Andy is growing Comvita faster and better across Asia to deliver the exponential growth and long-term resilience of total Comvita.

Based in the NZTE East Asia regional hub, Singapore, Benny oversees NZTE's offices and relationships across East Asia as regional director for both Trade and Investment.
He was formerly NZTE's investment director for Greater China and East Asia, where he led a team of investment specialists helping investors to identify high-performing businesses and investment opportunities in New Zealand.
Benny has lived and worked in Asia for nearly 30 years. He has worked in Australia, the United Kingdom and Singapore for several large global European and United States banking institutions including as a director at Deutsche Bank Singapore, with responsibility for the sale of structured equity products and solutions to an East Asian institutional client base. He was also previously with BNP and JP Morgan.
Benny's areas of specialty are debt origination, liability management and capital sourcing. He holds a BCA from Victoria University of Wellington.

Ziena is an award-winning business and public sector leader, with 20 years’ experience working in New Zealand and Asia. She consults on strategy and stakeholder engagement, and is a keynote speaker and commentator on Asia business, nation branding, leadership, and diversity, equity and inclusion. She is also a board member of Education New Zealand, the Asia New Zealand Foundation, Unitec, Manukau Institute of Technology, DNA, and the Cancer Society of New Zealand.

Recognised by Campaign Asia Pacific as part of its 2020 Women to Watch, a group of 40 outstanding women in the Asia Pacific, Ziena has received several international awards for her work promoting New Zealand trade and education in Asia, and advises businesses looking to grow in the region. Her previous roles include Regional Director (South and Southeast Asia) for Education New Zealand, New Zealand Trade Commissioner to Singapore, and Head of North Asia Marketing and Communications for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

John Wikstrom co-founded Magic Memories – an international entertainment technology company – in 1995 after seeing the opportunity to revolutionize the guest experience and create a new market for capturing and creating memories.

John continues to guide the company, evolving new ways to create innovative media capture experiences and personalized content for more than 200 international partnerships. John is passionate about ensuring Magic Memories’ products and systems encourage guests to smile, engage and share content, while providing significant revenue and marketing benefits for our brand partners.

A ‘proud New Zealander’, born in the deep south, John and his family have spent five of the last eight years living in London and New York supporting Magic Memories' international growth. John is an Otago University Marketing graduate, graduate of the Icehouse programme for owners and managers and a member of the Institute of Directors.

Outside of work, John enjoys relaxing with his family, particularly boating, skiing, mountain biking and traveling.

Carmen Vicelich is an entrepreneurial powerhouse with over 20 years of experience developing Valuation Strategy in banking and using technology and data to create value. In record time she has created two global, industry-leading businesses, Valocity and Data Insight, that do just that.

Outside of founding two data and technology businesses, Carmen mentors several students and business founders, is a regular global speaker sharing her story of innovation, serves on several boards including UNICEF, Chair of Fintech NZ, and is a proud mother of four children.

Managing Director/Owner: Craig Tuhoro of Global Metal Solutions Limited (GMS) has extensive knowledge of the scrap metal industry, his experience and contacts within the industry coupled with his vast knowledge of international markets, operational skills and trading background give him, and his business GMS, ample ammunition to throw at hiscompetitors and makes him a force to truly be reckoned with.
A passionate businessman, Craig Tuhoro has over 25 years in the industry, is renowned for being fair and reasonable, committed to building strong relationships and forging his way professionally. Craig left school at a young age, has five children, five grandchildren, and enjoys weightlifting, boxing and rugby.

Siah Hwee Ang is Professor of International Business and Strategy at Victoria University of Wellington. He is also the Director of New Zealand’s Southeast Asia Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence. From 2013-2021, he was also the Professorial Chair in Business in Asia. In these roles, Siah works closely with various stakeholders and companies on their strategies in Asia and Asia’s engagement in New Zealand.

Siah’s research centres around the connection between strategy, international business and international trade. His works have been published in international top-tier journals and have won several research awards. He is also Reviewing Editor at the Journal of World Business and Senior Editor at the Asia Pacific Journal of Management, leading international and Asia business journals respectively. Siah has sat on the national assessment panels for New Zealand Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia, Prime Minister’s Business Scholarships, and Marsden Fund, a prestigious fund supporting excellence in science, engineering, maths, social sciences and the humanities in New Zealand. He currently serves as executive board member at the ASEAN NZ Business Council and also board member of the Business Central & Wellington Chamber of Commerce joint board.

Before joining Victoria University of Wellington, Siah was Professor and Associate Dean at the University of Auckland Business School, and has work experience in City University in London and National University of Singapore, where he completed his PhD in Management. Siah is Visiting Professor to a few Asian universities. He writes frequently in the media.

Mark is an entrepreneur and smart cities expert. He specialises in smart city development focusing on urban mobility, city digitisation strategy and new technology utilisation. He’s passionate about using technology to better address urban climate challenges, build greater economic opportunities and boost citizen engagement. He is a regular international speaker and media commentator on these issues.

Mark founded the advisory and services business Serviceworks. He was also an elected member of Australasia's largest local authority Auckland New Zealand.

He received the Leadership Award for Outstanding Contribution towards building Smart Cities, the Asia Smart Cities Excellence Award, and is part of the Top 50 Most Impactful Smart Cities Leaders.

Mark is Chair of the ASEAN New Zealand Business Council and of the Auckland Night Shelter Trust. He is on the boards of the Smart Cities’ Asia Advisory Board, the NZTech Sustainability Sub-Board, NZ Rise and the Committee for Auckland. He is a Member of the Australia New Zealand Smart Cities Council Future of Place Taskforce.

Mark is normally based in Auckland and Singapore.