Michele A’Court
Master of Ceremonies
Winner of “Female Comedian of the Decade” at the 2010 NZ Comedy Guild Awards, Michèle A’Court is a stand-up comedian, writer, social commentator and corporate MC.
Michèle is a frequent voice on RNZ National’s “9 to Noon” and “The Panel”; and she has been writing a weekly newspaper column on social issues since 2008, which is published in “Your Weekend” magazine with the Press, the DomPost and Waikato Times, and also on the Stuff website.
She has written two bestselling books: “How We Met” (2018) and “Stuff I Forgot To Tell My Daughter” (2015) both published by Harper Collins.
Her international experience as a stand-up comedian includes work in the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor. She has been working as an after-dinner speaker, event host and conference MC for more than 20 years.
Michèle is Chair of “The Aunties” Trust, a grassroots charity for women and children in need. She is also Patron of the Moving & Handling Association of NZ (MHANZ) which cares for carers in the health sector. Michèle is a proud member of Actors’ Equity, and a Life Member of the NZ Comedy Guild.
William Pike
Key note speaker
Inspirational speaker William Pike inspires, motivates and shocks audiences with his collection of remarkable stories including surviving a freak Mount Ruapehu volcanic eruption. An eruption which claimed one of his legs, but left his drive to succeed and passion for adventure unscathed.
What William eventually learned from his Mount Ruapehu experience was, when you’re faced with challenge or change, success or failure comes down to one thing – whether you can step outside your comfort zone, or whether you can’t.
The underlying theme of William’s message as an inspirational speaker is how critical it is to step outside of your comfort zone to overcome challenge, change and achieve extraordinary things. William has an unfair advantage when it comes to talking about the necessity of stepping outside of your comfort zone!
Naomi Ferguson
Commissioner and Chief Executive, Inland Revenue
Naomi has been Commissioner and Chief Executive of Inland Revenue since July 2012. She is leading the customer-centred business transformation, and chairs the Strategic Governance Board.
Naomi has a Master of Arts in English Literature and Sociology from Glasgow University. She is an experienced public sector executive with more than 25 years' experience working in revenue agencies in the United Kingdom (UK) and New Zealand. She has successfully delivered major transformational change projects and built effective teams to deliver results.
Naomi was the Deputy Commissioner, Service Delivery Inland Revenue New Zealand from 2003-2006, and immediately prior to returning to New Zealand to take up her current role, she was the Director, Business Customer and Strategy at Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in the UK. Naomi has also worked in the banking and health sectors.
Naomi contributes to a number of public sector wide initiatives and groups, including the Women in Government Network and is a member of the Diversity Works Board and the Ministry of Justice Risk and Audit Committee. In 2016 Naomi won the Women of Influence Award for Public Policy.
Angie Williams, OSHbox
"The high fives of health and safety"
Friday, 6 November 2020 at 1.45pm
Angie Williams is a Health & Safety Consultant, Professional Speaker and GirlBoss who advocates for making safety simple! Angie started OSHbox Health and Safety 6 years ago with the focus to help small to medium businesses understand the legislation and their responsibilities, and implement simply and affordable Health and Safety systems. Since then, Angie has travelled the country running seminars based around their proven ‘High Five’ system, a session she is going to present to our bookkeeping community.
"Understanding your customer"
Saturday, 7 November 2020 at 1.45pm
Ann Gibbard is a Business Consultant with Oxygen8 Consulting. She is also a Chartered Accountant and a Xero Silver Partner. Oxygen8 business consultants take a partnership approach to your business to develop a long-term relationship with you. With our Business Success Programme, we don't just build a plan and walk away. Our role is to challenge the status quo and support you as a business owner to help you achieve your long-term goals.
"Self-care for the Self-Employed"
Friday, 6 November 2020 at 11.45am
Bronwyn Hudson is self-employed as a registered Clinical Nutritionist in private practice and Wellbeing Strategist and Mental Health Advocate at Always More to the Story. She also lectures on BSc and MSc nutrition programmes.
Bronwyn is motivated by the desire to make a real difference in the health and wellbeing of others. Her professional mission is to utilise the latest in scientific knowledge and current best practice to deliver evidence-based personalised nutrition and lifestyle interventions that transform health, happiness and connectedness of individuals, families and workplaces the world over.
"Reducing emissions - the pathway to a Carbon Neutral Business"
Saturday, 7 November 2020 at 2:30pm
Christina Bellis is the CEO of Thankyou Payroll, New Zealand’s only certified carbon neutral payroll company. For over 15 years she has worked for social enterprises, both in New Zealand and in Canada, who put purpose and profit side by side, using business models that support a triple bottom line approach: social, environmental, financial. She has been an environmental activist since childhood, and her career has focused on creating positive environmental and social impact. She’s currently a trustee on two charitable trusts, and while deeply fond of classic bicycles, she has joined the e-bike brigade, often with her dog Aiko in tow.
David Bell, Xero
"Founding Sponsor Address"
Friday, 6 November 2020 at 9:15am
David believes in the power of people and technology to grow the economy. He joined Xero as the Director of Business Growth in 2019, and is excited to continue his passion for helping small businesses thrive. David has an extensive background in financial markets working at the Bank of Scotland, National Australia Bank and Commonwealth Bank. During his eight year tenure at ASB Bank, David held roles in global transaction banking, strategy, product and business ventures. He founded Plus by ASB, now re-launched as Vonto, an innovative platform for New Zealand small business owners to help make better business decisions based on data-driven insights. In 2016, David was awarded a fellowship at the Institute of Finance Professionals (INFINZ).
"Don’t gamble with payroll"
Friday, 6 November 2020 at 10:45am
David Jenkins is the founder and CEO of the New Zealand Payroll Practitioners Association (NZPPA). With more than twenty-five years of consulting experience at a senior level in New Zealand, Australia, and globally, he specialises in payroll and human resource management, employee relations, personnel learning and development, and information technology (payroll and HRIS). As a well-respected industry professional in the field of payroll, David is known for providing engaging and dynamic informational sessions on all aspects of payroll.
"How bookkeepers can continue to add real value in an age of big data, AI and automation"
Friday, 6 November 2020 at 1:45pm
Irene Bennetts is the Founder and CEO of Admin Army, the ICNZB 2019 Bookkeeping Business of the Year. With a background in technology and innovation, Irene is passionate about the role bookkeepers play in maximizing systems to create the best possible outcomes for businesses, setting them up to thrive. Irene is a strong advocate for technology with a face – mixing personal interactions and becoming a trusted advisor, with the skills, knowledge and expertise to use technology as a tool to augment business outcomes.
"The Fundamentals of Search Engine Optimisation"
Saturday, 7 November 2020 at 10:45am
In 2006, Jono’s love affair with technology started when landing a role with VeriSign in the website security space. During this time, Jono worked with a number of large companies to secure their websites, increase leads and drive online sales. Some of the companies Jono worked with included Manchester United, Jimmy Choo & Facebook to name a few. Jono is Trafik’s resident digital strategy expert holding Google Certifications in Google Ads, Digital Sales and Mobile Websites and is also a HubSpot Certified Marketing Strategist.
"From Business Stress To Bookkeeping Success"
Saturday, 7 November 2020 at 11:30am
Linda Wells is a sought-after speaker, trainer and coach. As the Business Stress Specialist, Linda has developed leading plans of action specifically for people who want to take back control, regain balance and fuel their success. As a passionate and experienced business owner she understands the challenges faced by those driven to succeed because she’s been there. Linda delivers new perspectives on how humans respond, demonstrates different ways of communicating and succeeding with ease to alleviate tension, reveals why stress and internal pressure should not be tolerated, and helps put systems in place to free up your mind so you can relax, get more done in less time, and enjoy your success.
"The Black Hole of Marketing"
Friday, 6 November 2020 at 10:45am
Melanie Power is a serial small business startup addict, having had a range of businesses from startup to succession all built to 6 & 7 figures in the accounting profession, motorcycle dealerships, finance brokerages, technology consultancy and also now in the coaching, education and training profession. She has also worked for a major accounting software company as an Industry Representative and Champion for Bookkeepers & Accountants, creating educational practice growth programs and planting digital communities. Her 30 years of business expertise has focused on helping accountants, bookkeepers and women in business to obtain freedom and financial independence by empowering them to Command The Price They Deserve For The Value They Deliver, and to Design Businesses They Love.
"How well do we know our facts"
Saturday, 7 November 2020 at 11:30am
Neil's job title reads Head of Client Services at Tax Management NZ, but he is passionate about data and insights and loves a good story born out of facts and figures. He has worked in the research industry for over 10 years, turning data into customer success for retail and media industries. With a background in analytics and more recently in tax and accounting, Neil has first-hand experience understanding the challenges businesses face in making the right decision at the right time. He and his team work closely with accounting firms and businesses across NZ and guide them in making that right decision for them and their clients.
"The tricky truth about people"
Friday, 6 November 2020 at 3:45pm
Formally Pia Steiner is the Inclusion and Diversity Manager for Kiwibank in Wellington. Informally she considers herself an Employee Activist and champion for kindness in the workplace. She is an Ambassador for Yes Queen which is an Australian based initiative focused on erasing bullying and cultivating safe, positive, and inclusive cultures at work. Pia also works on a project group called Canary Collective which works with organisations to improve the employee experience through human-centred designed practices. In a former life she has been an account manager, archivist, digital designer, learning and development advisor, and workpractice designer.
"Technology is the gateway to a future focused practice "
Saturday, 7 November 2020 at 1:15pm
The accountancy industry is evolving fast – increasing client demands, shorter turnaround times for jobs, the need for staff to spread themselves across multiple disciplines. These changes are only accelerating, which means practice owners need to adopt a future-first mindset in order to see their businesses thrive, remain competitive and maintain a healthy work/life balance. Learn how to adapt and capitalise on this change and how new technology can make it easier for you and your clients to manage business finances and compliance, so you can ride out whatever changes the industry throws at you.
"The Evolution of Payroll"
Friday, 6 November 2020 at 1:15pm
With a background in system design and development, Sam entered the payroll software world in 2008 when he co-founded FlexiTime with Robert Owen. From that point on he has lived and breathed payroll and knows far more than he cares to admit about NZ's complex Holidays Act legislation. A self-confessed payroll nerd, Sam holds a varied role at FlexiTime across development, support and sales. He has worked closely over the years with our bookkeeping partners to help them grow their practice with a profitable payroll offering for their clients.
Sarah Harmer, Skills
"Firing on all Cylinders"
Saturday, 7 November 2020 at 2:30pm
Sarah left her role as an HR Manager of a law firm to specialise in workplace wellbeing when she saw a real need for organisations to invest in the wellbeing of their people not only as the right thing to do but the smart thing to do. Being a qualified personal trainer and yoga teacher and an experienced HR Manager with a degree in Psychology (major) and HR Management (Minor) she entered the specialisation with a holistic approach to wellbeing. Since then she has provided wellbeing expertise to many New Zealand businesses including Air New Zealand, ACC, Fonterra, New Zealand Fire Service, Sanitarium, MBIE, The Law Society, Auckland Council and most recently as the Principal Health and Wellbeing Advisor for the Department of Corrections. Sarah has continued her post graduate studies in public health and is now completing a Master’s program in Applied Positive Psychology.
"Easy and effective debt collection"
Friday, 6 November 2020 at 11:30am
Shane Crawford has 35+ years’ experience in recovering money. His debt recovery services are in demand both nationally and internationally, and his successful training and workshop programs are very sought-after sessions. With specialization in terms of trade, credit management, debt collection, civil litigation, contract law and consultancy, Shane is passionate about adding value to businesses in general. In order to share this wide and far, he is currently writing a book on how to collect money.
"From Bookkeeper to Business Coach"
Saturday, 7 November 2020 at 10:45am
Stephanie Crawford firmly believes that all bookkeeping businesses can and should be profitable for their owners. They should provide a decent living for their employees and be sustainable in that the business works for the people instead of the people feeling like a slave to the business. Join Stephanie as she shares her journey from bookkeeper to business coach, 3 important lessons learned along the way, and how you can apply those to your own bookkeeping career, adding more value to your business and to your clients.
