Keynote speaker

Frans Johansson, author of The Medici Effect

"When you step into an intersection of fields, disciplines, or cultures, you can combine existing concepts into a large number of extraordinary new ideas."

The world is changing fast. More people than ever before are moving between cultures and countries. Companies, cities, even nations must compete on a global basis just to stay even. In this world, diversity has become the key driver for innovation. Johansson believes today's most innovative companies form culturally diverse talent pools and teams as a specific strategy to innovate. These companies succeed because of what Frans calls "the Medici Effect". He clearly and persuasively shows what happens when different cultures collide and ignite an explosion of extraordinary new discoveries.

Panel discussion

Michael Barnett - CEO, Auckland Chamber of Commerce
Michael Barnett is Chief Executive of the Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce & Industry, a Director of both the Auckland Chamber and NZ Chambers of Commerce & Industry, and Secretary-General of NZ's National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce. Michael is also chairman of the EEO Trust.

Katrina Troughton - Managing Director, IBM
Katrina Troughton is the Managing Director of IBM New Zealand, a role she has held since October 2004. She is also a member of the IBM Australia/New Zealand Diversity Council and the Executive Sponsor for IBM Australia/New Zealand's Generational Diversity Strategy.

Fiona Krautil - Head of Advancement of Women and Diversity, ANZ Banking Group
Fiona Krautil joined ANZ in January 2006. She was previously Director of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency, the Australian government's agency for the advancement of women in the workplace. Her vision is to work with managers and employees across ANZ to create an inclusive culture where everyone's voice is heard so that diversity is an enabler for individuals and the business.

Steve Murray - Managing Director, EDS
Prior to joining EDS in 2006 Steve Murray was Chief Executive Officer of Tainui Group Holdings. Before that he worked in strategic business consultancy roles for EDS in New Zealand and Hong Kong, and as a senior manager for Ernst & Young in Australia and New Zealand. He is a director of Radio NZ and The Katalyst Group.

Speakers

Damien Woods, Manager, Ernst & Young Business Advisory Services
Damien Woods is recognised in Australia as an expert on the impacts of demographic change on the workforce. After a number of years in generalist human resources and training, Damien managed his own HR consultancy before working with Louise Rolland at Business Work and Ageing (BWA), producing and promoting information about workforce ageing, and facilitating an informed and strategic response. BWA became a leading national consultancy and research practice, with clients and collaborations internationally. It is now part of Ernst & Young.

The Providence Report
Describing themselves as market strategists, the Providence Report synthesises and interprets massive amounts of global and local information along with commissioning primary investigation weighted towards experts and opinion leaders to provide new conceptual frameworks for thinking. The Providence Report's New Zealand - The Big Picture maps the contours of New Zealand of the 21st Century exploring new citizens, new trade routes, new cultural frameworks, new gender issues and new spheres of influence. It fuels the knowledge for senior executives whose business it is to know where New Zealand is heading.

Dr Sven Hansen
Dr Hansen pioneered preventive health, stress mastery and emotional intelligence in New Zealand. Starting his career in sports medicine, Dr Hansen completed an MBA in 1993 and has focused his career on helping people build resilience into their lives alongside coaching organisations to lift the engagement of leadership and culture. The Resilience Institute he founded in 2001 was acquired recently by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Dr Hansen works extensively in professional firms and banks across Australasia and regularly contributes to leadership forums and courses. In his presentation at The Diversity Effect, Dr Hansen will explore how leaders engage resilience as an individual and cultural initiative to build the vitality, resonance, focus and meaning that drives success and sustainability in our emergent communities of work.

Alan Bertenshaw, Managing Director of Matisse International
How to build collaborative and creative workspaces in New Zealand - the thinking behind the need to create a different sort of space to work in and the effects on the people using the space on a daily basis. As the co-owner of Matisse International, Alan became involved in commercial office furnishings in 1976.He specialises in workplace design, workplace strategy, and future proofed furniture solutions for the office. Alan has led the way in office design in New Zealand and has an in-depth knowledge of how best to develop a workplace strategy which fully aligns a company's office set up and layout with their strategic goals and desired culture. Alan works hand-in-hand with a company's strategic team and leading manufacturers around the world to create world-class office environments.

Sweet Joy Hachuela
In her optional afternoon workshop, Sweet Joy Hachuela will build on Frans Johansson's presentation, taking participants deeper into the intersections between different cultures, fields and industries. Participants will learn practical tools on how to increase innovation through diversity in their work and organisations.

iglass
Thinking brown - how Māori and Pasifika cultures influence decision making. In this optional afternoon workshop, Iglass will explore the importance of understanding the cultural assumptions and perspectives of Māori and Pasifika peoples. The models and frameworks will give participants practical tools to create effective employment strategy and implementation practice.
Iglass Account Director Shane Ta'ala brings a wealth of experience in corporate development, marketing and key account management in the private sector. He has also worked for government in project management and policy advisory roles focussing on recruitment, retention and achievement initiatives for Māori and Pasifika. Shane's aim is that employers recognise the untapped potential of the Māori and Pasifika workforce by understanding a 'three world view' approach (Māori, Pasifika, mainstream).