Meet the speakers
Jackie Clarke
MC
Jackie Clarke, MNZM, is renowned for her maverick entertainment style, whether it’s treading the boards, making music with her friends, as a comedic raconteur at glittering events or bringing energy and spice to conferences as an MC.
She’s been captivating audiences for over 40 years and was recognised with an MNZM for services to the entertainment industry in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2018 and a lifetime achievement award ‘The Benny’ from The Variety Artist Club in 2024.
Paddy Gower
Keynote speaker
Paddy Gower is a celebrated news journalist, former political editor, television presenter and radio broadcaster.
Paddy describes himself as a journalist that is focused on positive news and solutions.
He has recently released his biography This Is The F#$%ing News: My Story and completed a book tour around Aotearoa, he produces positive stories on Stuff, and his award-winning television current affairs series Paddy Gower Has Issues will return in 2025.
Kaila Colbin
Keynote speaker
Kaila is founder and CEO of Boma, an organisation building a world of intentional, intelligent, courageous leaders.
An award-winning leader renowned for impact, Kaila developed TEDxChristchurch into New Zealand’s flagship TEDx event, brought Singularity University New Zealand and Australia, and founded the non-prof Ministry of Awesome.
Her work to champion Aotearoa New Zealand on a global stage saw her given the 2022 Kea World Class New Zealand “Friend of New Zealand” award, and her purpose in life is to be an uplifting presence.
Rob Waddell
Keynote speaker
Rob's renowned as one of NZs most respected sportspeople, with a long history of competing internationally and nationally across multiple sports. Throughout his career, Rob has had to overcome a wide range of adversity, including brutal training regimes, injury setbacks, and dealing with a significant heart condition that required eight hours of surgery.
Known for his integrity, work ethic, innovation, excellence, and leadership, Rob is a great example of achievement in sports, business, charity, and family life.
Nicola Taylor
Keynote speaker
Nicola is an award-winning fintech leader and co-founder of Tax Traders and Taxi, two purpose-driven companies transforming the provisional tax workflow of accountants and redefining business cashflow. Recognised for building New Zealand’s Best Place to Work, she combines commercial acumen with a deep commitment to culture, people, purpose, and innovation. Nicola shares fresh insights grounded in global research and hard-won experience, inspiring leaders to move faster, lead with integrity, and build teams that thrive in a fast-changing world.
Viv Brownrigg & Saurav Bansal
Keynote speakers
As CEO and Executive Director at Zato, Viv is leading the company’s expansion across Australasia, shaping the platform’s evolution based on the needs of modern accounting firms. Saurav is an Executive Director at Zato, and a global entrepreneur with extensive experience in AI, digital infrastructure, and capital deployment across emerging and developed markets.
Amy Vincent
The Gap
With over 15 years of experience bringing out the best in people, Amy has worn sales, marketing, and team-leadership hats with style.
As Asia-Pacific Member Success Team Leader for The Gap, Amy helps forward-thinking accountants get their own houses in order, and in turn, helps their clients do the same.
She speaks on ways to achieve Financial, Mind and Time freedoms. After work, Amy enjoys a glass of anything in the spa and walking her mini-schnauzers.
Mark Jenkins
The Gap
Mark has had over 20 years in Public Practice, with the majority of that time as the sole Director of Quay Accountants in the sunshine capital of NZ - Whakatane.
In 2014, he sold his firm so that he could focus on his true passion - helping accountants to accelerate small business success.
Mark joined forces with Viv Brownrigg, and together they founded The Gap, enabling accounting firms throughout NZ, Australia, and the UK to build recurring Business Advisory revenue.
Brad Turville
The Gap
Brad is the Head of Growth at The Gap, Director of Turville Advisory, and a trusted coach to accountants. A third-generation accountant, he founded, grew, and successfully sold BJT Financial Services, a tax and advisory firm.
Brad loves helping accountants unlock their potential. After building and selling a successful practice, he founded Modern Firm Practices to coach accountants on business vision, capacity, pricing, and delivering advisory. He’s also a prolific content creator, specialising in practical strategies for growth.
Cathy Hendry
Strategic Pay
Cathy is the Managing Director of the proudly New Zealand owned and operated Strategic Pay and a seasoned remuneration professional with over 17 years’ experience in the industry.
As a dedicated advocate for pay equity, Cathy’s commitment to this cause has seen her actively engage with organisations such as MindTheGap and promoting research and analysis on pay gaps within New Zealand contributing significantly to the ongoing discourse on achieving pay equity, fairness and equality within remuneration practices.
Angela Fisher
ClockworX
Angela Fisher is a Chartered Accountant and member of CA ANZ with over 25 years’ experience working in Chartered Accountancy practices across business advisory and virtual CFO roles.
In 2016, Angela founded ClockworX to support New Zealand SMEs with accurate, real-time financial information and smarter bookkeeping solutions. Now in its 9th year, ClockworX has grown into a trusted industry leader, recognised as a Xero Bookkeeping Partner of the Year 2021.
Simonne Liley
CORE Leadership Institute
Top 50 Women in Accounting, International award-winning speaker, and coach, Simonne Liley has dedicated over 25 years to the accounting industry, now transforming the way accountants and advisers lead, without sacrificing themselves in the process. Combining neuroscience, behavioural psychology, and practical frameworks to help leaders and their teams build businesses that grow profit and people in equal measure.
Mike Merry
The Gap
Mike is a mathematician, musician and technologist who loves bringing new products to market. He was CTO of kiwi health-tech startup The Clinician, rolling out its first four state and nation-wide deployments across 14 million patients in Singapore, Australia and Israel. He is an active researcher in explainable AI, and is soon to welcome a second child to his family.
Trish Marsden
Client panelist
Trish has been a mortgage broker based in Whakatane for the last 27 years, starting out as a practitioner and then buying the business outright in 2006. She successfully developed the business until it was known within the industry as the “jewel in the crown of regional operations” which led to it’s sale in December of last year.
Jo Lehndorf
Client panelist
Jo is the Founder and Creator of LoveSkin, a skincare brand she grew from the ground up before its successful acquisition by Just Life Group. She now applies her entrepreneurial expertise to a variety of new projects, where she’s focused on driving growth and delivering results.
Emily Brittin
Client panelist
CEO and Co-Owner of Brittin Builders Ltd, Emily leads a trio of premium building, joinery, and painting companies in Hawke’s Bay. A business owner since her teens and proud mother of five, she is driven by a passion for excellence. Under her leadership, Brittin Builders was a 2024 finalist in the Hawke’s Bay Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.
Liz Eveleigh
Practice manager panelist
As PKF Kendons’ Managing Director, Liz keeps everything running like a well-oiled accounting machine. From implementing new software systems, to hiring new team members, to looking out for our grads, Liz does it all – always in her signature fun and relaxed style.
Tarryn Powell
Practice manager panelist
Tarryn Powell is the Practice Manager at Bizdom, a modern accounting firm. She oversees the finance, admin, and HR function of the business, building scalable systems and streamlining operations to reduce complexity, improve efficiency, and support sustainable growth.
Blair Evans
Malloch McClean+MORE
Blair is the CEO of Malloch McClean +MORE, leading a 70-strong team across Invercargill and Gore. With over two decades in senior rural banking roles before joining the firm, Blair brings deep expertise in the agribusiness sector, backed by a reputation for energy, honesty, and results. Passionate about helping farmers succeed, Blair works directly with clients on governance, strategy, and business planning, equipping them with the tools to reach higher and achieve more. Together with his wife, Rachel, he owns a 600-cow dairy farm near Invercargill, giving him firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities facing the rural sector.
Manoli Aerakis
Go Accounting
Manoli is a business coach specialising in helping accounting firms achieve sustainable growth. With deep industry knowledge and a strategic mindset, he guides firms in improving operations, enhancing client relationships, and expanding revenue streams. Manoli’s proven approach empowers accountants to scale confidently, build stronger teams, and create thriving, future ready practices in an increasingly competitive market.
Matthias Hipp
Hipp Accounting
Director of Hipp Accounting and 2024 Emerging Advisory Firm award winner, Matthias Hipp is proof that you can shift from taxes and ticking boxes to creating real impact. Matthias has led the firm’s transformation from traditional compliance to future focused advisory. Creating more freedom for both clients and their own business.
Tom Bilton
Fathom
Tom is a Chartered Accountant who worked in public practice, then in finance and operations roles across private and non-profit companies, before deciding mid-career to follow his passion for technology. At Fathom, he helps businesses and firms understand how the right technology systems and processes can optimise their productivity and strengthen their client and customer relationships.
John Gibson
Figured
Born and raised in the farming heartland of Eastern Southland, John remains a country boy at heart with a deep passion for the agricultural sector and technology's transformative power. As Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at Figured, John is privileged to be at the forefront of Figured's ambition to drive the business of farming.
Louise Neville
Accounting Solutions
Louise, Director of Accounting Solutions, inspires clients and her team to be the best version of themselves. With 25+ years of hands-on experience, she transforms challenges into opportunities and fosters a purpose and values-driven culture. Using strategic planning, innovation, and smart structures, she empowers people to achieve big goals, create financial freedom, security, and a life of fulfilment.