Simon O’Dowd

Opening address

Simon currently serves as the managing director of Qestral Corporation Ltd., which provides rest home/hospital and dementia care across four care facilities in Christchurch and Nelson, totalling 282 beds. Simon has over 38 years of experience managing and operating aged care facilities and has formerly held the positions of Chair of the industry training organisation Career Force, Trustee of Health Ed Trust PTO, and has been involved in a number of aged care service reviews. He is currently on the Board of the RVA. 

In his current role as Chair of the Aged Care Association NZ, Simon has continued making representations to Ministers and their officials through successive Governments. This has included meeting regularly with Health NZ as part of the ARC group making submissions on the aged residential care contract and the detail contained in it. 

As Chairman of the ACA, Simon is also responsible for the Chief Executive Officer and the head office team, based in Wellington.  

Hon. Tracey Martin

Opening address, Concurrent Session B: How the government sets its Budget

Tracey was a Member of Parliament between 2011 and 2020 and served as the Minister for Seniors, Minister for Children, Minister of Internal Affairs and Associate Minister of Education from 2017 to 2020. In 2019, as Minister, Tracey launched the Better Later Life Strategy to encourage positive attitudes toward older people and raise awareness of age discrimination. More recently the Board Chair of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and member of the Board of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Tracey has joined the Aged Care Association to continue her passion to deliver better outcomes for our most senior New Zealanders. 

Ngahihi o te ra Bidois 

Opening keynote address

Ngahihi o te ra Bidois is a professional speaker and director and a recognised Māori leader known as “The Face of New Zealand”. An author, businessman, husband, father and koro, he currently sits on 6 boards, chairing two of them. Ngahihi has presented leadership keynotes throughout the world to many education, business and health organisations, and is an award-winning speaker. His is the recipient of numerous awards, such as: 

• New Zealand Speaker of the Year 
• Inspirational Speaker of the Year 
• Master of Ceremonies of the Year

He holds a business marketing degree, a post graduate teaching diploma, a tourism qualification, an advanced certificate in company direction and a master’s degree in education with honours.  

Tom Symondson  

The big shift in Australian aged care – the good, the bad and the ability to influence

Tom Symondson is a respected voice for aged care as the inaugural CEO of the Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA). ACCPA represents over 1,100 aged care organisations dedicated to providing care and housing for older Australians. Tom joined ACCPA in 2022 to help shape a high performing, trusted and sustainable aged care sector.

Tom has previously led the Victorian Healthcare Association as CEO and has also held senior policy positions in one of the largest councils in the United Kingdom.

In January 2024, Tom was appointed to the National Aged Care Advisory Council to advise the government on key matters relating to the aged care sector.

Philip Daffas

Panel Session: AI in Healthcare in NZ

Philip is the CEO and Managing Director of PainChek Ltd, an Australian ASX-listed company specialising in pain assessment technologies. He has over 25 years’ global experience in leading healthcare corporates and novel technology start-up companies, including Roche Diagnostics, Cochlear, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Shiley and IVAC.

Philip has developed extensive global business and customer relationships in the areas of interventional cardiovascular disease management, diabetes care and blood glucose management, ENT/audiology and cochlear implantation, intensive care management, pathology invitro blood diagnostics and life science research technologies.

He has an electronic engineering background, has obtained diplomas in industrial management and marketing and has an MBA from Kingston University in UK. He is also a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Robyn Whittaker

Panel Session: AI in Healthcare in NZ

Professor Robyn Whittaker is a public health physician and a digital health academic at the School of Population Health, University of Auckland. She is currently the Director of Evidence, Research and Clinical Trials in the Service Improvement & Innovation directorate of Te Whatu Ora | HealthNZ.

Robyn is the Chair of the HealthNZ National AI & Algorithm Expert Advisory Group and has developed a checklist to review the use of AI tools within health services from multiple perspectives for informed decision making. She was a member of the PM Chief Science Advisor’s panel on AI in healthcare as well as the WHO’s Ethics & Governance of AI in Healthcare.

Kevin Ross

Panel Session: AI in Healthcare in NZ

Dr Kevin Ross is a Director of AI and Data at Deloitte New Zealand. With a Ph.D. from Stanford University, Kevin helps organisations leverage cutting-edge technology to extract value from data while fostering trust. Previously, as CEO of Precision Driven Health and Senior Vice President at Orion Health, he catalysed over 100 collaborations in data science, AI, and data analytics within the healthcare sector. Kevin received the 2020 Prime Minister’s Science Prize as part of New Zealand’s COVID-19 response modelling team Te Pūnaha Matatini. He is Chair of the Advisory Board for the Institute for Natural, Artificial and Organisational Intelligence, and a former member of the Digital Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Caroline Bartle  

Concurrent Session A: Virtual reality as an education tool

Caroline Bartle has dedicated over 30 years to the field of dementia care. She began her career as a caregiver, progressed to a social worker, and eventually founded three businesses focusing on services and workforce development in dementia care. One of her notable ventures is 3 Spirit UK Training Consultancy, a social enterprise where she led the development of over 500 programmes and evaluated the impact of various learning interventions. 

Caroline’s research interests include leveraging digital technologies for organisational learning in dementia care, aiming to deliver high-impact learning programmes. Her commitment to evaluating the effectiveness of these interventions inspired her to pursue a doctorate, focusing on the integration of digital solutions and data to enhance workforce development and improve dementia care outcomes. 

Currently, Caroline serves as the director of learning centre and the dementia care and innovations lead at Ryman Healthcare.  

Shirley Ross

Concurrent Session A: Developing a nurse practitioner model for ARC

Shirley Ross is a Director of Clinical and Care Services with over 30 years of experience as a Registered Nurse. She completed her Master of Nursing at the University of Auckland in 2015 and has held numerous senior nursing and leadership roles both abroad and in New Zealand.

After 15 years with Te Whatu Ora in the Waitemata District, she joined Aged Residential Care in 2020, driven by her passion for Older Persons Health and Palliative Care. The nurse-led model of care and Primary Care services at Oceania provide a unique opportunity to deliver exceptional primary care to older adults in aged care, while also fostering the growth and development of nurses and Nurse Practitioners to reach the full potential of their practice.

Jenny Burge

Concurrent Session A: Developing a nurse practitioner model for ARC

Jenny Burge is a National Primary Care Manager with over 30 years of experience as a Registered Nurse. Prior to moving to New Zealand 16 years ago, she worked as a Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care. Since then, she has held various management roles within the community and Te Whatu Ora. Now, she has joined Oceania to lead the Primary Care service. A strong advocate for the Nurse Practitioner model, she is passionate about expanding the service and supporting the development of future Nurse Practitioners. 

Elena Piere

Concurrent Session A: Food waste reduction strategies using innovative technology

Elena Piere has a background in sustainable business and is currently pursuing her PhD in food science at the University of Otago. Her research focuses on understanding the barriers and enablers of food waste reduction within the aged care sector and seeks to reduce food waste through behaviour change interventions. Elena also works part-time as an assistant research fellow for food waste innovation at Otago. In addition to her academic roles, Elena is the postgraduate representative on the Otago University Net Carbon Zero Governance Board.  

Dr Leona Dann

Concurrent Session A: SAC reporting in ARC

Dr Leona Dann is Te Tāhū Hauora | Health Quality & Safety Commission’s system safety specialist. Leona is a registered nurse and midwife with a master of midwifery and a doctorate in health science. She is currently pursuing a postgraduate certification in human factors & ergonomics with the University of Derby. She was a lead maternity care midwife and has also worked in various midwifery leadership positions in district hospitals and nationally. Her areas of interest include human factors, learning through understanding the lived experience, the overlap between systems thinking and mātauranga Māori, and restorative responses to health care harm.  

Ellen Bragger

Concurrent Session A: Virtual reality as an education tool

Ellen Bragger’s career spans New Zealand, the UK, and Australia, where she has held key roles, including Senior Neuro Specialist Occupational Therapist at Waikato Hospital and Complex Discharge Specialist in London. She pioneered the implementation of the Just Checking system, a 24-hour activity monitoring tool for people living with dementia, working with local authorities across the UK.

In recent years, Ellen has focused on workforce education and health literacy, with specialised expertise in assistive technology and dementia care. Her current work includes delivering virtual reality training in Aotearoa and advising on assistive technologies that promote independence for people with dementia, supporting individuals to maintain autonomy while offering families peace of mind.

With her dedication to advancing care and integrating technology, Ellen is helping to shape best practices in dementia care, providing crucial insights for both health professionals and caregivers.

John Carter

Concurrent Session B: How interoperability in New Zealand aged care can ease pressure on providers

John Carter has been involved with health data exchange and data standards since the late 1990s. He is a member of the HISO Standards Committee and currently serves as Chair of Health Level 7 New Zealand. An independent interoperability consultant, his clients include the Sparked Initiative, accelerating interoperability across Australia and beyond. Since moving from the USA to New Zealand in 2017, he has also held technical and executive positions at Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora and HealthLink.

Lisa Cochrane

Concurrent Session B: Trends in ARC auditing

Lisa is the head of delivery (health) – Australia and New Zealand for the BSI Group.  Her role includes providing leadership for audit teams, training and competency of audit teams, management of auditing processes, systems, stakeholder relationships and Ministry of Health requirements for designated auditing agencies.  

Lisa has a passion for aged care, having worked in aged care clinical and quality management roles before becoming a lead auditor in 2003 and was director of auditing for Health and Disability Auditing New Zealand (HDANZ). With having over 67% of aged care clients across the sector, and auditing for over 20 years, Lisa is positioned well to touch on audit trends across the 2021 Nga paerewa standard. 

Philip Whitmore

Concurrent Session B: A Real World Focus on Cyber Security

Philip is a Partner within KPMG Cyber with over 25 years’ experience across a broad range of cyber security disciplines. He has worked extensively in New Zealand, as well as throughout the wider Asia Pacific region, Americas, and Europe. He sits on the boards and steering committees for a range of cyber security related professional and industry bodies, and received the New Zealand Cyber Security Person of the Year award in late 2023.

Rawdon Christie

Emcee

Rawdon Christie is an award-winning broadcaster with a journalism career that spans 20 years. Rawdon is most well-known for his role of presenting TVNZ’s daily Breakfast show where he interviewed hundreds of guests from politicians to Olympic athletes. 

After five years on TVNZ’s early-morning show, he left TVNZ and started running his own consultancy, working with organisations on positive relationship-building, reputation management and media relations. In 2020 Rawdon received his Real Estate License and started working for Barfoot and Thompson. He continues to expertly MC and facilitate conferences and events. 

Rawdon left the teaching profession after seven years to join the BBC, where he worked as a reporter and news anchor. He then transferred to New Zealand to work for TVNZ, initially as a reporter for One News and then for the 7pm daily current affairs programme, Close Up. He became an established presenter for TVNZ as the host of political show, Agenda and the NZ version of Dragon’s Den. In 2011, Rawdon became the inaugural host of TVNZ’s Saturday Breakfast show, before taking up the job of presenting TVNZ’s daily Breakfast show. 

His biggest career challenge came when he anchored TVNZ’s coverage of both Christchurch earthquakes – the first of which set a New Zealand record for continuous rolling coverage to an audience of over 2 million. 

Rawdon is a passionate storyteller who spends his spare time skiing, cycling, playing the piano and trying to make his children laugh. 

Michaela Aspell

Plenary session: Climate risk in aged care and health

Michaela has over 8 years’ experience in climate risk, adaptation, and environmental management. She has worked with corporate and government clients in Australia and New Zealand across various sectors such as health, infrastructure, resources, agriculture, and transport. With a Masters in Climate Change Science and Policy, Michaela understands the science behind climate change, its impact on global and local systems, and the challenges businesses face in reducing emissions, increasing resilience, and meeting legislative requirements.

Ramesh Raghaven

Panel Session: Leveraging technology to transform healthcare in ARC

A digital transformation leader with over 25 years of experience within global organisations, Ramesh has built his career shaping and leading a variety of Fortune 500 Firms. He is currently the digital, innovation & experience lead for Uniting NSW.ACT, responsible for envisioning and champion Uniting’s digital pathway to be a future ready organisation. 

Sue Thomson

Panel session: Leveraging technology to transform healthcare in ARC

Sue Thomson is the Chief Executive Officer at McLean Care, an award- winning, Australian based, not-for-profit aged care provider. Sue is the visionary behind iAgeHealth. Her passion and commitment to the health and wellbeing of the ageing population in regional, rural and remote (RRR) areas is a result of over 20 years’ lived experience and service. Driving the innovation and creation of iAgeHealth which is delivering improved clinical outcomes for vulnerable people and addressing workforce challenges globally.    

A champion for innovation in the sector, with a particular focus on geographical disadvantage, harnessing emerging technologies to help address workforce and other pressing sector challenges, Sue is passionate about using her voice on a global platform to bring both awareness and solutions to address health inequities in disadvantaged communities. 

Ben Walker

Concurrent Session C: Workshop on AI in healthcare

Facilitator – Panel Session: Leveraging technology to transform healthcare in ARC

Ben Walker is an experienced technology consultant and virtual Chief Information Officer who specialises in digital health and artificial intelligence. As the founder of Cairn, he provides strategic guidance to NZ organisations, helping them align technology with business objectives and leverage AI to enhance service delivery and operational efficiency. With a passion for education, Ben works with businesses to empower professionals with practical insights into AI applications. Driven by a vision to use technology for a better world, Ben connects people and ideas, solves complex problems, and continuously explores new realms of knowledge.

Jane Bruning

Panel Session: Diversity and inclusion in ARC

Jane Bruning is the National Coordinator for Positive Women Inc. since 2004.  She was the Asia Pacific delegate to the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board from 2009-2012. Her contributions towards the HIV sector in Aotearoa have been so significant, she was awarded an ONZM (Officers of New Zealand Order of Merit) in the Queen’s Birthday Honors list. For her master’s degree, Jane wrote her thesis on Stigma and Women living with HIV.  

Over 50% of people in Aotearoa living with HIV are over the age of 50. As such, ensuring aged care facilities and services are ready to care for people living with HIV is a huge concern for the sector.  

Julie Watson

Panel session: Diversity and inclusion in ARC

After a teaching career, Julie worked for two decades at the Human Rights Commission. One of her highlights of that time was working on the Transgender Inquiry, To be Who I am, and to be part of the Intersex roundtable. Julie has been the programme manager for Silver Rainbow and Rainbow Tick and was on the Rainbow Advisory panel for Auckland City Council.  She runs an education, advocacy and programme consultancy – Tap In – and works for Inside Out as a contractor.  

Cam Ansell

Plenary Session: The future of aged care in NZ

Cam is a Chartered Accountant and Managing Director of Ansell Strategic with over 25 years’ experience in the aged care sector across Australia, US, Asia, and New Zealand.

He has led major studies advising Government and the industry on policy, financial viability, and sustainability. As an advisor he has undertaken comprehensive financial and operational reviews of retirement and aged care services and performed detailed market metric reviews that have assisted providers to identify market opportunities for capital development and redevelopment projects.

Cam has been responsible for a number of mergers and partnerships between charitable entities and has been integral in some of the largest transactions in aged care.

His experience, knowledge, and advice on changing trends in seniors’ accommodation, care services and international aged care systems have led him to be recognised as a thought leader in the sector.

The Casketeers, Francis and Kaiora Tipene

Plenary Session: Addressing death with dignity and aroha

Kaiora and Francis Tipene – Aotearoa’s favourite funeral directors and beloved Netflix stars – have been running Tipene Funerals for over a decade now, addressing the taboo of death with dignity and aroha. They are passionate about their profession and proud of their culture, weaving traditional values of tikanga Māori into day-to-day living.

We are privileged to have them share their story with us, and the remarkable experiences and knowledge about what the business of death can teach the living.

Maria Scott-Multani

Concurrent Session C: Resident centric care: putting the theory into practice

A registered occupational therapist with thirty years’ experience & over fifteen years’ experience working with people living with dementia, Maria has received the Occupational Therapy New Zealand Whakaora Ngāngahau Aotearoa achievement award for her contribution to dementia education in 2014. While pursuing her Master’s in Dementia Studies through Bradford University, she received the Dr Trevor Jarvis award for outstanding contribution to adult learning in 2019.  

Supporting the aged care sector with strengthening person-centred practices, Maria is a skilled facilitator, and tends to engage groups easily. Her ability to inspire, influence and motivate teams comes from her various roles in professional leadership; project management; adult education, general management, clinical advisory and now as an independent consultant.  

Gillian Robinson

Concurrent Session C: Demystifying the use of technology in ARC

Founder of Healthcare Compliance Solutions Ltd (HCSL), Registered Nurse, auditor, board member, author, Associate Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM). and designer of award winning HCSL aged care software systems, Gillian has developed a solid reputation in the aged residential care setting.  

A recognised specialist in compliance, Gillian and the team at HCSL provide consultancy services to ARC, retirement villages and community health services. With a special interest in design of digital health systems via cloud-based software, Gillian through HCSL has supported the sector in moving from a paper-based to a digital workforce.  

Courtney Carter Smith

Concurrent Session C: Capacity funded respite care in ARC – case study: A review, and possibilities for the future

A more recent addition to The Eldernet Group, Courtney Carter-Smith is a leader with a strong public health background. Passionate about supporting older adults, she oversees Eldernet’s contracted services and fosters relationships within and beyond the health sector. As Partnerships Manager, Courtney also leads a team providing public support, distributing Where from here, managing emergencies, and assisting Aged Residential Care with bed vacancy reporting.

Eleanor Bodger

Concurrent Session C: Capacity funded respite care in ARC – case study: A review, and possibilities for the future

Eleanor, QSO, is a founder and a Director of Eldernet. Her background in nursing, social work and community development has equipped her with a broad understanding of the sector. Being intensely curious she is always looking for ways to improve our ageing journey.

Prof. Ajmol Ali

Ajmol (Aj) is an accomplished professor, thought leader and international conference speaker on wellness. He has a PhD from Loughborough University (UK) and has been a Professor of Exercise Science at Massey university for over twenty years. 

Aj has invested considerable time and research into understanding how people can enjoy a thriving state of wellness, focusing on four critical areas – mental health, exercise, nutrition and sleep. Together with his co-founder – Owen Mugridge, Aj created Imago Wellness Coaching, an online platform for employers and individuals to obtain specialised targeted wellness coaching and resources.  

As an international conference speaker, he has been invited to speak at numerous conferences and events in Ireland, France, Czechia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, UK, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, China and Hong Kong. He also speaks at professional bodies and conferences in New Zealand. 

Aj is a firm believer of practicing what he preaches, and wellness is always a priority for him and his family. Being a dad to two young children has made him think of creative and practical ways to also engage children and support family wellness. 

Andy Inder

Responding to and implementing the results of the ARC service and funding review

Andy Inder has over 20 years of experience in technology and operational leadership, with a record of delivering effective & sustainable change in complex systems. He likes to partner with leaders in the New Zealand health system to deliver strategic responses to tomorrow’s challenges. 

Andy has spent 3 and a half years with the HealthTech start-up – Tend Health, helping design modern primary care services and launching the business’s first two general practices. He has also led large-scale infrastructure procurement, national IT infrastructure deployment, disaster recovery, emergency national health system procurement (during COVID-19), and equity projects in primary care.  

Holding an MBA with Distinction from Victoria University of Wellington, Andy is also a Chartered Member of the NZ Institute of Directors Holding, fueled by a passion for innovation, collaboration and transformation in the health and technology sectors.  

Melissa Clark-Reynolds

Closing keynote

Melissa Clark-Reynolds is widely recognised as an inspirational role model and business leader. A futurist and professional director with 25 years’ experience as a technology entrepreneur and CEO of a number of tech companies, Melissa sits on the Boards of Wētā Workshop, Atkins Ranch, Alpine Energy and Daffodil Enterprises. 

She is the former deputy chair of Radio NZ, director of Jasmax Architects and Kiwi Insurance. Melissa was the first non-farmer Director of New Zealand Beef + Lamb, a Member of MPI’s Primary Growth Partnership Investment Advisory Panel, a Member of EECA’s LEV Panel and Chair of the LINZ Risk & Audit Committee.  

Melissa works with companies to understand the future and become resilient while shaping the kind of world they want. She has a particular focus on sustainable business models and decarbonisation. Melissa received the ONZM for Services to Technology in 2015. She is a sought-after speaker on what is coming next, new technologies and how we navigate complexity and uncertain futures.