Kanoa is a bright light in New Zealand broadcasting. Having made her name in children’s television, she successfully transitioned to primetime, first as weather presenter for Newshub and now known as former host of The Project, weeknights at 7pm on Three.

With thousands of live broadcasting hours behind her Kanoa is unflappable, equally at home reading from a script, ad libbing her way through a gap in proceedings or interviewing special guests.

Dr. Rose Joudi (Ph.D. Psych.) is a certified consultant specialising in ageing and ethnic diversity, an international speaker on ethnocultural diversity, older adult mistreatment, and ageism, and a facilitator with expertise in Psychological First Aid, Natural Supports, and Trauma-Informed Care.

In 2024, she developed a program centred on Compassionate Approaches to Ethnocultural Older Adult Mistreatment and Abuse in Alberta, which has since been disseminated across Canada.

Dr. Joudi passionately advocates for holistic, compassionate care, highlighting the importance of meeting the unique needs of those we serve and support. She is committed to empowering professionals to implement inclusive, person-centred and directed strategies that promote dignity and respect.

Currently, she is the Project Manager for The Way In Network (TWIN) at Carya (Calgary), a collaborative initiative aimed at enhancing the quality of life and access to services for older adults and their families.

Dr. Joudi is also a board member of the Alberta Association on Gerontology (AAG) and the Alberta Council on Aging (ACA). Additionally, she acts as an advisor on older adult welfare and safety for Alberta’s Ministry of Seniors, Community, and Social Services.

Nadine Gray (Te Whakatōhea)  is the National Chief Nursing Officer for Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, commencing the inaugural role in July 2024.

Formerly Chief Nursing Officer at Te Aka Whai Ora | Māori Health Authority, Nadine brings strategic leadership, clinical expertise, and a deep commitment to advancing Māori health outcomes.  She highly values nurses in leadership maintaining clinical credibility by working on the frontline of healthcare.  Nadine enjoys working in a community-based palliative care practice setting. The primary purpose of the National Chief Nurse role is to provide strong professional leadership for our highly valued nurses across the system, ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality care. This includes developing and maintaining the nursing workforce as well as increasing the proportion of Māori and Pacific nurses. As a member of the National Clinical Leadership Team, Nadine ensures that clinical advice and expertise underpins strategic decisions, especially for health service design and delivery.

Nadine’s previous experience includes roles as Clinical Chief Advisor Nursing at Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health, and as Māori Clinical Nurse Specialist in Cancer Care at Capital & Coast DHB, supporting whānau Māori in cancer care pathways. She holds a Master of Health Sciences with First Class Honours and a Bachelor of Nursing and is currently an adjunct teaching fellow at the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Practice at Victoria University of Wellington.

Cheyne is a Registered Nurse and seasoned Healthcare Executive with over 30 years’ experience in Public and Private healthcare in Australia and New Zealand. She is a Fellow of the College of Nurses Australia, and is an Adjunct Professor with Deakin University where she shares her insights and experience with the next generation of learners. She holds a Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing) from Manukau Institute of Technology and a Master’s in Health Services Management from Massey University. She is also a member of the Institute of Directors and Global Women in New Zealand. Cheyne has been an active member of the ACA Nursing Leadership Group since its inception in 2020.

More recently Cheyne was the Chief Executive of Ryman Healthcare and lead the New Zealand Aged Care and Retirement Village business for New Zealand. Prior to that she was the Chief Operations Officer for Ryman Healthcare assuming responsibility for the clinical care and overall wellbeing of all Ryman’s residents.

Cheyne initially trained and built a successful career in New Zealand, where she held senior roles in public health, such as, Director of Nursing at Capital and Coast DHB (2005-2009), and prior to that was the Nurse Leader for Cardiac Services at Auckland DHB. Cheyne was the nurse lead on various significant healthcare initiatives during this time, including being a part of the National Safety Committee and the National Medication Advisory Committee.

Prior to moving back to New Zealand and joining Ryman, Cheyne spent 10 years in Melbourne working as the Executive Director of Residential and Support Services and Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer at Monash Health in Victoria.

During Cheyne’s time in Victoria Cheyne was influential at state and national level and was a nurse-leader on the Commonwealth review, introducing a Clinical Governance Framework which is now embedded in the Australian National Standards.

Regan Gilchrist is a Registered Nurse who has worked in the aged residential care sector his entire nursing career. He works as a Clinical Nurse Manager for the largest aged care facility in Otago and Southland, that lies beneath a larger organisation. Regan is passionate about caring for older people, aged care, as well as promoting this area of nursing for our most vulnerable. Regan holds special interests in infection control, end of life care, and nursing education.

Regan has held several clinical roles in Aged Residential Care, including in clinical and facility management. His current role encompasses overall clinical operations, education, quality, infection control and professional workforce development. Regan is a passionate educator and takes any chance to promote ARC as a career pathway for new nurses coming through. Regan holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences, endorsed in Nursing from the University of Otago, and last year completed his Master’s research. In addition to this, Regan sits as the current secretary for the National Committee for the College of Gerontology Nursing, and uses this platform for advocacy and support of this area of nursing.

Regan’s presentation summarises his Master’s research and explores knowledge and attitudes of staff working within aged care around caring for individuals as they age with HIV. This research forms part of a wider University of Otago project exploring Ageing with HIV, and Regan will present on behalf on the wider research team. A larger proportion of individuals are now ageing with HIV, and it is important staff in aged care have the skills, knowledge and expertise to care for this population moving forward, which Regan will cover.

Blesster Saga hails from the tropical islands of the Philippines, where he began his healthcare journey by earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Cebu – Banilad Campus. During his studies, he was recognized with a leadership award, a reflection of his early commitment to excellence and service. His nursing career took root in the operating theatre before he set out on a life-changing adventure to New Zealand in 2012. Later that year, he completed a Graduate Certificate in Infection Prevention and Control at Wairiki Institute of Technology’s Mokia Campus in Rotorua (now Toi Ohomai Polytechnic), marking the beginning of a remarkable healthcare career in his adopted country.

As an internationally qualified nurse, Blesster completed the Competency Assessment Program at Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology in 2015, gaining valuable clinical experience at Princess Margaret Hospital. His career flourished at Ballarat Care Home, where he served not only as a nurse but also as the infection control officer,  Careerforce assessor and InterRAI LTCF assessor. His professional achievements were recognized with a BUPA Scholarship in 2017. In 2018, Blesster relocated to Wanaka to take on a senior registered nurse role at Aspiring Enliven. Under his leadership, the facility won the Age Advisor Awards, earning recognition as one of the top-performing care homes in the South Island.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Blesster continued to build on his qualifications by completing a Graduate Certificate in Nursing Practice from ARA Institute of Canterbury in 2019, followed by a Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma in Health Sciences (Gerontology) from Otago University. In 2020, he joined Timaru Hospital where he worked across ATR, the Medical Ward, and the COVID Ward, and notably became one of New Zealand’s first Acute InterRAI Educators. His return to aged care in 2022 as Clinical Manager at Strathallan Lifecare was marked by major successes, including a flawless certification audit, reopening of the hospital wing, and securing a winter surge contract with the South Canterbury District Health Board.

Today, Blesster serves as the Group Clinical & Quality Manager for Promisia Healthcare, where he leads with a deep commitment to safe, high-quality care and introduced  the ” Service with a Smile” initiative emphasizing the importance of compassionate and personalised care. His career is a powerful example of how continuous learning and compassionate leadership can shape the future of aged residential care. Blesster brings both expertise and heart to every role he undertakes. His journey is not just one of professional accomplishment but also a heartfelt dedication to the well-being of older people across New Zealand.

With an award-winning career ranging from diplomat and international keynote speaker to business and public sector leader, Ziena has helped some of New Zealand’s largest businesses build their reputation and revenue, advised Ministers, led large-scale change and transformation programmes, and supported Māori, Pacific and ethnic women and young people into leadership roles. Her current portfolio includes leadership and governance roles across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors including as Commissioner for the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake and Deputy Chief Executive at Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology. 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, investment and education in Asia, where she was based for ten years including as Education New Zealand Regional Director for South and Southeast Asia, New Zealand Trade Commissioner to Singapore and Head of North Asia Marketing and Communications for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. She holds a Master of Arts (First Class Hons) in International Relations and Politics from the University of Auckland, a Bachelor of Communication Studies, and Diploma of International Trade.

With significant demographic changes and a highly pressured workforce in New Zealand, rapid technological advancements and a volatile, complex global environment, strong leadership has never been more important. In this keynote, Ziena will share how to build a thriving aged care workforce which meets our needs today and into the future.

Anna is a Registered Nurse with 36 years of experience in New Zealand and Canada. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Leadership, a Brain-Based Coaching Certificate, and a Professional Supervision Certificate. Her public health career spanned leadership roles including Charge Nurse, After Hours Coordinator, Unit Manager and Associate Director of Nursing.

Since 2009, Anna has specialised in Aged Residential Care, turning around a failing facility and later founding her consultancy business to support others in the sector. She played a key role in Arohanui Hospice’s SEQUAL palliative care/ ARC project and now co-owns, with her husband Wayne, an award-winning aged residential care facility in Palmerston North.

Anna chairs the ACA Nursing Leadership Group and contributes to national advisory groups in palliative care and aged care policy. She is a passionate advocate for the nursing profession and continues to mentor through leadership coaching and professional supervision.

Emma is an experienced Nurse Practitioner, currently working in rural Primary Care. Emma has a special interest in Palliative and End of Life Care.  Emma has held previous roles as a Nurse Practitioner in Aged Care and Specialist Palliative Care.  Prior to becoming a Nurse Practitioner Emma worked in Oncology, Haematology and Community Hospice for much of her career. Emma is on the executive for Nurse Practitioners New Zealand and is a member of the Te Whatu Ora National Palliative Care Steering Group.

This presentation is designed to provide healthcare professionals with the essential tools to offer compassionate and comprehensive care for older people with life-limiting illnesses. We will delve into key aspects of managing older people with chronic and life-limiting conditions. Focusing on the benefits of early palliative care interventions, including Advance Care Planning.  Strategies for integrating palliative care will be discussed, focusing on communication skills, symptom management, enhancing quality of life, and providing psychological support. This holistic approach empowers healthcare workers to provide individualized and culturally appropriate care that aligns with the person and whānau goals and values. The presentation will also cover end-of-life care, including how to recognize when a person is dying and the role of specialist palliative care services. We will finish with an overview of Assisted Dying in Aotearoa, outlining legal responsibilities and the role of healthcare providers in facilitating access to this service.

Katherine Ravenswood is a professor in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law at AUT. She is an employment relations expert, focusing on macro and workplace issues for the care and support workforce. In addition to roles on working groups and committees for the Ministry of Health and Human Rights Commission, she has provided expert evidence to government agencies in Australia, think tanks in the UK and to the OECD. Her research is funded the NZ Health Research Council, the Royal Society Marsden Grant and the MBIE Industrial Relations foundation.

We often think about workplace violence in relation to particular events or incidents and frame it as an issue between individuals. This perspective limits the way in which we can prevent and mitigate WPV and opens it up for a ‘blame game’. This is significant in healthcare organisations because of the complexity of relationships between co-workers, clients, community and healthcare systems. This presentation gives an overview of some recent data on WPV, introduces the ‘socio-ecological’ framework for understanding and assessing workplace violence, and concludes with some suggestions for best practice workplace violence prevention in care and support work.

Anu is a passionate nurse leader who switched to Aged care after 14 years of working in Critical care lead position as a Nurse. After moving to NZ in 2018, she has enjoyed working in Aged care and is passionate about being a strong advocate for elderly in the community. Currently working as the Clinical Manager at Promisia Aldwins House in Christchurch she enjoys being the voice and lead for residents – with a strong passion for End of life care, Palliative care, Pain Management, mental health in elderly, clinical education, quality reviews and cultural assessments as her key areas.

Anu is active among the Indian Community over last few years and served as the President of the Indian Community in Southland guiding migrants who come to the country and working closely with the Ministry of Ethnic development. She has been a Nurse Preceptor for the IQN CAP programme in the Southland region bridging and mentoring IQN during their transition as NZRN. Anu is one of the first IQN to collaborate with Otago University and SIT to initiate and bring CAP programme to the region of Southland which has been a game changer within the region . Out of work she loves being engaged in Community roles, Travelling, promoting cultural heritage through children and Hosting events.

Riha Devendra is a Registered Nurse originally from Fiji, bringing a wealth of diverse clinical experience to his role as Clinical Team Lead. After relocating to Aotearoa in 2022, he initially worked as a caregiver before successfully completing his Competency Assessment Programme (CAP) later that year. Within his first year as a Registered Nurse, Riha progressed into a leadership position — a testament to his clinical excellence, leadership capability, and commitment to high-quality care.

Riha’s career in Fiji spanned critical care, cardiovascular nursing, emergency medicine, and medical evacuation. His fearless dedication led him to frontline roles as a Critical Care Flight Nurse, Medical Evacuation Coordinator, and leader of nursing services across Fiji’s corrections divisions reflecting a profound commitment to saving lives and serving communities in their most vulnerable moments.

Initially, Riha questioned if aged care was his calling after years of adrenaline-fueled, life-saving work. But through his work with older adults, he discovered a transformative passion. He now champions the complexity, dignity, and profound humanity of aged care nursing. His vision is clear: to redefine aged care through innovation, advocacy, and unwavering respect for the elderly. Today, he is working towards becoming a Nurse Practitioner specializing in aged care, determined to elevate standards and inspire the next generation of aged care workforce.

In his session, Riha will share his heartfelt journey of resilience from starting anew in a foreign country to finding his true purpose in aged care. He’ll speak with honesty about the challenges of rebuilding his career, the cultural shifts he navigated, and the mentors who ignited his passion for gerontology. His story is a rally for perseverance, reinvention, and the transformative power of empathy. Through his eyes, audiences will see aged care not as an endpoint, but as a calling that demands courage, heart, and an unyielding belief in the value of every life, at every stage.

Queen Rose Retirement Home is a boutique aged care facility co-owned and operated by Andrea De Leon, Elaine Martinez, and Elyana Castillo. Together, they have created a warm, personalised environment where compassionate care, dignity, and community are at the heart of everything they do. Their shared vision and hands-on leadership recently earned Queen Rose the coveted Overall Excellence in Aged Care Award, which led to their invitation to speak at this year’s symposium.

Andrea, with a background in nursing and leadership, brings both heart and strategy to the business. Elaine, as the Activities Coordinator, plays a vital role in designing programs that bring joy, connection, and meaning to residents’ daily lives. Elyana, drawing from her early childhood education (ECE) background, has naturally transitioned into a nurturing and effective Care Manager, known for her empathetic leadership and ability to build strong rapport with both residents and staff.

At this year’s symposium, the Andrea, Elaine and Elyana will speak on “Reigniting Passion in Aged Care”—a timely reminder of why we entered this field in the first place. Drawing from real-life experiences at Queen Rose, the trio will share practical strategies to reconnect with purpose, boost team morale, and lead with renewed energy in today’s ever-evolving care landscape.