Conference Speakers in 2018

Speakers at The Corporate PA Summits are a mixture of celebrity speakers, inspirational professional speakers and leading EAs. Bios and photos of confirmed speakers will be posted on this page.

The Corporate PA Summit attracts a fantastic mix of inspirational speakers and successful case study speakers. The 51st Corporate PA Summit will build upon this tradition, with an agenda packed full of exceptional speakers. Below you will find the speakers confirmed so far for 2018:

Rt Hon Sir John Key

Rt Hon Sir John Key was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2008 to 2016, winning three general elections as leader of the centre-right National Party. He led the country through the aftermath of the global financial crisis and a series of devastating earthquakes in New Zealand’s second-biggest city. When he retired from office New Zealand had one of the highest growth rates and best fiscal positions of any advanced economy.

Sir John was well respected in international affairs and chaired the International Democrat Union and the United Nations Security Council in 2016. Among his portfolio’s he was Minister for Tourism and has a strong interest in the best that New Zealand has to offer both local and international tourists. He was the instigator of the great New Zealand Cycle Trail.

Since retiring from politics, Sir John has been an ambassador for philanthropic Japanese billionaire Dr Haruhisa Handa, his International Sports Promotion Society (ISPS HANDA) and other agencies. He is also has a keen passion for golf.

Sir John received top honours in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday list. He was made a Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit which brings with it the title of Sir John. While he is certain people will still call him John, he was delighted that Bronagh becomes Lady Key. He was also recognised by the Australian Government and has been appointed an Honorary Companion in the Order of Australia.

In September 2017, Sir John joined the Board of Air New Zealand and is the Chairman of ANZ. He is enjoying advisory and consulting roles for a number of different entities throughout the world.

Sir John worked in investment banking for 20 years primarily for Bankers Trust in New Zealand and Merrill Lynch in Singapore, London and Sydney. His positions included heading Merrill Lynch’s global foreign exchange business along with responsibility for European derivative trading and E. Commerce.

Sir John was a member of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (1999-2001).

Nadia Lim

‘Nude Food’ advocate Nadia Lim is all about everyday simple, healthy, delicious food.

As a budding young cook, (who’s idol was Jamie Oliver), when she was just 12 years old she came up with the idea of ‘Nude Food’, and it has been her mantra ever since. She wasn’t referring to cooking or eating in the nude, in case that’s what you were thinking! Rather, Nude Food signifies fresh, natural, real food, which is free from being dressed up in fancy packages, marketing and additives, a message she conveys to her audiences with her fresh, bright and tasty recipes.

It’s been a big ride for the Otago University qualified dietitian and former MasterChef New Zealand winner over the last few years.

She has six best-selling cookbooks, is one of the founders of My Food Bag, a genius recipe and meal kit delivery service that has delivered over 30 million meal kits to households across New Zealand and Australia, has her own lifestyle Magazine ‘Nadia’ which was launched in October 2016 and is the proud mum of Bodhi!

She is also ambassador of the Cambodia Charitable Trust, a charity that supports schools and teacher training colleges in rural Cambodia, helping to re-build the education system after the atrocious Pol Pot regime.

Nadine Higgins (MC)

News presenter and reporter Nadine Higgins has been appearing on screens for nearly a decade. She’s been a presenter for TVNZ, and host on Breakfast, Business, Seven Sharp and One News.

Today, she’s delivering news on Newstalk ZB, writing a regular column for the Sunday Star Times and is a popular fill in on TV3’s The Project.

An avid foodie, she’s also recently indulged her passion for cooking and has teamed up with her husband Dan Higgins and two friends to hit the streets with their food truck ‘Yeah Nann’. The popular food truck serves up tandoor-baked nann bread with all the delicious topping in Coxs Bay, Auckland.

Nadine has been an in-demand MC for several years, particularly for conferences that require a sharp and enquiring mind to tackle complex issues or a skilled interviewer for a panel discussion or moderated talks.

Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo

Considered Shaquille O’Neal’s “Head coach for Happiness”, Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo is on a mission to free people from their inner critic to create the health, wealth and happiness they crave.

Her unique ability to help men and women unlock their own, unique personal happiness code has made her America’s most interviewed celebrity psychologist, with over 75 radio and TV appearances on shows like Dr. Oz, The TODAY Show, Steve Harvey, CNN and others. Dr. Lombardo’s articles can frequently be found in SUCCESS, Fast Company, Better Homes & Gardens, Huffington Post and other respected publications.

A Licensed Practicing Psychologist with a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy and a Ph.D. in Psychology, Dr. Lombardo’s newest bestselling book and upcoming course, Better Than Perfect: 7 Strategies to Crush Your Inner Critic and Create a Life you Love helps anyone suffering from conditional self worth or perfectionism turn down their critic’s voice, turn up their self-confidence and gain essential skills to flourish in work, health, relationships and life.

Peggy Grande

President Ronald Reagan chose Peggy Grande to work at his side for 10 years, and together they created a powerful partnership. Serving as his post-presidency Executive Assistant, Peggy was the liaison between Ronald Reagan personally and his staff, the public, local dignitaries and world leaders. She ensured that his events, travel, personal and political relationships and day to day operations were handled efficiently and effectively. She had a front row seat to history and got to know Ronald Reagan the man, not just the president.

She drafted and managed correspondence for his original signature, reviewed invitations, scheduled visitors, appointments and phone calls and attended to a wide range of office and personal needs. Peggy traveled with him regularly and was also his post-presidency official photographer which gave her a behind the scenes view of his private interactions with everyone from the general public to heads of state, including Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher, Brian Mulroney, Helmut Kohl and even a saint – Mother Teresa. Peggy witnessed first-hand leadership on display at its highest and best. It was the honor of a lifetime for her to have known and worked closely with one of the greatest political figures of our era.

As a keynote speaker, she shares principles of leadership and excellence with corporations, non-profits, C-Suites, political groups, students and executive assistants. She is a certified consultant for the Fascination Assessment, and uses it to help individuals and companies discover and articulate their highest value.

Peggy is a graduate of Pepperdine University with a degree in Organizational Communications and Business. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their four diverse and accomplished children.

Peggy is the author of “The President Will See You Now: My Stories and Lessons From Ronald Reagan’s Final Years”

Amy Scott

Amy is a proud born & bred rural New Zealand Central Otago girl.

Whilst she’s represented NZ in ice hockey, she’s still not allowed to drive tractors! Following a career as a practising lawyer, Amy changed direction.

She has since had over 10 years experience as a communication consultant, speaker,
trainer, mentor, coach and facilitator.

She is a recognised “thought leader” in the areas of connection, courage & compassion. She is currently one of Australasia’s most sought after speakers.

Dr Adrian Medhurst

Dr Adrian Medhurst is a psychologist, author, and co-founder of the work-life wellbeing tech business – Benny Button.

He is on a mission to optimise performance and wellbeing for people and organisations Adrian firmly believes that when we mindfully live at the intersection of our optimal level of performance and wellbeing, we are on the path to discovering new peaks of our potential.

“We need wellbeing to perform at our best – no exceptions. This means wellbeing AND performance deserve our mindful attention and effort – no exceptions.”

Adrian’s expertise has grown from a doctorate in organisational psychology, over 10 years in corporate consulting, university lecturing, and dedicated ongoing scientific study and practise in performance psychology, wellbeing science, organisational innovation, mindfulness meditation and yoga. He’s based in the coffee capital city of Melbourne, but his work has seen him deliver training programs, facilitated workshops, and keynote presentations right across Australia, Asia, Central and South America, the UK and our New Zealand neighbours.

Adrian has worked with businesses at the big end of town, as well as NFP’s, Government departments, SME’s and startups. Some of which include CBA, Nike, Medibank, Swisse Wellness, Kimberly Clark, Australia Post, Coles, Vinomofo, NAB, Qantas, Fairfax, SBS, Asahi Schweppes, AFL Players Association, AMP, Red Cross, SBS, Novartis, BP, Sugar Australia, Heinz, and Fosters.

In his earlier years, Adrian was a dedicated Australian champion in track and field who competed in the 400m hurdles around the world – a career which gave him his first insights into the power of the mind in optimising performance and the crucial role of wellbeing.

Adrian is an author of the forthcoming book “Meditate on This: The Science of Mindfulness” and has two entrepreneurial ventures – Benny Button and Amelie.ai.

Lisa O’Neill

Charismatic and engaging, Lisa is a well known keynote speaker, author and MC to audiences in New Zealand and Australia.

Lisa is obsessed with people living the lives that they want to live – to honour themselves by being more of themselves. Helping companies improve their staff & customer engagement and individuals to have more energy, more passion and more happiness in their lives. Lisa gives people the tools and the permission to be the bet version of themselves.

With more than 10 years experience as a keynote speaker, Lisa speaks about the importance of energy, excellence and enthusiasm, .the power of personal presentation, the myth of work-life balance and how to live a magnificent life.

Being born and raised in small town New Zealand is what Lisa credits her ability to work with people from all walks of life. Having married her childhood sweetheart and raising 4 children while building a business, Lisa is the ‘queen of the juggle’ and a high energy multitasker.

Lisa is the author of two books, “Look Gorgeous, Be Happy” and “Juggling in High Heels – How to Organise Chaos”, and is currently working on her next book to be released in 2018.

She believes we all want to be happy, to have energy, to feel amazing but so few know how. How to have, do, and be the vibrant energetic person that they dream of being.

Lisa’s keynote presentations are guaranteed to leave you feeling motivated, inspired and full of energy.

Kristy Lobb, EA to CEO, Vodafone NZ

Kristy started her career as a PA/EA whilst travelling the world in her twenties. She spent almost ten years working in the Advertising Industry before making the leap to the Technology Sector. Kristy has worked with Russell Stanners, CEO of Vodafone NZ for 7.5 years.