Conference Program
The Corporate PA Summit program is designed to deliver content that is cutting-edge, highly beneficial, easily transferable, empowering and inspirational. It’s designed specifically to help you fulfil your potential and be the best you can be.
You can find the full 2026 program below.
8:30 – REGISTRATION AND COFFEE
9:00 – OPENING REMARKS FROM THE CHAIR
Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept – it is already reshaping organisations. But while headlines focus on automation and disruption, the real question for EAs and PAs is far more strategic:
Where do you position yourself in an AI-enabled workplace?
Globally recognised AI leader Dr Mahsa McCauley will cut through the hype to provide clarity on what’s actually changing, what truly matters, and where the opportunity lies for professionals operating at the intersection of people, information and decision-making.
Drawing on her work shaping national AI policy, advising global institutions and leading research across machine learning, cybersecurity and natural language processing, Dr Mahsa will explore how technology is transforming workflows, redefining capability and elevating the importance of human judgement.
You will leave with a sharper understanding of how to remain relevant, strategic and indispensable in a world where AI is embedded in everyday operations.
- Understand how AI is reshaping organisational structures and executive decision-making
- Identify where automation enhances your role, and where human capability becomes more valuable
- Build confidence in navigating AI-enabled tools and conversations
- Position yourself as a strategic partner in digital transformation initiatives
- Recognise the ethical and governance implications of AI in corporate environments
- Develop a future-ready mindset that strengthens your long-term influence and career security
Artificial intelligence can process information faster than any human, but it can’t replace judgement. As AI becomes embedded in workflows, reporting, scheduling and strategy, the true differentiator for EAs and PAs is no longer efficiency, but discernment.
In this powerful session, critical thinking coach and author of The Human Edge, Bethan Winn will explore the skill that determines whether professionals become passive operators of technology, or trusted advisors within it.
Building on her latest research and practical frameworks, Bethan will show how to strengthen your cognitive performance in environments saturated with data, speed and complexity.
This session is about sharpening your thinking so that you can support better executive decisions, navigate ambiguity with confidence and maintain influence in high-stakes environments
- Understand why critical thinking is the most valuable human skill in an AI-enabled workplace
- Apply practical frameworks to improve judgement under pressure
- Identify cognitive bias and information overload before they impact decision quality
- Ask sharper questions that elevate conversations with executives and stakeholders
- Strengthen your role as a trusted strategic sounding board
- Build a personal “thinking toolkit” to approach complex challenges with clarity and confidence
10:45 – MORNING COFFEE
In today’s high-demand corporate environments, mental clarity is a necessity in order to effectively process the huge amounts of information required as an EA, as well as make rapid decisions, anticipate risks and support leaders at the highest level. But cognitive performance is not just a mindset issue, it is deeply connected to how you fuel, recover and sustain your brain.
Leading nutritionist and performance expert Claire Turnbull will unpack the science behind cognitive energy, focus and mental endurance. Drawing on evidence-based research, Claire will explore how small, strategic adjustments can significantly enhance concentration, decision-making and resilience across the workday.
- Understand how nutrition and lifestyle directly impact cognitive clarity and decision quality
- Identify common energy disruptors that undermine focus and performance
- Implement practical strategies to stabilise energy across long, demanding days
- Support sharper thinking in meetings, presentations and high-stakes conversations
- Reduce brain fog and mental fatigue through science-backed adjustments
- Build sustainable habits that enhance long-term cognitive performance
12:15
From support to strategic: How job crafting enables influence, impact and career growth
Executive and Personal Assistants sit at the intersection of people, information and decision-making – but stepping into strategic influence doesn’t happen by accident. It is intentionally crafted.
In this research-informed session, Udari (EA Team Leader at the University of Auckland and PhD candidate in organisational psychology) will explore how EAs can proactively shape their roles through job crafting – aligning responsibilities, relationships and resources to increase impact, credibility and career progression.
Drawing on award-winning research and real-world experience as both a practising EA and academic, this session will bridge theory and practice to show how intentional role design can elevate influence, confidence and strategic contribution.
- Understand what job crafting is – and why it matters in high-performance EA roles
- Learn practical ways to personalise your role to align with organisational strategy
- Build credibility and influence by proactively shaping how you contribute
- Explore how job crafting supports career progression within (and beyond) the EA role
- Gain research-backed insights you can immediately apply
13:00 – LUNCH BREAK
As the architect behind New Zealand’s global dominance in canoe sprint – and the long-standing coach of Olympic champion Dame Lisa Carrington – Gordon Walker understands what it takes to build excellence that endures.
In environments where expectations are high and margins are small, success is rarely about motivation alone. It is about structure, discipline, feedback, adaptability and the relentless refinement of standards.
Drawing on his experience developing world champions and leading high-performance programs, Gordon will unpack what truly separates average execution from elite consistency, including how those principles translate directly into corporate environments.
For EAs and PAs operating at the centre of organisational performance, this session will challenge you to rethink how you approach preparation, resilience, planning and accountability.
- Understand the systems and standards that underpin sustained high performance
- Apply elite-level preparation habits to your own role and responsibilities
- Build discipline and consistency in high-pressure, high-expectation environments
- Strengthen adaptability when plans shift or complexity increases
- Develop feedback and review loops that sharpen performance over time
- Elevate your execution so you become a trusted high-performance partner to your executive
14:45
Mental strength under pressure: Performing at your best when it matters most
As an EA or PA, you sit at the centre of complexity: managing competing priorities, navigating senior stakeholders, protecting executive time and absorbing organisational tension. In this environment, the ability to stay composed, think clearly and make sound decisions under pressure is a definite strategic advantage.
Harvard-trained clinical and performance psychologist Dr Jodie Lowinger has spent two decades coaching CEOs, founders, elite athletes and Special Forces operators on how to thrive in high-stakes environments. In this powerful session, she will unpack the neuroscience behind pressure, resilience and peak performance – and show how mental strength can be trained, refined and embedded.
Drawing on her globally recognised Mind Strength Method™, Jodie will explore how to convert stress into focus, anxiety into clarity, and pressure into performance.
- Understand how pressure impacts decision-making, communication and executive performance
- Apply neuroscience-backed tools to remain calm and composed in high-stakes situations
- Build mental agility to navigate uncertainty and rapid change
- Strengthen your confidence when influencing senior leaders
- Transform self-doubt and overthinking into clarity and decisive action
- Develop sustainable psychological resilience without sacrificing performance
15:30 – AFTERNOON BREAK
Every workplace has challenges – but most professionals never find out how far they are truly capable of going.
For over 25 years, elite ultra-endurance athlete, bestselling author and storyteller Lisa Tamati has pushed the boundaries of human possibility: running over 140 ultramarathons across the Sahara, the Himalayas, Death Valley and beyond; covering more than 70,000 km of gruelling terrain; and tackling some of the most punishing races on the planet.
Her journey is a testament to resilience, courage and relentless momentum when the odds are stacked against you. Through compelling narratives of triumph, setback and reinvention, Lisa will share the lessons that sit at the heart of every success story: how to persist when the world says stop, how to turn adversity into advantage, and how to chart a path forward when the destination seems impossible.
This closing keynote will leave you not just inspired, but equipped to take your influence, impact and performance to the next level.
- Harness adversity as a catalyst for growth and purpose
- Cultivate courage when facing uncertainty and high stakes
- Build enduring momentum — mentally, emotionally and strategically
- Translate ultra-endurance principles into workplace performance
- Strengthen your capacity to lead through challenge
- Leave with the confidence that your “extraordinary” potential is within reach
16:45 – SPONSOR PRIZE DRAWS
16:55 – CLOSING REMARKS FROM THE CHAIR, FOLLOWED BY NETWORKING DRINKS
An absolutely inspiring day that has provided me with valuable tools to use on a daily basis. Great insightful presentations delivered with passion. Very grateful to have participated in this conference.
Bunnings