The Organisational Culture Summit attracts a fantastic mix of inspirational speakers and successful case study speakers. Speakers at the 2026 summit are currently being confirmed – bios and photos of confirmed speakers will be made available on this page as they are confirmed.
Bruce Pilbrow is a distinguished transformational leader with a proven track record of revitalising and elevating major brands across New Zealand’s business and non-profit sectors. As the former CEO of the Spirit of Adventure Trust, Bruce channelled his extensive experience into empowering young New Zealanders through life-changing voyages at sea.
Throughout his career, Bruce has demonstrated exceptional skill in creating and nurturing purpose-driven brands that resonate deeply with individuals and communities. His leadership philosophy centres on the belief that true transformation arises from a blend of creativity, vulnerability, and a steadfast commitment to long-term impact. This approach has consistently resulted in organisations that not only achieve remarkable results but also contribute meaningfully to the future of Aotearoa.
Bruce’s professional journey encompasses significant roles in both commercial enterprises and NGOs, providing him with a unique perspective that integrates commercial insight with profound social responsibility. His tenure is marked by a “yes-first” attitude, embracing challenges with optimism and agility. As a leader, Bruce fosters cultures of trust, fairness, and gratitude, ensuring that every initiative he undertakes is a collective endeavour powered by the talents and dedication of those around him.
Family remains the cornerstone of Bruce’s inspiration and grounding. Their support fuels his passion for creating a legacy that transcends titles and metrics, embedding lasting value into the fabric of society.
Bruce Pilbrow doesn’t just lead organisations; he transforms them into catalysts for positive change, embodying the essence of visionary and purpose-led leadership.
Kaila Colbin is founder and CEO of Boma, an organisation building a world of intentional, intelligent, courageous leaders. An award-winning leader renowned for impact, Kaila works with teams and organisations to build cultural alignment, cultivate honesty, and adapt to a rapidly changing world.
As an international keynote speaker, she has shared the stage with the likes of Bear Grylls, General Stanley McChrystal, astronaut Chris Hadfield, and Swati Mandela. Her powerful, up-to-the-minute insights and world-class delivery make her a standout favourite with any audience.
She developed TEDxChristchurch into New Zealand’s flagship TEDx event and brought Singularity University to New Zealand and Australia, supporting thousands of people to engage with exponentially accelerating technologies and their impact on humanity. Her work to champion Aotearoa New Zealand on a global stage saw her given the 2022 Kea World Class New Zealanders Friend of New Zealand award.
As a founder of the non-profit Ministry of Awesome, Kaila played a critical role in developing Christchurch’s startup ecosystem. She has extensive governance experience, and has been involved with mergers, capital raises, and company sales in the US and NZ. She trained with Brené Brown and Al Gore, and is a chartered member of the Institute of Directors and a certified Project Management Professional.
A native New Yorker, Kaila speaks English, Spanish, French and Italian and holds a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration from Cornell University. Her purpose in life is to be an uplifting presence.
“We can’t change what we don’t challenge, and we can’t challenge what we don’t understand”
Rajna is an internationally recognised Clinical and Organisational Psychologist with over twelve years of experience in both frontline and corporate mental health sectors. Her career is distinguished by her work with war crime victims and witnesses from various United Nations Criminal Tribunals, as well as her time in Bosnia, where she helped those affected by war to heal and rebuild.
Rajna served as a police psychologist and as a senior psychologist within the Melbourne Fire Service, showcasing her ability to navigate and lead in high-stress environments and support those in critical roles. Additionally, her role as a criminology lecturer has allowed her to impart her extensive knowledge to the next generation of professionals.
Upon returning to New Zealand five years ago, Rajna founded Optimally, after seeing a gap for specialist mental health services in the corporate sector in New Zealand. Drawing on her frontline experience, her team of psychologists and her now apply their skills to support the corporate workforce, focusing on bringing specialist mental health services to individuals, teams and whole organisations to foster sustainable and long lasting flourishing.
Michael is a corporate anthropologist, which means he has a degree in understanding and studying human cultures. Michael applies insights from anthropology (the study of human beings as the curators of culture) to organisations to support them in aligning company culture as a strategic asset.
He has over 40 years of experience and has overseen over 300 culture transformation projects, which has taught him what works and what doesn’t when it comes to changing or improving culture.
Both as a keynote speaker and a gifted teacher and educator, Michael brings deep insights that explain what culture is, how it forms and functions, and how you can use this knowledge to optimise your culture. His work has been hailed by the world’s leading expert in organisational culture, the late Professor Edgar Schein, M.I.T Sloan Business School, providing the “Missing link” organisations have been missing for the past fifty years to align culture as a strategic asset.
The year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of Michael’s practice and the launch to the broader market of his astoundingly successful approach to developing culture as a competitive advantage like no other.
Michael is an award-winning author of ten books on organisational culture.
Meredith Wilson is a Culture Expert, Speaker, Author, and Mentor who helps leaders create capacity through culture and leadership. A former executive and board director, she has led cultural transformations in ASX10 and global organisations, navigating growth, acquisitions, and large-scale change.
As CEO of The People Game, Meredith works with executives and leadership teams to make culture simple, practical, and actionable—cutting through the jargon to focus on what really shifts the dial. She is the author of Shift: Everyday Actions Leaders Can Take to Shift Culture and the upcoming Leadershift (expected May 2025), providing real-world insights and everyday actions that make culture work.
Meredith’s approach is calm, reflective, and pragmatic, challenging common myths about culture and leadership. She helps leaders see that culture isn’t a project—it’s their day job, shaped through conversations, decisions, and everyday actions. Her Leadershift Framework helps leaders rethink leadership for the now and next of work, while her GRASS Model—Gatherings, Rituals, Actions, Symbols, Stories—turns culture from theory into daily practice.
A sought-after keynote speaker, mentor, and advisor, Meredith is known for her ability to engage, challenge, and inspire audiences from the boardroom to the frontline. She brings fresh insights, real-world examples, and a touch of humour, leaving leaders confident and ready to take action.