Speakers

Adam founded Scarlatti in 2004 and is still very much hands-on and at the wheel. His work for clients spans most of the areas that Scarlatti operates in including extension programme design, market research, workforce research, impact modelling and operations research. Adam’s idea of a good time consists of interrogating a problem down to its logical roots then working his way back up to find solutions. Much of the time this is useful to Scarlatti’s clients although Adam’s wife and children are less convinced. Adam was previously Chief Operating Officer of Celentis, a commercial science company owned by AgResearch, and before that was a consultant for leading strategy consultancy McKinsey & Company, based in London. Adam holds a Bachelor of Engineering (First Class Honours) from the University of Auckland and a Doctorate in Engineering from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Dana is Scarlatti’s wellbeing programme design specialist with over 25 years’ experience in the wellbeing space. Her work also spans strategy facilitation, monitoring and evaluation, extension programme design, and impact modelling. Her farming background, and wellbeing and corporate experience, brings a comprehensive perspective and depth of knowledge to our projects. She initiated the GoodYarn licensing programme, which has seen over 20,000 people educated in mental health literacy and has served over 500 clients in the wellbeing space. Dana loves questioning the status quo and discovering new ways to approach old dilemmas. These qualities ensure clients do not get tick box programmes but find the right initiatives and solutions for their organisation. Dana holds a Bachelor of Psychology, with post-graduate studies in physiology. She is a certified personal trainer, fitness instructor and wellness coach. Dana also speaks at conferences and forums on multiple topics.

Originally from the UK, Linda moved to New Zealand in 2014. In her younger years, she was a British Rhythmic Gymnast competing all over the world including at the 1994 Commonwealth Games where she won a bronze medal. She then went on to work as a Personal Fitness Trainer and Ashtanga Yoga Teacher.  In 2002, she completed a Psychology degree from the University of Manchester and then worked as a Research Psychologist at the Institute of Psychiatry in Kings College London. She has also completed post-graduate training in the ACT model of psychotherapy. In 2011 she graduated from University College London Medical School. She then obtained a Post-graduate diploma from the UK Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in 2013. Linda is a Specialist General Practitioner and Fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. Linda is a NAMS Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP). NAMS (North American Menopause Society) is regarded as the leading global authority on Menopause. She is also a member of the Australasian Menopause Society, the British Menopause Society, the North American Menopause Society and the European Menopause and Andropause Society.

Liza is one of New Zealand’s leading authorities in holistic animal healthcare. She has served as president of the Complementary Veterinary Medicine Branch since 2010 and is a co-founder of SustainaVet, an organisation that facilitates collaboration and provides a depository for resources to support, encourage and guide our veterinary community to apply the concepts of sustainability and ultimately regenerative practice, congruent with our one health model..  In 2003 Liza established award winning Holistic Vets in Tauranga, a fully integrated veterinary practice combining conventional veterinary medicine and surgery with complementary therapies, which is the first of its kind in New Zealand. Liza is also the founding trustee of ARRC Wildlife Trust, a charitable trust which provides veterinary care and services to rehabilitate wildlife and has been the recipient of community awards.  Education is a key focus of ARRC, especially of children. To help achieve this ARRC has produced a series of children’s books illustrating the human impact on wildlife and what children can do to help. Throughout her veterinary career Liza has sought and applied complementary and natural therapies which are easy to learn, practical to apply and highly effective at assisting her patients to heal. She has always believed that as a vet, it is not simply her job to practice veterinary science, but it is her responsibility to make sure that she always gives her patients the best possible care; knowing that she’s explored every option to enhance their health. Over the years Liza has been recognised for her work in the community, her entrepreneurship and business acumen with several awards. In 2020 She was the recipient of the New Zealand Veterinary Association’s Veterinary Impact Award which is bestowed on an individual who has made a considerable positive impact for the veterinary profession. Liza delights in educating, inspiring and entertaining people about sustainable healthcare and the importance of preserving our natural heritage. 

Founding Director of The Strand Veterinarian Limited and Creative Director of veterinary professional wellbeing promoting social enterprise Vet Thrive Limited, Megan graduated from Massey University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science. Starting with eight years of mixed practice interspersed with world travel, she moved into companion animal practice, and this has continued to be an absolute passion for her for the past 22 years. As an explorer, a scientist, a pioneer, and a working veterinary clinician for over 30 years, she has business experience and acumen matched with an insatiable appetite to make sustainable change for the industry. After 12 years of building The Strand Veterinarian into an iconic Auckland companion animal practice, her purpose is to bring global thought leaders together so they can invest in our most precious resource – our carers. Her current work is to provide an accessible and affordable multi layered toolbox to bring best wellbeing practice into every veterinary workplace to support veterinary professionals throughout their career. 

Paul is both a clinical and strategy psychologist. He lives and works in NZ. Being from NZ is helpful in several ways. One is that our population is so small that we have no choice but to become generalists. The breadth of our experience across many domains means we are in a good position to develop pragmatic, holistic, systems-wide approaches. In larger countries, people often just stay within one area of specialisation. This makes it harder to see overarching themes and to develop broad approaches. Much of his career has focused on the interface between individuals, organisations and communities. He seeks innovative ways of using psychological insights to develop practical tools across a wide range of interlinked areas.  He focuses on several areas that I he thinks are particularly important. He has just written a book on AI, which will be published soon. The topics he is interested in are: promoting individual and community well-being; managing systemic risks such as the impact of AI if not managed well; and, optimising private and public sector strategy-making to ensure much faster, more agile decision-making.

Sue is acknowledged as an engaging and practical facilitator, trainer, and consultant across Australasia in areas of Human resources, business development, change management, strategic visioning and planning, communication excellence, staff /team development and management and innovative learning and development initiatives. Sue invests time working as the Business Manager for Provet/Crampton Consulting Group and Animal Industries Resource Centre and received the 2019 Inaugural VBG Business Professional of the Year award and the 2021 AVA Honorary Member award, for her contribution to the veterinary profession over the last 2 decades. Sue was the co-founder of the VNCA and works closely with the VNCA & AVA and many of the SIG’s on many levels. Sue has worked in a variety of roles including animal welfare, general practice, emergency and university settings in the USA and Hong Kong. She has formed international connections and networks across the world and frequently works in countries such as UAE, NZ, Malaysia, Singapore, HK. Sue has an extensive background in human resources, being the previous HR Director for the Provet Group of Companies and acts in consulting roles to many businesses in this area across Australasia. Sue holds degree qualifications in Change Management, Human Resources, Marketing and Neuro Linguistic Programming. She also has a Diploma in Company Directorship and applies her knowledge and skills practically to a diverse range of clientele including universities, specialist centres, associations, pharmaceutical companies, veterinary practices of all disciplines and sizes. Sue has a passion for facilitating people to be the best they can be and experiencing the value people of all walks of life offer to the veterinary profession across the globe.