Speaker profiles
Read about the speakers who presented at our 2011 conference: Open All Hours.
Speaker: Spiro Anastasiou, Strategic Communications Manager, Ministry of Health
Topic: Welcome from the Master of Ceremonies
Spiro advises the Director-General of Health and the Ministry Executive Leadership
Team on communication issues and has an overview of the Ministry's long-term communications. He is widely experienced in issues and crisis management and has developed communications strategies and plans for many high profile initiatives.
Speaker: Justine Gilliland, Executive Director of the Royal Commission into the Christchurch Earthquake
Topic: Opening remarks
Justine has been in her current role since May 2011, on secondment from Land Information New Zealand, where she held the role of Strategic Communications Manager since 2007. Prior to joining LINZ, Justine held roles across several public sector agencies in the areas of policy, law and communications. She has also managed strategy and ministerial services functions. In mid-2010, Justine was appointed the inaugural deputy-chair of the public sector communications function, a role she has reluctantly had to relinquish to undertake her current Christchurch-based position.
Speaker: Jason Ryan, Manager Communications and Records Management, State Services Commission
Topic: Setting the Scene
Jason is the Manager, Communications and Records Management at the State Services Commission. He is also the only head of communications in New Zealand's public service that compiles from source. In his time at the Commission, Jason has been an advocate for the use of social media in the public sector. He has written extensively on Govt 2.0 and the social and cultural impact of Internet technologies on public sector organisations on our blog.
Speaker: Matt Lane, Squiz NZ
Topic: New ways in the application of social media
Matt has been with Squiz for almost a year. He focuses on bringing a user-centric perspective to the analysis and planning stages of projects. Previously, Matt spent three years at the State Services Commission assisting with whole-of-government ICT strategy, developed specific departmental online engagement strategies, and led whole-of-government policy development for State servants engaging via social media.
Speaker: Siobahn Bulfin, Digital Channel Manager, Plunket
Topic: Case study 1 - New experiences in the digital age
Siobhan Bulfin is an advisor and practitioner in social media, real-time location-based technologies, community management, social commerce, mobile marketing and social game design. Siobhan currently contracts at Plunket as their Digital Channel manager and is working on a start-up for positive behaviour change.
Speaker: Emma Harrison, Social Media Coordinator, Plunket
Topic: Case study 1 - New experiences in the digital age
Emma Harrison is the Digital and Social Media Coordinator at Plunket. Emma manages Plunket's online community, looks after Plunket's public facing website and delivers training to Plunket staff and volunteers around NZ on social media best practice.
Speaker: Suzanne Pollard, Manager Communications, Department of Conservation
Topic: Case study 2 - New experiences in the digital age
Suzanne Pollard came to her role as Communications Manager at the Department of Conservation after 18 years working in communications roles in a wide range of private and public sector organisations, and an earlier career in journalism.
Speaker: Elizabeth Marenzi, Senior Communications Adviser, Department of Conservation
Topic: Case study - New experiences in the digital age
Elizabeth Marenzi, a Senior Communications Adviser in the DOC web team, is focussed on building relationships with non-traditional audiences through social media channels, supporting DOC's goal of engaging more people with conservation. Elizabeth has experience in print and on-line communication and design, and website management.
Speaker: Mike Shaw, Senior Communications Adviser, Plant and Food Research
Topic: Case study 3 - New experiences in the digital age
Mike Shaw is a Senior Communications Advisor at Plant & Food Research and he is involved in a range of corporate communications activities within the Crown Research Institute, and was instrumental in establishing the company's use of social media tools to share news and engage with the global network of industry and research partners.
Speaker: Tomas Kriha, Ideas Shop
Topic: Government 2.0 or how public services can be delivered through digital engagement
Tomas Kriha is a consultant at Ideas Shop, a Wellington-based public relations consultancy with a range of clients across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Although he has worked across all aspects of corporate communications, he has always had a particular interest in the use of new media for communication. Tomas has worked extensively with the public sector both as an in-house employee - most recently at the Ministry of Justice - and as a consultant.
Speaker: Tina Sutton, General Manager, Government Information Services at the Department of Internal Affairs
Topic: Government Online Strategy and the future vision for online developments
Tina Sutton is the General Manager, Government Information Services at Internal Affairs. She has senior management experience across a broad range of disciplines in both the private and public sector. Her experience includes ICT service delivery, programme and project management, transformational change management, product management and development, and investment management.
Speaker: Jane Bowron, Christchurch columnist and media commentator
Topic: Panel discussion - Crisis communications: Meeting the challenges of Mother Nature and Old Bucky.
Jane Bowron is a freelance journalist who is currently filing a column on the Christchurch earthquakes for the Dominion Post and The Press. She has worked as an arts and court reporter for The Dompost, was a features writer for the Sunday Star Times, and has written TV reviews for the Dominion Post, The Evening Post and the Sunday Star Times. She has also been a columnist for The Listener and did a stint as the agony aunt, Dawn Dusk answering problems for Dominion readers.
Speaker: Lee Cowan, Public Affairs Manager, Christchurch City Council
Topic: Panel discussion - Crisis communications: Meeting the challenges of Mother Nature and Old Bucky.
Lee Cowan has been at Christchurch City Council for over two years working for the public affairs group and currently as a public affairs manager. Lee led communications for Thames Water on a variety of projects before deciding to return home to NZ. Back in the homeland, Lee worked at Horizon Regional Council before making the move to the shaky city.
Speaker: Glyn Walters, External Communications Manager, Auckland Council
Topic: Panel discussion - Crisis communications: Meeting the challenges of Mother Nature and Old Bucky.
Glyn has worked as a communicator, lecturer and journalist in Europe and NZ, including eight years in local government in Auckland. He is Auckland's Civil Defence Public Information Manager and recently provided communications support for Christchurch, the North Shore tornado response and other emergencies.
Speaker: Richard Irvine, Online Community Communications Manager at Telecom
Topic: Reputation management in the digital environment
Richard Irvine is Telecom New Zealand's Online Community Communications Manager. His role is to defining Telecom's social media strategy, managing a range of issues through online channels and leading Telecom's online response team. Richard has held a number of communications roles across Telecom's Retail and Wholesale businesses before joining the corporate media relations team.
Speaker: Glenda Hughes, PR consultant
Topic: Professional development: digital tools in the marketplace
Glenda Hughes runs a sole trader multi faceted communications business. Her portfolio includes strategic advice government relations, social marketing, facilitation, media training and issues management. A former police detective, hostage negotiator, and international sporting representative, Glenda brings a full range of diverse experiences to the role of a communicator.