Speakers & Sessions
Internal Audit Partner, Deloitte
I have over 25 years’ experience in a range of advisory, Internal Auditing and project roles both in the private and public sectors focusing on delivering value and establishing strong relationships. I provide a broad range of services to a number of clients and am committed to the highest level of client service. I focus on my clients’ requirements by understanding their needs and the importance of working together and delivering a true partnership relationship. I am excited about applying my knowledge and experience to assisting businesses raise their level of awareness across governance, risk, Internal Audit and compliance and applying the opportunities as outlined in the Deloitte publication Internal Audit 3.0 The future of Internal Audit is now.
Chief Audit Executive, Ipswich City Council, Australia
Freddy Beck epitomises the pinnacle of professional excellence and unwavering integrity within the realm of Internal Audit. With a wealth of experience spanning Australia and South Africa, he has held distinguished roles as a chief audit executive for over two decades, spearheading Internal Audit functions in multifaceted organisational landscapes.
Recognised with the esteemed Bob McDonald Award by the IIA-Australia, Freddy's commitment to fostering talent and nurturing the next generation of Internal Audit leaders is unparalleled. His mentorship has propelled numerous aspiring auditors to senior positions, contributing to the advancement of the profession.
A captivating presenter, Freddy's repertoire often features gripping case studies drawn from his extensive experience, illustrating his steadfast resolve to uncover and combat corruption. His notable achievements include playing a pivotal role in the Crime and Corruption Commission Queensland's Operation Windage, where his leadership led to the exposure and prosecution of individuals involved in criminal activities within Ipswich City Council.
Freddy's unwavering courage and adherence to ethical principles, as outlined in Internal Audit standards, serve as a guiding light for professionals navigating complex and challenging environments. His exemplary conduct underscores the indispensable role of Internal Audit in upholding integrity and accountability across organisations.
Partner, Risk Advisory Services, Deloitte
David is a Partner specialising in the area of assurance and advisory services including internal audit, forensic audit and risk management. He leads Deloitte’s Risk Advisory offering in the South Island.
He joined the London office of a Big Six firm in 1993 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1996. He has spent the last 30 years conducting a mix of internal audit, assurance, forensic and fraud investigation and fraud prevention assignments.
He has worked for Deloitte in New Zealand since early 2005, and is currently responsible for the delivery of a number of internal audit contracts across the country. He has also led a number of high profile fraud investigations that have garnered considerable press attention.
Minister for ACC
Minister for Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Scott Simpson is the Minister for ACC and Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. He has been the MP for Coromandel since he was elected in 2011.
Scott has extensive business and commercial experience. Prior to entering Parliament, Scott was CEO of the nationwide children's charity Make-A-Wish New Zealand. He has also previously held roles as New Zealand General Manger of several businesses.
Scott resides in Thames and his extended family have been farming in the Coromandel region for four generations. Scott has a law degree from the University of Auckland and is also a Justice of the Peace.
Public Service Commissioner
Sir Brian became New Zealand’s Public Service Commissioner in November 2024, bringing to the role extensive experience in governance and leadership roles in the public and private sectors across a broad range of sectors.
He started his career as an accountant and was a senior partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers before becoming the CEO of the New Zealand Post Group.
Sir Brian currently serves on several boards including Timberland Limited and the Hugh Green Group Limited.
He was awarded a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2016 for services to the State and business.
Manager Detection and Prevention, Serious Fraud Office (SFO)
Rose Rehm joined the SFO in January 2015 as Principal Investigating Lawyer and then appointed to the role of Manager Investigations in September 2020.
Rose was then appointed to the role of Manager Detection and Prevention in December 2024. Prior to joining the SFO, Rose worked in private practice in both Auckland and London, where she acted on a variety of commercial, criminal and regulatory matters. Her practice included the conduct of complex civil fraud proceedings in the English Commercial Court and the conduct of corporate corruption investigations for clients with international operations. Rose holds a BA/LLB (Hons) from the University of Auckland.
Broadcaster & Communication Expert
Jason started his career in television at the age of 18.
He became the face of children’s television in the 1990s - though he admits Thingee was everyone’s real favourite.
He went on to present shows such as Dancing with the Stars, The Rich List and Wheel of Fortune, but always looks back at his time in children’s television as his most defining and most enjoyable time in the business.
He and his wife, Janine, run Whitebait Media - a large production company in Christchurch that has made thousands of hours of children’s television, including WHAT NOW, which is currently in its 42nd year of production. He would like me to point out that it is very much his wife, Janine, who runs the company - no one is too sure exactly what he does there.
In 2017, he suffered a heart attack, which gave him an opportunity to reassess his priorities.
He set up ‘Easily Said’, a business that helps companies and individuals communicate with heart, clarity and confidence....and enables them to truly connect with their audience.
He is passionate about helping people create moments.
Ethics, Trust and Transparency Leader | Oceania Sustainability Office
Clare Payne is a leading voice on ethics and trust. Clare brings deep insight from her time as an employment lawyer and as former manager of the Integrity Office at a global investment bank. Clare is the Ethics, Trust and Transparency Leader for EY in Oceania and a Fellow of The University of Melbourne. Her groundbreaking paper Ethics or Bust was awarded the inaugural Ethics & Trust in Finance Prize by the Observatoire de la Finance in Geneva, prior to the Global Financial Crisis. She later founded The Banking and Finance Oath, a Hippocratic-type oath for professionals in banking and finance. She is the author of A Matter of Trust – The Practice of Ethics in Finance and a former columnist with The Australian Financial Review.
Clare has been recognised as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and named one of the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence, reflecting her commitment to challenging the status quo and empowering individuals to make a difference.
International Speaker and Best-selling Author
Dr Paul Wood is an internationally sought-after speaker and best-selling author who has delivered keynotes for organisations such as Google, Nike, Converse, and the Obama Foundation. He has also delivered workshops to enhance performance, resilience, and capability for groups as diverse as Sony PlayStation and the Advanced Police Negotiation Team.
Yet as a teenager, his life was completely off the rails. He wasn't coping with the impending death of his mother; he was dependent on drugs and was an unemployed high-school dropout. Three days after his mother died, he lost control when a drug dealer attempted to sexually assault him. Paul was convicted of murder and spent 11 years in some of New Zealand's toughest prisons. During this time, Paul became the first person in New Zealand's history to progress through undergraduate and Masters degrees while in prison. He was also the first person to begin a Doctorate while incarcerated.
Paul’s story of transformation and expertise in resilience, emotional intelligence, and leadership allows him to communicate messages relevant to audiences and conference themes in an inspiring and memorable way. His journey is a great way to illustrate how to grow, succeed, pursue excellence, embrace change, become resilient, work more effectively as a team, and turn adversity to your advantage.
As a speaker, Paul is authentic, insightful, engaging, and humorous. People will laugh, people will cry, and everyone will leave feeling challenged, entertained, and inspired. They will also leave with practical tools they can immediately apply in their own lives to improve personally and professionally.
If you're looking for a speaker who will challenge your audience and push the boundaries of the 'everyday world we live in', look no further!
Safeguarding the Future: Strategies for Internal Auditors in a Rapidly Changing Landscape
In this interactive session, we will explore the top 5 questions that Internal Auditors need to consider to adapt to change and safeguard New Zealand and the organisations they work in or assist.
Keynote Panel Speakers
Chief Executive of the Institute of Directors (IoD)
Kirsten Patterson MNZM (known as KP) is the Chief Executive of the Institute of Directors and is a Chartered Member of the IoD. In 2025 she was awarded the New Zealand Royal Honour, Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to governance and women. She is a qualified lawyer and a Distinguished Fellow of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand, Chair of the Global Network of Directors Institutes (GNDI), and a member of the New Zealand External Reporting Advisory Panel (XRAP). She serves on the Boards of the mental health charity, Voices of Hope, is Chair of the Brian Picot Ethical Leadership Advisory Board at Victoria University in Wellington and an Ambassador for the Wellington Women’s Homeless Trust. A strong advocate of diversity, KP is a member of Global Women New Zealand and was one of the founding members of Global Women’s ‘Champions for Change’, a group of senior executives and directors who commit to diversity in the workplace. KP was the founder and is Executive Sponsor for Chapter Zero New Zealand – the New Zealand Chapter of the World Economic Forum’s Climate Governance Initiative - hosted by the IoD NZ to mobilise, connect, educate and equip directors and boards to make climate-smart governance decisions, thereby creating long term value for both shareholders and stakeholders.
Executive Director, Audit NZ, NZICA Regulatory Board Chair
Stephen (Steve) is Audit New Zealand’s Executive Director. Before taking up this position in 2009, he was based in New York as the Director of Operations for the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).
Steve began his career in 1987, when he was employed by Audit New Zealand as a bursar while studying for his degree. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant early in 1993.
He has experience in a wide range of roles, including external and internal audits, setting standards for financial reporting, policy documents, strategic planning, governance, public sector management, training development and delivery, and executive operational management.
Steve is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ). He was awarded a CA ANZ Fellowship in December 2013, for outstanding contributions to the accountancy profession and the community. He is also a member (Honorary) of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy in the United Kingdom, and of the New Zealand Institute of Directors. And, he is Chair of the NZICA Regulatory Board.
Steve was President of CA ANZ in 2019, following two years as a vice president. He has also served in several other governance roles with CA ANZ. He was a member of its board (2017-2019) and Chair of its New Zealand Regional Council (2017-2018). Steve is currently a member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants Regulatory Board.
IIA AU President, CIA
Ross recently retired from his role as an executive at the Reserve Bank of Australia, reporting to the Chair of the Audit Committee and the Deputy Governor. He advised the Board and executives on governance, risk and control and played a substantial role in the various transformation programs at the Bank. Ross joined the RBA after retiring from KPMG after 37 years with that firm. Ross held a variety of management and governance roles within the KPMG partnership including the National Partner-in-Charge of KPMG’s GRC Advisory practice. He was a founding partner of KPMG’s Risk Consulting division.
Ross is President and a Fellow of IIA Australia, he is Chair of IIA-A’s Board, and several of its Board Sub-committees. He previously served as Vice President and on a number of IIA Australia’s committees, including being Chair of its Audit & Risk Committee. He is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants ANZ where he was the founding Chair of its Risk Specialisation group and has served as a Councillor on CAANZ’s NSW Council. He is a Graduate member of Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is also a Director and Treasurer/Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of a major Sydney-based not-for-profit organisation.
Head of Profession - Internal Audit and Risk Assurance | Chief Internal Auditor, Ministry of Education, and Life Member IIA NZ
James began his internal auditing career – quite unintentionally – in 1992 as a management graduate in the ANZ Banking Group. He wanted a role in “strategy”, but his grad placement was in the internal audit group. It was fated from his first real job. Since then, he held senior IA and non-IA roles in the New Zealand Dairy Board, Fonterra, New Zealand Qualifications Authority, and Deloitte. James was appointed Chief Internal Auditor for the Ministry of Education in 2010.
James’ started advocacy work for the profession in 2011, when he collaborated on the original Policy Agenda. He served four years on the IIANZ Board from 2015 to 2018, leading the advocacy committee and building relationships with advocacy partners such as the Auditor-General and Public Service Commissioner. In 2021, the Public Service Commissioner designated James as Head of Profession for Internal Audit and Risk Assurance for public organisations primarily in central Government.
James was the IIANZ Internal Auditor of the Year in 2013. He was made a Fellow Member in 2017 and conferred Life Membership in 2019. James is also a Chartered Accountant Fellow (2021) and holds a B. Com (Hons) from Otago University.
ONZM, FCA and Life Member IIA NZ
Souella is an independent director and works with a number of boards in the non-profit and government sectors. She has recently retired from KPMG New Zealand where she held a number of leadership roles in KPMG’s Consulting and Government sector practices. Souella is a life member of the Institute of Internal Auditors in New Zealand, a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ); a member of the Institute of Directors New Zealand and Global Women and was awarded an ONZM in 2022 for her services to governance.
Souella specialises in governance, risk management and assurance services and is passionate about making a positive contribution and improving outcomes for the organisations she works with. She is a strong champion of diversity and good governance, and the role and contribution that assurance professionals can make to enhancing organisational governance. Souella’s board portfolio includes Zonta International (a women’s rights organisation), where she is a member of the global board; Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, where she is an independent member bring finance, risk and assurance experience to the board; Hohepa Wellington, an intellectual disability provider, Special Olympics New Zealand Foundation, St John New Zealand Audit and Risk Committee; Victoria University of Wellington Foundation and the audit committee for the Financial Statements of Government.
Souella enjoys travel and is supported in her work and community activities by her husband, Brian, and son, Timothy.
Retired, Life Member IIA NZ
Now retired, but still actively involved in Institute of Internal Auditors, Russell’s last role was as Fire and Emergency’s Chief Internal Auditor. Prior to that he was Manager Internal Audit for Transpower and Victoria University’s Audit and Risk Manager.
Russell spent 9 years as the Director of Internal Audit and Investigations for the former Department of Labour, responsible for a team of ten auditors and investigators covering the Department’s operations in New Zealand and around the world.
He spent 10 years at KPMG. During that time, he spent 19 months at Fonterra on secondment, overseeing the validation of the merger benefits and auditing numerous merger projects. Before his move to KPMG, he was the Manager responsible for the Justice Department's Wellington based Internal Audit and Evaluation unit.
He has over 45 years’ experience in the internal audit field, 37 of those have been at the Director/managerial level. Russell has personally undertaken numerous fraud and other special investigations in his time as an internal auditor and investigator. He has been a Certified Fraud Examiner for 30 years.
He was Chairperson of the Global Professional Issues Committee for the
He is a past President of the New Zealand Institute of Internal Auditors, is a Fellow of the NZ Institute (FIIA NZ) and was awarded, in 2001, the Richard Ratliff Award for his outstanding contribution to the promotion and practice of Internal Auditing, in 2010 he was awarded Internal Auditor of the Year and in 2016 Life Membership.
Chief Internal Auditor, ASB Bank and Life Member IIA NZ
David joined ASB in 2024 to lead its internal audit team after having been a Partner at KPMG, leading the Auckland Consulting division for 11 years. David specialises in Governance, Risk, and Internal Audit, and has over 25 years of experience in this area. He is a Fellow member of Chartered Accountants Australia and NZ, a Life member of the Institute of Internal Auditors of New Zealand and was New Zealand Internal Auditor of the Year in 2011. David has worked with a wide range of Boards and organisations in an advisory capacity across a number of sectors and, from a governance perspective, has held a number of Director roles.
Before KPMG, David led the Risk, Internal Audit, and Compliance teams at Telecom for five years, reporting directly to the Board, and prior to that, in a similar role with Fisher & Paykel Appliances, where he was also the secretary to the Audit & Risk Committee.
David is a key facilitator for the Institute of Directors and supports the development and delivery of the Audit & Risk Committees Course and Risk Essentials.
IIA NZ Board
My name is Shaun Dowers. I’ve been serving on the board for over eight years initially through co-option and then serving an elected 2+2 year term. Subsequently, I have served as a Board-Treasurer appointed annually as a co-opted Board member.
I am a Chartered Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor, and have almost 20 years experience in external and Internal Auditing. I’ve been leading an Internal Audit team/function now for over 9 years. I also volunteer on a local sports club committee, and a national sports Board.
I am very passionate about our Internal Audit profession, and I’ve been honoured and happy to serve our membership through ongoing Board terms. Our membership has grown steadily throughout my time on the Board, and I’m grateful for our membership loyalty.
As a Board member, I’ll continue to challenge and reflect on membership value and advocating our awesome profession. I’ll bring knowledge, history and some continuity to help inform and guide our new office team and governance Board.
Emma originates from Northern England. Between holding Quality Assurance roles in food manufacturing and Internal Audit roles within the National Health Service in the UK, and experience in several public sector organisations leading Internal Assurance and Audit functions since emigrating to New Zealand, Emma has over 20 years of assurance experience. She would unashamedly describe herself as a career internal auditor. She also has an academic background in Accountancy, Finance and Commerce.
Emma is sharply focused on the effectiveness of control environments that drive performance for the attainment of organisational objectives. She has a no-nonsense approach to triangulating information and pragmatically applying it to enable achievement of strategic intent.
Emma is currently Head of Assurance (Chief Audit Executive) at Oranga Tamariki, where she is a third-tier leader responsible for the organisation’s internal audit service and workplace integrity/fraud investigatory function.
Emma is passionate about internal audit and assurance and dispelling the mystique around it. She is an authentic leader dedicated to working in the public service and serving for the ‘greater good’. She is also a strong advocate for grass roots of the profession; nurturing, mentoring, and developing talent.
I am currently an Internal Audit Manager in the Group Internal Audit team at IAG in Auckland, New Zealand. My professional journey began in 2002 at PwC, where I completed five years of external audit articles before transitioning into Internal Audit at Grant Thornton. In 2019, my husband, our three daughters, and I relocated from South Africa to New Zealand, where I joined EY Auckland as an Internal Audit Manager.
In 2021, I had the opportunity to join PwC’s Internal Audit team. The following year, I moved to IAG’s Group Internal Audit team to gain exposure to the insurance industry and apply my extensive Internal Audit experience from my tenure at Big 4 firms. Over the past 20 years, I have built a strong background in both Internal and External Audit, working across the public and private sectors. I am a member of The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and approach every task with professionalism, innovation, and collaboration. I am dedicated, hardworking, and adaptable—comfortable leading but equally effective in a supporting role. My strong interpersonal skills make me a valuable team player.
I am deeply passionate about the Internal Audit profession and believe I have valuable industry knowledge to share with my peers.
Rodney is a Certified Internal Auditor and has been a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors since 2015. He brings with him more than 20 years’ experience in senior leadership roles in the New Zealand private and public sectors leading internal audit, risk, quality assurance and policy functions. Much of this experience has been situated in the tertiary education sector ranging from private industry training providers to large public vocational education organisations.
With a passion for learning, Rodney spent several years operating his own workplace education consultancy business and has invested much time and energy over the years completing a significant number of learning journeys, including a bachelor’s degree in marketing and international management, and masters’ degrees in both adult education and leadership communication.
With a focus on continuous development and challenging the norms around internal audit, Rodney advocates a pragmatic approach to internal audit practices that add measurable and meaningful value to organisations. The Institute of Internal Auditors would benefit greatly through Rodney’s significant experience in professional education leadership and internal audit in various organisation contexts to encourage fresh and innovative initiatives that make it easy for members to engage in relevant activities that encourage growth and development for them, their teams, their organisations, and their communities. Rodney is currently the GM of Risk and Assurance for the international technology company, Gallagher Group and would be honoured to use his unique skills, knowledge, and experience to contribute to the Board and the future of the profession.
Stewart is an accomplished internal audit and risk management professional, with substantial experience in delivering strategic risk, assurance, and advisory services within large and complex organisations.
He is a Chartered Internal Auditor (CMIIA) and has held senior leadership positions in internal audit and risk management at prominent New Zealand government organisations for the past decade.
Stewart is proficient in building and developing high-performing risk and assurance teams, collaborating effectively with senior leadership teams to identify and manage key risks, and delivering assurance services that support organisational objectives and add value to stakeholders.
Outside of work he is a keen footballer and mountain biker. He volunteers as a committee member and treasurer for the Mākara Peak Supporters, the group that leads the development and maintenance of the Mākara Peak mountain bike park.
Udayanthi has over 16 years of experience in external and internal auditing across diverse global landscapes, including Asia, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and New Zealand. As a Certified Business Accountant, she specialises in Internal Audit, business process improvement, SOX compliance, and data governance, with a strong background in leadership and stakeholder engagement.
Udayanthi has played a pivotal role in enhancing the maturity of Internal Audit functions within various organizations in New Zealand. Currently, she serves as the Group Assurance Manager at Beca, where she is working on establishing a Group Internal Audit Team, demonstrating her commitment to advancing Internal Audit practices. She is dedicated to promoting the Internal Auditing profession in New Zealand, fostering training and education, advocating for professional standards and ethics, and encouraging communication and collaboration within the Internal Audit community.
Udayanthi lives in Auckland and, when not focused on auditing, she enjoys baking with her two little ones and coaching chess. These activities bring balance to her life and reflect her commitment to mentorship and creativity.
Will is a senior Director who plays a pivotal role in driving the Internal Audit practice for PwC New Zealand. With over 17 years of extensive Internal Audit experience in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom, he has successfully delivered complex assurance programmes for a diverse range of public sector and commercial organisations.
Will is passionate about our profession’s need to step up to provide valuable insights, challenge the status quo, and offer pragmatic solutions. He firmly believes that an internal audit mindset brings immense value to any organisation and is dedicated to helping internal audit functions elevate their role to that of ‘trusted advisors’. His wide network with IA and risk leaders, executives, and audit committee members across various organisations and sectors, and his hands-on roles with iconic kiwi organisations, enables him to provide insights on how the profession can continue to grow and excel.
Will has been a member of IIA NZ since returning to New Zealand in 2017. Will lives in the Wellington area and, when not Internal Auditing, his life revolves around his two young sons, family activities, and finding excuses to avoid gardening.
Speakers & Sessions
Hon. Scott Simpson |
Kirsten Patterson (KP) |
Sir Brian Roche |
 Clare Payne
|
Jason Gunn |
With thanks to our sponsors
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