Programme

5.45 pm-6.15 PM

Check-In and Boarding Window

• Please arrive early to allow time for check-in and boarding.
• All guests must be onboard before 6.15 pm. This is strict.
• The vessel will depart for a 6.30 pm sailing time.

6.30 pm-9.30 PM

Harbour Cruise | 3 hours

Escape the city and set sail on a cruise around Auckland’s inner harbour aboard Peretū, a purpose-built 29m cruise and dining vessel with versatile spaces spread across three levels. Settle into the spacious dining room, relax in the cocktail lounge, or take in the best views in town from the roof deck as the sun sets and the cityscape lights up.

As you depart, enjoy the experience of sailing across Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour while taking in the shoreline views, city skyline and iconic landmarks. This relaxed and memorable evening will provide plenty of opportunities to capture photos, connect with internal audit colleagues, and celebrate excellence within the profession in a unique harbour setting.

Inclusions:

• 2 course Deli-Style buffet will be offered
• Beverage package, that will include house wine, beer and soft drinks only. (3 hour package)
• Sunset views from the roof deck as the city lights up
• Fully licensed onboard bar for those who wish to buy beyond the house wine/beer offerings.

Dining: Dinner will be served below deck for you to take above deck to enjoy the fresh sea air and views, with optional dining below deck in the two cabins.Note: limited numbers of dining below deck. The bar and dining service area is located on the lower deck.

Important Information:

• Strict boarding requirement: all guests must be onboard before 6.15 pm.
• Check-in timing: Please check in 15 minutes before departure.
• Weather-ready: Dress for the conditions and it's advisable to bring a warm layer.
• Dietary requirements: Please confirm your meal selection and advise dietary needs at the time of registering.
• Accessibility:
- Guests must be able to independently use stairs to board and disembark.
- Vessel movement: the boat may pitch and roll during the cruise.
- If you have limited mobility, please contact the IIA NZ event organiser for more information.
- The vessel has three levels accessed by stairs only, there is no additional accessibility available. The top deck is open-air, with seating and umbrellas.
• Weather: This event will go ahead rain or shine. The cruise will take you around Auckland’s shoreline, click here for the cruise map. If weather conditions are extremely poor, the vessel will remain berthed, and the event will continue onboard.

When registering for the full conference, this event is included as part of your registration. Attendance is optional, so if you do not wish to attend, please do not select this event during the registration process. Please note that no discount or refund applies if you choose not to attend this included event. Should capacity be available after 1 September 2026, any remaining spaces may be made available to registered conference delegates who wish to bring a partner, subject to availability and any additional ticket cost.

9.00 PM

Event Concludes

8.00 AM-8.30 AM

Registrations Open

• Networking opportunity
• Visit the Coffee cart - Proudly sponsored by Diligent
• Visit the exhibition hall, with two workshop areas, at the northern and southern ends of the hall.

Please be seated at 8.25 am, ready for a 8.30 am start.

8.30 am–9.00 am

Mihi Whakatau and Official Opening

• The IIA (Global) video message
• Conference Opening & Welcome: IIA NZ Chair and The IIA (Global) CEO
• Principal Sponsor Welcome (Diligent)

9.00 am–10.00 am

Opening Plenary Panel: Powered by EQi, Guided by Ethics - The Human Superpowers Behind Trusted Transformation

Facilitator: IIA NZ Board Chair

Panelists:

• Anthony J. Pugliese, President and CEO, The IIA
• Andrew McConnell, Deputy Controller and Auditor-General, The Audit Office
• Anne Tolley, Chair, Transparency International New Zealand (TINZ)

Session Overview:

The 2026 IIA NZ Conference opens with a bold, public-facing conversation about what organisations owe their people when technology accelerates faster than governance. As AI and automation reshape decision-making, services, and risk at pace, trust is no longer assumed, it must be earned, evidenced, and protected.

This session brings together local and global leadership to set the tone for the conference theme: Trust, Technology, and Transformation powered by EQi and guided by ethics. Panellists will explore what accountability looks like when decisions are increasingly data-driven, how public expectations are shifting, and why internal audit’s role is becoming more critical — not less — in a technology-enabled world.

What we’ll explore:

• Trust as a mandate: what communities, customers, and stakeholders now expect from leaders and institutions
• Accountability in AI-era decision-making: transparency, explainability, and ethical oversight
• Regulation and governance: how oversight must evolve to keep pace with innovation
• Resilience and assurance: building confidence in systems, data, and decisions, before things go wrong
• The human edge: why judgement, EQi, and ethical courage remain essential in boardrooms and beyond.

10.00 am–10.30 am

Morning Tea and Networking

10.30 AM–11.15 AM

New Zealand Session: The External Lens: What Boards and Audit & Risk Committees in Aotearoa Expect from Assurance Now

Facilitator: IIA NZ Board Member

Speakers:

• Bruce Robertson, Director, RBruce Robertson Ltd;
• John Ryan, TINZ Board Member and former Controller and Auditor-General of New Zealand

Session Overview:

Aotearoa’s organisations are navigating a rapidly changing environment shaped by digital transformation, heightened cyber and privacy risks, growing third-party dependencies, and the increasing use of AI and data-driven technologies. As these pressures intensify, boards and audit & risk committees are looking for greater confidence that key risks are being understood, governed, and independently assured in a way that supports informed decision-making.

This session brings together selected IIA NZ key stakeholders to provide an external lens on what they are seeing from their vantage point and what they believe boards and audit & risk committees are now expecting from assurance. Rather than speaking from within the profession alone, the discussion is intended to offer a broader New Zealand perspective on where assurance expectations are shifting, what matters most to governance leaders, and how internal audit can continue to evolve its focus, relevance, and impact in response.

Key Focus:

• The NZ technology risk landscape: cyber, data, third-party and resilience pressures
• “AI assurance” in practice: model risk, data integrity, controls, and accountability
• Governance expectations: transparency, explainability, and trusted decision-making
• Where internal audit must adapt: skills, tools, and assurance approaches.

11.15 AM–11.45 AM

Pacific Session: Assurance Across the Blue Pacific | Building Trust, Resilience, and Capability

Facilitator: IIA NZ Board Member

Speakers:

• Don Buchanan, Chief Internal Audit Advisor, Cook Islands Government, IIA NZ Cook Islands Ambassador;
• Ram Singh, Head of Audit, Risk & Governance, Vision Investments Limited, IIA FJ and IIA NZ Member

Session Overview:

Pacific organisations face unique assurance realities: smaller teams, high reliance on vendors, connectivity constraints, cyber exposure, and rapid technology change often outpacing governance capacity. This session brings together IIA NZ’s Pacific Ambassadors and regional internal audit experience to explore how internal audit can strengthen trust and resilience while building capability in ways that work for Pacific contexts.

Discussion Focus:

• Technology risk and resilience in Pacific environments: practical priorities
• Third-party dependencies and digital continuity: what to assure and how
• Capability-building: supporting small audit functions and uplift across the region
• Regional collaboration: how IIA NZ, its Pacific Ambassadors, and regional internal audit networks can support assurance maturity across the Blue Pacific.

11.45 AM–12.15 PM

11.45 am Presentations and Recognition

Presentation of IIA NZ Tenure member certificates.

12.00 pm Principal Sponsor Presentation: Diligent

12.15 –1.00 pm

Lunch and Networking

• During the IIA NZ Conference lunch break, we warmly encourage all attendees to connect with our valued sponsors and participate in the two interactive workshops taking place in the Conference Exhibition Hall, where lunch will be served.

• Visit the Coffee Cart proudly sponsored by Diligent

1.00 PM–3.00 PM

Deloitte-Hosted Bite-Sized 30-minute Sessions - Trust, Technology, and Transformation in Action

Host Sponsor: Deloitte

Bite-Sized Host: David Sinkins, Partner, Deloitte

As part of the IIA NZ Conference 2026, these bite-sized sessions will provide practical, high-impact learning focused on the “human superpowers” and capabilities internal auditors need to lead with influence and integrity in a technology-driven era.

We extend our thanks to Deloitte for hosting and supporting this interactive programme stream.

Bite-Sized Sessions Overview: speaker moves, the attendees remain seated.

* Four sessions delivered sequentially; designed to be practical, interactive, and discussion-led.

These sessions will provide attendees with the latest insights, expert-led discussions, and actionable strategies to stay ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of governance, risk, and assurance.

3.00 PM–3.30 PM

Afternoon Tea and Networking

• IIA NZ Sponsors Exhibition Hall
• Visit the Coffee Cart proudly sponsored by Diligent

3.30 PM–4.00 PM

Bite-Sized Industry Spotlight: Trust Under Pressure: What Banking Teaches Us About Ethical Resilience

Speakers:

• David Sutton, Chief Internal Auditor, ASB Bank
• Kate Fairbrother, Chief Internal Audit Officer, Kiwibank

Session Overview:

Banking is at the sharp edge of technology-driven change. From advanced analytics and automation to fraud detection, credit decisioning, customer verification, and cyber resilience, the pace of adoption is accelerating and so is scrutiny. This bite-sized industry spotlight provides a practical look at what this shift is changing for internal audit and governance in the banking sector, and why ethical resilience is now a leadership requirement, not a “nice to have”.

David Sutton (ASB) and Kate Fairbrother (Kiwibank) will share real-world insights into how banks are responding to emerging technology risks, the expectations of regulators and boards, and the assurance approaches that are evolving to protect trust when decisions are increasingly data-driven.

What you’ll take away:

• Where banks are seeing the biggest impact from technology change (and why it matters to IA)
• How internal audit is approaching bias risk, blind spots, and unintended consequences in automated decisions
• What “good” governance looks like when models, data, and third parties become critical dependencies
• Practical assurance focus areas: controls, explainability, accountability, and culture indicators
• Lessons that translate beyond banking for any organisation adopting tech at pace.

4.00 PM–5.00 PM

Day One Closing Address: Changing the Way We Speak With Ourselves and Others: The EQi Advantage for Trusted Influence

Keynote Speaker: Amy Scott, Communication & Engagement Expert

In a world of rapid change, complex risk, and technology-driven transformation, internal auditors are expected to influence decisions, challenge assumptions, and hold the line on ethics — often in high-stakes, high-pressure environments. But influence doesn’t start with the data. It starts with how we communicate with ourselves and with others.

Amy Scott brings captivating energy and powerful storytelling to close Day One, guiding delegates through practical, memorable tools to strengthen confidence, connection, and resilience. Drawing on her background as a family lawyer, Dots facilitator, and global speaker, Amy shows how miscommunication can fracture relationships and cultures - and how the right language can rebuild trust, shift behaviour, and lift performance.

This session is a reset for the profession’s “human superpowers”: EQi, self-awareness, empathy, and courageous conversations — the capabilities that technology can’t replace, and that trusted auditors rely on most.

What you’ll take away:

• Practical exercises to quiet self-doubt and build personal resilience
• A clear understanding of your communication style (and how it impacts trust)
• Tools to improve stakeholder conversations — especially when tension is high
• How to create connection without losing independence or professional scepticism
• A boost of energy, perspective, and confidence heading into Day Two

Expect empathy, humour, and a few “that’s so me” moments plus real techniques you can use immediately with your teams, your stakeholders, and yourself.

5.00 PM–6.00 PM

5.00 pm

IIA NZ Sponsor Hour Address: DataSnipper

DataSnipper, is the sponsor of the IIA NZ Sponsors Hour, will provide a brief address and welcome delegates to the final networking session for Day One of the IIA NZ Conference 2026. Door Prize draw.

5.10 pm

Day One Reflections and Sponsor Connect Invitation

The IIA NZ Chair will provide closing reflections on Day One before inviting delegates to attend Sponsor Connect in the Exhibition Hall.

7.30 am–8.00 am

Registrations Open

- Coffee Cart - Kickstart your morning with a coffee from the Diligent coffee cart!
- Networking Opportunity
- Visit the Exhibition Area

Please be seated at 7.55 am, for the event to start at 8.00 am.

8.00 AM

Welcome Back to Day Two and Reflections of Day One

8.15 am–9.15 am

Day Two Keynote Opening Panel: Leading Through Disruption: Trust, Reputation, and Decision-Making Under Pressure

Host Sponsor & Facilitator: Bineeta Nand, KPMG Partner, Auckland

Keynote Speakers:

• Anthony Pugliese J. Pugliese, CIA, CPA, CGMA, CITP President and Chief Executive Officer, The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA)

This high-impact opening session sets the tone for a day focused on practical assurance in fast-changing environments where leaders are required to make decisions with incomplete information, heightened scrutiny, and accelerating technology risk.

Delegates will leave with grounded insights on:

• what “trust under pressure” looks like in real leadership moments
• why reputation is now a governance asset that must be actively protected
• how internal audit can strengthen decision-making without slowing necessary action
• where assurance should focus when disruption, technology, and stakeholder expectations collide

Expect an energising, relevant conversation that moves beyond theory and positions internal audit at the centre of resilient, future-ready decision-making.

A light breakfast platter service will be offered on each table as delegates arrive at 7.45 am with tea and coffee available in the plenary room, creating a relaxed setting for connection and conversation before the day begins.

9.15 am–10.00 am

Fireside Chat: Boardroom Reality Check: What Directors Expect from Internal Audit Now

Speakers:

• Kirsten Patterson, Chief Executive, Institute of Directors New Zealand, in conversation with

• Anthony Pugliese J. Pugliese, CIA, CPA, CGMA, CITP President and Chief Executive Officer, The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA)

Session Overview:

In this fireside chat, Kirsten Patterson and Anthony Pugliese will explore what directors, boards, and audit & risk committees are expecting from internal audit in 2026, against a backdrop of accelerating technology risk, rising stakeholder expectations, and growing geopolitical uncertainty.

Together, they will examine the boardroom realities shaping assurance today, including what gives directors confidence, what strengthens trust, and how internal audit can better position itself as a strategic and insightful function without compromising its independence. This session will offer a practical and candid discussion on how internal audit can move beyond compliance-focused reporting to deliver the insight, assurance, and influence boards now need most.

Key Takeaways:

• The board’s “must-have” expectations of internal audit in 2026

• What builds trust and confidence with directors, and what can quickly erode it

• How internal audit can sharpen insight, influence, and organisational impact while maintaining independence

10.00 am–10.30 am

Morning Tea and Networking

Coffee Cart
Visit the Exhibition Area

10.30 am–12.30 pm

Interactive Group Offsite Workshops

Attendees are split into four groups.

Panel Speakers: 3 speakers, including a representative from Principal Sponsor Diligent, supported by the IIA NZ Board

In this interactive workshop, delegates will work in facilitated groups to explore the five most critical questions facing internal audit as organisations accelerate technology adoption and transformation.

The focus is practical: what internal auditors can do now to strengthen trust, uplift capability, and ensure governance and ethics keep pace with change across Aotearoa and the Pacific.

Participants will engage in facilitated discussion groups, led by IIA NZ Board Members and industry leaders.

Each group will be guided by a facilitator and will develop clear, actionable insights. At the conclusion, facilitators will present the key themes and recommendations back to the full audience so the collective learning is captured and shared.

Session Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, delegates will have:

• A shared view of the top assurance priorities for trust, technology risk, and transformation in 2026 and beyond.

• Practical strategies to strengthen ethical resilience, culture assurance, and governance oversight as technology outpaces traditional controls.

• A set of capability actions to uplift internal audit teams across Aotearoa and the Pacific, scalable for small functions and all career stages.

• A consolidated list of recommendations for boards and audit committees on how internal audit should be enabled to deliver trusted, future-ready assurance.

Learn More

12.30 pm–1.30 pm

12.30 pm Principal Sponsor Presentation: Diligent

12.45 pm Lunch and Networking

During the IIA NZ Conference lunch break, we warmly encourage all attendees to connect with our valued sponsors and participate in the two interactive workshops taking place in the in the Conference Exhibition Hall

Visit the Coffee Cart proudly sponsored by Diligent. This will close at the end of the lunch break.

1.30 pm–2.30 pm

The Great Debate 2026 Topic: Heart vs Hardware: What Will Define Internal Audit’s Future?

Debate Adjudicator: IIA NZ Board Member and a representative from Principal Sponsor Diligent

• Affirmative: Internal auditors will be strategic innovators, influencing governance, technology, and organisational resilience.

• Opposition: Internal auditors will remain risk-focused professionals, ensuring governance, control, and ethical decision-making.

Debate Summary and Question

In a profession being reshaped by AI, automation, and rapid transformation, internal audit’s value is under pressure to evolve. But what will truly differentiate internal auditors in the next decade: human capability or technical mastery?

One side will argue that influence, credibility, ethical judgement, and relationship acumen are the “human superpowers” that protect trust and drive real governance impact. The other side will argue that without deep technical capability, understanding data, controls, cyber, AI risk, and digital assurance, internal audit will lose relevance, regardless of how well we communicate.

Expect a high-energy, competitive session designed to challenge assumptions, spark laughter, and broaden perspectives and you might just walk away thinking differently about what really drives internal audit impact.

2.30 pm-3.30 PM

Closing Keynote Speaker Topic: Welcome the Challenge: Turning Pressure into Growth, Learning, and Momentum

Keynote Speaker: Wade Jackson, High-Performance Coach, Improv Comedian & Founder of the Covert Theatre

In a profession working at the intersection of the 3 ‘T’’s; trust, technology, and transformation, challenges aren’t a distraction from the work, they are the work. Whether it’s navigating change fatigue, influencing under pressure, responding to emerging risks, or holding courageous conversations, internal auditors are constantly required to adapt with confidence and clarity.

Wade Jackson closes the conference with an energetic, practical session anchored in a simple belief: challenges are opportunities for growth, if we welcome them and the learning they bring. Blending behavioural science with the art of play (and plenty of humour), Wade will help delegates reframe disruption, build real resilience, and develop the “how to” tools needed to move forward faster and better.

Known for getting to the heart of the matter swiftly, Wade doesn’t just explain why change matters, he shows you how to shift patterns, strengthen self-leadership, and turn pressure into progress.

Key takeaways:

• How to welcome challenge without becoming overwhelmed and extract the learning quickly

• Practical tools to build resilience, wellbeing, and self-leadership under pressure

• Ways to reset unhelpful thinking and strengthen confidence in uncertain environments

• Communication techniques that improve connection, influence, and outcomes

• Simple, memorable practices you can apply immediately with your team and stakeholders

Expect the perfect conference finale, meaningful, hilarious in all the right places, and packed with practical tools, leaving you energised, equipped, and genuinely ready to step into whatever challenge comes next.

IIA NZ Chair and IIA NZ Global CEO & Chair's Closing Remarks

IIA NZ Conference 2026 Concludes.