Speakers & Sessions
Speakers
CIA, CPA, CGMA, CITP, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA)
Anthony J. Pugliese is President and CEO of The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), the internal audit profession’s most widely recognized advocate, educator, and provider of standards, guidance, and certifications. Over a career spanning more than 30 years, Pugliese has been a strategic, hands-on leader, directed strategic expansions into major global markets, pioneered innovative educational initiatives aimed at enhancing members’ professional growth, overseen the internal audit function of a major organization, and defined cultural norms toward greater diversity, equity, and inclusiveness (DE&I).
As CEO of The IIA, he drives the vision and management of the over 80-year-old organization with more than 210,000 members, 156 chapters, and 112 affiliates in nearly 200 countries and territories. His focus is on enhancing membership services, creating new approaches to learning and competency development programs, fulfilling The IIA’s multimillion-dollar digital transformation initiative, and enhancing the value of internal audit, particularly in its role of addressing organizational risks and opportunities.
Partner, PwC
YY is a Partner at PwC New Zealand, where she leads the national Internal Audit practice. YY sits on PwC’s Global Risk Services Leadership Team and is also the PwC Global Risk Services Talent Development Leader. She has served on the PwC New Zealand Board and was the former Chair of the Institute of Internal Auditors New Zealand.
With extensive experience across sectors including infrastructure, health, financial services, tertiary, FMCG, and telecommunications, YY helps boards and executives strengthen resilience and manage upside and downside risks effectively. YY combines global insight with practical local expertise to build meaningful trust and confidence.
Assistant Auditor General, The Audit Office, formerly the Office of the Auditor-General
Andrew McConnell began his term as Deputy Controller and Auditor-General on 1 May 2023.
Andrew was a Sector Manager at the Office from 2000 to 2010. He returns to the Office from the Ministry of Primary Industries where he held a number of roles, including Acting Deputy Director-General Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service, Deputy Director-General Compliance and Governance, and Director Māori Agribusiness. He has also held senior roles at the Department of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Justice. Andrew’s iwi affiliation is Ngāti Porou.
Chair, Transparency International New Zealand (TINZ)
Anne Tolley has served 34 years in politics, starting in 1986 as a local government councillor. She became a member of the National Government of New Zealand in 1999, and remained a Member of Parliament until her retirement in 2020. During her Parliamentary career, Anne held many Ministerships and was appointed Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in November 2017. She chaired a cross-party steering group to develop a parliamentary code of conduct, re-instigated and chaired the New Zealand chapter of the Global Organisation of Parliamentarians against Corruption (GOPAC). After she retired from Parliament, she was appointed to Chair the Commission that governed the Tauranga City Council from February 2021 to August 2024. She replaced the city's elected mayor and councillors following persistent governance failures. She is currently Chair of the Horizon Energy Group.
Anne was elected to the TINZ Board in November 2020. She believes that it is critically important that public and private activities are transparent and open to scrutiny, that Governments show leadership in Open Government practices, and that public and private entities develop systems to prevent widespread abuse of funding.
Director, RBruce Robertson Ltd
Bruce is an established governance and risk expert within the public sector, with active membership of audit and risk committees since leaving the Office of the Auditor-General in 2015. He is an independent member of 12 Audit and Risk Committees1 including Hamilton City, Wellington City, Christchurch City and Bay of Plenty Regional Councils for the 2022-25 local body triennium, plus he is the Chair of the Ministry for Primary Industries Risk and Assurance committee.
He is also the independent chair of Regional Software Holdings Limited (RSHL), a collaborative services venture primarily based within the regional council sector.
Chief Internal Audit Advisor | Cook Islands Government, IIA NZ Cook Islands Ambassador
Don Buchanan serves as the Chief Internal Audit Advisor for the Cook Islands Government, supporting ministries and agencies to strengthen internal controls, develop risk-based audit plans, and enhance the performance of their internal audit functions. He provides regular reporting to the Internal Audit Committee, contributing to improved governance and oversight across the public sector.
Don is also the Chairperson of Te Aponga Uira, the Rarotonga power utility, where he has led significant governance improvements, including the establishment of the Risk and Audit Committee, the development of an updated Board Charter, and the implementation of a strengthened Health and Safety Framework. In this role, he provides strategic leadership and engages closely with key stakeholders, including the Prime Minister, Cabinet, shareholders, and the wider community.
TINZ Board Member and former Controller and Auditor-General of New Zealand
John Ryan began his term as Controller and Auditor-General on 2 July 2018, concluding his seven-year term on July 2, 2025.
John graduated from Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration. He studied strategic leadership at Oxford University and is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.
He has held senior executive positions in a range of public sector organisations and in the private sector. His experience spans corporate, regulatory and operational management, and assurance.
During his career of more than 40 years, John has led some of the largest programmes of capital works in the public sector, large-scale change management, and significant regulatory reform.
John has also contributed widely to his community. Before his appointment, he was a board member of the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the New Zealand Festival, and the Wellington Jazz Festival.
Head of Audit, Risk & Governance | Vision Investments Limited
Ram Aman Singh hails from Suva in Fiji. He is the youngest of four siblings. Lives with his a 6 year old son and wife in Suva, Fiji.
Ram is an accomplished audit leader with over 15 years of experience across the Pacific region, spanning Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Vanuatu, Malaysia, and the United States. He currently serves as Head of Audit, Risk & Governance at Vision Investments Limited (VIL) and its subsidiaries, where he plays a key executive role reporting to the Audit, Finance and Risk Sub-Committee and contributing to strategic decision-making at the senior management level. Vision Investment limited is a listed Company on the South Pacific Stock Exchange.
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 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.
Chief Internal Auditor, Kiwibank
Kate is the Chief Internal Auditor at Kiwibank, a role she has held for nearly two years. Before this, she was the Head of Legal Services at the bank and previously worked in private practice.
Kate finds that moving into internal audit has been a remarkable shift, believing that few roles offer such breadth and the opportunity to drive meaningful change across an organisation.
Keynote Speaker, Dots Communication
Amy Scott helps people communicate better, so they can connect faster, lead stronger, and enjoy more fun with less friction.
A former lawyer turned communication specialist, Amy swapped courtrooms for conversations that change lives. Today, she is best known as the “Dots Lady”, championing a Kiwi-made communication tool that has helped more than 61,500 people across New Zealand, Australia and beyond.
Amy is known for her ability to cut through complexity, find what really matters, and meet people exactly where they are. She brings humour, warmth, wit and playfulness to her work, while remaining grounded, professional and deeply present.
Trusted on stages across New Zealand, Australia and internationally, Amy delivers high-impact keynotes, MC services and team workshops that are practical, relatable and immediately useful. Her sessions equip leaders and teams to flex their communication styles, reduce conflict, strengthen collaboration and build healthier, higher-performing cultures.
Whether she is inspiring action from the stage, guiding a leadership team, or celebrating others as an MC, Amy’s focus is simple: helping people connect more meaningfully, because when people truly connect, workflows, ideas grow, and results follow.
Partner, KPMG
Bineeta helps businesses stay safe – she is passionate about providing Boards and Executive insights that are balanced, commercial and create/protect value.
With over 24 years of experience with KPMG, Bineeta specialises in Governance, Risk and Internal Audit, focusing on the financial services and corporate sectors. She works with a large portfolio of clients to provide insights, confidence and assurance over the effectiveness of their governance frameworks, risk management and controls so that clients can confidently strive for their strategic objectives and take advantage of opportunities and uncertainty in a risk-effective manner. Bineeta has also held leadership roles in the Risk and Assurance functions of two large banks in New Zealand.
Bineeta leads KPMG’s Ethnicity Network, which has a pivotal role in advocating for ethnic representation and inclusion within the corporate world. Through this work, she continues to drive meaningful conversations around diversity of thought and using professional skills and energy to make a difference in our communities. Bineeta has also been a past recipient of the Internal Auditor of the Year award from the Institute of Internal Auditors NZ.
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, former 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.
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High-Performance Coach, Improv Comedian & Founder of the Covert Theatre
Wade Jackson is a speaker, author, and high-performance coach. He speaks on topics such as self-leadership, resilience & well-being, collaborative creativity & innovation, storytelling & communication.
As a double world champion improv comedian and the founder of renowned brands such as The Improv Bandits and the Covert Theatre, Wade brings a lot of fun and laughter to his work. He teaches the science of human behaviour through play and his presentations are always fun, engaging and enlightening.
Wade is the author of the best-selling books Jolt Challenge, Stories at Work and Making It Easy that endorsed by world leading thinkers such as Edward de Bono and Stephen Covey. He is the creator of Mind Dojo, the resilience App that is used around the world.
Wade holds postgraduate qualifications in both Drama and Health Science, and he brings an academic robustness to everything he does. He has worked on four continents, across a number of industries with thousands of people ranging from CEOs, senior executive teams, governments, universities, militaries, elite athletes, and not-for-profit organisations.
Sessions
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: The speaker moves, the attendees remain seated.
* Four sessions delivered sequentially; designed to be practical, interactive, and discussion-led.
Trust, Technology, and Transformation in Action: The Five Questions Internal Audit Must Answer Next
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.
DELEGATES: Please ensure you read the full outline of the Interactive Group Offsite Workshops, as this includes Key Discussion Questions.
IIA NZ Board
Will is a Director at PwC New Zealand, where he helps lead the national Internal Audit practice. He has over 19 years’ experience across New Zealand and the United Kingdom, working with public and private sector organisations to deliver assurance programmes and help internal audit functions provide greater insight, constructive challenge, and practical value.
Will has served on the Board since 2024. He is passionate about internal audit’s role in strengthening governance, risk management, and organisational decision-making, and about helping our profession continue to lift impact and relevance.
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.
Originally from Northern England, Emma brings nearly 25 years’ experience across internal audit, assurance, and quality roles in the UK and New Zealand public sectors.
A career internal auditor, she has built her leadership in complex public sector environments where strong governance, accountability, and stewardship are essential. She is known for her pragmatic, authentic approach; cutting through complexity to focus on what matters most for public value, organisational performance, and outcomes for people.
Emma is Director Risk and Internal Assurance (Chief Audit Executive) at Oranga Tamariki, leading internal audit, fraud & integrity, and risk management. She partners with executive leaders to strengthen risk management, support robust decision-making, and lift organisational control maturity in service of better outcomes for tamariki and whānau.
Since joining the IIA NZ Board in 2024, Emma has brought a strong public sector perspective and an independent, impact-focused voice. She is committed to strengthening the profession’s relevance within government, advocating for high standards, and supporting the development of future leaders.
Emma is passionate about positioning internal audit as a strategic enabler of trust, accountability, and performance across the public sector.
Rajiv Rathod is a Senior Internal Audit Manager at Fonterra and the 2026 IIA New Zealand Internal Auditor of the Year (Supreme Award) recipient. He brings over 19 years of both New Zealand and International experience across the dairy, manufacturing, banking, construction, retail, and consulting sectors.
Rajiv has built a strong track record partnering with executive leadership and governance forums to enhance assurance, strengthen risk management, and support organisational resilience. He is known for delivering practical, insight-led assurance while building trusted relationships across the business. During his time as Acting General Manager – Internal Audit, he led the function through a period of change, maintaining delivery while evolving how Internal Audit partners with the business.
He is deeply committed to giving back to the profession. Rajiv also serves on the IIA New Zealand Membership Committee and as an Auckland Ambassador, where he supports member engagement, capability development, and mentoring initiatives. He also works closely with universities, speaking with students and academic partners to promote internal audit as a meaningful and rewarding career, and actively contributes to IIA events and the broader audit community.
Rajiv is also a strong advocate for inclusion and belonging. As Chair of Fonterra’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Network, he is passionate about creating environments where people feel valued, supported, and able to do their best work.
Rajiv was appointed to the IIA New Zealand Board in May 2026. He brings a practical, people-focused perspective, a strong connection to members, and a genuine commitment to strengthening and advancing the internal audit profession in New Zealand.
Outside of work, Rajiv enjoys hiking, travelling, and training for Hyrox events, as well as spending time with his family and friends.
Nishana brings a strong combination of professional experience & credibility, across the public and private sectors, and she is deeply committed to advancing the internal audit profession in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Nishana is a respected member of the Grant Thornton team and demonstrates a strong alignment with the Institute’s purpose of promoting high professional standards, adoption of the Global Internal Audit Standards, and the ongoing development of the profession through education, advocacy, mentoring and leadership.
Throughout her career, Nishana has demonstrated sound professional judgement, strategic thinking, and the ability to lead high-impact initiatives. She is experienced in engaging with varied stakeholder groups, managing complexity, and balancing strategic oversight with practical insight. We believe that these skills would support the Board’s responsibility for the stewardship, viability, and reputational care of IIA NZ.Nishana is strongly committed to professional excellence and would bring a collaborative, forward looking perspective to the Board. She is particularly passionate about supporting member growth, strengthening the development of the internal audit profession, and ensuring the Institute remains relevant, inclusive, and future-focused.
Nishana was appointed to the IIA NZ National Board at the AGM in May 2026 and looks forward to contributing meaningfully to the governance, strategic direction, and continued success of the IIA NZ throughout her tenure.
Marla Snyman is an Internal Audit Manager within the Group Internal Audit function at IAG in Auckland, New Zealand, bringing over 20 years of experience across internal and external audit in both the public and private sectors.
She began her career with PwC in 2002, before progressing through senior internal audit roles at Grant Thornton, EY and PwC. Since relocating to New Zealand in 2019, Marla has continued to build broad industry experience, and currently contributes her expertise within IAG, with a focus on delivering high-quality, insight-driven assurance in a complex financial services environment.
Marla has been a Board Member of the Institute of Internal Auditors New Zealand (IIA NZ) since 2025 and serves as Chair of the Membership Committee. In these roles, she is committed to strengthening member engagement, supporting capability uplift across the profession, and ensuring the IIA continues to deliver meaningful value to its members.
She is deeply passionate about the internal audit profession and the role it plays in strengthening governance, risk management and organisational integrity. Marla is a strong advocate for the profession and is particularly focused on fostering a supportive, connected and forward-looking community for IIA NZ members.
Known for her collaborative leadership style and strong stakeholder engagement, Marla brings a practical, people-focused approach to both her professional and governance responsibilities.
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