Be inspired, enabled and empowered to excel in your career

Conference Day One – Wednesday 22 November

9.00 Welcome and opening remarks from the chair

9.10 Learning from Te Ao Māori to uplift your wellbeing and achieve work-life balance

Incorporating positive habits to enhance your mental and physical health
Recognising the signs of burnout and asserting your boundaries
Becoming a reliable listener and caring for your team’s wellbeing
Building resilience in challenging times to bounce back from adversity
Jase Te Patu, TED Talk Speaker, Wellbeing Advocate, Founder, M3 Wellbeing

10.00 Cultivating relationships to grow your network

Communicating strategically to make and maintain connections
Assessing the purposes and types of professional communication
Overcoming fears around networking and raising your voice
Fostering a culture of connection and collaboration within your networks

Lisa Leilua, Executive Assistant to Deputy Secretary Regional Partnerships and Service Delivery, Ministry for Pacific Peoples

10.50 Morning coffee

11.15 Elevating your confidence by learning and practicing self-empowerment

Exploring the qualities which make you great and how these benefit your workplace
Conquering imposter syndrome by knowing your value
Communicating and sharing your needs and aspirations with your Executive
Raising your voice and exerting a positive influence in your workplace
Joanne Gallop, Executive Assistant to Chief Executive and Team Leader Executive Support, Chair AdmiNZ Board, Christchurch City Council

12.00 Senior Executive panel discussion
Aligning your mindset with your Senior Executive to strengthen your strategic partnership

Unpacking what is required within your strategic partnership
Listing the skills, experiences, and values that Senior Executives seek
Communicating effectively to foster a great working relationship
Learning to be proactive in predicting and fulfilling your Senior Executive’s needs

Lil Anderson, Chief Executive, Te Arawhiti – Office for Māori Crown Relations

Rex Capil, Deputy Chief Executive and General Manager Community Services, Gore District Council

Anna Calver, General Manager Council Controlled Organisations and Economic Wellbeing, Wellington City Council

12.45 Lunch

13.45 Creating your unique professional brand and setting yourself apart

Incorporating your personality into all aspects of your professional practice
Empowering your greatest assets and asserting your value
Aligning your brand and values to that of your organisation
Utilising your brand and organisational supports to bolster your adaptability to change

Karen Whittaker, Executive Assistant to General Manager Community Services, Queenstown Lakes District City Council

Topaz River, Executive Assistant to the Mayor, Queenstown Lakes District City Council

14.25 Leveraging your skills in project management to expand your developmental opportunities

Exploring the essential skills and knowledge that Executive Assistants need to know
The phases of project management that form the backbone of your operation’s livelihood
Transferring project management skills into new career opportunities
Keeping track of your projects with the best project management tools

Cece Yuhoi, Project Coordinator and Executive Assistant, Ministry for the Environment

15.10 Afternoon tea

15.30 Panel discussion:

Becoming a strategic leader to partner with your Senior Executives and propel your team to success

Conceptualising methods of strategic leadership
Identifying opportunities to become a strategic leader
Visualising strategic plans to solve complex problems and achieve evidence-based results
Aligning your goals and actions with that of your executive and organisation

Carolyn Davies, Executive Assistant, Southland District Council

Tai Samaeli, ACE Sector Capability Manager, ACE Aotearoa

Joanne Gallop, Executive Assistant to Chief Executive and Team Leader Executive Support, Chair AdmiNZ Board, Christchurch City Council

14.15 Mastering time management to maximise your efficiency

Maximising productivity and mitigating procrastination
Eliminating roadblocks to effective time management
Reclaiming and reinvesting hours of your time by doing the ‘right’ work
Maintaining momentum when demands and workloads are high
Tai Samaeli, ACE Sector Capability Manager, ACE Aotearoa

17.10 End of conference day one and Networking Drinks

Conference day 2 – Thursday 23 November

9.00 Opening remarks from the chair

9.10 Panel discussion:
Identifying opportunities to refine your expertise and blossom your career

Refining the core skills that are transferrable across multiple careers paths
Gaining the support of your Executive in reaching your goals
Exploring the development journeys available through your experience as an Executive Assistant
Seeking out learning and development opportunities to broaden your employability

Caitlin Yeoman, Senior Executive Assistant to Chief Allied Health professions Officer, Ministry of Health

Joanne Graham, Board Secretary and Executive Assistant to Chief Executive Officer, Landcare Research

Fiona Campbell, Senior Executive Assistant Office of the Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Health

9.55 Establishing the foundations for powerful and effective communication to enhance your
relationships

Understanding the reasoning and goals behind strategic communication
Communicating sensitively with empathy foregrounding your interactions
Achieving greater comprehension of your Senior Executive and organisation’s needs
Engaging and influencing your virtual audiences with ease and confidence

Vanessa Franks, Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive, Hutt City Council

10.40 Morning coffee

11.10 Exploring how technological innovation impacts the role of the Executive Assistant

Identifying emergent technologies which best support your executive
Exploring how Executive Assistants might utilise AI technologies such as ChatGPT
Communicating and collaborating in virtual environments with influence and ease
Clarifying methods of safely and efficiently storing your organisations’ data

Stephen Clarke, Virtual Chief Data Officer, AI/ML, Data & Information Management Consultant

11.55 Panel Discussion:

Future-proofing your career by preparing for the workplaces of tomorrow

Mapping future expectations and responsibilities of Executive Assistants
Becoming the tech-savvy saviours of your workplace
Operating as an extension of your executive to deliver results
Empathy – your new secret weapon to understanding and achieving success

Rachel Phillips, Executive Assistant to the Hospital and Specialist Services Tairāwhiti, New Zealand Health

Tracey Hughes, Executive Assistant to General Manager Building Resources and Markets Group, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

Ness Franks, Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive, Hutt City Council

12.40 Lunch

13.40 Level up your use of Microsoft Suite to enhance your efficiency and teamwork

Learning the intricacies of the suite to best support your executive and organisation
Managing your dream team with Microsoft Teams
Keeping track of and organising tons of information with OneNote
Streamlining your organisation’s communication with Outlook

Tam Bagnall, Modern Work Specialist, Microsoft

14.25 Embracing change as an opportunity to improve your supportive skills

Remaining resilient when change demands high workloads
Learning new priorities and ideals when there are changes in Executive leadership
Fostering positive relationships and reaching productive outcomes when values conflict
Supporting your team and yourself in times of crisis and chaos

Debbie Gee, Project, Programme and Change Manager, Director, Flourish Consulting