Dr Paul Wood is an expert in helping people navigate the path to high performance, satisfaction, and wellbeing. He is a regular contributor in the media and a bestselling author. Paul works with everyone from senior leaders at Google to at risk-teens. During his session on authentic leadership, he will use his own journey from delinquent to doctor of psychology to illustrate the attributes and ingredients that assist us to bring our best as we lead others and ourselves through change, challenge, and adversity.

Trevor Slater
Chief Operating Officer, Resolution Institute
Experienced commercial mediator, negotiator and trainer

Trevor Slater is a highly qualified and experienced commercial mediator, negotiator and experienced trainer.  He holds a Masters’ Degree in Conflict Resolution from La Trobe University and a Diploma of Business – Frontline Management from the Australian Institute of Management. 

Trevor has a vast experience in complaints resolution having worked in this field for many years.  He was co-author of the Australian and New Zealand Standard on complaint handling and member of the expert panel for the Government Centre for Dispute Resolution’s complaint principles programme.  He has conducted many workshops on complaint handling in New Zealand, Australia, the UK as well as being invited to train the staff at the South African Ombudsman for Long Term Insurance.

Trevor’s workshops are based on his experiences and knowledge of what works and what doesn’t when you receive a complaint.  His sharing of interesting stories interspersed with some fun video clips makes his workshops very popular.

Stephen Nelson is a Wellington based leader. From 2008 to 2017 Stephen was the Chief Executive of a company that operated three Mitre 10 MEGA home improvement stores in Wellington. Stephen’s role in this family-owned business saw him lead a team of more than 300 and he was responsible for turnover around $100 million per annum.

In 2018 Stephen took on the role of General Manager for Maycroft Construction, a mid-sized commercial construction business. Maycroft were looking for a non-construction professional who could bring independence and transformation to a relatively traditional business. Although a slightly smaller business than Mitre 10 MEGA in Wellington, Maycroft nevertheless has more than doubled revenue to around $80 million under Stephen’s leadership.

Also in 2018 Maycroft acquired the joinery business, C N Fayen Limited, and rebranded this business, Maycroft Joinery. Utilising the skill and vast experience of Chris Fayen as its Joinery Manager, Maycroft Joinery has also embarked on a journey of modernisation and latterly succession planning to ensure its ongoing success.

2022 has taken Stephen in a different direction again and he recently started a new role as Chief Executive of Badminton New Zealand. This is a small organisation with big ambitions and Stephen hopes to play a part in putting a New Zealander on an Olympic podium for badminton, but in around 20 years’ time.

Stephen has also retained his connection with Maycroft and is still a Director of the company, as well as Chair of its Board.

Mandy is working in education as a Principal Adviser, Secondary Transition at the Ministry of Education for the Wellington region. Previously she worked in construction as a self-employed tradesman for 21 years (the term tradeswoman did not exist then!) and in aviation – she trained as a Commercial Helicopter Pilot.

She works closely with employers, trade associations, economic development agencies, training providers, government departments, youth to work organisations, and councils to create a network of support for rangatahi as they look to transition into the next stage of their learning and earning journey. 

Currently she is working on developing pilot transition programmes in the Wellington region, with organisations who have a national reach. 

Mandy will talk about why connecting to schools should form part of our strategic plan for building our workforce nationally and ways to make that happen.