Speakers & Sessions

Member for Port Waikato, National Party Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Minister of Small Business and Manufacturing, Minister of Statistics

Andrew was born in Whanganui into a farming family. He graduated with a Bachelor of Business Studies from Massey University and qualified as a chartered accountant.

He is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, the Institute of Managers and Leaders, the NZ Chartered Institute of Corporate Management, and the UK Chartered Association of Certified Accountants. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London. He worked for the Southpac corporate finance team in New Zealand before transferring to London where he worked for a number of years. After returning to New Zealand, he co-founded a merchant bank, Cranleigh. He has also owned many other businesses and been a director to a range of organisations.

Andrew served for nine years as a member of Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure select committee and was also the Co-Chair of the Middle East/Africa Parliamentary Friendship Group and Co-Chair of the Antarctic Parliamentary Group, which he established in 2019.

Auditor General, OAG

John Ryan began his term as Controller and Auditor-General on 2 July 2018.

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.

Chief Audit Executive, Ipswich City Council, Australia

Freddy Beck epitomizes 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 organizational landscapes.

Recognized 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.

Professor, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa

Prof Fourie joined the Nelson Mandela [Metropolitan] University in July 2008 after serving more than 17 years at Tshwane University of Technology. Houdini holds the position of Professor of Internal Auditing in the Department of Applied Accounting.

Houdini obtained a Doctor of Commerce (D Com) degree in Internal Auditing from the University of Pretoria in September 2014. In addition, he is a Professional Accountant (South Africa).

Houdini has an extensive academic research profile, being one of four individuals in the auditing discipline in South Africa to possess a National Research Foundation (NRF) rating. He published on topics that relate to corporate governance, internal auditing, public sector internal auditing, accounting education and work-readiness skills of entering internal auditors. More than 20 articles are published in academic journals and several papers were read at both International and National conferences.

Houdini served on the Accreditation Committee of the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA); and on the Examination Board of the South African Institute of government Auditors; and served on the Board of Directors of the Institute of Internal Auditors (South Africa) (IIA-SA) from 2000 to 2004 and held the position as Regional Governor for the Port Elizabeth Region of the IIA-SA since 2009 up to 2013

Principal Auditor, Audit Office Tonga

Maika Haupeakui has had an illustrious career spanning over three decades, with extensive expertise in financial management, internal audit, and strategic leadership across various sectors. Currently serving as an Internal Audit Consultant and Financial Advisor for the Ministry of Infrastructure, he played a pivotal role in establishing the Internal Audit Division within the ministry. His responsibilities included designing the division's structure, developing essential documentation such as the Internal Audit Charter and Audit Manual, and overseeing human resource development and staff training.

Prior to his role at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Maika served as a Financial Consultant for the Office of the Ombudsman, Tonga, where he provided invaluable financial oversight and guidance. He also held the position of Deputy CEO and Head of the Internal Audit Division at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, where he spearheaded the development of audit strategies, annual plans, and policies, and played a key role in staff recruitment and training.

Maika's diverse career also includes roles such as Principal Procurement Officer at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, where he was responsible for managing procurement activities and developing control mechanisms, and Principal Auditor at the Tonga Audit Office, overseeing government financial and compliance audits.

With a passion for financial management and governance, Maika has served in various leadership positions, including Finance Manager and Acting CEO at the Tonga Water Board, where he managed all aspects of financial operations, project coordination, and budgeting. He also held key positions at the Tonga Free Wesleyan Church, where he contributed to financial oversight, business development, and community initiatives.

In addition to his professional roles, Maika has been actively involved in education, serving as a secondary school teacher and part-time tutor in accounting and economics. He has also served on the boards of several public enterprises, providing strategic financial advice and oversight.

Maika holds a wealth of experience and expertise in financial management, internal audit, and strategic leadership, making him a highly respected professional in his field.

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.

The Great Debate: Survival or Revolution: The Battle Cry of Internal Auditors in an Age of Unprecedented Turbulence

Ross Tilly (adjudicator) 

The Great Debate promises an engaging and competitive event where teams will present thought-provoking arguments on the ultimate challenge for internal auditors. Adding an element of excitement and impartiality, an adjudicator will carefully evaluate the arguments presented by each team

CEO, Risk NZ 

David Turner is a senior business executive and trusted advisor with over 20 years’ of experience in the risk management industry. David joined the Australian Army and became part of a specialised team where he deployed to East Timor in 1999. After the military contracted to varied private and government organisations in leadership, risk and project roles; he opened his own company that advised on risk management and provided personnel for major projects including: BHPB, Rio Tinto, Multiplex, Police, Australian Elections, and also CHOGM 2011 working with State and Federal Police. David was born in NZ and returned in 2016 to work on the Transdev Wellington rail network transition. He now lives in New Zealand permanently and has worked with Deloitte, KPMG, Defence, MOJ and PwC. He brings a unique blend of expertise across diverse areas with a focus on risk management of human behaviour – one of the more complex, dynamic, and often overlooked areas of the industry.

Head of Operational Risk and Compliance, UDC Finance

Iain is currently the Head of Operational Risk and Compliance with UDC Finance, and previously spent 20 years with ASB Bank in various risk and compliance management roles.

He also chairs the NZ Chapter of the Association of Certified Examiners which is the world’s largest anti-fraud organisation whose members are dedicated to fighting fraud, and is a Board member for the NZ and Pacific Islands Chapter of RIMS (the Risk Management Society) which is a global not for profit organisation dedicated to the advancement of the practice of risk management.

He is a passionate and pragmatic risk and compliance professional with a diverse range of skills including wide operational risk, compliance, assurance, fraud and security subject matter knowledge and people, project and change management experience gained in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

In addition he has gained a variety of voluntary, not for profit, and industry body governance experience across religious, financial crime and education related Councils, Committees, Boards and Associations.

CEO, TINZ

Julie has 20 years of experience as a Chief Executive Officer and senior manager in regulatory, professional and NGO organisations. 

She is an accomplished leader, advocate, negotiator and communicator. She has facilitated standards development, and research projects, and has overseen complaints and disciplinary processes. 

Her earlier career was in secondary teaching. Julie is a strong advocate for civil society participation. She loves her leadership role at TINZ, as it enables her to interweave several decades of skill and knowledge towards great outcomes for Aotearoa.

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.

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.