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PwC presents Herald Talks

This new business series is designed to give you the knowledge, insight and strategies to grow and diversify your business in the ever-changing landscape of New Zealand business.

PwC Herald Talks are four breakfast events discussing current trends in innovation, growth, global and changing markets.

Join us and key thought leaders to connect, knowledge share, grow and engage in New Zealand business.

The first event focuses on innovation. To add value, to lift productivity and to increase your company’s overall competitiveness in your market innovation is crucial. Stepping outside the norms to push the boundaries can present opportunities. The opening of new markets and diversification of existing ones provides new chances to gain market share. As New Zealander’s we are well known for our Kiwi ingenuity and it is this innovation that allows us to compete on the global stage. Exploring this potential and harnessing the power of digital connectivity will keep New Zealand businesses relevant and the success stories coming. PwC Herald Talks offers the opportunity to hear from business leaders on how to navigate innovation, seize market share, commercialise ideas faster and drive sustainable and continuous innovation over time. We invite you to join us to discuss innovation. From our guest speakers you will hear their stories, strategies, barriers and knowledge on the topic.

Don’t miss this unique chance to discover how to keep your business ahead, connected, engaged, growing and developing.

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Keynote Speaker

Dr Mark Sagar – Director of Laboratory for Animate Technologies, Auckland Bioengineering Institute
Academy Award winner Dr. Mark Sagar is the director of the Laboratory for Animate Technologies at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute, where his interest is in bringing digital characters to life using artificial nervous systems to empower the next generation of human computer interaction. His laboratory is pioneering neurobehavioral animation that combines biologically based models of faces and neural systems to create live, naturally intelligent, and highly expressive interactive systems.
Mark previously worked as the Special Projects Supervisor at Weta Digital and Sony Pictures Imageworks and developed technology for the characters in blockbusters such as Avatar, King Kong, and Spiderman 2. His pioneering work in computer-generated faces was recognized with two consecutive Scientific and Engineering Oscars in 2010 and 2011. Dr. Sagar holds a Ph.D. in Bioengineering and is a recipient of the University of Auckland's 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award.

Panellists

Dr Mary Quin – CEO, Callaghan Innovation
Dr Mary Quin is the inaugural Chief Executive of Callaghan Innovation. She returned to New Zealand to take up the role in May 2013, after more than 30 years working overseas in senior executive roles in NASDAQ-listed companies such as Eastman Kodak Company and Xerox, where she was VP of Strategy and Business Development for Xerox’ US$5.5 billion Production Systems Group. In 2014 Dr Quin was named as one of The New Zealand Herald’s two New Zealanders of the Year.

Rod Snodgrass – CEO, Spark Ventures
Rod leads Spark Ventures, a business unit formed in early 2013 to nurture the company's pace of innovation and to deliver connected digital experiences that customers love. It acts as an internal incubator and accelerator, adopting disruptive approaches and start-up methods such as Lean and Agile for a portfolio of ventures that include Skinny mobile, Bigpipe broadband, Spark's WiFi hot spot network, Lightbox TV, Qrious smart data and investments in NZ start-ups Vigil and App La Carte. Rod has a huge amount of experience sitting on local and international boards, and is involved in a number of innovation sector initiatives. Prior to joining the company in 1998, Rod was the Financial Controller at Ericsson Cellular and before that Group Controller at Fletcher Energy. Originally part of the Xtra team, then rising to become its General Manager, Rod has also spent time since Xtra leading the company's fixed line division, leading Group Strategy, and then as Chief Product Officer.

Bruce Hassall – CEO, PwC 
Bruce Hassall is the Chief Executive Officer and Senior Partner of PwC New Zealand, and sits on the Board of the firm. He is responsible for the executive leadership of the practice, the determination and execution of strategy and all aspects of the New Zealand firm's relationship with other PwC member Firms and with PwC International. He has over 30 years experience, 25 as a partner.

Adjudicator

Liam Dann – Business Editor, NZ Herald
Liam Dann is the Business editor of the New Zealand Herald, overseeing all our business content in print and online. He has been a journalist for 20 years, covering business for the last 15 of them. He has also worked in the banking sector in London and travelled extensively. His passion is for Markets and Economics, because they are the engine of the New Zealand economy.

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Event Format; 
7:00am Registration & stand-up networking breakfast
7:30am MC Welcome
7:40am Keynote Speaker
8:10am Panel Discussion
8:30am Q&A
8:50am MC Wrap Up
9:00am End

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