Women in Leadership Summit Aotearoa 2026

Dana Lightbody is the CEO of The Leadership Institute. She is a staunch advocate of equality for women in business and believes women should be helping other women every chance they get.

Dana established Konnect Learning in 2013 and The Leadership Institute in 2017. Since then she has advocated for equality for women in all aspects of her entrepreneurial and professional life — in particular by chairing and assisting the production team in the development of TLI’s Women in Leadership line of events.

Leadership rarely comes with complete certainty. Some of the most important decisions are made in environments where the path forward is unclear, the stakes are high, and competing priorities demand careful judgement.

As Chief Executive of New Zealand’s Climate Change Commission, Jo Hendy has built her career helping decision makers navigate complexity, build trust, and turn ambitious goals into meaningful action. Along the way, she has learned that leadership is not about waiting until you feel ready. It is about having the courage to step forward, make difficult decisions, and lead with clarity when certainty is not guaranteed.

In this opening keynote, Jo shares her insights on leading through complexity, backing your judgement, and building confidence through action.

Stepping into leadership rarely comes with certainty. For many women, growth brings self doubt, heightened visibility, and pressure to prove credibility in environments that often demand perfection. In this candid and empowering session, Dana Lightbody explores what it really takes to lead before you feel ready.

Drawing on real world experience and the patterns she has observed across thousands of women leaders, Dana unpacks why confidence is not a prerequisite for leadership, but a result of action. She challenges common myths around readiness, authority and self belief, and examines how women can build influence, presence and trust without waiting for permission.

You will leave with practical ways to own your voice, lead authentically, and back yourself even when it feels uncomfortable. Because leadership does not begin with certainty. It begins with choosing to step forward.

Every career is shaped by a series of defining decisions. Whether it is stepping into a new role, embracing greater responsibility, navigating uncertainty, or choosing the path that aligns with your values, the decisions you make today can shape the opportunities that follow.

Throughout her career leading organisations across global financial services, investment management, and now as Chief Executive of Mercer New Zealand, Anna Scott has made bold leadership decisions in complex and rapidly evolving environments. She understands that great leaders do not wait for certainty. They gather the right perspectives, trust their judgement, and have the courage to act.

Discover practical strategies for navigating career crossroads, making choices with clarity, and building a leadership journey that reflects your ambitions and values.

Leadership is not about having the loudest voice in the room. It is about knowing when to speak, having the confidence to contribute, and trusting that your perspective matters.

Throughout her leadership career at Westpac New Zealand, Jo McGregor has led teams, driven transformation, and supported innovation across a range of complex business environments. Along the way, she has discovered that finding your voice is an ongoing leadership journey, built through experience, self reflection, and the willingness to step outside your comfort zone.

Discover practical strategies to communicate with greater impact, build confidence over time, and ensure your voice is heard when it matters most.

For many people, success looks like reaching a goal and staying there. But some of the most rewarding opportunities come from having the courage to evolve, take risks, and embrace new challenges.

From dietitian to MasterChef winner, entrepreneur, author, television personality and farmer, Nadia Lim has built a career defined by growth, reinvention, and a willingness to back herself in unfamiliar territory.

You will leave with practical insights into trusting your instincts, embracing new opportunities, and having the confidence to pursue a path that is uniquely your own.

Leadership is not only shaped by what you do. It is also shaped by how you build trust, earn credibility, and influence outcomes in complex environments.

Throughout her career across financial regulation, broadcasting standards, enforcement and executive leadership, Belinda Moffat has worked at the intersection of accountability, decision making and public trust. She has seen first hand how effective leaders navigate competing interests, build productive relationships, and influence outcomes without relying solely on authority.

Discover how trust is earned, influence is built, and why understanding the invisible rules of leadership can be one of the most powerful tools for career growth.

The biggest challenge in leadership is rarely changing systems. It is helping people believe change is possible before they can see the outcome.

Throughout her career leading major transformation across infrastructure, technology and customer focused organisations, Penelope Rae has helped organisations navigate uncertainty, challenge long held assumptions, and build momentum for lasting change.

Penelope shares practical lessons on influencing without authority, overcoming resistance, building trust through change, and creating the confidence needed to move organisations forward. Because real transformation doesn’t happen when everyone agrees. It happens when leaders have the courage to take the first step.

Change is a constant in leadership. New challenges, evolving expectations, and increasing responsibility often require leaders to adapt while remaining true to who they are and what matters most.

Throughout her career spanning banking, insurance, and now as Chief Executive of Public Trust, Glenys Talivai has led teams and organisations through periods of significant change and transformation. Along the way, she has learned that effective leadership is not just about driving results. It is about bringing people with you, staying grounded in your values, and maintaining a clear sense of purpose.

Discover how to embrace change with confidence, support others through transition, and grow as a leader without losing sight of what matters most.

For much of our careers, we are encouraged to fit a particular mould. To be more polished, more confident, more authoritative, or more like someone else. Yet some of the most successful and influential people are those who have learned to embrace who they are.

Over a career spanning journalism, television, radio and some of New Zealand’s most recognisable media organisations, Hilary Barry has built a reputation for authenticity, resilience, and an ability to connect with people from all walks of life. Along the way, she has learned that confidence does not come from perfection. It comes from self acceptance, perspective, and having the courage to show up as yourself.

In this inspiring and highly entertaining keynote, Hilary shares stories from her remarkable career and reflects on what she has learned about confidence, criticism and resilience.

The biggest career opportunities rarely come from doing your job well. They come from understanding the bigger picture and creating value beyond your role.

Throughout her career, Rachel Foster has built a reputation for looking beyond the numbers to become a trusted commercial leader. From progressing through finance and commercial leadership roles to becoming Chief Financial Officer at DHL Supply Chain New Zealand, she has demonstrated that leadership is about curiosity, collaboration, and contributing wherever you can make the greatest impact.

Rachel shares practical lessons on broadening your perspective, developing commercial confidence, building influence across an organisation, and positioning yourself for new opportunities before they are offered.

Insight is only valuable if it leads to action.

This closing session brings together the key themes of the summit and creates space to reflect, consolidate learning, and identify clear next steps.

You will leave with a stronger sense of direction, practical actions to implement, and the confidence to apply what you have learned in your role.