5 November 2025 | Grand Millennium | AUCKLAND

Leadership for a Greener Future

Building Resilience | Accelerating Impact

As global temperatures rise and environmental impacts become increasingly evident, the need for effective leadership has never been more pressing. From bolstering essential green skills and capabilities, to embedding sustainability at the core of business frameworks and practice, leaders must continue to rapidly adapt if they are to maintain a competitive advantage for the future.  

Join the Sustainability Leaders Summit 2025 and gain actionable insights into navigating today’s most critical climate and environmental challenges. Designed with strategy and tactics at its core, the event will equip leaders with the tools, connections and vision needed to deliver on key business priorities – all while protecting our people and planet for a greener more sustainable future. 

2025 Speakers

Dr Stefanos Fotiou

Director, Office of Sustainable Development Goals & Director, UN Food Systems Coordination Hub

FAO
INTERNATIONAL

Stefanos Fotiou is an expert on environment and sustainable development with 30 years of experience in the United Nations system, private sector and research organisations. He currently serves as Director of the Office of Sustainable Development Goals in the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) as well as Director of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, an inter-Agency unit of the UN established at the request of the UN Secretary General. In these roles, Stefanos provides strategic leadership and oversees coordination mechanism to support countries on developing and implementing SDGs based agrifood transformations. One of his latest achievement is leading the successful organization of the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking that was characterised by many participants as the “UN Assembly for Food Systems.”

Prior to join FAO Stefanos served 16 years in the UN Secretariat including 6 years as Director in the Environment and Development Division of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific as well as 10 years in the UN Environment Programme leading global and regional work on green economy and sustainable consumption and production.

Before joining the UN, he had worked for 12 years in the private sector, NGOs and academia on issues of regional sustainable development. Between 1997 and 2005 was a visiting lecture in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki on Forest Economics and Management. Throughout his career, Stefanos has taken leading roles in international fora, has conceptualised and led the development of regional and national strategies on environment and sustainable development and his work has been published and referenced. Stefanos is a national of Greece and he holds a PhD in Natural Resource Economics, a Master of Science in Forestry and Natural Environment and a Master of Science in Information Systems

Michael Kobori

Former Chief Sustainability Officer

Starbucks
INTERNATIONAL

Helen Jenkins

General Manager, Sustainability

Fletcher Building

Michael Burgess

Director Corporate Affairs & Sustainability

Bupa

Dr Cathy Bebelman

Chief Scientist, Head of Science & Sustainability

Auckland Transport

Dr Cathy Bebelman is scientist with expertise in the technical areas of environmental sustainability and transport infrastructure. Cathy has an extensive background and knowledge in the environmental impacts of infrastructure and transport networks, working as a researcher and consultant in this space for over 25 years.

Cathy is passionate about good science, evidence-based decision making and brings an alternative perspective to the more traditional approaches. In her current role she provides thought leadership to position Auckland for a lower carbon and greener future. As the Chief Scientist, Cathy leads the environment, climate and social equity work for Auckland Transport.

Meagan Schloeffel

Executive Manager, Sustainability

IAG New Zealand

As Executive Manager Sustainability at IAG, Meagan leads IAG NZ’s sustainability approach which is centred around three pillars: Meeting Nature’s Challenge, Helping People Thrive, and Insuring New Zealand.

She has 17 years’ experience across sustainability, ESG and climate strategy in Australia, the UK, Canada and New Zealand. Meagan is passionate about helping organisations realise their potential to create positive outcomes for the environment, their people and their stakeholders.

Dr Kimberly Camrass

Sustainability Lead - Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific

Boeing

Dr Kimberly Camrass is a sustainability professional with a PhD in Regenerative Futures. In her current role as Regional Sustainability Lead at Boeing, Kimberly drives efforts to decarbonise aviation across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. She has a strong focus on policy development for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), emerging flight technologies and robust market-based measures..

Kimberly is Boeing’s representative on the Federal Government’s Jet Zero Council and is also driving aviation sustainability through partnerships with industry, State Governments and the research sector. These include Boeing’s partnership with Wagner Sustainable Fuels to progress SAF blending and production, the publication of the Boeing CSIRO SAF State of Play Report and ongoing advocacy on the principles of effective decarbonisation policy.

Prior to joining Boeing, she was the Director – Climate Positive Brisbane 2023 within the Queensland Government, shaping initial sustainability planning for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Kimberly is an Adjunct Fellow at the University of the Sunshine Coast and is engaged in strategic foresight and futures work globally to drive innovative thinking around regeneration and sustainability. She is a published author, with works covering a range of themes, including futures studies, regeneration, sustainability and leadership.

Annabel Davies

Chief Sustainability & Risk Officer

Pamu

Olivia Barclay

Suncorp Insurance

Olivia has spent her career working for high-profile global NZX and ASX brands, leading teams to deliver Sustainability strategies and preparing companies to meet current and future legal compliance.

Dave Maslen

Chief Customer Officer

The New Zealand Merino Company

Dave Maslen is a respected advocate for sustainability and innovation in the wool industry, as Chief Customer Officer at The New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) he has been instrumental in delivering the largest supply of ethical wool in the world to the global market.

Sitting on NZM’s senior leadership team, Dave has primary responsibility for the company’s customer experience, sales, marketing and strategic relationships. Dave also has deep involvement in the sustainability, innovation, and research programmes at NZM.

Throughout his over 17-year tenure, Dave has supported transformational change, driving positive impact across the wool growing industry. Key moments have included developing, launching and managing the ZQ programme – the worlds first ethical wool programme, facilitating the shift for growers away from mulesing and other significant animal welfare practice changes, leading environmental sustainability initiatives at scale and most recently the rapid integration of regenerative practices on farms in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

A core part of Dave’s role involves connecting businesses with growers who share their sustainable values, building long-lasting relationships with the shared drive to do better for our world. These relationships are crucial to NZM’s ability to effect change, and also help drive resilience for growers, supply chains and brands. Success is directly enabled by the close alignment of brand and consumer expectations and a mutual understanding of the intricacies of tier-four suppliers.

In 2020 Dave led the team to develop and launch the ZQRX wool sourcing programme, this initiative was designed to go beyond the company’s world-leading ZQ on-farm, and to support growers to implement regenerative farm practices, and to establish the methodologies and data systems to monitor impact.

Adam Weller

Sustainability Manager

Airways New Zealand

Senior leader in sustainability and climate change with over 12 years’ experience leading the transition in diverse challenging industries towards sustainability to prepare for a future low carbon economy with reduced business risks, increased productivity and greater efficiency. Four years as a Sustainable Business Network board-member, chair of IEMA-NZ (sustainability professional network), Chartered Environmentalist, IEMA Fellow. Established and led the sustainability at WM for six years, and currently establishing and leading sustainability at the Airways Corporation of NZ.

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Content by leaders, for leaders

Our cutting-edge content is carefully researched and curated in step with the expertise and insights of Connect Media’s vast network of industry specialists. Timely and uniquely tailored, our content ignites innovation, addresses leading industry challenges, all while delivering the skills and tools needed to achieve business excellence in the future.

Agenda

Day 1 Wednesday, 5 November 2025
8:45 AM
Registration
9:35 AM
Opening Remarks from the Chair
9:40 AM
Opening Keynote
10:05 AM
Capability Session

Accelerating Workforce Transformation: Sustainability Leadership for a Greener Future

  • What are the current challenges shaping the sustainability landscape? How are Leaders adapting accordingly?
  • What capabilities & skills still need to be cultivated to meet growing sustainability demands?
  • How are leaders balancing key business priorities with sustainability values & initiatives? How are they balancing these with affordability priorities?
10:45 AM
Keynote
11:10 AM
Morning Refreshments & Networking
11:35 AM
Partner Keynote
12:00 PM
Trust Session

Transparency & Trust: Navigating Climate Reporting, Disclosures & Compliance

  • What are the greatest climate reporting risks facing leaders today? How are we adapting to these challenges?
  • How are leaders adapting to shifting sustainability compliance obligations?
  • What steps can be taken to make risk assessment & reporting meaningful & outcome driven?
12:40 PM
Keynote
1:05 PM
Lunch Welcome Remarks
1:15 PM
Lunch & Networking
2:15 PM
Diamond Keynote
2:40 PM
NextGen Strategy Session

Double Materiality: Expanding the Scope of Sustainability

  • How are businesses expanding their reporting approaches to encompass nature related disclosures?
  • What steps can businesses take to integrate nature-based priorities into their decision-making processes?
  • How can we balance the expanding scope of sustainability with affordability priorities?
3:20 PM
Keynote
3:45 PM
Afternoon Refreshments & Networking
4:15 PM
Keynote
4:40 AM
Keynote
5:05 AM
Closing Remarks from the Chair
5:10 PM
Close of Summit

Event Pricing

SINGLE DELEGATE PASS

EARLY BIRD

$649 + GST

Early bird price valid Until 08/08/2025

STANDARD

$949 + GST

5 DELEGATE PASSES INCLUDES 2 FREE

EARLY BIRD

$1947 + GST

Early bird price valid Until 08/08/2025

STANDARD

$2847 + GST

What’s included in my delegate pass
Access to Full Event Program
Exclusive Networking Opportunities
Executive Insights & Event Content

Delegate Registration is strictly for in-house Sustainability Executives and Professionals from consumer or government facing organisations. If you are a Service Provider to sustainability executives, please email lachlanw@connectmedia.com to discuss your involvement.

Registrations will be reviewed for the correct rate, Connect Media reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone not paying the correct rate. Furthermore, we will not be responsible for travel costs if you do not pay the correct rate.

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Our Partners

Become A Partner

The Sustainability Leaders Summit is New Zealand’s premier event for in-house sustainability professionals. We focus on actionable insights and real-world solutions by bringing together the leading voices shaping the sector. Every year we refine our event model to unlock greater value for our partners and to ensure that our delegation’s expectations are exceeded. 

Whether you’re looking for brand visibility, lead generation or exclusive event networking opportunities, our sponsorship packages are tailor made and designed to maximise your ROI. 

Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss what these opportunities could look like for you and your brand. 

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Lachlan Watts
Event Partnership Executive
Tel: +61 420 973 613
Email: lachlanw@connectmedia.com

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

Tel: +61 2 8004 8590
Email: team@connectmedia.com

Venue & Accomodation

Grand Millennium

71 Mayoral Drive, Cnr Vincent Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s included in my delegate pass?

A Delegate Pass includes access to all sessions, refreshment breaks, networking lunches, and access to provided speaker presentations. Please note: Sharing of speaker presentation’s is subject to approval from the guest speaker. One delegate ticket is entry for one person only, passes cannot be shared. Organiser’s reserve the right to deny entry to anyone not registered.

 

Is there a group booking discount?

Yes – groups of 3 people or more are entitled to a discount. Full discount information is available on our registration page. If you have any questions about how group bookings work, please contact team@connectmedia.com

 

Can I transfer my pass?

A delegate pass is entry for one person only, passes cannot be shared. A substitute delegate is welcome at any time prior to the event, provided the request is made in writing to team@connectmedia.com

 

How do I receive my delegate pass?

Following the completion of your registration, you will receive an email confirmation. We will contact you via email the day prior to the event with a QR code, to make your arrival as seamless as possible have your QR e-ticket ready and visible on your device.

 

Is media registration available?

No, this is a closed and confidential event. Media registrations are not available.

 

Cancellation Policy:

A full refund less a $250 (GST Inclusive) processing fee is applicable on cancellation requests made in writing within 10 days of registration. No refunds are available for cancellations made more than 10 days after registration. Where Connect Media is required to reschedule the event in the interest of the event partner’s and guests, your pass will be automatically transferred to the rescheduled dates. Should Connect Media be unable to offer, deliver or fulfil any engagement within 12 months, you will be entitled to a full refund.

 

What is a Service Provider?

A service provider refers to an individual or organisation who supplies products and/or services to the primary audience of the event.

 

Will there be a delegate list available?

No, Connect Media does not provide delegate lists to attendees.

 

Fraudulent activities

We’ve been alerted to instances of companies proposing to purchase and sell lists of attendees for our events. Please be assured, we do not engage in the sale or distribution of event-related data. Such companies have no association with us, and we are actively working to halt these deceptive practices.

Regrettably, this type of scam is not uncommon in the media industry. Any information purported to originate from our events and offered by a third party would be completely fabricated. Should you have doubts about the legitimacy of a potential supplier, we urge you to contact us directly.

For any additional questions please contact us on 02 8004 8590 or team@connectmedia.com.

Delegate Pass:

Delegate Pass includes access to all sessions, refreshment breaks, networking lunches, networking drinks reception, and access to approved speaker presentations/on demand content. Please note: Sharing of speaker presentation’s is subject to approval from the guest speaker. One delegate ticket is entry for one person only, passes cannot be shared. Organiser’s reserve the right to deny entry to anyone not registered.

Digital Pass (only applicable for digital events):

A digital pass is valid for the use of 1 user and provides access to live content, inclusive of all keynotes, and sessions. The pass also includes access to approved speaker presentations/on demand content; this will be available to you via email in the week following the event. Please note: Sharing of speaker presentation’s is subject to approval from the guest speaker. Access must not be shared by multiple user’s or redistributed in any way. Organiser’s reserve the right to deny access to anyone who is found violating the above terms.

Payment & Discounts:

Only one promotional discount code can be applied per registrant. All prices and promotions are valid at the time of purchase only and may not be redeemed after the point of purchase.

Registrations will be reviewed for the correct rate, Connect Media reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone not paying the correct rate. Furthermore, we will not be responsible for travel costs if you do not pay the correct rate.

Organiser’s Rights:

Connect Media and Communications Group Pty Ltd endeavours to ensure the conference programme and speaker line-up is correct at the time of the event. All advertised details are correct at time of publishing. Due to unforeseen circumstances Connect Media and Communications Group Pty Ltd reserves the right to alter the programme prior to the event without notice. We also reserve the right to cancel or postpone the event. Where Connect Media is unable to run the event in the next 12 months (from the date of the event), you will be entitled to a full refund. In the unlikely event that it is cancelled or postponed, no compensation will be provided for cancelled/amended travel arrangements.

Connect Media and Communications Group Pty Ltd reserves the right to deny access to any individual that engages in or is alleged to engage in practices that are considered unprofessional and inappropriate for a business conference. We reserve the right to deny access to delegates that may affect the client / vendor ratio of attendance in favour of the interests of sponsors and commercial partners of the event.

In registering for this event, delegates grant permission to Connect Media and Communications Group Pty Ltd to take and to have full and free use of video/photographs containing their image/likeness for promotional use. Should a delegate not agree to the above image release, they must advise team@connectmedia.com.

Cancellation Policy:

A substitute delegate is welcome at any time provided the request is made in writing. A full refund less a $250 (GST Inclusive) processing fee is applicable on cancellation requests made in writing within 10 days of registration. No refunds are available for cancellations made more than 10 days after registration. Where Connect Media is required to reschedule the event in the interest of the event partner’s and guests, your pass will be automatically transferred to the rescheduled dates. Should you be provided with a credit note at the discretion of the event organisers, this credit is valid for the specified amount of passes, and not the monetary value. Should Connect Media be unable to offer, deliver or fulfil any engagement within 12 months, you will be entitled to a full refund.

Event Delivery:

In case of a change in government restrictions and advice, Connect Media reserves the right to make the decision to deliver the event completely digital, or completely in person. Should you hold a different pass, you are entitled to move your registration to digital/in person, or receive a credit for the following edition of the event.

Privacy Disclosure:

We take your privacy seriously. Information collected on this registration will be held in the strictest of confidence on a secure database. This information may be used in order to contact you regarding future events, product development and services offered. If you do not wish to be contacted please email team@connectmedia.com. To view our full privacy policy please visit: https://dashboard.connectmedia.com/privacy-policy/.

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