Ko Papa Ko Rangi: Welcome to the Day!

Koko Warner

Koko Warner is a climate change expert who specialises in human migration and displacement. She has worked in the United Nations for over 16 years, directing research on climate change and migration, and climate risk management, before joining the secretariat to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to supervise the climate impacts, vulnerabilities and risk policy workstreams in its adaptation division. Koko is currently leading UN work to implement the IOM Migration Data Strategy 2020–25 by bringing together IOM’s data expertise on data collection, analysis and sharing; migration data governance; and forecasting, among others. 

Koko has contributed to understanding, managing, and informing policy about adverse climate impacts, climate change and migration, and loss and damage. Koko holds a PhD in economics from the University of Vienna and in 2014, was named by the International Council for Science as one of the top 20 women making contributions to climate change debate.

Kiri Dell (Ngāti Porou)

Dr Kiri Dell is a Senior Lecturer in the Business School at the University of Auckland. She is a Ngāti Porou woman living in her tribal territory of Ruatōria. Her main passion is working with whānau and activating their aspirations for whenua Māori. She holds various director, trustee and board roles across a number of organisations, and is a chair of the Indigenous Caucus of the Academy of Management. She has a lively and large whānau, which enables her to play the many roles of mum, aunty, daughter, sister, cousin and niece.

Ilan Noy

Ilan has been the Chair in the Economics of Disasters and Climate Change at Victoria University of Wellington since 2013. His focus is on the economic aspects of natural hazards, disasters, and climate change, and other related topics in environmental, development, and international economics. He is also the founding Editor-in-Chief of the journal Economics of Disasters and Climate Change. He has consulted for the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, UNDRR, the IMF and ASEAN. 

Mark Baker-Jones (Ngāpuhi, Ngāruahine)

Mark is a world-leader in climate change regulatory and policy risk, and Kaitohutohu Panoni Āhuarangi (Climate Advisor) with Te Whakahaere. Mark was political advisor to the Climate Change Minister during the development of NZ’s climate change legislative regime. Mark has held senior legal roles in some of the world’s most prestigious law firms, and has published widely on climate legal risk. He has unique insights into climate change legal risk, policy and regulation, particularly for the financial sector.

Riria te Kanawa

Riria is a partner at KPMG, whose work focuses on simplifying the complex so clients are better placed to make clear, focused and guiding strategic choices, map the pathway to achievement, and most importantly, execute. In a world of constant change, Riria helps clients to challenge their own status-quo and bring a customer- rather than a process-centric lens to their work. Riria is passionate about working with Māori, considering how business approaches and measures of success can better reflect our Māori worldview as we pursue the perfect balance between people, planet and pūtea.

John Reid (Ngai Tahu)

John leads research programmes attempting to solve complex socioeconomic problems by utilising systems thinking and indigenous wisdom traditions. He has a particular interest in relationships between human and non-human beings and the role of appropriate technologies and insight in generating symbiosis between them. Currently, John leads national research programmes that bring together science, industry, and indigenous communities to address sustainability challenges related to New Zealand’s oceans, freshwater, land and biodiversity.

Jo Kelly

Jo is Chief Executive of Toitū Tahua, the Centre for Sustainable Finance. Jo has delivered cross-continent sustainability initiatives between some of the world’s best known business leaders. Jo is also on the B Lab Australia New Zealand Board and the National Advisory Board for Impact Investing. In 2011 Jo managed establishment of The B Team, which led the first calls from business for Net Zero by 2050 and an ambitious Paris Agreement. On returning home to Aotearoa NZ Jo spent four years with Deloitte New Zealand. Jo is of Ngati Tuwharetoa, Scottish and Finnish descent.

David Hall

Dr David Hall is Climate Policy Director at Toha with expertise in climate action, land use change, sustainable finance and just transitions. He has a DPhil in Politics from the University of Oxford and has additional roles as Adjunct Lecturer at AUT University’s School of Social Sciences & Public Policy, member of the Forestry Ministerial Advisory Group, Contributing Author to IPCC AR6 WG2, and Principal Investigator for AUT’s Living Laboratories Programme of nature-based solutions. Previously he has worked with a diverse range of public and private sector stakeholders on climate innovation and publishes widely in a range of academic and public-facing media, which includes the 2022 report, Adaptation Finance: Risks and Opportunities for Aotearoa New Zealand.

Shamubeel Eaqub

Shamubeel is an experienced economist who makes economics easy. He is a thought leader unafraid to take a contrarian view. An engaging and knowledgeable speaker, Shamubeel is a regular and respected contributor to media, government and business sector discussions on economic and strategic matters. He holds a BCOM with honours in Economics from Lincoln University and is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Shamubeel has authored Growing Apart: Regional Prosperity in New Zealand, and co-authored Generation Rent and The New Zealand Economy: An Introduction.