Our 2026 Speakers

Andy has spent the majority of his career in Corporate and Commercial Banking in London, holding senior leadership roles with NatWest where he led teams across Energy Sectors and Climate. As a Head of Climate at one of the world’s largest banks to have SBTi-validated science-based targets, he has been at the forefront of the intersection between finance and the climate challenge. As Head of Strategy & Financial Solutions at the Centre for Sustainable Finance he works across the public and private sectors to accelerate the mobilisation of private capital into activities that enhance New Zealand’s sustainability. 

Barry Bragg is Chair of Awarua Rūnaka Ltd, the commercial entity of Awarua Rūnaka, one of the 18 Papatipu Rūnanga of Ngāi Tahu, and brings extensive governance, commercial and financial experience across the iwi, public and private sectors.  

Barry joined Ngāi Tahu Property in 2009 and became Chair in 2012. In 2019, he was appointed Chair of Ngāi Tahu Farming. Since 2013, he has served as a director or chair of numerous organisations, building significant experience in commercial development, investment, infrastructure and the governance of complex organisations including the redevelopment of Te Kaha, the new Christchurch stadium.

Through his leadership of Awarua Rūnaka Ltd, Barry has increasingly been involved in the development of commercial opportunities connected to the marine environment, including aquaculture and kelp farming, with a focus on creating enduring economic opportunities while maintaining strong environmental and cultural stewardship.

Bevan Rakoia is a Pacific governance and community development practitioner working across labour mobility, stakeholder engagement and emerging blue-economy opportunities. He is Director of Tomoko Pacific Labour Mobility and has been developing relationships across the Solomon Islands seaweed sector, connecting farmers, communities, government and New Zealand partners. His work explores how seaweed can support community-led enterprise, climate resilience, skills development and stronger Pacific value chains. Bevan is also an Executive MBA student at the University of Waikato, with interests in responsible engagement, governance and systems that create long-term value for Pacific communities. 

Brent Jackson leads the scientific strategy and helps guide operational decision-making for land-based cultivation at Asparagopsis Technologies Limited. With a background spanning marine biotechnology, bioprocess development, and applied aquaculture research, Brent specialises in optimising biological systems and quality control protocols to scale sustainable seaweed solutions.

Over the past four years, Brent led CH4 Global’s R&D program at Ocean Beach. Bringing international experience across New Zealand, Australia, and Europe, his expertise covers photobioreactor design, bioprocess optimisation, and large-scale production systems.

Caitlin Ōtira Sowden has whakapapa to Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui in Picton and Ngāti Kurī in Kaikōura, and currently serves on the Environmental Pou for Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Victoria University of Wellington and a Bachelor of Arts in Te Reo Māori from Te Wānanga o Raukawa, and is currently undertaking funded research and her Master's at the University of Canterbury, focussing on the seaweed Karengo. Her work draws together mātauranga Māori and Western scientific method, reflecting a research approach grounded in both whakapapa and best practice. 

Based in Wellington, Caitlin can often be found travelling throughout Aotearoa in her green pop-top van, accompanied by her dog Pounamu maintaining close connection to the coastal environments at the heart of her research. Of all her roles, being an aunty to her nephew Harry is both the most important and her favourite.

Catriona is a highly respected marine scientist and leader with more than 30 years of experience in sustainable marine resource management and aquaculture development. Her research has influenced aquaculture policy and helped shape international standards. She is an Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies in Tasmania, a director on the global board of the World Aquaculture Society and with NZ King Salmon, and serves in advisory roles with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNESCO’s Oceans 100 project, The Nature Conservancy, and the World Bank. Seaweed has become a particular passion due to its significant potential for innovation and sustainable food production and she is a strong advocate for national recognition of the sector and greater government support through ASSA. 

Charlotte Read is a seasoned wine industry leader with deep brand, export, and market development experience.  She was recognised earlier this year as Global Ambassador 2026 by Women in Food and Drink Aotearoa New Zealand.  As GM Brand at New Zealand Winegrowers, she champions NZ wine’s premium reputation globally and leads member engagement. She has represented NZTE in China and New Zealand to drive F&B export growth, and spent a decade with a leading New Zealand winery across London, Auckland, Shanghai, and Beijing, managing sales in 40 markets. Charlotte holds a Cambridge MBA, the WSET Diploma, and completed four years on the Master of Wine programme. 

Clare is CEO of AgriSea New Zealand, an award winning, intergenerational whānau seaweed company at the forefront of the biostimulant industry in NZ.  Clare spent her younger years working for Global Vision International, running projects with indigenous communities deep in the Amazon Rainforest. 

Her work focused on ensuring economic opportunities for these communities while keeping forests standing - this is the same approach that has led her to become so involved in the seaweed sector here and abroad.

Clare is a founding member of ANZSA and currently serves on the  ANZSA Board.

Dr Corinna Dwan is Director of Partnerships and Engagement at the Marine Bioproducts Cooperative Research Centre (MBCRC), where she leads strategic partnerships, industry engagement and international collaboration to accelerate the commercialisation of Australia's marine bioproducts sector. With more than 30 years' experience across the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, research and government sectors, Corinna has held senior leadership roles in Europe and Australia, including with Marinova Pty Ltd, GlaxoSmithKline, Boehringer Ingelheim, the University of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Government. She holds a PhD from the University of Tasmania and is passionate about connecting science, industry and investment to sustainably transform marine resources into products that improve human health, strengthen industry and deliver lasting environmental and economic impact.

Donald is a marketing and communications leader. With extensive experience building brands and driving engagement, he specialises in aligning commercial growth with purpose-led impact. 

Donald is also co-founder of Citizen, a collaborative food initiative focused on reducing waste through circular solutions, including upcycled food products. Passionate about sustainability and collective action, he brings a hands-on, innovative approach to creating value for both business and the environment. 

Raised on a farm in New Zealand, Felicity has worked in international intergovernmental organisations including the International Renewable Energy Agency and the United Nations Environment Programme. From renewable energy to sustainable finance, her career has led from technological solutions to the financial system and now to how nature-based solutions and good business can create the change we need. If there is one thing she has learnt, it is that a small, committed team – who can laugh! – can achieve great things. 

Dr Florian Graichen is General Manager of biomanufacturing and biotechnology portfolios within the Bioeconomy Science Institute. He leads work across advanced biomanufacturing, circular manufacturing, biorefineries and biobased products, bringing together marine, forestry, agricultural and other renewable feedstocks to create high-value materials, chemicals and functional products. Florian is passionate about cross-sectoral collaboration and translating science into commercial opportunities for New Zealand companies. He advises government ministries, serves on several industry boards and is an Honorary Professor at the University of Waikato. As a systems thinker and communicator, he encourages audiences to reimagine how New Zealand can combine its biological resources, advanced technologies and distinctive capabilities to create a high-value and sustainable future.

Hayley is a purpose-led leader passionate about creating positive impact for people and planet through business. Her w ork is increasingly focused on sustainability, regenerative systems and helping organisations navigate the opportunities and challenges of building long-term value in a changing world.

With more than 30 years' experience spanning trade and consumer marketing, international brand development, export growth and business leadership, she brings a combination of strategic thinking, commercial pragmatism and stakeholder engagement. Hayley is a founding member of ANZSA and deeply committed to the development of Aotearoa's seaweed sector.

Dr Jocelyn Eason (PhD, MBA) has over 25 years of experience practicing and leading research. As a senior science leader in the Bioeconomy Science Institute, Jocelyn has experience stewarding large‑scale scientific capability, leading distributed teams, and delivering national impact across New Zealand’s food and bioeconomy sectors. She leads the Food Innovation Portfolio comprising over 100 researchers. Together they investigate human responses to food, the influence of food on health and wellness, and develop nutritionally rich functional foods. The team have scientific expertise in consumer insights, postharvest quality and traceability, food safety & packaging, food-health relationships, bioresource engineering, biological chemistry, bioactive discovery and food evaluation. A recent focus has been strengthening the value proposition for future plant-based foods. 

Dr Johan Svenson is Cawthron’s Science Impact Manager and a natural products and biopolymer chemist whose research has focused on gaining value from nature and has led to advances in the fields of marine natural products, biotechnology, medicinal chemistry, biomaterials and antifouling. Johan has worked in the space of marine biodiscovery for nearly two decades and has spent nine years in the Arctic (Norway) bioprospecting for high-value compounds from marine organisms. He later moved on to become research manager (chemistry and materials) at RISE research Institutes of Sweden before being recruited down to Cawthron Institute in New Zealand. Here Johan is involved in leading Cawthron’s international science relationships and the development of a sustainable New Zealand algae sector by exploring collaborative R&D programmes to enable seaweed aquaculture, generate algal based products and novel bioactives for commercial applications. Johan has extensive experience developing applied research with industrial stakeholders focusing on the growth and valorisation of both seaweeds and microalgae. 

John Walsh is the Director of Pest Management for Biosecurity New Zealand which is part of the Ministry for Primary Industries. His directorate is responsible for leadership and coordination across the Pest Management system as well as delivering large scale, national pest management programmes. 

John is responsible for several large on-going biosecurity responses, most notably the responses to Exotic Caulerpa and the Freshwater Gold Clam. 

John was previously Communications Director for the Ministry of Primary Industries, taking on that role in 2014. Prior to that he was General Manager of one of New Zealand’s largest public relations agencies. 

Juliet Tainui-Hernandez (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Whakatōhea, Te Whānau a Apanui) is a professional director with 30 years' experience across law, finance, governance, investment and economic development. She serves on the boards of ASB Bank Limited, Whai Rawa Fund, Te Kāhui o Ōnuku, Rewiring Aotearoa and The Skills Group Trust, and is a member of the Waitangi Tribunal. She is a former Director of Ngāi Tahu Holdings, Assistant Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, and Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright.

Juliet began her career with Ngāi Tahu and work at the intersection of indigenous governance, economic development and environmental stewardship. Through Ōnuku Rūnanga, she supports initiatives that bring together ecological restoration, climate resilience and regenerative economic development, including opportunities in the emerging seaweed sector. She is passionate about how governance, investment and indigenous knowledge can help grow nature-positive enterprises that strengthen ecosystems, regional prosperity and kaitiakitanga for future generations.

Professor Jun Lu obtained his BSc from East China Normal University and MSc and PhD from the University of Auckland. His research interest is mainly in nutraceutical products and metabolic disease. 

Jun has published more than 220 peer-reviewed journal articles with a h-index of 55. He has been working on New Zealand seafood products (including mussel, seaweed, paua, fish and clams) to extract bioactive compounds for more than 17 years. 

He is the principal investigator of HVN-funded project mussel-fucoidan as supplemented superfood for the prevention of type 2 diabetes and alleviation of joint pain.

Katherine Short is ANZSA's Communications Manager, bringing a background in marine conservation and blue economy programme development spanning policy, science, fundraising, and constituency building. Drawing on nearly three decades in sustainable seafood, including 17 years with WWF globally and a decade advising Moana New Zealand, Katherine is self-employed Principal of F.L.O.W. Collaborative, focused on advancing a regenerative blue economy, and programme development for Māori-led marine regeneration.  

Kerry completed her PhD in Gastrointestinal biology and gut health at the Institute of Food Research (now Quadram Institute), Norwich, UK, in 2010 following her Bachelor’s degree in Biomedicine. Now she works for the Bioeconomy Science Institute (formerly Plant & Food Research), where her research is focused on food bioactives and whole foods that benefit human health. In 2025 she conducted a literature review on the potential health benefits of brown seaweeds and has since been excited by the potential of seaweed in lowering blood glucose and blood cholesterol, in additional to its potential beneficial effects on the gut.

Laura has almost fifteen years experience in public sector policy and strategy across a wide range of environmental, cultural and economic issues, and has represented New Zealand in international forums on sustainable food systems, climate change, biodiversity and trade. She has a Master of Environmental Studies from VUW and is currently completing postgraduate studies in Sustainable Aquaculture at NMIT, with a particular interest in seaweed, food and nutrition, and marine bioactives. Laura is an ANZSA Board Observer and member of the  Food and Nutrition Action Cluster. She is undertaking industry research with Premium Seas exploring value-creation pathways for Undaria.

Lucas is the founder and CEO of Premium Seas and an ANZSA Board member. He is committed to the development of a thriving seaweed sector here in New Zealand.

Premium Seas work with multiple species of seaweed, developing products spanning food, cosmetic, human health and other applications.

Mareike Babuder is a German-born marine ecologist and phycologist specialising in seaweed ecology, marine ecosystems, and the resilience of coastal habitats. She completed her PhD at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand in 2020, researching the effects of environmental stressors such as turbidity and heat on habitat-forming seaweeds and rocky reef ecosystems.  

Since 2021 she works at Waikaitu Ltd, a New Zealand company specialising in seaweed-based agricultural products. Working as Waikaitu’s Technical Officer, she has contributed to research, product development, technical communication, quality systems, and the practical application of seaweed science in agriculture.  

Mareike is a currently an ANZSA Board member and part of ANZSA's Agriculture & Biostimulant Cluster.

Marie Magnusson is an Associate Professor at the University of Waikato, specialising in seaweed aquaculture, biotechnology, and marine bioeconomy innovation. She leads multidisciplinary research programmes that advance sustainable seaweed cultivation and high-value bioproduct development in New Zealand and internationally. Marie also serves as Secretary General of the International Seaweed Association. 

Mark is the Executive Director of the Pacific Seaweed Industry Association and leads the Canadian Seaweed Industry Network initiative. 

He is a past Board Member and Chair of the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance (VIEA) and still serves as the Chair of the Trade and Invest Vancouver Island (TIVI) initiative. He also served on the British Columbia (BC) Minister of Agriculture's Advisory on Regenerative Agriculture and Agritech. 

Dr Michael Lakeman is founder and principal of Rock Stack, an Auckland-based advisory practice providing technology strategy, portfolio management and commercialisation support to deep tech and clean tech ventures. Michael currently serves as Chair of ANZSA and on the Executive Council of BiotechNZ. Previously, as VP Biology at CH4 Global, he established and directed the core R&D and IP programme for seaweed-derived methane reduction technologies. Prior to that, Michael led biofuel technology strategy at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. 

Nigel Bradly is the Founder and Director of EnviroStrat, a strategic advisory firm specialising in environmental innovation, sustainability, and the development of New Zealand's bioeconomy. He has extensive experience working across government, industry, and the research sector, helping organisations translate science and innovation into commercially viable and environmentally sustainable opportunities. Nigel is particularly recognised for his work in the blue economy, natural capital, and investment strategies that accelerate the growth of emerging industries, including the seaweed sector. 

Richard is a Chief Advisor, Economic Development at the Ministry of Maori Development. He holds a degree in Chemical and Process Engineering (Hons) and a Diploma in Dairy Science & Technology (Post Grad). His career experience includes research, food processing, high value food ingredient development, international business development and investment attraction, gained from 11 years with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and 22 years with Fonterra. He is an active angel investor, involved in governance and growth of early-stage ventures.

Rik Tainui is Chairman of Ōnuku Rūnanga and the Ōnuku Representative on the Te Rūnanga  o Ngāi Tahu, where he has served as a Director for the past 10 years.    Based in Christchurch, he provides significant leadership for Ōnuku and across the Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū.

He also serves as Co-Chair of the Te Rōpū Tuia - Environment Canterbury and a director of Mahaanui Kurataiao Ltd, contributing to regional hapū-led environmental decision-making.

Rik is deeply focused on regeneration, leading key regional collaborations including lōngāirō, removal of wastewater from Akaroa harbour, and guiding Te Kori ā te Kō vision to restore mauri ki uta ki tai for future generations.

Sam Gordon is Founder and Principal Advisor at Blue AgriFood Advisory, bringing more than 30 years' experience building and scaling aquaculture businesses in Australia. He founded Blue Harvest, Australia's first dedicated aquaculture sales and marketing agency, growing it to more than $55 million in annual turnover, and co-founded South Coast Mariculture, a vertically integrated shellfish farming business. Today, Sam works with government, businesses, investors, First Nations organisations and innovators to build climate-resilient blue food systems by turning promising blue economy innovations into commercially viable businesses through commercialisation, investment and market development. 

Roger Beattie is a pioneering New Zealand environpreneur, blending conservation and commerce across diverse ventures. In 1989, he founded Eyris Blue Pearls, the world’s first ocean-based blue pearl farm in Akaroa Harbour.   Alongside his late wife Nicki, he built New Zealand’s first large Predator Proof Reserve successfully breeding Buff Weka and aiming to farm them “no farmed species has ever died out”.  They championed “Beyond Organics” in ethical sheep and cattle farming on Banks Peninsula.

He also established NZ Kelp, sustainably harvesting giant kelp, under New Zealand’s Quota Management System (QMS), for nutritional and agricultural markets under brands Valére and Zelp.  Roger advocates low‑input regenerative farming, secure property rights, and unique value‑added natural products—earning him a reputation as one of New Zealand’s most innovative “least worst” farmers.

Rosalie Nelson has recently taken the helm as Chief Executive of Live Ocean, founded by champion sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke. Live Ocean's mission is to partner with extraordinary scientists, innovators and ocean champions for a healthy ocean. 

Earlier this year, Live Ocean partnered with Swim4TheOcean athlete Jono Ridler, who swam unassisted 1,367km along the East Coast of the North Island to raise awareness about ocean health and call for an end to the fisheries practice of bottom trawling – a campaign Rosalie is now driving forward. 

Rosalie joins Live Ocean from the Edmund Hillary Fellowship and its parent organisation, the Hillary Institute of International Leadership where, as Chief Executive, she worked alongside global leaders in climate, innovation, social impact and investment. Before that, she was GM Strategy at Callaghan Innovation, New Zealand's innovation agency, building on more than a decade of experience in systems change, strategy, public/private partnerships and innovation.

Ryan Marchington leads Aquaculture Operations at Greenwave Aotearoa, a New Zealand regenerative seaweed farming company. He oversees hatchery and farm operations and partnership development nationwide, working across research collaboration, funding, and on-the-ground deployment. 

Simon has led Forsyth Barr's Philanthropic Services team for two and a half years, providing strategic advice to charities and to wealth clients navigating philanthropy. Having raised significant funds himself, he is regularly asked to help clients build fundraising strategies. This experience, paired with his understanding of clients wishing to give during their lifetime or leave a legacy, gives him valuable insight into how philanthropy can help fund new ventures. 

Tom Wheeler is a scientist at Cawthron Institute whose research focuses on seaweed biology, ecology and its attributes as a food.  His work focuses on NZ endemic Pyropia and Porphyra (karengo), spanning cultivation, ecology and investigation of its health-promoting properties.  His work aims to promote the development of science-based approaches to support New Zealand’s growing blue economy.  Through collaboration with researchers, iwi, industry and government, Tom contributes to advancing sustainable seaweed production and the responsible management of marine ecosystems.