Keynote Speakers

Donna Flavell

Chief Executive Officer, Te Whakakitenga o Waikato (Waikato-Tainui)

Donna is the Chief Executive of Te Whakakitenga o Waikato Inc (Waikato-Tainui).  Her impressive background has seen her work on many iwi initiatives in the freshwater space. She managed Waikato’s negotiation of the Waikato River Settlement and, following the settlement, was the General Manager of the Waikato Raupatu River Trust. 

Currently, she is also the Chair of the Iwi Advisors Group for Freshwater,  a Director of Te Wai Māori Trust and a member of the Indigenous Advisory Council for The Nature Conservancy.

Priyan Perera (facilitator)

Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, Watercare Services Limited

Priyan is the Chief Strategy & Planning Officer at Watercare Services Limited.

Priyan is a recognised water industry leader with over 20 years of experience shaping Auckland’s water infrastructure. Starting as a process engineer, he has progressed through senior roles in operations, strategy and planning, bringing deep expertise in strategic investment, operational transformation, and cross-sector collaboration. As Chief Strategy & Planning Officer at Watercare, Priyan drives long-term planning and investment strategies to ensure sustainable, resilient water and wastewater services for Tāmaki Makaurau. A passionate advocate for innovation and transparency, he champions initiatives that empower communities and developers to plan responsibly while safeguarding future generations.

Priyan is passionate about New Zealand’s water sector, bridging urban infrastructure, regional planning, and public good. His leadership reflects a commitment to sustainable growth and resilience across Aotearoa, underpinned by his belief in making things better for future generations and delivering positive outcomes across Aotearoa – New Zealand.

Allan Prangnell 

Chief Executive, Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai

Allan should be well-known to the audience, having featured as a keynote speaker at almost every Water NZ Conference in the last decade. Allan has been a central figure in the seismic water services reforms that have unfolded over this time.  

Allan first entered the water world as a Director at the Department of Internal Affairs managing the Government response to the Havelock North Drinking Water Inquiry. Following the Inquiry, Allan led a growing team at Department bringing the critical public infrastructure conversation to the fore. What started as a drinking water problem, rapidly exposed the state of New Zealand’s water infrastructure and the critical services they underpin in every town and city.  

A key aspect of this response was setting up a dedicated drinking water regulator, the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai (the Authority), which Allan has been at the helm of for the last four years.  

Since taking on the role of Chief Executive at the Authority, Allan has led the Authority through a rapid transformation from a tightly scoped drinking water regulator, to a fully-fledged water services authority with a broad new system leadership and oversight role. Allan has led the Authority through this period of change to ensure it has the right toolkit and approaches to work with supplies large and small to improve drinking water safety.  

Allan has also held senior roles in both local and central government, alongside five years in the private sector during which he established and subsequently led the firm’s local government advisory service.

Dr Caroline McElnay

Chief Health Officer, Victoria, Australia

Dr Caroline McElnay commenced as Chief Health Officer on 4 August 2025.

Dr McElnay brings more than 20 years’ public health experience in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Dr McElnay has extensive experience responding to a variety of health emergencies, including leading New Zealand’s COVID-19 response in her role as Director Public Health for New Zealand from 2017 to 2022.

A former President of the New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine, Dr McElnay is highly regarded in the field with a strong background in communicable diseases, environmental health and epidemiology.

In 2023, Dr McElnay was named a companion of the Queen’s Service Order in New Zealand for services to public health. As a strong advocate of health equity, she has continued to focus her efforts on increasing child immunisation rates in New Zealand – a transferable focus for Victoria and global communities.

Raveen Jaduram

Board Chair, New Zealand Infrastructure Commission – Te Waihanga
Chair, Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai

Raveen is a dedicated infrastructure leader, with 40 years of experience in the water environment and infrastructure.   

Raveen is currently the chair of the boards of the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission Te Waihanga, Water Services Authority Taumata Arowai and Fire and Emergency New Zealand.  He is also a director of NZBlood and Corde Limited.  He is Chair and director of a number of private and family businesses in New Zealand and Fiji. 

Raveen is a past President of Water New Zealand and has held chief executive and directorships in private and public sectors in Australia and in New Zealand. 

Suzanne Naylor

General Manager – Water and Environment – Fonterra

As a Chartered Environmental Engineer Suzanne’s entire career has been dedicated to the water and wastewater sector.

With extensive experience in water and wastewater management, both within municipal authorities and industry, Suzanne brings a valuable co-lensed perspective to the Water New Zealand Board.

Suzanne’s water journey began at Watercare in 2002 and included responsibilities for source/raw water management, dam safety, as well as water and wastewater networks and reticulation. She also led the specialist environmental/water quality and technical support team, playing a pivotal role in compliance management and strategic leadership across the wider business.

In 2023, Suzanne was offered the role of General Manager Water & Environment at Fonterra Ltd, due to her background in water and environmental management. Since being at Fonterra, Suzanne has continued to champion sustainability initiatives with her forward-thinking approach, aimed at building a sustainable future for all New Zealanders, and has been a key figure in managing water and wastewater across Fonterra’s manufacturing sites

Ali Johnstone

Head of Environmental – Silver Fern Farms

Ali Johnstone is Head of Environmental at Silver Fern Farms, one of New Zealand’s largest food processing and export companies. She leads environmental strategy, compliance, and sustainability initiatives across the company’s operations. Her work focuses on helping the organisation balance environmental performance with practical operational realities, particularly in the areas of water and wastewater management, waste minimisation, and resource consent compliance. Ali is passionate about enabling positive environmental outcomes, building organisational capability, and fostering a culture of shared responsibility. She has a particular interest in how concepts such as kaitiakitanga, stewardship, and nature-positive thinking can help strengthen the connection between people, place, and the environments in which the organisation operates.

John Clark

Chief Generation Officer – Contact

John joined Contact in October 2018 as Head of Geothermal Generation and joined the Leadership Team s Chief Generation Officer in February 2022. As Chief Generation Officer John is responsible for Contact’s generation portfolio and wholesale trading team. He has worked in the electricity industry for over 15 years. Prior to that John had a broad career spanning mining and exploration, technical support and sales for heavy manufacturing industry as well as law enforcement. John then entered the generation industry specialising in Geothermal Geoscience before moving into operations management.  John is a qualified Geologist with a Masters in Science (Geothermal) as well as having completed an MBA.

Harley O’Hagan

Water Services Manager, New Zealand Defence Force

Harley is an environmental engineer with a special interest water and sustainability. In his 20 years with Defence Estate & Infrastructure, he has enjoyed the wide variety of environmental work afforded by its large and unique property portfolio, and is now focused on delivery of reliable and compliant water services. Harley is deputy chair of the Te Ama | Aukaha te Wai SIG.

Dr. John Small

Chair, Commerce Commission

Dr John Small was appointed Chair in December 2022 and has been a Commissioner since June 2020.   John is the Founding Director of economic consultancy firm, Covec, and was also the former Head of the University of Auckland’s Economics Department.  He has extensive experience undertaking complex competition analysis in a wide range of sectors, including energy, transport, agriculture, telecommunications, payment systems, and construction.  John was also previously a lay member of the High Court of New Zealand, frequently called as an expert witness before courts, tribunals and commissions.  In May 2024 John was appointed as an Associate Member of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.   

Minister Simon Watts

Minister of Local Government and Climate Change

Simon Watts was elected as the Member of Parliament for North Shore in the 2020 election. He is the Minister for Building and Construction, Minister of Climate Change, Minister of Local Government, Minister of Revenue and Minister for Auckland.

Simon grew up in the Waikato, where his family were farmers and orchardists. He is married, has two sons, and lives on the North Shore with his family.

He studied Accounting and Finance at Waikato University and worked in investment banking in Asia, Europe and the United Kingdom. He has worked for one of the world’s largest investment banks, the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), where he held several management roles during and in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis. Simon has also completed a Health Sciences degree at Auckland University of Technology. He continues to volunteer with St John as an ambulance officer and is a registered Paramedic alongside his duties as a Member of Parliament.

Hon. Rachel Brooking

MP for Dunedin

Rachel Brooking is the MP for Dunedin. She is a member of the Environment Committee and has previously been a member of the Finance and Expenditure, and Regulations Review select committees.

In April 2023, she was made a Minister, holding the portfolios of Oceans and Fisheries, Food Safety, Associate Environment and Associate Immigration in the Labour Government.

In the 54th Parliament Rachel is Labour’s Spokesperson for Environment, Food Safety and Space.

Rachel has lived and worked in Dunedin nearly all of her life, attending kindergarten through to secondary school in Dunedin, and graduating from the University of Otago. Working the majority of her professional career in Dunedin and with 20 years experience as a resource management and local government lawyer, she understands business, the community, the environment, and good governance.

Rachel is a proud advocate for the South.

“I am married to cancer specialist and campaigner Prof Chris Jackson, and together we have raised our family of three children here.”

Simon Court

Parliamentary Under-Secretary

Simon Court MP is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister for Infrastructure and the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform. Simon also serves as the ACT Party spokesperson for Climate Change and Energy & Resources and was first elected to Parliament as an ACT Party MP in 2020. Before politics, Simon worked as a Civil and Environmental Engineer with 23 years’ experience in roles for the private sector and local government. This includes 10 years leading engineering, planning, tendering, and construction teams primarily in Auckland, Wellington, and Fiji.

Hon. Mark Patterson

Minister for Rural Communities

Mark is a current Member of Parliament within the New Zealand First Caucus, and is the Minister for Rural Communities, Associate Minister for Agriculture and Associate Minister for Regional Development. Mark previously served as a Member of Parliament within the New Zealand First Caucus from 2017-2020.
Mark is an Otago sheep and beef farmer with more than 30 years of farming experience under his belt. Known as the ‘Minister for Wool’, Mark is an ambassador for strong-wool and actively supports the reinvigoration of the NZ woollen fibre industry and raise farmer returns.
From 2021-2023 he was the Chair of Otago Federated Farmers. Locally, Mark has a long background of community involvement and has contributed to significant community projects in roles such as Chair of the Lawrence to Waihola Cycle Trail extension, and Deputy Chair of the New Zealand Century Farms committee.

Robert Bilott

Partner, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
Environmental Lawyer and Litigator

Robert Bilott is the tenacious environmental lawyer who became “DuPont’s worst nightmare,” according to The New York Times. The story in his book, Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer’s Twenty-Year Battle Against Dupont, inspired the major motion picture, Dark Waters (November 2019), featuring Academy-Award nominee Mark Ruffalo as Rob Bilott.   

Bilott was a corporate defense attorney for eight years until he took on an environmental suit that upended his entire career—and exposed a brazen, decades-long history of chemical pollution. He shares the story of his epic 25-year legal battle against DuPont that consumed his life and exposed the worst case of corporate coverup and environmental contamination in modern history.   

Bilott recounts the day a farmer came to his firm, convinced the creek on his property had been poisoned by runoff from a nearby DuPont landfill. Audiences will hear the remarkable legal journey that ultimately revealed massive chemical contamination of unprecedented scale and scope, now impacting virtually every living thing on this planet.  

Bilott’s story is an unforgettable legal drama about malice and manipulation, perseverance against the failings of environmental regulation, and one lawyer’s quest to expose the truth about a previously unknown and still unregulated chemical—presenting one of the greatest human health crises of the 21st century.  

To date, Bilott—a partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP—has helped secure billions of dollars in benefits for his clients exposed to contaminated drinking water. Among his many honors, Bilott was selected as one of the best lawyers in America for several years running and in 2017 received the Right Livelihood Award, commonly known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize.” 

Soltice Morrison (Facilitator)

Pou Rautaki Māori – Māori Strategy Lead, Aurecon

Te Arawa, Ngāti Whakaue; Tainui, Ngāti Rereahu-Maniapoto

As Pou Rautaki Māori – Māori Strategy Lead at Aurecon, Soltice provides leadership to the integration of te ao Māori values and Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnerships across design, engineering, and advisory projects. Her technical background as a Geologist, Contaminated Land Practitioner, and Environmental Research Scientist enables her to navigate both technical and cultural complexities. She has ranging consultancy, research and advisory experience weaving Māori knowledge systems with technical delivery.

Recognised as a Next Generation Leader finalist at the Infrastructure NZ Building Nations Awards and one of ‘25 Trailblazing Women’ by YWCA Aotearoa NZ, Soltice also contributes to iwi and Māori advisory boards and advocates for environmental protection as a BLAKE Ambassador. Soltice strives to support Water New Zealand Board with the integration of te ao Māori values and Te Tiriti o Waitangi to deliver the Towards 2050: Transformation Vision for the Water Sector.

Dr. Sara McFall

Head of Systems, Strategy and Performance, Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai

Originally from the UK, Dr Sara McFall has been working in the New Zealand public service for the last 20 years. Much of this time has been in the health system, including working on the recent health reforms in New Zealand. She has been on the executive team at the Water Services Authority for the last two and a half years, where she has overseen the development of many of the Authority’s new functions, including New Zealand’s first national wastewater standards

Marlon Bridge

Project Director, National Infrastructure Funding and Financing Limited (NIFF)

Marlon is a senior water industry executive of Pākehā and Māori descent. He is currently the Project director for the National Infrastructure Funding and Financing Limited (NIFF) managing a project that will help deliver a national approach to small packaged wastewater treatment solutions for councils and water organisations over the next few years.

Marlon has been in the water industry for 20 years in senior executive roles including as Deputy Chief Executive of Watercare. More recently, he has been helping the Government with water reform (local water done well) in transforming the way water services are delivered in New Zealand.

In the past, he was heavily involved in the establishment of Manukau Water Limited as a CCO in 2006 as well as the creation of the ‘new’ Watercare in 2010 as part of the Auckland “supercity” establishment. Marlon is also currently a Director of Northland Waters Ltd, responsible for delivering water and wastewater services to Northland.

Peter Nunns

General Manager – Strategy, New Zealand Infrastructure Commission – Te Waihanga

Peter Nunns is General Manager – Strategy at Te Waihanga, where he oversees the Commission’s strategy, research and policy advice functions. He led development of the National Infrastructure Plan and contributed to New Zealand’s first Infrastructure Strategy in 2022. An economist with experience in consultancy, local government, and central government, Peter focuses on taking a long-term view on long-lived infrastructure – ensuring decisions today serve New Zealand’s future. He holds postgraduate qualifications in economics and political science from the University of Auckland.

Richard O’Reilly

General Manager – Policy, Communication and Government Engagement, Crown Infrastructure Delivery Ltd

Richard O’Reilly is the General Manager Policy, Property and Business Development at Crown Infrastructure Delivery Ltd. Richard brings nearly thirty years of experience in government across many infrastructure related sectors and has expertise in a suite of disciplines from strategy, policy and regulation through to property and infrastructure planning and delivery.

Richard manages the company’s engagement with central and local government organisations and business development as well as ensuring a practical delivery perspective is included in key infrastructure strategy and policy work across government.  Richard also oversees CID’s business case team and property functions which includes looking after Te Pae the Christchurch Convention Centre that CID built and owns, as well as other asset management capability and services.

Andy Burgess 

General Manager – Infrastructure Regulation, Commerce Commission

Andy Burgess joined the Commission in 2019. Andrew previously worked for regulators in the United Kingdom and held senior roles managing the energy transition, network regulation and enforcement and competition policy at Ofgem. He was also on the Bureau of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Network of Economic Regulators. He was previously on the Board of the Agency for the Cooperation of European Energy Regulators, the General Assembly of the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER), and was vice chair of the CEER Distribution Systems working group. He also previously held several roles at the Office of Rail Regulation. 

Louise Dudley (Facilitator)

Strategic Advisor – Water, Aurecon

Louise Dudley is one of Australia’s most respected leaders in the water and infrastructure sectors, bringing more than 40 years of executive, governance and strategic advisory experience across professional services, local government and utility operations.

As Strategic Advisor, Water at Aurecon, Louise works with industry, government and community leaders to shape resilient, sustainable infrastructure solutions for the future. She previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Urban Utilities for a decade, leading one of Australia’s largest water utilities through a period of significant transformation, innovation and customer-focused growth. Prior to becoming CEO, Louise was the organisation’s founding Chief Financial Officer and held a range of senior leadership roles with Brisbane City Council following a successful 17-year career in professional services.

A highly regarded board director and governance leader, Louise currently serves on the boards of WaterAid Australia and WaterStart, and as an independent member of audit and risk committees for Infrastructure Australia, the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, and Redland City Council. She has also made significant contributions to Australia’s water industry through leadership roles with the Australian Water Association (including serving as President from 2021–2023) and the Water Services Association of Australia (including serving as Chair from 2014–2016).

Known for her strategic insight, engaging leadership style and ability to navigate complex challenges, Louise is uniquely placed to facilitate conversations with senior executives, drawing out practical insights on leadership, transformation, sustainability and the challenges shaping Australia’s future.

Jamie Sinclair

Chief Executive, Watercare Services Limited

Jamie Sinclair was appointed chief executive of Watercare in June 2025, following an extensive career in both the public and private sectors across New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Prior to stepping into his current role, Jamie served as deputy chief executive and chief corporate services officer at Watercare, where he led finance, people and culture, legal, and health and safety functions. 

A qualified accountant with a degree in management studies from the University of Waikato and a postgraduate diploma in environmental management, Jamie brings a unique blend of financial expertise and environmental insight to the role. His career has spanned audit, change management, and executive leadership, including seven transformative years with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, where his positions included chief executive of the Trust. 

Jamie is passionate about people, partnerships, and performance. He is leading Watercare through a period of significant change as it becomes a financially independent and fully regulated utility. With a multi-billion dollar investment plan over the next decade, Jamie is focused on delivering for Aucklanders while strengthening relationships across the sector, with mana whenua partners and key stakeholders. 

Mike Brewster

Chief Executive, Tiaki Wai

Michael Brewster is a senior infrastructure leader with extensive experience across Tasmania’s energy and water sectors and New Zealand’s water reform programme. He served as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of TasWater, guiding the organisation through major transformation and strengthening its focus on safety, customer service, and environmental outcomes. 

In 2023, Michael joined New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs as Chief Executive of the proposed South Island water services organisation ‘Entity D.’ Working with Ngāi Tahu, councils, and DIA teams, he helped shape the design and establishment plans for the new entity, gaining valuable insights into the opportunities and complexities of water sector reform in New Zealand. 

Michael has held a range of senior executive roles in the electricity and engineering consulting sectors, including leading Tasmania’s Electricity Reform Business Transition Group. He has also contributed to public sector governance as a State Planning Commissioner and lectured in project management. He is a past Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, a Chartered Engineer (Electrical), and former President of Engineers Australia, Tasmania Division. 

Peter Winder

Chief Executive, IAWAI – Flowing Waters Limited

Peter Winder is Chief Executive of IAWAI, leading the organisation responsible for delivering a long-held vision for integrated water services across the Waikato region. 

He brings extensive leadership experience spanning local and central government and the private sector, including Chief Executive roles at Auckland Regional Council, Local Government New Zealand and Te Pūkenga. He has also contributed at a national level through his appointment to the Three Waters National Transition Unit Board, and most recently served as Programme Director for Hamilton City Council’s Waters CCO development. 

Peter combines strategic leadership with deep sector insight to guide transformation at scale. He is focused on delivering sustainable, regionally aligned water services that create long-term value for communities and support the health of the Waikato environment.