The annual PKF New Zealand Conference held in Paihia, Bay of Islands, from November 8 to 10, 2023 was a resounding success, bringing together professionals, leaders, and experts from diverse fields. Our theme this year was Facing the Future… Together and we came together to learn more on how we can accomplish this as a network.
The event commenced with an exhilarating Xero Day on Wednesday, featuring insightful presentations led by Ankur Baggan, Jamie Weddell, Harriet Goldsmid, and Hamish Cunningham. This day set the tone for an engaging conference, delving into the latest trends and innovations within the financial landscape. Attendees were treated to a wealth of knowledge and expertise. The excitement continued into the evening with a pirate-themed murder mystery night at Urupukapuka Island in Otehei Bay. Against the stunning backdrop of the Bay of Islands, attendees embraced the spirit of adventure, fostering camaraderie and creating lasting memories.
Thursday unfolded as a jampacked day of learning and inspiration at the PKF NZ Conference. Emerging Leaders Day and the Director’s Annual General Meeting were the highlights, featuring a lineup of distinguished speakers. Attendees were privileged to hear about the global updates from the PKF Global CEO Theo Vermaak as well as information on Mastering Communication for Sustainable Results from Phil Crothers. The day continued with deep dives into Digital Transformation and PKF Digital Advisory with Andrew Pullon from PKF Information Services and some lessons on Cyber Security with Stuart Davis and Spiro Koulianos from Cecuri Security Auditing. Our emerging leaders then spent the afternoon with Kevin Biggar learning about the Four Change Leadership Principles. The Directors were given an opportunity to learn more about some of the other opportunities from our teams in Australia with a presentation from Joshua Gambrill and Nathan Delbridge from Vinet Technology and Solutions, PKF Integrity with Robert Cockerell, Mark Scanlon from Next Transition and Steve Meyn from PKF Australiaalong with Joshua Gambrill and Nathan Delbridge from Vinet Technology and Solutions.
Thursday evening concluded with a traditional Maori hangi dinner and cultural show at Waitangi Treaty Grounds, offering attendees a taste of New Zealand’s rich heritage in a truly amazing setting.
Friday closed off this fantastic event with another great lineup of speakers, including some lessons on Detecting Deception from Robert Cockerell, a presentation from our governing body CAANZ on the attractiveness of the accounting profession followed by a very informative session on our latest sponsorship partner, Save the Kiwi Foundation. We all certainly learned a lot about our namesake bird. To close off the day we had a riveting session with Inbal Rodnay from Theory and Motion on Engineering your Firm’s Advantage in the AI and Automation Era and left on the inspiring words of Freddie Bennett on the Authentic Change Machine. As we left the conference we reflected on the collective knowledge shared and connections forged during these three days. We extend our thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of this event – from the entire PKF NZ network, directors, managers, and team members to our sponsors and esteemed speakers.
We would like to especially thank our sponsors for making this day possible:
- Xero – Ankur, Jamie, Harriet and Hamish
- Smartly – Kyra and Prashant
- The Backroom – Tess and Scott
- TMNZ – Fiona and Ashmeer
- Approval Max – Justin
Until next year, may the insights gained propel us forward in our respective fields. Cheers to another successful PKF NZ Conference