Programme
New Horizons - Ko te pae tawhiti, whāia, kia tata
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KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS
FinCap
Te Tāpapa: Professionalisation for financial mentors
Fleur Howard, with Deanna Harrison and Natalie Vincent.Fleur has recently been appointed as CE of FinCap and is excited to lead the organisation as it implements the Te Tāpapa professionalised workforce development framework for financial mentors. Combining her background in commercial law with her drive for social justice, Fleur has been committed to advancing financial inclusion and wellbeing for whanau facing difficulties for many years.
Deanna leads the Sector Workforce Development team and is responsible for driving the progress of Te Tāpapa. With her whānau (family) she is an active member of both the Kura Kaupapa Māori movement and her marae committee. A founding member of Kete Whakamana, a Māori Women’s Investing Club (established in 2014), she has a keen interest in financial wellbeing as part of the pursuit of mana mōtuhake.
Natalie is Programme Governance Advisor for Te Tāpapa. She has spent several years working in financial wellbeing, partnering closely with the financial mentoring sector and leading community finance initiatives. She is a strong advocate for financial wellbeing and is committed to advancing financial inclusion for all New Zealanders.
Tim Mehrtens
My Director, My Everyday Wellbeing
Tim Mehrtens is the Director at My Everyday Wellbeing an award-winning workplace wellbeing programme of support. Their work helps employees and organisations build resilience and maintain better mental and physical health.
Tim’s mission is deeply personal. After experiencing significant mental distress that nearly broke him, he realised the importance of proactive wellbeing strategies. With the right support and a lot of personal effort, he was able to regain stability and now dedicates his work to normalising conversations about mental health and equipping others with the tools to navigate life’s challenges.
His goal is simple: to help people thrive, even when life feels hard.
Tim’s mission is deeply personal. After experiencing significant mental distress that nearly broke him, he realised the importance of proactive wellbeing strategies. With the right support and a lot of personal effort, he was able to regain stability and now dedicates his work to normalising conversations about mental health and equipping others with the tools to navigate life’s challenges.
His goal is simple: to help people thrive, even when life feels hard.
Lance Burdett
Presented by Lance Burdett. Director, Consultant, Facilitator Warninternational
Our world is changing and having an impact on many. Lance will speak about the effects of our changing world and how to adapt to them from what neuroscience and contemporary research reveals. He will cover topics on; why it is that many people are feeling overwhelmed with fluctuating emotions, how to reduce unwanted thoughts, and how to work through life’s challenges.
Additionally, Lance will show us how to motivate and energise ourselves across the day, how to switch off at the end of a busy day, and how to have a more restful sleep.
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William Moores: Beyond the cliffs: a journey to empowerment
Chief Executive, Canadian Association for Financial Empowerment
From beyond the cliffs of a rural island in Canada, to leading the federal certification body, William has served as a former Chair in support of enhanced professional development in the United States, William blends lived experience with systems-level leadership. A direct descendant of the Southern Inuit of NunatuKavut, and a proud member of multiple marginalized groups, he advocates with the authenticity of experience, carrying forward the message that those who have lived through exclusion are uniquely prepared to lead clients beyond transactions to transformation.
He calls attention to the many who, through financial manipulation, unethical marketing, and predatory lending, to restore the nutrients from the very communities in which their services thrived. As debt profiles climb and credit capacity weakens, far too often our communities are left depleted, lacking the vital nutrients to grow and yield prosperity. This imbalance leaves the helpers, our mentors, to pick up the pieces of individuals and families who are often misunderstood and othered, creating cycles of poverty rather than healthy, rehabilitated, empowered contributors who simply needed to be seen in the totality of who they are.
William’s work responds to this injustice with a call for reciprocity, ethical standards, and social responsibility for human decency for all. He works to build bridges and infrastructure that not only protects but dignifies. He stands for every practitioner who wants to serve with integrity, code of ethics and personified Standards of Practice. We must all stand and be the voice for every community and people(s) that’s been left behind by systems that forgot their humanity. William's message is simple and deeply felt; you do not need permission to stand in your truth. The cliffs that once marked the end of our limits can, with care, become the place where everything blooms.
He calls attention to the many who, through financial manipulation, unethical marketing, and predatory lending, to restore the nutrients from the very communities in which their services thrived. As debt profiles climb and credit capacity weakens, far too often our communities are left depleted, lacking the vital nutrients to grow and yield prosperity. This imbalance leaves the helpers, our mentors, to pick up the pieces of individuals and families who are often misunderstood and othered, creating cycles of poverty rather than healthy, rehabilitated, empowered contributors who simply needed to be seen in the totality of who they are.
William’s work responds to this injustice with a call for reciprocity, ethical standards, and social responsibility for human decency for all. He works to build bridges and infrastructure that not only protects but dignifies. He stands for every practitioner who wants to serve with integrity, code of ethics and personified Standards of Practice. We must all stand and be the voice for every community and people(s) that’s been left behind by systems that forgot their humanity. William's message is simple and deeply felt; you do not need permission to stand in your truth. The cliffs that once marked the end of our limits can, with care, become the place where everything blooms.
PRE-FORUM EVENT
Sustainable Funding
Presented by Megan Thorn (Exult)
Are you sick of scrambling from one funding round to the next? Would you like your organisation to have a reliable income, but are unsure where to start?
Our Sustainable Funding workshop is designed help organisations develop a sustainable funding plan. The workshop is packed with practical ideas that can be easily implemented, and it is designed to help organisations develop opportunities that are ‘best fit’ for them.
BREAKFAST WORKSHOPS
Limited number of tickets. Breakfast is included when you attend either of these breakfast workshops.
Momentum shifts on your work v life see-saw
Presented by Daz Burns and Emily Ussher, The Good Matrix
Life presents countless personal, mental, physical, logistical, financial, and social challenges that can impact wellbeing. This workshop equips you with the tools, strategies, and support to build resilience, overcome barriers, and thrive in all aspects of life.
Understanding your clients’ thoughts and feelings through their body language.
Presented by Stephanie Fieldsend, Body Language Expert.
When we use verbal communication with clients we hear them, and listen. When we add non-verbal awareness and de-coding of body language we tap into their thoughts, emotions and feelings - that may not be expressed verbally.
WORKSHOPS
Supporting Clients Through Mental Health Challenges (Repeated)
Practical strategies for financial mentors to assist clients facing mental health difficulties. Presented by Ross Gilmour
*Speaker - change from originally advertised
Managing Workloads
Presented by Megan Thorn (Exult).
Busting Hardship Myths including KiwiSaver (Repeated)
Presented by Christine Liggins (Debtfix Foundation).
Empowering Pasifika Communities in Financial Mentoring
Presented by Marina Taylor, Amplifyou.
Tailoring approaches to better support Pasifika clients.
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Maximising Impact: AI's Role in Strengthening Financial Capability (Repeated)
Presented by Tony Agar (Hamilton Budgeting Advisory Trust) and Sarah Malin (CBNZ, Kingdom Resources).
Exploring how AI tools can enhance our work including Chat GPT.
Financial Capability of Māori in 2025: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities
Presented by Dr Alexander Stevens II
Financial Capability of Māori in 2025: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities explores the evolving landscape of financial literacy and empowerment within Māori communities in Aotearoa, New Zealand. As the country faces shifting economic dynamics, this presentation examines the opportunities and challenges Māori individuals and whanau may encounter in managing finances, building wealth, and achieving financial security. The study also considers the importance of culturally relevant financial education and the role of Māori values in guiding economic decision-making, aiming to provide insights into how financial capability can be strengthened for Māori in the future.
Beyond Limits: Strengthening Mindset and Client Relationships (Repeated)
Presented by Rhonda Maughan, Life coach, Business Coach, Entrepreneur
Family Violence - tips to recognise it and how to identify and work alongside clients (Repeated)
Presented by Holly Carrington, Women's Refuge
Identifying if your client is impacted by family violence and ways to support them, including economic harm.
Mastering Cashflow: Designing and Managing Client Budgets (Repeated)
Presented by Julie Williams (CBNZ, Kingdom Resources) and Christina Marcroft (Marton Budget Service)
Helping clients take control of their finances with effective cashflow planning.
Managing Difficult Conversations
Presented by Lance Burdett. Director, Consultant, Facilitator Warninternational
Have you noticed anger increasing lately? Lance will provide advanced engagement techniques on how to effectively de-escalate people in various states of emotion including those who might unexpectedly cry, express anger, or verbalise aggression. He will also cover strategies to use when speaking with those with neurodiversity, the vulnerable, those talking in circles, or ending a lengthy conversation.
AI and ChatGPT for Financial Mentors
Presented by Tony Agar and Sarah Malin
Intrigued by AI, Tony and Sarah present a discussion on the capabilities, benefits, shortfalls and applications for FInancial Mentors and BFC services..
Invisible Halos
Presented by Stephanie Fieldsend.
This experiential session will have you up off your feet and uncovering the 5 invisible halos all humans send out into the world. Your world will never be the same again after this session. You will have a quick and easy way of assessing what is happening in situations.
Professional Development
Specialst Professional Development for Financial Mentors
- Expert training
- Network building
- Skill enhancement
- Technical skill updates
- Variety of workshops
- Case studies
- Industry experts
- Connect with peers
Brought to you by the Stronger Together Team
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