CEO Summit 2025

Guyon Espiner has been a journalist in print, television and radio for nearly 30 years, including 14 years covering politics from the press gallery in Wellington. 

After working with both TVNZ and TV3 he moved to radio in 2014 to present RNZ’s Morning Report for five years. 

Espiner has produced three major podcasts, The Ninth Floor, The Service and Red Line and two recent TV documentaries.

Perhaps best known for her role as CEO of Telecom New Zealand, Theresa was the first female CEO of an NZX listed company. Since leaving Telecom, Theresa divides her time between professional governance, entrepreneurial projects, and philanthropic work. 

As co-founder of My Food Bag, alongside Cecilia Robinson and Nadia Lim, she helped take the start-up to a nationwide company with a turnover of over $130m.

Theresa is currently Chair AIA New Zealand, Chair Tend, Chair Global Women and a member of the National Advisory Board on the Employment of Women.

Laurissa currently serves as a Chair of Aotearoa Circle and is an Independent Non-Executive Director for Air New Zealand Ltd and Goodman Property Ltd and is the Chair of the Audit & Risk for Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki (NTKT).

Laurissa is also a Committee Member of the Chapter Zero NZ Steering Group and was a 2017 recipient of the Institute of Directors Emerging Director Award. Her past roles include, Chair of Tourism BOP, Director of Accordant Ltd and Trustee of NTKT Charitable Trust.

Laurissa is of Te Āti Hau Nui a Pāpā Rangi (Whanganui) descent.

Dr. Peter Crow is an independent director, advisor and educator, best known for his expertise in corporate governance, strategy, and boardcraft, and extensive record helping boards govern with impact.

He has served on the boards of over twenty private companies, family businesses and social enterprises; advised hundreds of boards, chairs, institutions and governments; and taught on post-graduate and director development courses. He also speaks and writes on topical issues. 

Anna is the CEO of Smart which is wholly owned by the NZX and is a leading investment fund manager in Aotearoa. Smart serves more than 177,000 investors directly, via trading platforms, Financial Advisers and through Kiwisaver & corporate, iwi & Pacific Nation savings schemes.

In addition, Anna is a Director on the Financial Services Council of New Zealand, which is a non-profit member organisation with a vision to grow the financial confidence and wellbeing of New Zealanders.

A passionate advocate for Aotearoa, Vanessa is responsible for ensuring Microsoft empowers all its customers and partners to achieve more. In April of 2020 Vanessa was appointed Managing Director of Microsoft New Zealand. Two years later she was promoted to Chief Partner Officer for Microsoft Australia and New Zealand. Alongside her new role Vanessa also kept her position as a New Zealand Country Lead. Even with decades of tech experience, Vanessa doesn’t consider herself a ‘classic techie’ – rather she is driven by what technology can do for all New Zealanders.

She is a noted champion of diversity and inclusion across the ICT industry, encouraging change, fostering diversity and inclusion, driven by the belief that D&I is not optional but essential.

The Hon Tim Groser began his career as a junior economist in the Treasury in 1974, contributing to the early stages of CER negotiations with Australia, and later became a trade and foreign policy adviser to New Zealand Prime Ministers. 

He held various senior roles, including NZ Chief Negotiator for the Uruguay Round, Ambassador to Indonesia and the WTO, and Minister of Trade and Climate Change International, before being appointed Ambassador to the United States in 2015.