FSC News

Empower & Elevate - Women in Finance Leadership Series: Leading Change

Written by The FSC team | December 2, 2024

BREAKFAST INVITATION
For C-Suite, Senior Leadership Teams and People Leaders

Session 2: Leading Change

Through the sharing of case studies we will hear from three leaders about their stories in addressing structural obstacles that impact recruitment and retention of women. These
initiatives will support women through to leadership in the finance industry.

This is a powerful opportunity for industry leaders to come together to collaborate and facilitate a more inclusive industry for the benefit of business, our people and customers.

Driven by a joint recognition and need for inclusive leadership that addresses the issues for working women who are already in leadership or are just starting their career journey, INFINZ, FSC and the FSC's Empower Women are proud to present this event series to create impactful change.

Date and time: Thursday 20 March 2025 from 7.30am - 9.30am
Venue: Hilton Hotel, 147 Quay Street, Auckland City

Formalities from 8.00am. Breakfast provided. 

       

Speakers: (Scroll down for bios)

Hon. Nicola Grigg (Welcome) - Minister for Women

Emma McLean (Facilitator)
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Works for Everyone

Allison Arthur-Young
Partner, Russell McVeagh

Mika Austin
General Manager, People & Culture, NZ Super Fund

Steve Jurkovich
Chief Executive Officer, Kiwibank


Register here: 

Proudly supported by:

                    


Speakers:
 

Hon. Nicola Grigg (Welcome)
Minister for Women

Nicola Grigg is the Minister of State for Trade, Minister for Women, and Associate Minister of Agriculture (Horticulture). Nicola has been the MP for Selwyn since 2020.

She was born and raised on the family sheep and beef farm in Mt Somers, and studied at the New Zealand Broadcasting School, graduating with a Degree in Broadcast Communications and Diplomas in Television and Radio News.

She has worked as a reporter and newsreader and was a press secretary for Sir Bill English during his tenure as Minister of Finance, and Prime Minister. Following that, Nicola worked with a wide range of agri-businesses in export marketing and business development. 

Emma McLean (Facilitator)
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Works for Everyone

Emma Mclean is the mother of three teenagers and founder of Works for Everyone, a working parent consultancy. She founded her business in 2019 following a 20-year career in corporate strategy where she experienced first-hand how hard it was to have a career and a family. Inspired by this, her business developed a suite of services for corporates that are all about putting a care wrap around parents during the hardest parts of their career.

In 2023 she launched her successful podcast “How to Smash the Motherhood Penalty” where she talks to humans who are actively working to change the system that creates financial penalties that only mothers pay. And in 2024 she launched the first NZ Part Time Power List – to shine a light on those senior roles in NZ that are career building, not side stepping. 

Allison Arthur-Young
Partner, Russell McVeagh

Allison is a leading Environment, Planning and Natural Resources (EPNR) lawyer. Her practice covers all aspects of resource management, with a particular focus on project development and large-scale infrastructure projects, along with district and regional planning, and policy matters. Known for her 'big picture' outlook, Allison also provides expert advice to clients on a range of public law issues including development contributions and rates, and information disclosure and the role of local authorities in decision making.

She was the Chair of the Russell McVeagh Board from 2021-2024, for which she won 'Large Law Firm Leader of the Year' at the 2023 NZ Law Awards, and the firm also won the award for Large Law Firm of the Year. As a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, she was named on the Elite Women list 2023, as a finalist for Diversity Champion of the Year at the 2023 Diversity Awards.

Mika Austin
General Manager, People & Culture, NZ Super Fund

Mika is an experienced senior executive, with over 10 years’ experience as General Manager of People & Culture at the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super Fund). Prior to joining the Fund, she was a commercial litigator for 12 years, specialising in complex banking, antitrust and tax avoidance cases at a top tier corporate law firm and at the Financial Services Authority in London.

Mika and her team are responsible for delivering the people and culture agenda at the NZ Super Fund, including people insights, talent acquisition, learning, development and succession planning, remuneration and benefits, engagement, wellbeing, and people operations throughout the employee lifecycle. She sits on the Guardian’s Executive team and has served on its Risk Committee. She was appointed as Education Kaihautū (leader) for NEXT Foundation, a strategic philanthropic fund committed to delivering transformational education and environmental projects, where she helped to deliver digital literacy programmes to primary school children. Outside the ‘day job’ she is an experienced public speaker and performer, appearing in multiple plays and short films both nationally and internationally. She is a member of the Global Women network. She has an LLB/BA from the University of Auckland.

Steve Jurkovich
Chief Executive Officer, Kiwibank

Steve joined Kiwibank in July 2018 as Chief Executive. He graduated from Otago University with a Bachelor of Law and completed his MBA at the University of Sydney. With over 20 years of banking experience in Australia and New Zealand, Steve’s career to date has included senior and executive leadership positions with accountabilities across Retail, Corporate, Commercial and Rural Banking and Legal with New Zealand’s largest banks.

He is a Director of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme and a former Chair of the NZ Bankers Association during the Covid pandemic.  He’s passionate about business and business leaders delivering performance through a Purpose led approach and having some fun doing it. He is also a founding trustee of the Tania Dalton Foundation whose purpose is to help young women achieve their epic potential.  

Terms and Conditions for the event here.