Catherine Beard is Director of Advocacy for BusinessNZ, New Zealand’s largest business advocacy network, representing thousands of businesses of all sizes. The BusinessNZ network includes four large regional business associations, EMA, Business Central, Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Business South. It also includes the Major Companies Group, ExportNZ, more than 70 affiliated industry associations and Buy NZ Made. The group’s goal is New Zealand’s prosperity through successful business. Catherine works with government and other key decision makers on issues of concern to New Zealand business. Catherine has spent the last 30 years as a lobbyist and advocate for a wide range of industries on a wide range of issues, including climate change issues for the energy intensive sector, the insurance sector and the agricultural sector (dairy focus). Catherine has participated in Prime Minister led trade missions to Indonesia and China and represents BusinessNZ at various international meetings. Catherine was also a co-founder of a start-up business designing and manufacturing children’s nursery furniture, for which two products won national design awards.

Tony was raised in the Coromandel and has a Diploma in Rural Studies from Massey University. He has spent 30 years in commercial banking, with the last 23 years directly involved in Agriculture and Horticulture finance across New Zealand. He has worked for Westpac for the last 20 years in various Senior Leadership roles and is currently the Head of Relationships, Agribusiness, based in the Waikato. He prides himself on establishing key and long-lasting relationships with industry leaders as well as customers both within the Banking sector and more broadly across the Agriculture industry in New Zealand. Tony is a very experienced and dedicated Agri Banker and committed people leader who cares deeply for local rural communities.

John is the National Leader of Restructuring for PwC in New Zealand. He is a Partner with over 30 years of experience providing advice on a broad range of insolvency, restructuring and monitoring assignments. John works with numerous boards dealing with difficult financial issues and providing guidance in their dealings with key stakeholders and restructuring groups. Financial institutions and other key stakeholders have regularly asked John to carry out business appraisals in a range of industries where concerns have been raised on financial viability or where additional funding has been requested. He has been appointed as an administrator, receiver and compromise manager to numerous companies. John is regularly appointed by shareholders and the High Court as a liquidator. John is the immediate past-Chair of the Restructuring Insolvency and Turnaround Association of New Zealand (RITANZ). John was also appointed by the government to be a member of the Corporate Insolvency Working Group in 2015, making a range of recommendations to improve our insolvency laws. John is a member of: • Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) • Restructuring, Insolvency & Turnaround Association of New Zealand (RITANZ) • International Insolvency Institute • Institute of Directors

Jessica Kellow is a Business Restructuring Partner at BDO Wellington. Jessica has more than 20 years restructuring experience and is a licenced insolvency practitioner. Vast restructuring experience across all industries has led to instructions from shareholders, banks, creditors and secured lenders. Jessica enjoys the challenges of understanding a business, its people, its financial situation and working to achieve the best outcome for all stakeholders. A branch committee member of RITANZ Women in Restructuring Insolvency (WIRI) for the Wellington region. Jessica is also non-member principal of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), a member of Restructuring, Insolvency & Turnaround Association of New Zealand (RITANZ), a member of NZ Credit and Finance Institute (NZFCI) and the Institute of Directors (IoD).