University of Otago
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2024 Otago Tourism Policy School Speakers
Public lecture speaker
Jenn Bestwick, Board chair, Milford Opportunities Project
Jenn is passionate about New Zealand, particularly Te Wai Pounamu/the South Island which is her home.
She has extensive leadership and governance experience as the independent Chair of Tonkin + Taylor, Chair of the Tertiary Education Commission and an Antarctica New Zealand Board member. Past roles include independent Director of Invercargill City Holdings Ltd, and Tourism New Zealand Board member.
Jenn is chair of the independent Milford Opportunities Ministerial Advisory Board.
The Milford Opportunities Project is exploring ways to do tourism differently at Piopiotahi and along the Milford Road corridor for the benefit of people and place. The project is a collaboration between Ngāi Tahu, the Department of Conservation, Southland District Council, the Ministry of Transport, Waka Kotahi, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and Environment Southland.
Dinner speaker
Scott McNab- Chief Marketing and Digital Officer, Real NZ
Scott McNab is an accomplished and adventurous individual who made the easy decision to relocate from Auckland to Queenstown nearly two years ago.
In his role as Chief Revenue Officer at RealNZ, he takes the lead in driving sales, marketing, and technology to capture the hearts and minds of guests, inspiring them to choose and recommend RealNZ experiences.
Prior to joining RealNZ, Scott enjoyed an impressive 11-year career at Icebreaker merino, where he held key positions such as Global Director of Direct-to-Consumer and General Manager for New Zealand and Australia, solidifying Icebreaker's position as a passionate global leader in natural apparel.
Session 1: How can we connect the dots in the New Zealand tourism ecosystem?
Hamish Flanagan, Office of the Auditor-General
Hamish joined the Office of the Auditor-General in November 2021 as a Sector Manager, Parliamentary Group. He is responsible for the Foreign Affairs, Trade, Defence, and Emergency Management portfolios.
Hamish worked for the Office of the Auditor-General from 2004 until he moved to Canada in 2007. In his 11 years in Canada he held management positions at the Office of the Auditor-General for British Columbia (BC), BC and Ontario Privacy Commissioners, and (on secondment) the BC Ombudsperson.
Hamish returned to New Zealand in 2018, initially working in dispute resolution in Christchurch. He then returned to Wellington where he held roles with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and the Social Workers Registration Board.
Hamish holds an Honours degree in law, is a trained mediator, and was called to the New Zealand bar in 2003.
Bruce Bassett, Chief Advisor, Tourism Industry Aotearoa
Bruce oversees TIA's Tourism 2025 & Beyond Sustainable Growth Framework and its operational programme, the Tourism Sustainability Commitment.
In these areas, the objective is to ensure a positive future for a successful tourism industry; one that 'leads the world in sustainable tourism' .
He also lead TIA's work on ensuring the policy settings of Government work well for tourism and also to ensure the industry has the insights it needs to function well.
Session 2: Connecting tourism policy with tourism operators
Sam de Reeper - Director, Rippled Earth Ltd
Glenorchy born, Sam de Reeper had an ambition to guide kayaking adventures from the town he grew up in. His dream came to fruition after graduating Lincoln University in 2007 and he managed to be the first commercial and operator offering kayaking tours to the islands at the head of Lake Wakatipu.
Now with his wife, Sharlene, and two young daughters, Kea and Willow, Sam continues to showcase this stunning part of the world to both Kiwi’s and overseas travellers, while always looking for new and improved ways to protect this little piece of Paradise they call home.
Mike Pennefather - Audit Manager, Adventure Mark
Mike Pennefather is the audit manager for AdventureMark. He has been conducting audits of safety management systems for the New Zealand adventure industry since 2017.
Growing up in South Africa, Mike began kayaking whitewater from a young age. After school, Mike gained a National Diploma in Nature Conservation from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. He has been instructing and guiding on the rivers of Zambia, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Scotland, the USA and New Zealand.
Mike is qualified as an instructor with Rescue 3 International, teaching swiftwater rescue and safety courses to the outdoor industry as well as Civil Defence and Emergency Services. Mike also does a bit of kayak instruction and guides rafts when the auditing work allows.
Days away from the office fall under professional development: Mike and his family will usually be found paddling, riding or climbing somewhere around the Taupo region.
Session 3: Supporting cohesive destination stewardship: Connecting national and regional approaches
Kiri Goulter - Director, Destination Management
Kiri Goulter is the Director of Destination Management for Regional Tourism New Zealand, the peak body for New Zealand’s 30 RTOs. Her role is to support the destination management kaupapa and build capability across the network.
Prior to joining RTNZ, Kiri led the development of the New Zealand Government’s (MBIE) Destination Management Guidelines.
Kiri was the CEO of Hamilton & Waikato Tourism for seven years having re-established the RTO across seven local government areas after it was disbanded four years earlier.
Prior to this she was Development Manager at Tourism New Zealand, working with regions and sectors to deliver on the 100% PURE brand promise. In 2000 Kiri returned home to Northland to lead a Major Regional Initiative focused on improving the performance of the region’s tourism sector, and working alongside communities to capture value from visitors.
Kiri has held governance roles in tourism, economic development, and education. Kiri lives in Waikato and enjoys spending time exploring Cambridge’s shops and cafes, and on the water or golf course in Northland and the Coromandel.
Glenys Coughlan - Tourism leader and strategist
A graduate of the Universities of Otago (BA Hons), Hawaii (MA) and Auckland (MBA), Glenys has a career in tourism that spans an early project for the then NZTP that explored “the implications of tourism growth” and the privatisation of Air New Zealand where she lead the development of the Destination New Zealand Strategy. That strategy resulted in the establishment of Tourism New Zealand.
As Chair of the Pacific Asia Travel Associations Advisory Council she developed the Values Based Tourism model and as Chief Executive of TIA (now Tourism Industry Aotearoa) working alongside Cristine Angus she championed an ‘industry led, market driven’ national tourism strategy that lead to the development of the Office of Tourism and Sport.
Glenys has been Chair of Positively Wellington Tourism, a Director of Tourism New Zealand and a Director of Te Papa. She has served on the Board of ATEED, (Auckland Unlimited), Dunedin Venues Management Ltd and Sounds Air.
In 2019 Glenys was awarded the Sir Jack Newman Outstanding Industry Award.
Currently working as an independent consultant, Glenys continues to have an active hand in transformational aviation and tourism development initiatives.
Dylan Rushbrook - Group Manager- Community Vision, Central Otago District Council
Dylan is General Manager of Tourism Central Otago, the Regional Tourism Organisation for Central Otago District Council, a role he has held for three years.
Prior to joining the RTO he spent over 20 years in the commercial sector, most recently working in senior roles with SKYCITY Entertainment Group and Heritage Citylife Hotels. He is also a director of Dunedin Venues Management, and a partner in Tourism Talent who specialise in executive recruitment and development of our tourism workforce. He was a founding board member of YoungTEC NZ and the organisation’s chair for two years.
Dylan relocated with his family back to Central Otago in 2018. Making the most of everything the region has to offer, on weekends you’ll find Dylan and his family out on their bikes, at the lake or enjoying a glass (or two) of Central Otago Pinot Noir.
Sanchia Jacobs - Business Director - Local Government, Beca
Sanchia has extensive experience working across the Local Government sector in building strategic relationships with a range of stakeholders to deliver programmes addressing major reform; capital asset management; long-term spatial plans and meeting community requirements as well as building relationships with iwi.
Most recently, Sanchia spent five years as Chief Executive of Central Otago District Council.
Session 4: Leadership and Policy Development
Hon Matt Doocey - Minister of Tourism
Matt is MP for Waimakariri since the 2014 election, and Minister for Tourism and Hospitality.
He is also Minister for Mental Health, Minister for ACC, Minister for Youth, Associate Minister of Health, and Associate Minister of Transport.
Born and bred in Canterbury, New Zealand, Doocey worked in mental health and healthcare management in both New Zealand and the UK, before returning home to work at the Canterbury District Health Board.
He studied Counselling Psychology at Weltech, has a BSc (Hons) in Social Policy, an MA in Healthcare Management from Kingston University in London, and an MSc in Global Politics from Birkbeck, University of London.
Kiri Goulter - Director, Destination Management
Kiri Goulter is the Director of Destination Management for Regional Tourism New Zealand, the peak body for New Zealand’s 30 RTOs. Her role is to support the destination management kaupapa and build capability across the network.
Prior to joining RTNZ, Kiri led the development of the New Zealand Government’s (MBIE) Destination Management Guidelines.
Kiri was the CEO of Hamilton & Waikato Tourism for seven years having re-established the RTO across seven local government areas after it was disbanded four years earlier.
Prior to this she was Development Manager at Tourism New Zealand, working with regions and sectors to deliver on the 100% PURE brand promise. In 2000 Kiri returned home to Northland to lead a Major Regional Initiative focused on improving the performance of the region’s tourism sector, and working alongside communities to capture value from visitors.
Kiri has held governance roles in tourism, economic development, and education. Kiri lives in Waikato and enjoys spending time exploring Cambridge’s shops and cafes, and on the water or golf course in Northland and the Coromandel.
Glenys Coughlan - Tourism leader and strategist
A graduate of the Universities of Otago (BA Hons), Hawaii (MA) and Auckland (MBA), Glenys has a career in tourism that spans an early project for the then NZTP that explored “the implications of tourism growth” and the privatisation of Air New Zealand where she lead the development of the Destination New Zealand Strategy. That strategy resulted in the establishment of Tourism New Zealand.
As Chair of the Pacific Asia Travel Associations Advisory Council she developed the Values Based Tourism model and as Chief Executive of TIA (now Tourism Industry Aotearoa) working alongside Cristine Angus she championed an ‘industry led, market driven’ national tourism strategy that lead to the development of the Office of Tourism and Sport.
Glenys has been Chair of Positively Wellington Tourism, a Director of Tourism New Zealand and a Director of Te Papa. She has served on the Board of ATEED, (Auckland Unlimited), Dunedin Venues Management Ltd and Sounds Air.
In 2019 Glenys was awarded the Sir Jack Newman Outstanding Industry Award.
Currently working as an independent consultant, Glenys continues to have an active hand in transformational aviation and tourism development initiatives.
Dylan Rushbrook - Group Manager- Community Vision, Central Otago District Council
Dylan is General Manager of Tourism Central Otago, the Regional Tourism Organisation for Central Otago District Council, a role he has held for three years.
Prior to joining the RTO he spent over 20 years in the commercial sector, most recently working in senior roles with SKYCITY Entertainment Group and Heritage Citylife Hotels. He is also a director of Dunedin Venues Management, and a partner in Tourism Talent who specialise in executive recruitment and development of our tourism workforce. He was a founding board member of YoungTEC NZ and the organisation’s chair for two years.
Dylan relocated with his family back to Central Otago in 2018. Making the most of everything the region has to offer, on weekends you’ll find Dylan and his family out on their bikes, at the lake or enjoying a glass (or two) of Central Otago Pinot Noir.
Sanchia Jacobs - Business Director - Local Government, Beca
Sanchia has extensive experience working across the Local Government sector in building strategic relationships with a range of stakeholders to deliver programmes addressing major reform; capital asset management; long-term spatial plans and meeting community requirements as well as building relationships with iwi.
Most recently, Sanchia spent five years as Chief Executive of Central Otago District Council.
Session 4: Leadership and Policy Development
Hon Matt Doocey - Minister of Tourism
Matt is MP for Waimakariri since the 2014 election, and Minister for Tourism and Hospitality.
He is also Minister for Mental Health, Minister for ACC, Minister for Youth, Associate Minister of Health, and Associate Minister of Transport.
Born and bred in Canterbury, New Zealand, Doocey worked in mental health and healthcare management in both New Zealand and the UK, before returning home to work at the Canterbury District Health Board.
He studied Counselling Psychology at Weltech, has a BSc (Hons) in Social Policy, an MA in Healthcare Management from Kingston University in London, and an MSc in Global Politics from Birkbeck, University of London.