Conference Speakers - More Bios published soon

Phyllis hails from Ngati Pikiao, Ngati Ranginui and Ngati Awa.  Born in Whakatane raised in Te Teko, Rotoiti, Rotorua (Bay of Plenty New Zealand).  

Phyllis started her career in education and moved into the health sector in 1989.  She has worked in project management, general management (including operational management of services and teams) and directorship roles. She a senior executive member for Lakes District Health Board, in Mental Health and Addictions and Māori Health for 33 years. 

Phyllis worked in Mental Health and Addictions providing leadership and direction to the development of Kaupapa Māori (indigenous) mental health services in 1991.   She worked with the Iwi and assisted in the establishment of hospital-based services, and Non-Government Organisations. 

Phyllis moved into general Māori Health in 1986 however she continued to provide leadership in Mental Health and Addictions. 

Phyllis is also a director and member of several national and regional committees at a local, regional, and national level.  A Ministerial Appointment to the Mental Health Review Tribunal of New Zealand and has served on the tribunal for 24 years. A participant in several Ministry of Health initiatives and was a committee member of the first Māori Advisory Group for Suicide Prevention Strategy in 2006.  A board member on Te Rau Matatini Waka Hourua Suicide Prevention group. And Phyllis continues to support to the Ministry of Health and the new health environment, Te Aka Whaiora and Te Whatu Ora.  Phyllis currently works with Emerge Aotearoa leading their aspiration to be a Tangata Tiriti organisation, and Maori Health and Equity development.  Phyllis has recently returned to Te Kaunihera (RANZCP) as a community member.

 Kaushi Ambepitiya is a senior audiologist and Clinic Manager at Dilworth Hearing in Epsom. He has worked primarily in the private audiology sector in Auckland for the last 10 years and completed a Master of Biomedical Science and Master of Audiology at the University of Auckland.  His extensive research and clinical experience have seen him develop a passion for a wide range of clinical diagnostic and rehabilitative audiology services. Kaushi also has a strong interest in research of noise induced hearing loss and the preservation of hearing health within the community.

Mark is a Professor and Director of the Ergonomics and Human Factors Research Group in the Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Research at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), New Zealand.  Mark has over 30 years’ experience in occupational biomechanics, and the prevention and management of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. With significant global experience and practice,  Professor Boocock is passionate about ergonomics and wants to expand people’s understanding of the role it plays. This extends beyond the micro view of an office desk and chair, and into the wider working environment”

Mark has published over 100 journal articles or book chapters and presented at over 140 conferences.

https://academics.aut.ac.nz/mark.boocock

Bio: Miriska is a passionate and highly experienced Health and Safety leader with a strategic, forward-thinking mindset. She holds a Master’s Degree in Occupational Hygiene, and is only one of a few Certified Occupational Hygienists (COH®) in New Zealand. She currently leads the National Programme for Hazardous Substances and Occupational Hygiene at Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora (with an estimated 100,000 employees, making them the largest employer in New Zealand). Miriska serves on various governance boards such as HASANZ, WISE, and is the current president of NZOHS. She is known for her passion, inspiration and influence in the industry and has received several awards and scholarships in recognition. Miriska is constantly working towards improving and maintaining good worker health. She actively participates in providing training, education and awareness to anyone willing to listen.

 Session Title: Working in true partnership to improve worker health

 Abstract: Occupational health risk management is strongest when disciplines connect, not just in purpose and on paper, but in practice. In line with this year’s theme Hono Mai, Hono Atu: Connecting Generations in Occupational Health, this presentation challenges the traditional siloed approach and explores how occupational health nurses and occupational hygienists can work more effectively together to prevent harm and create healthier workplaces. Occupational hygiene plays a vital, yet often invisible, role in protecting worker health. It focuses on the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of exposure risks before illness or injury occurs. This session will take a moment to break down each of these steps and explore what they truly mean in real-world settings, beyond the textbook using practical examples. This will support occupational health nurses in recognising how their skills align with, and can actively enhance, each part of the process. By bringing our complementary strengths together, we can move beyond reactive measures and create a truly proactive approach to preventing harm. This session invites reflection, connection, collaboration, and action so we can move from working in parallel to working in true partnership.

Diane is a thought leader in organisational resilience, psychosocial risk, strategy, and contemporary safety. With a background in industrial and organisational psychology, she brings a unique mix of strategy, HR, governance, and human-centred risk expertise to reshaping how HSW in work is understood and designed.

As Co-Founder of NextEra, Diane is focused on enabling organisations to learn and adapt to the complex and dynamic nature of workplace risk. To enable Productive Safety at Work, NextEra provides usable and practical tools, processes and guidance to expand OHS management systems beyond compliance. NextEra specialises in the integration of modern safety concepts, such as Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), Safety Differently and Safety II to name a few, into everyday workplace operations.

Diane speaks regularly at national and international forums, including the 2024 Community of Human and Organizational Learning Conference (USA) and the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) Construction Specialty Group, where she presented on psychosocial risk in the workplace. She was recently on the 2025 StayLive panel for Making sense of WAI vs WAD panel with Rob Fisher, where the panel explored the NZ context relating to Work as Imagined and Work as Done.

Known for her systems thinking and passion for enabling Better Work, Diane blends insight with robust conversation, always advocating for operational excellence change that “sticks”.

FURTHER DETAILS

Leveraging Technology for Occupational Health Excellence: Insights from over a decade of Healthcare Innovation

Murray's journey from mathematics educator to healthcare technology pioneer exemplifies how diverse expertise can drive meaningful innovation in occupational health. With a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Otago and extensive experience in IT and business consulting

The establishment of Erudite Software Ltd marked Murray's focused commitment to healthcare technology innovation. Erudite has emerged as a specialised software development company creating comprehensive solutions for the health and safety market, with expertise in occupational health and wellbeing systems.

The company's flagship achievements include developing sophisticated safety systems now utilised by major corporate and government organisations including a  Clinical Health Management System for Occupational Health providers.