Meet our speakers for 2019
Great local and international talent
Alice Thompson
Alice is the Head of Delivery at Trustpower and has been a pivotal an influential part of moving Trustpower through its current Agile transformation.
Collaborative change
Trustpower is in the middle of a transition across to Agile. This started as “pockets of goodness” early 2018, with a Technology restructure to create Agile teams. We are now creating Agile teams outside of Technology to spread the goodness throughout the business.
“It’s certainly been an experience, lots of learnings so far” – Alice will be sharing her journey and learnings.
Aurelien Beraud
After a career as a Software Developer in Norway, Aurelien swapped the fjords up north for the glittering city of Auckland down under to do what he knows best. He now spends his days as an Agile Coach, empowering teams to push their own limits and deliver products that change the life of their users.
Born to learn
We naturally crave learning. It is an innate ability that has allowed us to survive, evolve and thrive. Moreover, science has shown us that our brain is quite flexible and can allow us to continue to learn at any point in our lives. It should then be logical to see most organisations using this to their competitive advantage.
However, are our organisations tailored to foster learning? Are we putting enough emphasis on growing people’s ability to learn? And do we really take advantage of what science tells us about learning? To explore these questions, Aurelien digs into cognitive science, explores the concept of a growth mindset and reflects on how we can create the learning organisations of tomorrow.
Cheryl Tansey
As an Agile People Coach, specialising in education, HR and leadership, Cheryl’s focus is on the growth and agility of people within an organisation.
Coaching teams throughout Canada, England, Singapore and NZ over the past seven years, Cheryl brings a unique perspective to agile adoption – supporting organisations to align their operations with their cultural and people strategy.
What is the role of HR in an Agile Organisation?
Corporate cultures, global mindsets, and employee priorities are changing at an incredible rate. As the world begins to shift to an Agile way of working, what role does HR play in supporting people through this change?
In this talk, Cheryl explores how HR teams are learning to adopt the same flexible, fluid, customer- focused mindset of modern tech companies, to inspire their workers and strategically strengthen their organisations
Dan Randow
Dan helps groups to collaborate so that they get more done and have more fun. He works in a participative way, so that new ways of working emerge from the group. A ‘little a’ agile person from birth, Dan has experience in tech, and loves clarity about value but his main training is in relationships and groups. His work is action-oriented, experiential, iterative and systemic.
Psychological safety
You may have heard that a key to thriving and performing in teams is psychological safety – let’s say a culture where it is ok to speak up about ideas, questions or mistakes. How to go about fostering psychological safety is another matter. Group dynamics are complex and mysterious. There are no definitive maps or failsafe techniques. As a group member or a leader, what can you actually do to foster psychological safety?
This is a participative workshop. I will share some ideas that I use to orient towards psychological safety. I’ll lead a baby step or two in the group. We’ll share some reflections.
David Morris
With a career spanning over three decades, David is a seasoned instructor, author, and transformation leader specialising in agile methodologies and adaptive organisational design. David has guided enterprises across telecommunications, fintech, energy, and government sectors through impactful change, blending deep expertise in business analysis, agile project delivery, and OKR implementation.
A co-founder of Agile on the Beach NZ and Agile Alliance NZ, David is a sought-after speaker and consultant known for crafting pragmatic solutions that inspire lasting transformation. Passionate about fostering resilient, people-centred cultures, David balances practical application with strategic vision to elevate teams and drive meaningful business outcomes.
Pre-conference workshop: Lean Change Masterclass
In a world of rapid change and disruption, traditional change management often falls short, leaving organisations struggling to adapt effectively. The Lean Change approach offers a dynamic, flexible way to navigate this complexity.
This immersive 3-hour masterclass provides a hands-on introduction to the Lean Change Cycle, guiding participants through the process of assessing change contexts, co-creating options, and running experiments to learn and adapt quickly. By working through a real-world problem together, you’ll experience firsthand how lean change principles foster continuous improvement and drive meaningful, lasting transformation in your organisation. Expect an engaging, experiential session that equips you to lead change with agility and confidence.
Diana Minnée
Diana is Head of Delivery at Trade Me, working with more than 60 technical squads, as well as business teams, to help them do their best work. Diana firmly believes that effective delivery comes not from methodologies and processes, but from the right mindset and culture. Having a ‘Modern Agile’ mindset helps motivate people through having a purpose, mastery and autonomy. Diana works to transform organisational culture, empower the people, and deliver astonishing results for staff, and Trade Me customers.
There is no spoon
How do we help people identify real versus perceived constraints in how they do their best work, and then push through those perceptions? How do we encourage people at all levels to challenge the status quo, and not wait for a ‘manager’ to decide what to do next? How do we ensure people are motivated to achieve excellence rather than perfection or mediocrity? How do we stop the ‘methodology mania’ and instead build high functioning teams?
This talk will answer those questions and more, with practical advice that has worked to change the culture of organisations, not just the process.
Jakub Jurkiewicz
Currently Agile Coach at Air New Zealand and previously Agile Consultant, Team Leader and Software Developer. Jakub worked in a startup where agility and change were harnessed every day and in big corporations where people were afraid to mention their ideas. He learned that only through collaboration, openness and trust one can build a successful environment for change, grow and innovation. Jakub gained a PhD degree from his research on bringing automation to requirements analysis.
Improv-e your resillience
Charles Darwin said: “In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.”
Collaboration and improvisation are vital for navigating our volatile, uncertain world. While collaboration is familiar, improvisation often evokes fear due to its unpredictability. Yet, building improv skills strengthens resilience, essential for adapting to constant change in life and work. This workshop will allow us to practice improv skills and build our resilience. We will do a few simple exercises and we will have time to discuss our experiences to see how we could use these new skills at our work, with our teams and even in our private life.
Lynne Cazaly
Lynne is a dynamic and engaging speaker known for her creative and impactful approach to communication and facilitation. Her extensive experience spans industries like technology, healthcare, and finance, where she transforms project teams through engaging, thought-provoking sessions. Renowned for her expert facilitation and captivating visuals, Lynne consistently leaves audiences inspired, with new perspectives and practical skills to enhance their work and projects.
Pre-conference: Sensemaking masterclass
The capabilities of sensemaking are required for us to gather information, connect the dots, gain insights and then take action. Move through sensemaking quicker by using powerful thinking, mapping and collaboration tools that will help you work out what’s happening in this world of relentless change.
Keynote: Ish – The power of good enough
Excellence and continuous improvement matter, but the pursuit of perfection can be damaging. In this keynote, Lynne explores how embracing ‘ish’—meaning ‘somewhat’ or ‘to some extent’ — leads to more flexible, effective ways of working and living. By focusing on iterative progress instead of perfection, we can improve our work, collaboration, and well-being, discovering that ‘good enough’ truly is enough.
Michael Sahota
Michael is a Certified Enterprise Coach who helps leaders build high-performance organisations through a practical playbook for lasting change. His ‘Consciously Approaching Agile’ model fosters the cultural and leadership shifts needed for Agile success. As a Certified Agile Leadership Educator with the Scrum Alliance, Michael has trained over 1,000 leaders globally. His acclaimed Agile Culture & Leadership courses reflect his expertise and commitment to personal growth, including intensive study and practice in India. Michael embodies his teachings, creating transformative experiences for leaders worldwide.
Keynote: Surfing the waves
Is Agile just a process, a mindset, a way of working, or a cultural system? The key to true Agile success lies in understanding its essence. By revisiting the Agile Manifesto and focusing on learning, people, and emergence, this talk explores how to foster effective leadership and sustainable high performance. Michael will guide you through his proven approach to transformational change. With a focus on shifting leadership consciousness, Michael envisions organisations where engaged, motivated people drive lasting impact in their work and communities.
Paulius Tizika
Having recently arrived in New Zealand to connect with our agile community, Paulius has previously guided teams in Lithuania and Spain toward improved ways of working. Passionate about self-development and habit formation, Paulius continually challenges his own agility and growth.
Personal growth compass
Growth and learning are the key elements for continuous improvement. By dedicating time and effort for our growth we can increase the value we deliver in our teams and organisations. I’ll share a personal growth framework that can guide any Agile Coach/Scrum Master or team leader towards finding a path and direction for growth.
Sam Laing
Sam lives by her motto “Be Brave” and thrives on embracing new challenges. As a coach, she excels at asking insightful questions that spark reflection and growth. Her passion lies in helping people and teams achieve what they once thought impossible, finding fulfillment in their success.
Sam is also the co-founder of Growing Agile, offering books and online courses to support agile skill development.
Self care and empathy
Sam Laing will explore the critical balance between self-care and empathy at Agile on the Beach NZ. As an agile coach, she understands the challenge of supporting others’ growth while maintaining personal well-being. Sam will share her insights and experiences on finding this equilibrium, fostering both personal and professional resilience.
Shane Hastie
Shane is the Director of Agile Learning Programs for ICAgile, with over 30 years of experience in software product development. He has led a wide range of disciplines, from developers and testers to project managers and business analysts, guiding them to deliver business-aligned results across organisations of all sizes.
Shane served on the global Agile Alliance board (2011-2016) and is the founding president of Agile Alliance New Zealand. He leads InfoQ’s Culture and Methods editorial team and hosts the weekly Culture Podcast. Shane is also the co-author of ‘#noprojects – A Culture of Continuous Value’.
Becoming an agile coach
Agile Coaching is a relatively new discipline and there is a lot of misunderstanding about why coaching is useful, what skills and competencies an agile coach needs to have, how they engage with individuals, teams and organisations and how to tell good coaches from mediocre ones.
- As someone who wants to become a coach, what skills and competencies do you need to build? There are training courses, but they are not enough. Becoming an effective coach requires much more than book knowledge, it needs deliberate practice and experience working with individuals and teams.
- As someone who is considering engaging a coach, what should you look out for and how do you establish the relationship to ensure the best possible outcomes. How do you create the environment where we can grow your own coaches inside an organisation, what is the pathway to competency for an aspiring coach?
OpenSpace™ (workshop)
Tristan Lomburg
Tristan is a Professional Scrum Master with over two years of experience coaching high-performing teams. Passionate about human character and growth, he focuses on helping individuals identify and maximise their strengths while finding ways to navigate their weaknesses. With a background as an IT trainer, Tristan has honed his skills in presenting and effective communication. His expertise is further enriched by studies in management and marketing, as well as experience in debating and theatrical productions.
Unlock the power of Millennials
Unlock the potential of the Millennials in your team: Millennials have potential to be your best or worst performers. Learn how to give them purpose and connection to unlock their potential. Understand their weaknesses to better help them develop in areas where they have gaps.
From 2020, 50% of workers will be Millennials. There’s been a lot bad press about Millennials, but I want to share my experience as a Millennial, looking at how to relate to us and inspire team members to be engaged at work.
Turi Ngatai MNZM
Turi Ngatai, a respected kaumatua of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Ranginui, is widely known for his his leadership and dedication to Māori education and development. Affectionately called the “Sunshine Man” for his uplifting and positive presence, Turi serves as Deputy Chairman of the Ngāi Te Rangi Rūnanga and Settlement Trust.
His extensive experience includes roles as a Māori Relationship Manager for Seeka Industries, Executive Director Māori at the Open Polytechnic, and leadership positions such as school principal and interim co-chief executive of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. In 1998, he was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his contributions to education.
Pōwhiri – Welcoming Agile on the Beach NZ to Mount Maunganui
At the conference’s opening, Turi delivered a deeply moving pōwhiri that welcomed all participants, honouring Māori customs and creating a profound sense of connection and shared purpose for all present.
He began with a stirring waiata, creating an atmosphere of unity and respect. Turi then shared a vibrant cultural story in te reo Māori, pausing to translate for everyone, ensuring a shared understanding and appreciation of its depth. He closed with a heartfelt Māori karakia, blessing the conference’s goals and symbolically granting participants the privilege to treat the area as their own marae.