2018 Members' Retreat

Beth A. Brooke-Marciniak is Global Vice-Chair - Public Policy at EY and is a member of the firm’s Global Executive Board.  Beth has public policy responsibility for the firm’s operations in over 150 countries.  In addition, she is the global sponsor for EY’s Diversity and Inclusiveness efforts.  She has been named nine times to the list of Forbes "World's 100 Most Powerful Women", and was named Woman of the Year by Concern Worldwide.  In 2017, Beth received the Theodore Roosevelt Award, the top individual honor bestowed by the US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).  She has also been inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

During the Clinton Administration, she worked in the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where she was responsible for all tax policy matters related to insurance and managed care.  She played important roles in the healthcare reform and Superfund reform efforts. 

Throughout her career, Beth has been actively engaged in numerous civic and business organizations. She chairs the Board of Vital Voices and co-chairs of the International Council on Women’s Business Leadership, both founded by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  She serves on the Advisory Board for Out Leadership, as well as the Boards of The Conference Board, The Aspen Institute and the Women’s Advisory Board of the World Economic Forum.   She is a member of the inaugural class of the Henry Crown Fellows of The Aspen Institute, the Committee of 200, and the International Women's Forum.

Beth played basketball at Purdue University where she earned her undergraduate degree with highest distinction and received an honorary doctorate.

Lady Heeni Phillips-Williams is a barrister actively involved in the not-for-profit sector, justice, civil rights and human rights areas.

Her areas of law practice include mainly criminal law, mental health, and prison law. She has appeared in high profile trials as lead or junior counsel involving murder, sexual violation, abduction, benefit fraud to name a few. It was after the 2006 Fiji coup that she appeared in high profile trials at Suva, Fiji, involving two former politicians and a New Zealander beaten up by military personnel.

She has not only acted pro bono at coronial hearings, representing families whose loved ones have died in prison, but attended interviews at Ruatoki where the Māori community were affected by illegal police detentions at the road side during the so called “terrorist” raids.

As a mature student at the University of Auckland she gained a BA in Māori Studies & Politics, a Master of Arts in Politics followed by a law degree. With a desire to help in Māori communities she started up a Māori Women’s Welfare League branch at law school fundraising for books and marae facilities at Northland. Soon after, she became volunteer secretary role for 9 years with the prison league chaired by her husband the late Sir Peter Williams QC.

In 2011 Lady Heeni was appointed a Visiting Justice by the Governor General to preside at Auckland’s four prisons. She was reappointed for a further three years in 2015.

Lady Heeni is President of the Sir Peter Williams QC Penal Reform League in Auckland. The League is focused on providing rational discourse and a balanced viewpoint for social justice and legal issues when at times racist and perverse views may persist.

Elected a Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum, Audette Exel is the founder of the Adara Group, established in 1998, and Chief Executive Officer of its Australian financial services businesses, Adara Advisors Pty Limited and Adara Partners (Australia) Pty. Limited. The Adara businesses were established as “for purpose” businesses with sole objective of supporting Adara Development. Adara Development is focussed on improving health and education for women, children and communities living in poverty, through best practice service delivery, conducting world-class research and sharing knowledge globally.

Audette Exel is a lawyer by profession specialising in international finance. She was formerly Managing Director of one of Bermuda’s three banks, and also acted as chair of the Bermuda stock exchange. She is one of the youngest women in the world to have run a publicly-traded bank.

Audette is a Non-Executive Director of Suncorp Group Limited, an ASX 20 company. Audette was formerly Vice Chairman of the Board of Steamship Mutual Underwriting Association Trustee (Bermuda) Limited (for 18 years). Audette was NSW Telstra Businesswoman of the Year 2012 and was one of The Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence in 2012. In 2013, Audette was awarded an honorary Order of Australia for service to humanity and in 2014 was recognised by Forbes as a Hero of Philanthropy. In 2015, Audette was inducted into the Australian Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame, and was a recipient of a World Class New Zealander Award. Most recently, Audette was named Australia’s 2016 Leading Philanthropist by Philanthropy Australia.

Mandy Simpson is a professional director, consultant and keynote speaker with a particular focus on the business and human impacts of fast moving technologies. Over the past decade, Mandy has held senior financial and operational roles in the New Zealand government and private sector including Chief Operating Officer at the New Zealand Stock Exchange and most recently Chief Executive at cybersecurity consultancy Cyber Toa. 

Mandy is a faculty member at Singularity University, a Silicon Valley based organisation dedicated to educating and inspiring leaders in the use of exponential technologies.

Originally from the UK, Mandy has a law degree from Cambridge University. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors. 

Mavis Mullins is one of New Zealand’s distinguished business and community leaders. Her extensive list of national awards, honours and accolades are testament to her governance excellence, her ability to connect people and her inspirational leadership. 

Her recent achievements include:

2017 - Inductee NZ Business Hall of Fame

2017 - Outstanding Maori Business Leader – Auckland University

2017 - Massey University Distinguished Alumni Award

2016 - Westpac Rural Woman of Influence

As a government and private sector governance leader, Mavis has amassed experience in a wide range of sectors from health, environment, agriculture, education, telecommunications and sport. Being Patron of the Agribusiness Women’s Development Trust gives opportunity to share skills and experiences.

At the heart of her success is her advocacy and commitment to Maori and Maori business, strong governance with diversity for improved decision making, deep personal integrity and her common-sense approach.

Mavis is also widely respected as a public speaker and thought leader, as she has an innate ability to understand the opportunities and challenges of the future. 

Joan has spent over 25 years working in the media industry holding CEO positions in both newspaper and radio, and has been a professional director for 20 years. Her current governance roles include Chair of Mercury NZ Ltd, The Warehouse Group Ltd and director of ANZ NZ. She is a former Chair of Auckland International Airport and TVNZ.

In July 2005, Joan became chief executive officer of Fairfax New Zealand Limited, New Zealand’s largest media company, a role from which she retired in 2009. She had previously held the position of Chief Executive of The Radio Network.

Joan is a Trustee of the Louise Perkins Foundation, and is Chair of a steering committee working to increase the percentage of South Auckland Maori and Pacific Island students taking up roles in the health sector.

She holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from The University of Auckland. She is also a University of Auckland Distinguished Alumni (2015). Joan is the author of "A Girl's Guide to Business" which was published by Penguin Books in 1998 and “A Woman’s Place – life, leadership and lessons from the boardroom” published by Penguin Random House in 2017.

Joan won the New Zealand Shareholders Beacon Award in 2014 and the CAANZ Media Excellence Award in 2009. In 2015 she was named Supreme Winner in the Women of Influence Awards and was named as Chairperson of the Year in the Deloitte Top 200 Management Awards.