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Thursday 15 May | Auckland
Lead the Change. Shape the Future.
Welcome to New Zealand’s only ESG summit purpose-built for the property sector. Reset25 brought together 22 expert speakers for a powerful one-day deep dive into the evolving world of Environmental, Social and Governance strategy.
The only ESG summit designed for the New Zealand property sector, attendees were guided through practical strategies, heard from pioneering leaders, and became part of the movement driving real change.
Ngā mihi to our sponsors, speakers and attendees.
Why Reset Matters
The ESG agenda is accelerating – and the property sector must keep pace. With growing regulatory demands, investor scrutiny, and community expectations, ESG is no longer a box-ticking exercise. It’s a business imperative.
You’ll hear from government decision-makers, industry leaders, and next-generation thinkers as we tackle the challenges – and opportunities – of embedding ESG across investment, development and operations.
Whether you’re a developer, investor, planner or consultant, this is your opportunity to connect, learn, and be inspired.
It’s not just about compliance. It’s about building resilient organisations, future-focused cities, and governance frameworks that unlock long-term value.
From carbon to culture, from AI to iwi partnerships – Reset is where property leaders get serious about ESG.
Connecting property, people and the planet.
Suggestions?
Let us know if there’s any particular topic, speaker or project you’d like to see grace the Reset stage in future – contact the events team today!
Featured Speakers
Meet a few of our 2025 speaker lineup!
Biography
Dr. Rod Carr completed his five-year term as the inaugural chair of New Zealand’s Climate Change Commission in December 2024. During his tenure as chair, he presented at over six hundred conferences, seminars, webinars, select committees and meetings.
His previous roles included ten years as Vice Chancellor of the University of Canterbury where he oversaw the rebuild of the University after the Canterbury earthquakes at a cost exceeding $800 million. For ten years he was a director of Lyttleton Port, including during the rebuild of the port at a cost exceeding $500m. Rod also served as a director of Crown owner Otakaro Ltd which delivered the Christchurch Convention Centre Te Pae at a cost of over $300 m.
Five university degrees, 23 Marathons including in Antarctica, the Arctic and North Korea, four adult children and a long-suffering wife of 45 years paint part of the picture.
9:20 am | Opening Keynote
Climate Change – Are We Doing Enough?
Join Dr Rod Carr for a compelling discussion on climate change and New Zealand’s response. Explore the nation’s current state of play, celebrating successes in areas like renewable energy and emissions reductions. Delve into critical gaps and challenges, identifying where we need to accelerate efforts to meet global targets. Gain insights into the policies, innovations, and collaborations essential for a sustainable future. Are we doing enough? Rod will challenge us to think, act, and improve.
Biography
Bridget is the Property Sustainability Manager for Samson Corporation, focusing on buildings which enhance neighbourhoods, improve occupant well-being, and reduce impact on the environment. With a foundation in building controls, she currently focuses on improving energy and water efficiency, reducing operational carbon, implementing waste solutions, and driving sustainable business practices. Bridget brings a varied background of studies across physics, maths, marketing, sustainable business, and theatre, to deliver creative and practical solutions to business and environmental challenges.
3:30 pm | Reimagining Green: What We’d Do Differently Today
Explore the journey of sustainable building design and performance with Bridget Pyć, Property Sustainability Manager at Samson, and Saatyesh Bhana, Head of Sustainability at Argosy Property. Bridget will share insights into the Geyser Building and Iron Bank, two pioneering developments that set benchmarks for sustainability. Saatyesh will present on three standout properties in Argosy’s portfolio, showcasing their environmental performance and the strategies that made them successful. Together, they will reflect on lessons learned, performance outcomes, and what they would approach differently today, offering practical insights for the future of sustainable property development and management.
Biography
Chris Penk has been the MP for Kaipara Ki Mahurangi since 2017, following in the footsteps of former Prime Minister Rt Hon John Key. His Ministerial portfolios include Building and Construction, Small Business and Manufacturing, Land Information, Veterans Affairs, Associate Defence and Associate Immigration. In the Building and Construction portfolio he is focused on streamlining the building consent system, reducing red tape and unnecessary regulation, and promoting competition of material and product supply in the market.
Chris studied at the University of Auckland, gaining a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours). After his initial studies, he joined the Royal New Zealand Navy, serving on frigate HMNZS Te Kaha, and then the submarine squadron of Australia’s Navy. After practising law for a number of years, including in a firm he co-founded, Chris entered Parliament in 2017 to represent the then-Helensville electorate.”
9:00 am
Government Address
Join Hon Chris Penk, Minister for Building and Construction for this exclusive government update.
Biography
Andy’s role as Chief Financial Officer involves managing the finance and treasury activities of Goodman Property Trust. He is also the Chair of the Corporate Social Responsibility committee which encompasses ESG matters material to Goodman including providing sustainability leadership across the business. Andy joined Goodman in March 2011, has more than 30 years’ experience in finance roles in Ireland, Scotland and New Zealand, and is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland.
1:45 pm | ESG Governance: Leadership and Resilience Panel
As environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities continue to shape business strategies, strong governance is essential for driving meaningful change. This panel explores key issues in ESG governance, including the role of diversity and inclusion in leadership, the motivations behind ESG initiatives, and how to maintain focus during economic downturns. Learn how governance roles can champion sustainability and inclusion while ensuring resilience in challenging times. Gain insights from experts on navigating the evolving ESG landscape and the importance of aligning governance with long-term organisational goals. Discover why ESG governance matters now more than ever.
Anne Urlwin is a professional director with broad governance experience across a diverse range of sectors including infrastructure, portfolio investment, property
development and construction, energy, telecommunications, financial services, regulation and health. Her governance experience is in public listed, private, Crown and local authority companies and statutory and not for profit entities.
She is Chair of Precinct Properties New Zealand Ltd (NZX : PCT), and a director of listed entities Vector, Infratil and Ventia. She is also a director of City Rail Link Ltd. She has a particular interest in sustainability and chairs Ventia’s Safety & Sustainability Committee, and the Audit & Risk Committees of Infratil and City Rail Link, as well as Vector’s Audit Committee.
Her previous governance roles include chairmanship of national commercial construction group Naylor Love and of the NZ Blood Service, and serving as the Independent Chair of Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu’s Audit & Risk Committee. Other former roles include serving as a director of Queenstown Airport Corporation, Summerset Group Holdings, Cigna Insurance, Tilt Renewables Ltd, Chorus Ltd and Meridian Energy.
Anne is a member of NZX’s Corporate Governance Institute and of the Institute of Directors National Council.
1:45 pm | ESG Governance: Leadership and Resilience Panel
As environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities continue to shape business strategies, strong governance is essential for driving meaningful change. This panel explores key issues in ESG governance, including the role of diversity and inclusion in leadership, the motivations behind ESG initiatives, and how to maintain focus during economic downturns. Learn how governance roles can champion sustainability and inclusion while ensuring resilience in challenging times. Gain insights from experts on navigating the evolving ESG landscape and the importance of aligning governance with long-term organisational goals. Discover why ESG governance matters now more than ever.
Matt Heath
Actor, Producer, Radio Host, Sports Commentator
Session sponsored by
Matt Heath first entered the public eye by writing, producing and starring in the 2001 TV2 late-night stunt show Back of the Y Masterpiece Television with his high school friends. The show became a hit, ran for three seasons and spun off into MTV Europe Stunt Night, Randy Campbell on Balls of Steel (UK), and the feature film The Devil Dared Me To (Dick in the US), starring Matt as Dick Johansonson. Around this time, his band Deja Voodoo reached the top 20 with Brown Sabbath featuring the ‘hits’ Beers and Today Tomorrow, Timaru. Two further albums and multiple tours followed.
After the birth of his first child, Matt moved back to New Zealand permanently, where he continued to produce and appear on TV shows and eventually entered the world of radio. He spent 11 years on Radio Hauraki’s highly successful The Matt and Jerry Breakfast Show with Co-host Jeremy Wells before replacing Simon Barnett on Newstalk ZB Afternoons where he is today.
Since 2015, Matt has commentated cricket, rugby, and sailing with the ACC. In 2021, after ten years as a columnist in the NZ Herald, he was appointed happiness editor, allowing him to write extensively in the male mental health space. On the back of this work, in 2024, Matt released his first book, the number one best-selling A Life Less Punishing. 13 Ways To Love the Life You Got, and later that year, he released his second, The Alternative Commentary Collective Almanack. His podcasts, The Matt and Jerry Daily Bespoke and The Agenda have been hugely successful, gaining millions of yearly downloads. In recent years, he has appeared on Taskmaster, The Project, Best Bits, Have You Been Paying Attention, Traitors, Game of Two Halves and many others. Matt lives in Auckland with his partner and his two teenage sons.
2:20 pm | Mental Health Resilience with Matt Heath
Broadcaster, comedian, and writer Matt Heath will share the deeply personal story of how he rebuilt his mental resilience after the loss of his mother and the breakdown of a long-term relationship. Sitting alone on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, he reached a pivotal moment – realising that to move forward, he needed to become his own biggest supporter. This led him on a journey of research, self-improvement, and practical habit-building that ultimately changed his life.
Matt will bring his signature wit and insight to focus on key themes from his book and personal experiences, from practical steps to improve mental wellbeing to how businesses can support employee resilience.
Biography
Meghana is a final-year Property and Economics conjoint student at the University of Auckland with a passion for housing affordability and the triple bottom line approach to business. She has explored social sustainability as a research, policy, and communications assistant for Melissa Lee (MP) and as the Youth MP for the Waikato electorate during the NZ Youth Parliament 2022, where she chaired the housing affordability select committee.
Her work as a sustainability analyst for Goodman provided insight into environmental responsibility, including benchmarking Scope 3 emissions for over 200 customers across their portfolio. Meghana gained valuable experience in financial sustainability during her 2023/24 internship in the Real Estate Deals team at PwC and furthered this knowledge during her summer internship at MA Financial Group in Sydney within their Real Estate Credit Team.
Outside of work and academics, she is committed to empowering future generations by helping kids argue better with their parents. Meghana founded one of Auckland’s first debate programs for middle schoolers and ran the National Secondary Schools Business Case Competition in 2023. As President of the University Case Club in 2025, she hopes to help her peers build vital skills and their dream career paths.
11:35 am | The New Landscape for Talent
What do young professionals really want from their workplaces, and how can companies adapt to attract and retain top talent? Young professional, Meghana Gaddam will dive into what it takes to broaden the workforce and create inclusive environments that appeal to diverse staff. You’ll gain insights into the expectations of the next generation, from flexibility and purpose-driven work to equity and representation. Join us to uncover how forward-thinking workplaces can thrive by prioritising diversity, innovation, and employee well-being.
Biography
Bobby Shen is the senior manager at the NZGBC looking at existing buildings. This includes the rating tools Green Star Performance, NABERSNZ, and Net Zero Buildings. He has a background in commercial architecture, sustainability, governance, and community development. In his role, he assists the property sector in Aotearoa to drive low-carbon and ESG responsive properties.
11:55 am | Panel
Panel | Wellness in Buildings: Benchmark, Measure, Achieve
Wellness is becoming a cornerstone of sustainable building design, but how can we effectively measure and improve it? This session explores practical strategies for benchmarking and assessing health in buildings, providing insights into tools like WELL and Green Star. Learn how to incorporate wellness principles into your projects and leverage green building standards to enhance occupant well-being. From indoor air quality to lighting and beyond, discover how health-focused design can transform spaces and create environments that support productivity, comfort, and sustainability. Gain actionable knowledge to prioritise wellness in your building projects.
Biography
Having set up and run New Zealand’s only nanomechanical testing laboratory that specialises in making and breaking tiny things (nano and micro), Michelle spends her time helping companies with board advisory around science and technology commercialisation including technical consulting for investors and VC’s looking for ROI advice for high-tech start-ups. Her experience spans academia, government labs and large-scale R&D departments. As a keynote speaker, Michelle loves to speak on the future of education and work, innovation & technology, change management, STEM and entrepreneurship.
4:05 pm | Closing Keynote
Harnessing AI for ESG Success
Dr. Michelle Dickinson, host of ARUP’s “Sustainable Forces” podcast, will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the property and construction industry. From streamlining project workflows and enhancing decision-making to improving supply chain transparency and enabling predictive analytics, AI empowers professionals to focus on high-impact ESG challenges. In this session, Michelle will share real-world examples of how AI is driving sustainability, efficiency, and innovation across the sector while addressing potential challenges and ethical considerations.
Have a look at the 2024 highlights!
Why attend Reset?
Aotearoa New Zealand’s premier event for property professionals looking to embrace Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) best practice.
“Insightful and entertaining – looking forward to the next one!”
Reset Attendee