Guest speaker
Mary Haddock-Staniland
Growing up Mary learnt to work harder than others in order to assert her right to be here. As a young Trans woman, she was starting life ’s race at the back of the pack. Her work for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging is centrally rooted in her identity and she is determined to change the race altogether. She advocates for difference to be acknowledged and embraced. If this is accepted, then perhaps life can no longer be a race, but a win for all. Mary is passionate, commercially astute and experienced in identifying and delivering effective HR, People Experience & DEIB initiatives that match business objectives. She is an innovative visionary, and a highly collaborative leader who has the experience and skills to develop and execute strategic plans and implement highly targeted programming. Mary also holds a range of advisory and governance roles, and in 2017 was appointed an ambassador for charitable trust, Lifeline New Zealand.
Panellists
Sheri-Lee Paulse
As a Business Analyst at Payments NZ, Sheri-Lee is driven by the opportunity to shape the future of Aotearoa through payment modernisation projects by supporting the Next Generation payments team and the API Centre. A staunch advocate for personal and professional development, Sheri-Lee is currently pursuing an MBA while actively seeking activities that foster her personal growth. Sheri-Lee thrives when connecting with other people and learning through diverse perspectives. She believes in the power of small changes to make a big impact and hopes to inspire and support others on their journey. With an eventful path ahead, Sheri-Lee remains dedicated to making meaningful contributions that positively impact people's lives starting with her role within Payment’s industry.
Zar Sinclair
Zar Sinclair is a senior solicitor in the general litigation team at Buddle Findlay. Zar chaired Buddle Findlay's diversity & inclusion subcommittee in Auckland and sat on the firm's National D&I committee between 2021 – 2022. Her highlights include developing an internship programme for students from South Auckland schools in partnership with Ice, assisting with Buddle Findlay's new parental leave policy, and raising over $30,000 for Rainbow organisations as part of Sweat with Pride. Zar grew up between Whangārei and Wellington before studying an LLB(Hons)/BA at Auckland University. As the first University graduate in her family, she has a particular passion for educational equity and creating accessible and inclusive spaces within the corporate sphere.
Cath Moore
Cath is a senior leader with 27 years of governance and financial services experience in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT), New Zealand, the UK and Ireland. Cath has held a number of board directorship roles internationally, predominately in the payments space. In addition, Cath has experience leading product design, sales and servicing business units in global corporations. Following a return to New Zealand, during COVID 19, Cath took the opportunity to start a PhD at AUT with a working title of "Hidden in Plain Sight – the experience of menopause and its influence on women working in Corporate New Zealand."