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Welfare Working Group Forum
Speaker Profiles: N-Z (by last name)

Please note not all speaker profiles were available at the time of publication.

 

Lisl Prendergast Lisl Prendergast
Principal, Sacred Heart College, Lower Hutt
(New Zealand)

Ms Prendergast is a strong advocate for Te Reo Māori in schools. As Commonwealth Fellow at the Institute of Education London University 1991–1992 she wrote her MA thesis on Maintenance of Minority Languages.

With a background in English, Art History and Classical Studies she is a co-opted member of the New Zealand Principals’ Council which she represents on several MOE, Teachers’ Council and NZQA working parties/technical advisory groups.

Tyron PiniTyron Pini
Regional Manager, Workwise Employment Ltd (New Zealand)

Mr Pini has a background in community social work and disability support.  As well his current role in helping people return to work, he is active in the sector as a member of the Huntly Community Link  Exceutive Group, Waikato Mental Health Employment Group, ACC Rehab providers liaison Group and a former board member and chair of the Association of Supported Employment New Zealand (ASENZ).

Through connections created through the Waikato Chamber of Commerce, he is also leading the HisBiz project aimed at supporting wellbeing for men in business.

Christopher PrinzDr. Christopher Prinz
Senior Policy Analyst, OECD Employment Analysis and Policy Division (France)

Dr. Prinz leads the team working on the new review on Challenges for labour market inclusion of people with mental health probleMs

He joined the OECD in early 2000 and has, since then, managed the work of the OECD on disability policies for the working-age population. He co-authored all reports in the Sickness, Disability and Work series and was the author of OECD's 2003 report Transforming Disability into Ability.

Dr. Monika QueisserDr. Monika Queisser
Head of Social Policy, OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs (France)

Dr. Monika Queisser is one of the leading international experts in pension system analysis and pension reform. She has been working with governments in OECD countries advising them on pension system design and pension reform strategies since 1999.

Her publications include the reference study on the second-generation pension reforms in Latin America as well as the OECD flagship publication Pensions at a Glance of which she is the co-author.

Prior to joining the OECD, Dr. Queisser worked at the World Bank in Washington DC. She holds two masters degrees (in economics and political science) and a doctorate in economic policy from the University of Munich.

Patricia ReadePatricia Reade
Deputy Chief Executive Work and Income, Ministry of Social Development (New Zealand)

Ms Reade's public service career began in 1991. She has since worked with the New Zealand Employment Service, in the office of the Minister of Employment and the Department of Education and Employment in London. While in the UK she worked on developing the New Deal, a flagship programme of the Blair Labour Government, which gave priority to tackling unemployment.

From 1999 to 2004, Ms Reade held the position of Deputy Chief Executive Specialist Services, at the Ministry of Social Development, where she was responsible for services to Students, Seniors and Integrity Services.

Paul RodwayPaul Rodway
Principal Advisor, Macro Policy, New Zealand Treasury
(New Zealand)

Mr Rodway joined the Treasury in 1992 and is a Principal Advisor on Macro Policy at the New Zealand Treasury. He has worked on the 2006 long-term fiscal report and the most recent, Challenges and Choices, report published in 2009.

 

Hon. John TamihereHon. John Tamihere
Chief Executive Officer, Te Whanau O Waipareira Trust (New Zealand)

Hon. John Tamihere is a strong advocate for Māori representation. He served as a Cabinet Minister in the Labour Government from 2002–2004. His ministerial portfolio included small business, youth affairs, statistics and land information as well functioning as Associate Minster of Māori Affairs.

Mr Tamihere is currently the Chief Executive of the Waipareira Trust and hosts a talkback show on Radio Live. He has an arts and law degree from Auckland University.

Dame Iritana Te Rangi TawhiwhiurangiDame Iritana Te Rangi Tawhiwhirangi (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāpuhi)
Advocate Māori Language Education and Kohanga Reo (New Zealand)

Dame Tawhiwhirangi has been in the front line of seeking better outcomes for Māori for more than half a century through education and general welfare.

Rising from teacher to executive and  policy analyst as well as an inspirational leader, Dame Iritana has been responsible for establishing many national structures and systems including early childhood education centres for Māori and Te Reo curricula that continue to contribute Māori education and welfare today.

She is  life member of the Māori Women's Welfare League and the Māori Education Trust and is on the Board of Trustees of the Te Kohanga Reo National Trust.

Charles WaldegraveCharles Waldegrave
Coordinator, Family Centre Pākehā (European) Section (New Zealand)

Charles Waldegrave is Coordinator of the Family Centre Pākehā (European) Section and leader of the Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit.

He co-leads the ‘New Zealand Poverty Measurement Project’ (NZPMP) which has provided the evidence base for considerable public policy debate and social and economic changes in New Zealand. He also co-leads the large scale ‘Enhancing Wellbeing in an Ageing Society’ (EWAS) research programme. He is one of the founders of ‘Just Therapy’, an internationally recognised approach to addressing cultural, gender and socioeconomic contexts in therapy.

He is regularly contracted to lead workshops in a range of areas of applied social policy internationally on every continent. He publishes regularly in all of the above areas.

Prof. Peter WhitefordProf. Peter Whiteford
Professor Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC), University of New South Wales (Australia)

Prof. Whiteford’s areas of interest include child poverty; family policy; international comparisons of income inequality and poverty; comparative social policy and the welfare state; reconciliation of work and family life; and lone parenthood and joblessness among families with children.

His research has concentrated on international comparisons of systems of social protection and comparisons of poverty and income distribution. He has held a number of social policy research positions, including in France and the United Kingdom.

In July 2008, he was appointed by the Australian Government to the Reference Group for the Review of the Australian pension system. He has published extensively on various aspects of the Australian system of income support.

Dr. Bryce Wilkinson
Director of Capital Economics Limited (New Zealand)

Dr. Wilkinson worked in the New Zealand Treasury between 1970 and 1985 and in investment banking between 1985 and 1997. 

He specialises in public policy work and works as an economic consultant. He is also a member of the 2025 Taskforce.

Mayor Dale WilliamsDale Williams
Mayor, Otorohanga District Council (New Zealand)

Mayor William's involvement in local politics started in 1995 on the Otorohanga Community Board and District Council, being elected Mayor in 2004.  He chairs the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs to advance the zero waste of young people. 

Mayor Williams has a keen interest in youth employment issues and has helped establish youth programmes to enable successful pathways for young people from school to work.

David WoodDavid Wood
General Manager, WorkAon (New Zealand)

Mr Wood founded WorkAon, a specialist workplace accident claims management and rehabilitation provider, is a division of Aon New Zealand. David founded WorkAon in the late 1990's and contracts to large employers and life insurance companies to assist them in the rehabilitation of injured clients, helping them back into the workforce, or regain their independence. WorkAon has managed over 100,000 workplace injury claims in the past decade, through a network of claim management and case management specialists.