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New Zealand 2026
Aon Insights Series
Better Decisions to Build Resilience and Drive Growth
Event Details
The Aon Insights Series New Zealand 2026 returns to Tāmaki Makaurau on Tuesday, 17 November. The event, taking place at the iconic Shed 10 on Auckland’s waterfront, will map out the core trends and issues impacting organisations and the critical decisions that leaders and their teams grapple with day-to-day.
Bringing together global subject matter experts, industry thought leaders, and senior decision makers, the Aon Insights Series New Zealand 2026 aims to give you the clarity and confidence to make better decisions.
Over the course of the day, we will delve deeper into what matters most to leaders, with local and global perspectives on Trade, Technology, Weather, and Workforce. The event will also feature a C-Suite Panel, keynotes, a fireside chat as well as the opportunity for attendees to explore Aon's innovative tools and solutions at our Better Decisions Lab activation booths on Climate and Cyber.
Event timings: Registration from 7.45am for an 8.30am start, concluding at 6pm following networking drinks. Detailed agenda will be released shortly.
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Featured Speaker
Brad Olsen
Joining us again for 2026 is Brad Olsen, Principal Economist at Infometrics. Brad is renowned for his incisive economic commentary throughout New Zealand. His work delivers crucial insights to businesses, decision-makers, and the public. Since joining Infometrics in July 2015 as a part-time data analyst while studying at Victoria University of Wellington, Brad has ascended to become one of New Zealand's most prominent and youngest economic commentators. His analyses frequently feature across TV, radio, print, and online platforms. Brad's role at Infometrics spans the entire business. In regional and sectoral analysis, he interacts with clients to provide critical economic insights.
Featured Speaker
Chelsea Lane
A pioneering high-performance leader in global sport, Chelsea Lane is best known for transforming athlete care through a human-centred approach across the NBA and elite international programmes. As Head of Performance for the Silver Ferns, she blends cutting-edge sports science, holistic wellbeing and performance leadership. Chelsea rose to international prominence with the Golden State Warriors and later the Atlanta Hawks, where she evolved performance systems, recovery frameworks and organisational culture. Her philosophy has resonated across sport and business, demonstrating that exceptional performance is built on trust, wellbeing and the courage to innovate.
Agenda
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Morning
Mihi whakatau and welcome: The day begins with a mihi whakatau and welcome, grounding the event in place and setting the scene for the conversations ahead.
Speaker: Melissa Cantell, Chief Executive Officer, Aon.
Opening perspectives - Better Decisions to Build Resilience and Drive Growth: An introduction to the day’s key themes and the interconnected forces reshaping risk, people and business decisions.
Speaker: Jason Disborough, Chief Commercial Officer Pacific, Aon.
Opening keynote - Market dynamics in a complex and changing risk ecosystem: Economic volatility, geopolitical uncertainty, climate pressures, demographic change and AI are reshaping how organisations assess risk and pursue growth. Brad Olsen will examine the trends influencing New Zealand’s economy and what they mean for resilience, investment and future competitiveness, followed by a Q&A with Amanda Yap-Choong, Chief Financial Officer, Aon.
Speaker: Brad Olsen, Principal Economist, Infometrics
Morning break: Connect with other attendees and visit the Better Decisions Lab, an interactive space where you can exchange ideas and explore how sharper insights can support better decisions.
The AI deepdive: A practical discussion on the rapid evolution of AI and the choices leaders face as they consider its implications for business, people and performance.
Speakers: Microsoft, Chapman Tripp and Ten Peaks.
Spotlight on cyber: An interactive exploration of a realistic cyber incident, highlighting the critical decisions and pressures organisations may face as events unfold.
Speakers: Duncan Morrison, Head of Cyber, Aon and Wotton Kearney.
Lunch: Enjoy a bite to eat, connect with other attendees and explore the Better Decisions Lab. -
Afternoon
C-suite panel - From resilience to growth: Leadership in an era of complexity: A panel of senior leaders will share how they are navigating uncertainty, balancing competing priorities and positioning their organisations for sustainable growth.
Closing keynote - Innovation in performance: Balancing technology and human touch: Drawing on her NBA experience, Chelsea Lane will explore how organisations can embrace cutting-edge technology while preserving the human qualities that help people and teams perform at their best. The session will conclude with a Q&A with Ross Meijer, Executive General Manager, Corporate and Specialty.
Speaker: Chelsea Lane, Head of Performance, Silver Ferns, Netball New Zealand.
Cocktail hour and Networking: Connect with fellow leaders over drinks and take a final opportunity to visit the Better Decisions Lab.
Relive some of the best moments from last year’s Aon Insights Series.