Top Thought Leaders At 50 Year ICT Celebration

Top Thought Leaders At 50 Year ICT Celebration

The New Zealand Computer Society Inc (NZCS), the professional body of the ICT sector, today outlined some of the key presenters and thought leaders at the Society’s “50 Years of ICT Innovation” conference next month.

As a one-off conference to celebrate 50 years of ICT Innovation in New Zealand, the conference represents a significant gathering of thought leaders from throughout New Zealand and the world, hosted in Rotorua next month.

Conference Chairman, Elizabeth Eastwood, today said “With Minister of ICT Hon Steven Joyce opening, and opposition ICT spokesperson Hon Clare Curran in attendance, along with a who’s who of the ICT sector presenting and participating, this will be an event like no other”.

"The conference includes over 40 presentations covering a broad range of topics and interests within ICT, such as Nic Steenhout from AccessibilityNZ speaking about innovation within assistive technology, a presentation from Optimal Usability about user-centered design in relation to the Air New Zealand's new SkyCouch, Microsoft Asia Pacific's head of ICT Healthcare Gabe Rijpma, Perce Harpham, who founded Progeni Systems (New Zealand's first software company), plus legal experts speaking about legals aspects of Cloud Computing and Open Source, plus many other topics", Eastwood said.

The event also featured 8 high profile keynote speakers including:

• Craig Nevill-Manning, a brilliant example of a kiwi using ICT to innovate on a global scale. After graduating from Canterbury and Waikato Universities and a successful academic career at Rutgers and Stanford Universities, Craig went on to found Google’s first remote engineering centre in Manhattan New York, where he is currently the Engineering Director.

• Sam Morgan has become a household name in New Zealand since he founded Trade Me in 1999. Trade Me became New Zealand‘s largest Internet business, a title it still holds.

• Ian Taylor (Ngati Kahungunu) is recognised as one of New Zealand’s leading Maori innovators. After a successful TVNZ career, Ian shot to fame in 1992 by revolutionising real-time 3D graphics for the Americas Cup with Virtual Spectator, forming Taylormade Media and Animation Research Ltd (ARL).

• Sam Knowles, KiwiBank’s Founding CEO and well respected corporate entrepreneur.

• Ian McCrae, Founder of Orion Health, New Zealand’s largest software exporter.

• Rod Drury, Founder of Xero and creator of Aftermail and Glazier Systems, which later went on to become Intergen.

• Greg Lane, National Director of the Canadian Council of IT Professionals, and one of the original team to set up Clear Communications in New Zealand, Telecom’s first serious competitor.

• Nat Torkington, Web 2.0 and Open Government expert.

“This conference is about innovation, and it’s about mapping out where innovation will take ICT over the next 50 years. We’re privileged to have attendees and presenters from all corners of the sector, from 3D graphics to robots, open source to proprietary, industry and academia, our history and our future. There’s something for absolutely everyone”, Eastwood said.

"As well as attendees from almost every continent on Earth, people are travelling from throughout New Zealand to join the conversation. This is a one-off opportunity to be part of a superb event with a lineup never seen before in New Zealand," Eastwood concluded.

"Those interested in attending need to register at www.innovation.org.nz before the end of this month".

ENDS

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