Video of Summit Speakers

Rod Drury

Rod is a well known technology entrepreneur and CEO of the online accounting software company Xero. Xero was recently named top of the list of the most innovative growth companies by American based Forbes magazine.

What is your favourite gadget?
My Sonos stereo gear.

If you could give your 20 year old self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Keep your sport up. The reward for doing good business is being able to play. I live to get out on the waves.

What has been the best investment you have made that has helped you in your industry?
Moving to Hawkes Bay so I could get a work life balance. We have 17 offices so I'm always in the wrong place. May as well live somewhere nice.

What is the biggest risk you have taken?
Going into my own business 21 years ago. Have been basically self employed since then.

Melissa Clark-Reynolds

Melissa Clark-Reynolds is a serial technology entrepreneur and founder of Seven Dragons Ltd.

What is your favourite gadget?
My Bose i20 in ear noise cancelling ear phones. I smile every time i put them in my ears. Second place would be ANY mechanical pencil.

If you could give your 20 year old self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Fight to go to Engineering School. I applied, got in, and had to turn it down as I was a single Mother and I had to work part-time while studying, or I would not have been able to pay for childcare.. At that point it was all-or-nothing. They did not accept part-time enrolments.... and then I would remind myself that none of it matters.

What has been the best investment you have made that has helped you in your industry?
My education

What is the biggest risk you have taken?
Starting an online games company virtual world with a team that had never done it before.

Professor Shaun Hendy

Shaun is professor at the Department of Physics, University of Auckland and Director of Te Pūnaha Matatini (Centre for Complex Systems and Networks), a Center of Research Excellence at the University of Auckland, and co-author of Get off the Grass: Kick starting New Zealand’s Innovation Economy with Paul Callaghan..

What is your favourite gadget?
The BlueFern supercomputer at the University of Canterbury

If you could give your 20 year old self one piece of advice, what would it be?
The internet is going to be a lot more than giant telephone directory

What has been the best investment you have made that has helped you in your industry?
Even though I am not a mathematician, I soaked up as much mathematics as I could during my time as a student. This deep background in maths has enabled me to do research in many different fields including physics, chemistry, biology and now economics.

What is the biggest risk you have taken?
I moved cities and changed jobs in order to set up Te Punaha Matatini - the Centre for Complex Systems at Networks. It was recently named as one of six national Centres of Research Excellence by the NZ government.

Helen Robinson

Helen is an independent director serving on numerous, diverse and innovative organisations, mostly in ICT. Helen has led many technology companies over the past 25 years, including as Managing Director for Microsoft, New Zealand. Most recently Helen was the Founding CEO of the TZ1 Registry which was acquired by London based Markit Group Ltd in 2009, where she continued to act as Global Managing Director, Environmental Markets until mid-2011. Helen is Managing Director, Markets Registry, a registry service provision for financial markets.

What is your favorite gadget?
Too many to note: can't start my day without my Italian (that is my Vibiemme coffee machine!), my iPad is my everything (board papers, annotating, all meeting notes, a zillion books...).

If you could give your 20 year old self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don't sweat the small stuff and make sure you make time for fun along the way.

What has been the best investment you have made that has helped you in your industry?
Made so many investments along the way of huge and tiny dollar values but best investment in every way has to be the people I've had the privilege to engage and work with.

What is the biggest risk you have taken?
Take your pick! Life and business is about taking the lots of the right risks. If just one then probably taking the TZ1 Registry offshore, setting up the New York and London offices, fortunately this paid off...

Victoria Crone

As the Managing Director at Xero New Zealand, Victoria was a key member of the global leadership team responsible for driving growth. Victoria was previously GM, Marketing at Chorus and before that GM, Business at Telecom.

What is your favourite gadget?
I have so many and I don't have one favourite! Favourites are iPhone, Internet front door, Basis Watch and WiFi light bulbs :)

If you could give your 20 year old self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Slow down, have more fun and take way more risks.

What has been the best investment you have made that has helped you in your industry?
Always been passionate about bringing the benefits of technology to the regions across NZ, which brings them all the benefits of the big cities but with their amazing lifestlyes.

What is the biggest risk you have taken?
Running a billion dollar revenue line when I'd never managed a P&L before!

Frances Valintine

Frances is the Chief Executive and Chairman of the Board at The Mind Lab by Unitec. The Mind Lab is a unique education collaboration dedicated to enhancing digital literacy capability and the implementation of contemporary practice in the teaching profession.

What is your favourite gadget?
My mobile. There is no more versatile, or more essential device - it is my 'go to' gadget for everything. My phone is home to information news and online content, it is my diary, photo album, camera, address book, and communication hub.

If you could give your 20 year old self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don't sweat the small stuff and take time to pursue interests at the fringes. Combine skills and capability to build a broad and deep knowledge bank - don't become rigid in your views. Be bold, as the world needs more people who think differently, who are happy to reinvent, repurpose and to challenge the status quo. Build and be active in networks of likeminded and interesting people and participate early in new and emerging technologies.

What has been the best investment you have made that has helped you in your industry?
My time. Taking time to read, observe, participate, critique, investigate and ponder the effects and disruption of technology. This knowledge enabled me to predict where technology would most likely impact and benefit downstream. So much of business, industry and capability is about early adoption and leading the charge. Be at the forefront.

What is the biggest risk you have taken?
While the lure of a salary and the security of working for someone else is always there, inevitably I find myself risking financial security in the pursuit of opportunities that I am passionate about. Risk is core to moving ahead and to making positive change. While the fear of getting it wrong never diminishes, the older I get the more confident I have become in backing new projects where I can see real benefit.

Question time

Rod and Melissa

Helen and Francis

You may like to check out this article Insights from NZ's inaugural Women in Innovation Summit on the Wynyard Group website and this article NACEW Women in Innovation Summit on the Xero website.