"As our world becomes more complex and uncertain it is crucial for both individuals and organisations to learn regularly and rigorously from their work to enable them to adapt rapidly, capably and continuously to their changing environments-giving them a much higher chance of surviving and developing."
Bob Garratt, The Learning Organisation

New Zealand's best known living scientist, Professor Paul Callaghan FRSNZ, will set the challenge at Education Leaders Forum 2009 with a stimulating and provocative presentation Education and culture change: New Zealand's challenge for the 21st century.

His education founded vision for New Zealand's future emphasises that we should utilise science and technology to grow prosperity and a sustainable future.

He argues that our landscape is magnificent and helps define who we are, but as a nation we have the potential to be a great deal more besides a theme park for tourists. If we are to build the society we want our children to thrive in we must enhance our prosperity through sensible investment in education, science and technology, coupled with culture change. The first part is the easy bit. The second requires self-belief and a sense of purpose.

Professor Callaghan is the founding Director of the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, one of seven Centres of Research Excellence funded by the government. He co-founded Magritek, which makes small, portable nuclear magnetic resonance instruments with applications in the petroleum industry, in agriculture and in food technology. His many awards include the Blake Medal for Leadership. He is a principal companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (PCNZM).

Russell is foundation Professor for Maori Education in the School of Education at the University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. He is also a qualified and experienced secondary school teacher. He has been Project Director for Te Kotahitanga.

His research experience is in the area of collaborative storying as Kaupapa Maori research, having written a book "Collaborative Research Stories: Whakawhanaungatanga" and published nationally and internationally on this topic. His other research interests include Collaborative Storying as Pedagogy and Culturally Responsive Pedagogies.

Prof John Hattie has supervised 170 Doctoral and Masters Dissertations, served on 30 Editorial Boards/Consultancies and awarded $NZ4 million from external sources.

Research Interests include Measurement models, Latent trait models, Structural Equation Modeling, Meta-analysis. Applications of measurement and statistical methods in: Study skills, Performance indicators & evaluation, Self-concept, Models of Teaching and Learning, Educational psychology, Creativity measurement.

Books and Monographs:

Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-analyses Relating to Achievement (2009)
A University Executive Information System
Completing a thesis/dissertation
Self-concept
Syntheses of educational productivity research
Computer applications in Australian classrooms
The effects of competency-based education on universities: Liberation or enslavement?
An evaluation of a model for allocating research funds across departments within a university using selected indicators if performance
Skills, Technology, and Management in Education: The Dynamics of Learning
Multi-mode models for data analysis.

He has published over 300 papers/conference papers.

John joined Multiserve in June 2008 as CEO of subsidiary Cognition Education. John was appointed by the board after an extensive international search and was selected because of his proven educational experience and his love of people. His previous experience includes time as principal of the Auckland College of Education in 2001, as director of the New Zealand Teacher Registration Board, and as a school principal.

His academic background is in educational psychology and in his role as principal of the college, John was a key figure in discussions on the college’s amalgamation with the University of Auckland and involved with the formation of the Faculty of Education.

Previously, Pim worked as Deputy Chief Executive at Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT), a tertiary education provider with over 2000 staff. Prior to this role Pim was the Dean of Commerce at CPIT. Pim holds a PhD in Economics and has also worked as the Director of Business at Christchurch College of Education before joining CPIT. He has also previously operated his own economics consulting company where he managed numerous policy-related projects involving multi-disciplinary teams and a variety of sponsors. He built up a specialization in the health sector and, as one of New Zealand's leading authorities on health economics, continues to be called upon to commentate on health reform.

Pim has been a Lecturer in Economics, Professional Economist and Economics Research Fellow and has worked at several New Zealand universities as well as in the UK. Pim has had a high profile academic career, with many publications and co-authorship of a book to his name. Pim is also a trained teacher and began his career in education as a secondary teacher.

Prior to founding The Education Group Kerry was employed by Massey University as a consultant and researcher. She has worked in a wide range of state and integrated schools, across all the deciles. She has worked with boards of trustees, principals, senior leaders, team leaders and teachers.

Kerry has extensive experience in strategic planning, setting up and reviewing performance management systems, training appraisers, conducting principal appraisals, and facilitating professional development groups for principals and deputy principals.

Leadership for Uncertain Times: The Courage to Lead
Over the last year Cheryl has been involved in writing a leadership framework for the Australian Council of Educational Leaders. This has given her time to reflect on leadership for the future and what we could do to build capabilities of emerging leaders.

Previously a highly successful school principal, Teaching Fellow in Educational Management and school reviewer. Under her leadership both Richmond and Fendalton schools received national recognition, including the Goodman Fielder School of the Year.

Cheryl has been the recipient of a number of prestigious awards including the Beeby Fellowship and the Woolf Fisher Fellowship. Cheryl is a member of the Learning Discovery Trust - the group which set up Discovery 1 and Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti as special designated character schools, with a particular focus on innovation and entrepreneurship.

She was appointed by the Minister of Education to serve on both school boards. She has been a member of a number of advisory panels and planning groups at national and regional levels. She has been involved in the development and implementation of leadership programmes in New Zealand and Australia.

Cheryl is a Fellow of the NZ Institute of Management (NZIM), immediate past president of NZIM Southern and a member of the national NZIM Inc board. She is also on the board of Core Education Ltd. She is a member of the Institute of Directors and recipient of the Crothall Award. Cheryl's particular areas of passion are leadership, relationship management, change management, futures thinking, information technology and innovation. She is sought after as a consultant to individuals, schools, clusters and businesses that want to challenge the status quo. Cheryl challenges organisations to think differently (www.thinkbeyond.co.nz)

Paul is Professor of Economics at Lincoln University, a position he has held since 2002. His research focuses on New Zealand economic and social policy, which has produced more than 160 academic publications since 1984, including five books (two of which have been translated and published in Japan).

He has been involved in two OECD research projects on employment skills and economic development. He is science leader for a 5-year programme supported by the Foundation of Research, Science and Technology that is researching the way schools and communities can support young people making choices about their education and employment (www.eel.org.nz).

Jenny's teaching and research has focused on supporting early childhood educators to enhance their practice in terms of applying an awareness of cultural and social justice issues.

With Cheryl Rau and other co-researchers, she has completed two two-year studies funded by the government's Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI), focussing on the implications of honouring the indigenous culture and language within early childhood education and teacher education in Aotearoa.

David is Executive Director of the Centre for Educational Leadership in the Faculty of Education at The University of Auckland. Prior, he was the inaugural Director of the New Zealand First-time Principals Programme (2002-2007), Principal of Glendowie College (Auckland), Assistant Director at the International School of Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Head of Humanities at the United World College of the Adriatic (Italy), and New Zealand's representative teacher at the United Nations International School (New York).

John is the former Principal of Kaitaia and Okaihau Colleges in the Far North. Whilst at Okaihau John was the establishment director of FarNet, a virtual school serving the ten far north Secondary and Area schools.

In 2002 he was appointed as the Foundation Principal of Alfriston College in Manurewa. John has been the recipient of a Woolf Fisher Study award and has presented widely at conferences in New Zealand and overseas. John has a particular interest in the practicalities of creating effective learning environments

Hon Dr Wayne Mapp is the Minister of Defence and Research Science and Technology, and Associate Minister for Tertiary Education and Economic Development.

Dr Mapp grew up on a farm in Reporoa in the central North Island. He was educated at Reporoa College, then at the University of Auckland, where he graduated LLB (Hons). He went on to obtain a Master's in law at the University of Toronto, followed by a PhD in international law at the University of Cambridge, England. His thesis was published by the University of Manchester Press, entitled The Iran-United States Claims Tribunal: The First Ten Years (1993).

On his return to New Zealand Dr Mapp practised law in Auckland, specialising in commercial law and litigation, and was later Associate Professor of Commercial Law at Auckland University. He was a Reserve (Territorial Force) army officer for many years, specialising in military intelligence, and has also lectured for the Army and Navy on issues of the law of armed conflict.

He was elected the National Party Member of Parliament for North Shore in 1996 and continues to hold that seat by a large majority. The National Party became the Government in November 2008 after nine years in Opposition. In Opposition Dr Mapp was his party's spokesman for Defence and Auckland issues.

Kate is currently the president of the New Zealand Post-Primary Teachers Association (NZPPTA). She has been a secondary teacher since 1982, teaching English, Social Studies and Art History at Wellington East Girls' College, Nayland College, Tawa College and a two-year stint at comprehensive schools in London.

Between 2000 and 2005 she was the deputy principal at Porirua College and deputy principal at Wellington East Girls College between 2005 and 2008.

Geoff is currently working in the field of organisational and workforce development with a contract with a major government agency to develop their workforce capability strategy and to enhance engagement with the tertiary education sector.

He is also establishing an organisational and professional development consultancy – Partners in Change.

Geoff has spent 14 years in the Tertiary Education sector. From 2007 – 2009 he worked for the Tertiary Education Commission as a stakeholder engagement manager with responsibility for Marlborough, Nelson and the West Coast. Nationally he worked with stakeholders in the social services, education and community sectors.

Prior to this he worked at the University of Canterbury as Director of Continuing and Bridging Education managing the delivery of adult and community education, bridging education, professional short courses and international education programmes. This period was one of significant growth and innovation with Geoff providing leadership in new programme initiatives, curriculum development and local and international business development.

From 1980 - 1995 he worked for Child, Youth and Family, first as a social worker, then for 10 years as a Regional Training Manager with responsibility for training and development across the South Island.

Geoff was a member of the TEC ACE Reference Group from 2002 – 2006 advising on the development of adult and community education. In 2005 he was awarded a prestigious fellowship to visit the USA and studied stakeholder engagement between research intensive universities and their communities. In 2004 the department he led was a finalist in the NZTE export awards for innovation in international education. He has also been a recipient of the NZIM Crothall Award.

Mary Sinclair is the Executive Trustee for Cognition Education Research Trust (CERT). In this role she has responsibility for leading Cognition Education Trust philanthropic contribution to the New Zealand schooling community through high quality applied research.

Concurrently, Mary also contributes to Cognition Education services and has spent the most part of 2008 and 2009 in Qatar leading the policy and establishment of the Qatar Office for Registration, Licencing and Accreditation for teachers and school leaders.

Mary is a board member of several organisations including the International Congress of Schools Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI), a position she has held since managing the congress annual meeting in New Zealand in 2008.

Terry Bates' holds post-graduate degrees in Arts and Commerce from the University of Auckland. His career in education spans thirty years. In the early part of his career he worked as a teacher and middle manager in secondary schools.

He was working for the PPTA at the critical transition of Tomorrows Schools and shortly thereafter moved to the Education Review Office where he worked as an senior review officer.

Marguerite Vanderkolk, Advocate for IHC, is a former Secondary School teacher and principal, as well as having worked with Team Solutions as Professional Development Co-ordinator for Tai Tokerau.

Marguerite understands the complexities and challenges of school leadership, as well as the realities of the classroom and school communities. She has also worked as a training facilitator. Marguerite has a sound understanding of Inclusion and what that means for students and teachers.