RIAA Conference Aotearoa NZ 2026 – Companion Resources
Responsible investment in Aotearoa New Zealand is being tested in practice. The RIAA Conference Aotearoa NZ 2026 brings the country’s investors, advisers, issuers and policymakers together for a single day on what implementation actually looks like: SDG-aligned claims that stand up to scrutiny, the capital behind electrification, modern slavery without a legislative baseline, defence and dual-use technology, the ethics of artificial intelligence, and the systemic risks no portfolio can diversify away. These specially curated companion resources have been recommended by the conference speakers and the Altiorem team.
MORNING SESSIONS: Tuesday 22 September 2026
Plenary
Keynote with Finance Minister Nicola Willis – Growing New Zealand’s economy (9.10am)
Speakers:
Hon Nicola Willis
NZ investors’ role in powering electrification (9.20am)
Speakers:
Hon Nicola Willis, Andrew Bascand, Stew Hamilton & Dr Sina Cotter Tait
Universal owners, universal risks: Rethinking investment for long-term value (10.05am)
Speakers:
Valeria Dinershteyn CFA, Lucas Kengmana, Kate Turner & Dr Sebastian Gehricke
Inside the making of sustainable bonds (11.30am)
Speakers:
Catherine Bodnar, Alan Papier & Natasha Garcha
Claiming gold at the end of the SDG rainbow (12.15pm)
Speakers:
Chris Douglas, Mike Burrell, Julia Leske & Louise Unger
Breakout room
Geopolitics and sovereign risk for financial advisers (10.10am)
Speakers:
John Berry, Kate Vennell & Alan Papier
Workshop: The return of the responsible investor – Defence, dual use and space (11.30am)
Speakers:
Alex Safran, Katie Beith, Kate Turner & Guillaume Dehan
Workshop room
Workshop: Lost in translation: Jargon busting (11.30am)
Speakers:
Mark Longbottom
AFTERNOON SESSIONS: Tuesday 22 September 2026
Plenary
NZ Superfund CEO Jo Townsend Keynote with Q&A (1.55pm)
Speakers:
Jo Townsend & Dean Hegarty
Modern slavery: The investor role in driving change through policy and portfolios (2.30pm)
Speakers:
Rachel Tinkler & Camilla Belich (more speakers to be announced)
Keynote with Dr Kerry McInerney – A quick guide to ethical AI (3.55pm)
Speakers:
Dr Kerry McInerney
The AI reckoning (4.05pm)
Speakers:
Antoine Didisheim, Dr Kerry McInerney, Vinnay Cchoda & Estelle Parker
Breakout room
Beyond the exclusion list: Can mining be a responsible investment? (1.55pm)
Speakers:
Carey Church & Jessica Cairns
How to build a responsible investment portfolio (2.40pm)
Speakers:
Carey Church, Chris Douglas, Katie Beith & Jono Broome
Workshop room
Workshop: Unlocking Aotearoa’s impact capital pipeline (1.55pm)
Speakers:
Steven Moe, Joy Marslin, Glenda Taituha-Toka, Safe Wongsunopparat & Dean Spicer
Workshop: Unlocking innovative finance for climate resilience and nature (3.55pm)
Speakers:
Jo Jalfon, Alana Lampitt, Ora Barlow-Tukaki & Camden Howitt
