Dr. John S. Bircham

[B.Agr.Sc.; M.Agr.Sc.(Hons); Ph.D.]

Trained as a research scientist, John spent the first 15 years of his working life as a scientist researching temperate grassland grazing ecology and livestock farming systems, which taught him the importance of factoring uncertainty and resiliency into all management decision-making.

For the last 25 years he has worked in commerce around the world (principally in Australasia) in government (housing, education & income support), health, insurance, telecommunications, leisure, pension funds, utilities, tertiary education, minority people groups and small business.

John has managed large technical projects, integrated technology into labour-intensive management systems, developed and implemented risk, compliance and assurance frameworks, CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems, advised on ethnic housing initiatives, state health strategy, tertiary institution and multinational strategy.

In recent times, he has ventured into the realm of learning and development, leveraging his extensive and wide knowledge – experience into workshops and seminars that utilise his strong written and verbal communication skills.

John is a frequent speaker on a wide-range of topics including governance, risk management, business continuity, strategic and operational resilience, change, the sharing and transfer of knowledge, and the embedding of the afore-mentioned into organisational culture.

Dr. Heather J. Connolly

[BMS (Hons); Post Graduate Diploma in Strategic Management (Distinction); Ph.D.]

Heather an experienced consultant who also lectures on strategic management and management systems at the University of Waikato. Her clients range from large Australasian multi-nationals and government agencies to SMEs.

She is a ‘knowledge management’ expert with a particular interest in knowledge sharing and transfer mechanisms as they relate to organizational governance and management, and in particular their role in risk management – strategic and operational risk, compliance, business continuity, emergency management, etc.

Heather is a regular speaker at academic, industry and sector-related conferences in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.