Lai-Kin Wong is a UK trained and educated RN with post graduate qualifications in nursing the older person and stroke. For the first twenty years of her career she nursed older people, eventually becoming the manager of a 32-bed ward for older people and stroke in Swansea, Wales. In 2003, Lai-Kin emigrated to New Zealand, working initially in education, teaching undergraduate nursing students. Since 2007, she has worked as a Clinical Nurse Specialist for stroke, setting up the Stroke Service at Wellington Regional Hospital, New Zealand.

Kelly is a registered clinical psychologist with a passion for integrating trauma-informed principles into how we operate - both as individuals and within systems. She is the founder and principal consultant of The Trauma Informed, a consultancy supporting organisations to embed trauma-informed practices into their structures, processes, and service delivery. Alongside her consulting work, Kelly provides psychological assessments and therapy through her private practice, Meeting with Minds, offering online services to clients across Aotearoa.

Dr Annette Beautrais has worked in New Zealand and overseas in suicide research, prevention and education for more than 30 years. Annette's current interests include translating suicide research into effective suicide prevention programmes, suicide prevention in men, developing local suicide prevention networks, and developing regional consistency in suicide risk assessment and management programmes. She has worked with the World Health Organisation, served on the board of the International Association for Suicide Prevention, and is a member of the International Academy for Suicide Research. Annette is currently the Suicide Prevention Programme Lead at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Roderick is an old age psychiatrist, current Chair of the Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and a conjoint Senior Lecturer with the University of New South Wales. Dr. McKay has worked for many years with specialist mental health services for older people in outer metropolitan Sydney, seeing older people in hospital and in their homes, including residential aged care.

Roy has worked for ACON Health (formerly the AIDS Council of NSW) for over a decade. He trained as nurse, and when HIV became a threat across his community he volunteered for Victorian AIDS Council and working as an operating theatre nurse before joining ACON NSW. His role as care coordinator has included beginning training aged service providers in LGBTI sensitivity for ageing clients requiring care. He began training service providers (wrote his own program). He has co-written and presented programs on LGBTI for Alzheimer’s Australia NSW, keynote speaker at the Psychogeriatric Nurse Annual Conference. Regular presentations to Social Welfare and Aged Care students at NR TAFE Colleges. He attends inter-agencies for ageing and disability in the Northern Rivers region. He was appointed to the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Ageing (NSW) and recently co-authored along with Professor Tracey MacDonald a paper on Cumulative Disadvantage Across a Life Span.

Rhonda Sherriff is a registered nurse and clinical advisor working with the Aged Care Association in New Zealand. She has extensive experience in the aged care sector and provides clinical advice to members. Over the last 25 years, Rhonda has worked in a variety of operational and management roles within the sector. Rhonda is passionate about the aged-care industry, ensuring residents welfare, their safety, staff education and competence, and safe outcomes for all clients.

As a Nurse Practitioner, Tony is employed by Neurology Services, Te Whatu Ora Bay of Plenty based at Tauranga Hospital. Tony’s specialty is with Parkinson’s disease and related movement disorders. In addition, he supports Neurology Nurse Specialists with other neurological conditions. Academically, he has gained Master of Nursing (1st Hons), Bachelor Health Science (High Distinction), and Post Graduate Diploma of Gerontology. Professional clinical memberships of the International Movement Disorder Society and various Neurological Associations. Currently Tony is a Trustee Board Member of the Parkinson’s New Zealand Charitable Trust Inc.

Jane MacKintosh is a Clinical Nurse Consultant in palliative care; a member of the ACI Palliative Care network and Palliative Care NSW. Jane has worked and studied in specialist palliative care for over 15 years both in Australia and New Zealand; her current role focuses on education and clinical leadership, providing support for people living with a terminal illness. Academy of Nursing Scientists and a Member of the Irish Association of Palliative Care.