KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Hon. Paul Goldsmith

Minister for Justice | Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage | Minister for Media and Communications | Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

  • Hon. Paul Goldsmith is a senior Cabinet Minister in New Zealand, currently serving as Minister for Justice. His portfolio places him at the centre of key national challenges, including victim support services, reducing crime, strengthening community safety, and improving long-term outcomes across the justice system.

    With extensive experience across economic, cultural, and governance portfolios, Minister Goldsmith brings a broad, cross-sector perspective to addressing complex societal issues. His leadership focuses on practical, system-level approaches that respond to current pressures while supporting long-term, sustainable solutions.

    At the 2nd Prevention Imperative: New Zealand Universal Wellbeing Conference 2026, Minister Goldsmith will contribute to the national conversation on:

    • Reducing the number of victims of crime.

    • Restoring real consequences for crime

    • Improving court timeliness

    His keynote will provide valuable insights into how New Zealand is responding to current challenges and the role prevention can play in shaping safer, stronger communities.

Professor Chris Wilkins

Professor at Massey University
NZ Drug Research Team, SHORE & Whariki Research Centre

  • Professor Chris Wilkins is one of New Zealand’s leading drug researchers, specialising in substance use, drug market trends, and drug policy responses. With more than 25 years of experience examining the social, economic, policy, and public wellbeing impacts of illegal and emerging drug markets, his work has contributed significantly to national and international discussions around prevention, harm reduction, organised crime, and community wellbeing outcomes.

    His research has explored the rise of methamphetamine and MDMA use in the early 2000s, the emergence of party pills and legal highs, overseas cannabis policy reforms, the New Zealand cannabis referendum, and the evolving digital and synthetic opioid drug marketplace. Through this work, Professor Wilkins has helped shape understanding around the changing nature of substance use and the broader societal impacts connected to drug-related harm.

    Professor Wilkins has published more than 100 research papers and regularly presents at the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP). He is widely recognised for his evidence-based contributions to drug policy research both in New Zealand and internationally.

    He is the leader of the NZ Drug Research Team based at the SHORE & Whariki Research Centre within the College of Health at Massey University. His current work continues to examine digital drug markets, synthetic substances, prevention-focused responses, and the long-term systems-level challenges connected to substance-related harm and public wellbeing outcomes.

    At the 2nd Prevention Imperative: New Zealand Universal Wellbeing Conference 2026, Professor Wilkins will present the development and preliminary findings from the new Substance Outcome Harm Index (SO_HI), developed by the NZ Drug Research Team.

    His keynote will explore:

    • Multi-criteria measures and rankings of harm across different drug types

    • Prevention, education, and harm reduction priorities

    • Policy and law enforcement implications

    • Emerging trends in digital and synthetic drug markets

    • Long-term societal and wellbeing impacts of substance-related harm

    This presentation will provide valuable evidence-based insights into how prevention-focused approaches and better harm measurement frameworks can support stronger long-term community and public wellbeing outcomes.

Dr. M. Tasdik Hasan

Policy and Advocacy Lead, Mental Health Council of Tasmania, Australia
PhD Fellow, Monash University

  • Tasdik Hasan is an internationally recognised researcher in public health, digital mental health, and wellbeing, whose work spans Australia, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Africa, and the wider South-East Asian region. He serves as Policy and Advocacy Lead at the Mental Health Council of Tasmania and is a PhD Fellow in Digital Mental Health at Monash University's Action Lab, Faculty of Information Technology.

    His expertise spans mental health policy, digital health innovation, public health systems, and upstream approaches to prevention and wellbeing promotion. Alongside his research and policy roles, he contributes to academic teaching, international research collaborations, and public health capacity-building initiatives across multiple countries and contexts. Dr Hasan is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Digital Mental Health Leadership Excellence Award (eMHIC, Canada), the New Voices in Global Health Award (World Health Summit, Berlin), the Study UK Alumni Award (National Award, Bangladesh), and the Emerging Public Health Leader of the Year and Emerging Mental Health Leader of the Year awards, both from the Public Health Association of Australia.

    At the Australian Universal Wellbeing Symposium 2026, Dr Hasan will contribute to discussions on wellbeing challenges and opportunities, with a particular focus on digital mental health and systems-level prevention for marginalised communities, including Deaf communities.

Susan Stevenson

Director, FREEDOM Wellbeing Institute
Director, New Zealand Curriculum Design Institute | Lead Researcher,
Universal Wellbeing Model

  • After work in education and government contexts, Susan facilitated staff teaching excellence at HEDC, University of Otago. She was then selected as one of two people to implement the Treaty of Waitangi initiative — a first‑of‑its‑kind equity and quality programme at the university. Susan was later invited to design and lead a new degree in the Health Sciences Faculty at Auckland University of Technology, where she gained recognition for innovative research and ethics leadership in an emerging field. Susan founded the New Zealand Curriculum Design Institute and led the design of over 400 higher‑education programmes. In 2008, she joined an extended wellbeing research initiative aimed at increasing programme completion rates in deprived communities, which led to the founding of the FREEDOM Wellbeing Institute. Her research underpins the Universal Wellbeing Model, the UWEL Evaluation Tool, new definitions of Universal Wellbeing, and the Determinants of Universal Wellbeing. Editors of the 6th World Conference on Psychology and Behavioral Science (London, 2025) described her work as “an important advancement in wellbeing research.” Susan now focuses on testing and expanding access to the Universal Wellbeing Charter: A Framework for Global Primordial Prevention. International interest has led to conference presentations in Australia, Dublin, Florence and Cape Town in 2026. A Universal Wellbeing Advisory Board has been formed and is working toward establishing a Prevention Universal Wellbeing Implementation Centre. Currently, ten research projects are underway, testing the Universal Wellbeing Theory of Change through three standardised intervention programmes across diverse settings. Her research explores what wellbeing is, how it is influenced, and how it can be enhanced, maintained and measured across individuals, organisations, communities and society to realise human potential and improve equity outcomes.

    At the 2nd New Zealand Prevention Imperative: Universal Wellbeing Conference 2026, Susan will present on the Universal Wellbeing Model, wellbeing measurement, and the future development of prevention-focused wellbeing policy and practice in New Zealand.

Dr. Syed M. Shahid

Senior Postgraduate Lecturer & Research Supervisor
Eastern Institute of Technology, Auckland

  • Dr. Syed M. Shahid is a health science researcher with over 20 years of experience in public health, community wellbeing, and applied research across diverse populations.

    His work focuses on the intersection of:

    • Population health and non-communicable diseases

    • Wellbeing and community health systems

    • Digital transformation in healthcare

    • Wellbeing outcomes in multiethnic and underserved communities

    Dr. Shahid has published more than 60 peer-reviewed research articles and supervised doctoral and postgraduate research. His work is characterised by a strong emphasis on translating research into applied, real-world contexts.

    At the 2026 conference, his keynote will examine the disconnect between wellbeing investment and measurable outcomes, offering a research-informed perspective on how systems, structures, and determinants influence long-term wellbeing.

Shamubeel Eaqub

Chief Economist, Simplicity
Author, Media Commentator & Public Speaker

  • Shamubeel Eaqub makes economics easy and fun. He is the Chief Economist at Simplicity, as well as an author, media commentator, and sought-after public speaker.

    Shamubeel graduated with Honours in Economics from Lincoln University and is a CFA Charterholder. He has more than 25 years of experience as an economist in Wellington, Melbourne, and Auckland, working with leading financial institutions and consultancies including ANZ Bank, Goldman Sachs JBWere, NZIER, Sense Partners, and Simplicity.

    Alongside his work in economics, Shamubeel contributes to public discussions on housing, inequality, regional development, productivity, and New Zealand’s economic future. He balances a portfolio of economics, consulting, governance, public speaking, and family life.

    His published works include Urban Aotearoa (2024), Generation Rent (2015), Growing Apart: Regional Prosperity in New Zealand (2014), and The NZ Economy: An Introduction (2011).

Professor Kay Fielden

Research Manager, New Zealand Curriculum Design Institute

  • Professor Kay Fielden is an experienced researcher, educator, and academic leader whose work spans Universal Wellbeing, mindfulness, research methodology, information technology, business systems, and organisational development. She currently serves as Research Manager for the New Zealand Curriculum Design Institute and has contributed extensively to wellbeing research, educational innovation, and interdisciplinary scholarship.

    Professor Fielden holds a PhD in Socio-Economic Studies from the University of Western Sydney, a Master of Science in Computing Science, and a Bachelor of Science. Throughout her academic career she has supervised research projects, mentored emerging researchers, and contributed to the development of evidence-informed approaches that strengthen individual, organisational, and societal wellbeing.

    Her research interests include Universal Wellbeing, mindfulness, research methods, systems thinking, organisational learning, information technology, and the practical application of research to improve wellbeing outcomes. She has collaborated on a range of wellbeing-focused initiatives and publications exploring how evidence-based approaches can support long-term flourishing across education, workplaces, communities, and society.

    Professor Fielden has a particular interest in understanding the relationship between wellbeing, social cohesion, learning, and sustainable development. Her work continues to support the advancement of prevention-focused wellbeing research and practice in New Zealand and internationally.

    At the 2nd New Zealand Prevention Imperative: Universal Wellbeing Conference 2026, Professor Fielden will co-present National Cohesion: Social or Universal Wellbeing Informed – Which Matters?, exploring the relationship between social cohesion, economic prosperity, and long-term wellbeing outcomes.

Anna Perez

Principal Advisor to the Chief Executive, Ngā Whare Whakaruruhau o Aotearoa | National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges

  • Anna Perez (Cook Islands/NZ Pākehā) is the Principal Advisor to the Chief Executive at Ngā Whare Whakaruruhau o Aotearoa, the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges.

    She brings a decade of experience across the public and social sectors, including supporting people who have experienced sexual violence through the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), and more recently working as a Family Violence Team Leader at the Ministry of Social Development.

    Now at Women’s Refuge, Anna brings together her commitment to supporting people and communities with a strong understanding of government systems and expectations. She is a values-driven leader focused on strengthening responses to family violence and doing what is right for those who need support.

    At the 2026 conference, Anna will represent Women’s Refuge in a keynote exploring family violence, prevention and the role of systems and communities in creating safer outcomes. Drawing on her experience across government and the family violence sector, she will share perspectives on strengthening responses, supporting those affected by violence, and contributing to long-term approaches that improve wellbeing and safety for individuals, whānau and communities.

Dr. Denise Kingi-Uluave

Specialist Clinical and Translational Lead, Wie Group/Le Va

  • Dr Denise Kingi-‘Ulu’ave is a registered clinical psychologist, strategic leader, and respected advocate for prevention, wellbeing, and Pasifika mental health. Of Tongan descent, she is the former Chief Executive of Le Va and now serves as Specialist Clinical and Translational Lead across Le Va and the wider Wise Group, where she brings clinical, cultural, and systems leadership to advancing long-term wellbeing outcomes for communities across Aotearoa New Zealand. In this position she plays a key role in promoting the prevention of mental distress and addiction and is currently Acting Chair of Aotearoa’s Primary Prevention Collective.

    With more than 20 years’ experience spanning justice, community, child and adolescent, and Māori mental health services in New Zealand and Australia, Denise has built a career at the intersection of clinical excellence, cultural leadership, and public health impact. She has also served as Pacific Portfolio Manager at Palmerston North District Health Board and published in several international research journals on psychology and wellbeing.

    Denise has led the design and development of major Ministry of Health-funded suicide prevention initiatives, including FLO: Pasifika for Life and LifeKeepers, helping shape prevention-focused approaches that strengthen community resilience and workforce capability. Her leadership extends across numerous national advisory and professional groups, including the Suicide Mortality Review Committee, the Mental Health and Addiction National Clinical Network, and the Programme Advisory Committee for the 2026 Indigenous Wellbeing Conference. She is also Chair of Pasifikology, the national network of Pasifika psychologists.

    At The Prevention Imperative: New Zealand Universal Wellbeing Conference 2026, Denise Kingi-‘Ulu’ave will contribute perspectives on prevention, culturally grounded wellbeing, workforce sustainability, and the system shifts needed to support thriving communities.