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. 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).

Naomi Ogg

CEO, NCIWR

Naomi Ogg, a descendant of Ngāti Kauwhata, has worked within the National Collective of Independent Women's Refuges (NCIWR) for over a decade and in the wider family violence sector for 13 years. She has spent her career working alongside whānau, communities, and the family violence sector, driven by a commitment to safety, dignity, and intergenerational wellbeing. Raised in the Horowhenua and Manawatū in a single parent whānau with five siblings, she brings lived experience, grounded leadership, and a deep understanding of the realities faced by wāhine, tamariki, mokopuna and whānau.

Before moving into leadership roles, she worked across a range of community and social sector kaupapa, gaining experience in frontline support, service development, and cross-agency collaboration. Her work has consistently centred on strengthening whānau, improving system responses, and building communities where safety and belonging are a given.
Throughout her time in the family violence sector, she has contributed to initiatives focused on breaking cycles of harm, improving outcomes for tamariki and mokopuna, and supporting sustainable, community-led solutions. Her leadership is guided by courage, compassion, and long-term thinking values shaped by the strong wāhine who raised her.

She is committed to building organisations that live their values, work in genuine partnership with communities, and lead change that will benefit the generations to come.
At the 2026 conference, Naomi’s keynote will explore the importance of prevention, community-led responses, and long-term approaches to reducing family violence and harm. Drawing from her leadership and frontline sector experience, she will share perspectives on strengthening whānau wellbeing, improving system responses, and building safer communities for future generations.

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.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS