Chris Arthur is a double Olympian and former educator who now leads the Performance Life Coaching team at High Performance Sport New Zealand. With a background in physical education, leadership, career counselling, and professional supervision, Chris brings deep expertise in athlete development and career transitions. She represented New Zealand in hockey for 11 years and continues to compete internationally. Passionate about lifelong learning and personal growth, Chris is recognised for her contributions to both sport and education. In her current role, she supports athletes to thrive as they navigate their careers in and beyond high performance sport.

Kiyomi Banda is a professor in Program of Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts, Engineering Sciences and Technology, Kanazawa Institute of Technology（KIT), Japan. She received a Ph.D. in education from The United Graduate School in Education, Tokyo Gakugei University, Tokyo Japan, in 2020. Her research interest includes development psychology and cultural psychology, especially on career development during school to work transition.

"He uri tēnei nō Kai Tahu ki Arowhenua" Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro, nōnā te ngahere, ko te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga, nōnā te ao. The bird that feasts on the berries owns the forest, but for the bird that feasts on knowledge, the world is theirs. As Pou Ārahi Kyle Barrett-Wilson provides cultural advice for all Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) staff, tikanga expertise, and ensures a te ao Māori perspective is applied across its careers and investment functions. Kyle is the product owner for kaupapa Māori career ideas, and a SME for career products across the TEC. He leads the work programme on TEC’s legislative commitments under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. His other responsibilities are to accelerate our cultural capability and support teams to give effect to advice and feedback from learners and providers on careers and investment decisions. Kyle is passionate about driving system change within the public sector to better support underserved people. Coming from a background in ministerial advice and public policy, Kyle is focused on enabling the sector to design systems, services and products from an equity and cultural lens. Throughout his career Kyle has continuously coached, inspired and lead others to become more proficient in tikanga Māori and te reo Māori, as well as ensuring that te ao Māori is embedded in organisational processes. As Pou Ārahi, Kyle will continue to lead the collective development across the sector, and champion the benefits of how implementing a Māori worldview across TEC translates to better outcomes for all learners.

Tom Collin and Brad Smith are passionate about providing real world work experience opportunities for young people. At the heart of their professional practice is a desire to support young men into the workplace by providing both real world and simulated work experience. Though both teachers, Brad and Tom spend the rest of their lives wrangling weeds, animals, flowers, food forests, building projects, forges, pickling equipment, bricks, power tools and all of the other hallmarks of lifestyle blocks in the Bay of Plenty. Through this they have become jacks of all trades with a very real understanding that work based skills are not developed in silos. They believe in learning by doing and aspire to provide opportunities for as many people as possible to experience success, even if it doesn't always come in the classroom. Neither Brad nor Tom has an impressive title or a shopping list of careers related accolades, but both of them know a whole lot about how boys learn based on years of experience in the classroom. Brad is blue through and through, which essentially means he went to school at Tauranga Boys' College, went to university for a bit, came back and has never left. He runs everywhere, you can tell that by looking at him, sorts things out at an insane pace and likes pina coladas and walks in the rain. Tom has worked, mostly as an English teacher, at five different schools in New Zealand and Vietnam before finding out that the PPTA would pay for him to move to Tauranga if he got a promotion. So he became the Head of Future Pathways, which is a misleadingly impressive title. This is very much happenstance theory in action, Krumboltz would be pleased. It turns out career education has become a passion. Tom's interest is in the vocational space in particular, and he has no plans to ever teach another Year 10 what a metaphor is for the thirtieth time so it seems like the English teaching career is over. It is a good thing he loves working in the careers space!

Melanie is a passionate educator, and student. In the VET sector, Melanie has completed a Dual Diploma of VET/Training Development and Design in 2019, the current TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment Certificate, and nine other VET qualifications. Melanie completed her PhD(Ed) in March 2024, having completed a Master of Education (Career Development) in 2019. Melanie undertakes research to determine the career influences of students pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers through a VET (Vocational Education and Training) pathway and is currently researching the support given in educational institutions by Career Development Practitioners. Melanie is a qualified Registered Professional Career Development Practitioner, and Trainer/Assessor. Melanie has over 29 years’ experience working in the vocational education and training sector, from being an Office Administration and First Aid trainer, to managing Registered Training Organisations. Melanie has eleven years' experience working in higher education in roles such as: Lecturer, Course Coordinator, Tutor, Marker. Melanie has taught: Master of Teaching Practice, Master of Guidance and Counselling, Graduate Certificate Careers Education and Development, Graduate Certificate Adult and Vocational Education, Certificate IV Training and Assessment, and Certificate IV Career Development. Melanie is a Professional Member of various VET and career development member associations, such as: APCDA, NCDA, CICA, CDAA, CEAV, AVETRA, ITeca, IAEVG, and GoldenKey International Honor Society . Melanie provided careers counselling for the CEAV Career Counselling Australia. Melanie is currently a Mentor in the Box Hill Institute Career Mentoring program, and is a mentor for the Career Development Association of Australia. Melanie a recipient of a RMIT Research Stipend (RRSS-SC) scholarship for her PhD. In 2025, Melanie was awarded an Emerging Leader Scholarship from APCDA. In her spare time (……), Melanie is an adrenaline junkie and SCUBA dives, rides Italian motorcycles, and travels to the deepest corners of the world.

Dr. Katsutoshi Furuta is Professor at the Graduate School of Career Studies, Hosei University, Japan. He also serves as a board member of the Japan Society of Human Resource Management and the Japanese Society for the Study of Career Education, and as an auditor of the Japanese Association of Administrative Science. He began his career at Fujitsu Limited in 1997 and later worked at Panasonic System Design Co., Ltd. In April 2011, he transitioned to academia. He has held academic positions at Kansai Gaidai University and Ritsumeikan University before assuming his current position in April 2025. His research focuses on organizational behavior, with particular interest in work values, career development, and the psychological processes underlying professional growth. He is the author of A Study on the Limits of IT Engineers’ Capabilities: From the Perspective of Capability Beliefs (Nihon Hyoronsha), which received the Academic Award from the Japan Labor Society. He holds a Ph.D. in Technology and Innovative Management. Dr. Takami Iwai is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Business Administration at Kindai University. She earned her PhD in Commerce from Kindai University. Her research focuses on university students’ career development, including job hunting processes, internships, and career decision-making. In particular, she is interested in how students develop self-efficacy and navigate internal conflicts during career exploration. She has been actively involved in designing and managing internship programs, aiming to bridge academic learning and practical experience. Through her teaching, she supports students in developing career readiness and reflective learning skills. In addition to her academic work, she is a registered career counselor in Japan and provides career guidance to university students. Her recent work also explores the impact of short-term study abroad programs on students’ personal and professional growth. She has presented her research at both domestic and international conferences.

As Kaiārahi for CATE NZ (Careers and Transition Education Association New Zealand), Leigh Gray supports career advisers, educators, and school leaders across Aotearoa to strengthen the quality and impact of career education. Working within the Ministry of Education’s Network of Expertise, Leigh focuses on professional learning, collaboration, and building a connected national community of practice. With over 20 years’ experience in career education and guidance, and a Bachelor of Career Development, Leigh is committed to equitable, culturally responsive, whole‑school approaches that empower all ākonga to navigate future‑focused pathways with confidence. As Director of Youth Employability Aotearoa (YEA), Emma leads initiatives focused on ensuring young people across Aotearoa have the skills to thrive in a changing world of work, while employers are ready to support the emerging workforce. With a background in partnership development and cross‑sector engagement, Emma collaborates with stakeholders to strengthen connections between youth and employers and contribute to system‑level change that supports a robust, future‑ready workforce.

As Kaiārahi for CATE NZ (Careers and Transition Education Association New Zealand), I am privileged to support career advisors, Gateway coordinators, teachers, and senior leaders across Aotearoa to strengthen the quality, coherence, and impact of career education. Working within the Ministry of Education’s Network of Expertise, my role focuses on growing professional learning, fostering collaboration, and building a connected national community of practice. I am driven by a shared vision that every ākonga experiences coherent, whole-school career education that connects them to meaningful, future-focused pathways and empowers them to navigate their futures with confidence. With over 20 years of experience in career education and guidance, I bring deep expertise in supporting young people to navigate pathways through education, training, and employment. I hold a Bachelor of Career Development from NMIT, grounding my work in strong theory, research, and evidence-based practice. I am particularly committed to ensuring equitable, culturally responsive pathways for all learners—especially Māori, Pacific, disabled learners, and those with additional needs. My work centres on forging strong partnerships across schools, tertiary training providers, employers, and government agencies, while also elevating professional practice across the career’s workforce. I am passionate about supporting a whole-school approach to career education that is embedded across the curriculum, aligned with system priorities, and grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. I am committed to driving equitable outcomes and strengthening a careers system that builds hope, supports wellbeing, and ensures every young person in Aotearoa can see themselves in their future.

Minori Hashimoto is an Associate Professor at Komatsu University, Japan, and also works as a career consultant in higher education. Her research focuses on the career development of university staff, the meaning of work, and career support in higher education. She is particularly interested in how administrative staff experience role changes, reinterpret their work experiences, and reconstruct their careers under changing institutional conditions.

Lely-Rose Laurin is a Ph.D. student in career development at Université Laval, Québec, Canada. Her research focuses on workplace psychological harassment and its impact on the career trajectories of LGBTQ+ individuals. She is particularly interested in issues of social justice, inclusion, and professional reintegration.

Yuna Lee is a graduate student in Counseling within the Department of Education at Korea University. Her research focuses on vocational aspirations, and career development among adolescents.

Dr Sherrie Lee is originally from Singapore and brings a cross‑cultural perspective to her role as a Career Consultant at Victoria University of Wellington. In this role, she designs and delivers career development and employability programmes, including initiatives that support international students. She has over 10 years’ experience in facilitation, coaching, and training programme development across Singapore and New Zealand. Sherrie holds a PhD in Education from the University of Waikato, where her research examined the informal learning practices of international learners, and a Master of Arts in TESOL from the University of Southern California. She is a Certified Career Services Provider (NCDA) and a Professional Member of the Career Development Association of New Zealand where she leads a special interest group on character strengths for career practitioners.

Growing up in Ōtaki, I experienced a mixed journey through education, including receiving remedial support in reading and writing during my early years. It was during this time that I witnessed firsthand the profound impact that quality teachers can have—an influence that ultimately shaped my decision to become an educator. I went on to spend 25 years at Cambridge High School, where I held a range of leadership roles including Gifted and Talented Coordinator, Head of Social Sciences, and Head of Geography. During this time, the introduction of “Navigation” as a key driver for measuring student success sparked a transformative shift in my practice. I began reconnecting with former students, building a career directory, and bringing guest speakers into the classroom—initiatives that strengthened pathways for students beyond school. A later move to Whitianga, where my wife took on the role of Deputy Principal, further highlighted the inequities that exist in access to student information and opportunity. This realisation, alongside the support of former student Grace Lewis, led to the creation of *The Guest Speaker*—an initiative designed to bridge those gaps and empower students with real-world insights and connections. Surfing has been a lifelong passion of mine and has taken me across the globe, including to Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Indonesia, Hawai‘i, Samoa, and Tonga. These experiences, alongside my career in education, have reinforced just how powerful opportunity can be—and how easily a different path might have unfolded without the right support and motivation. My work is grounded in a deep commitment to student support and success. I have developed a unique, community-connected approach to education that prioritises relationships, celebrates student milestones, and brings past students back into the learning environment to guide future pathways. This approach has fundamentally reshaped how I teach and how I connect with students, caregivers, and the wider community. I believe education should extend beyond the classroom and subject boundaries, embracing a coordinated, community-wide approach where everyone understands their role. When programs are tailored to learners and supported by a positive school culture, outstanding outcomes follow. Supporting individuals to achieve their best and reach their full potential is at the heart of what I do—and I thrive on the challenge.

Tessa McCredie is a PhD candidate at the University of Southern Queensland whose research explores the non-cognitive factors that enable teachers to thrive in rural and remote communities. Drawing on her own experience teaching in these settings, she has built a career that bridges school education and the higher education sector. She currently serves as Associate Director (Wellbeing) at the University of Southern Queensland. Her professional background spans more than 15 years in secondary education, where she held senior roles focused on student services, and over a decade in higher education student services. A formative experience included over four years in East Arnhem Land, working with the Department of Education and lecturing with the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education. Her published work covers themes of career development, wellbeing, and inclusion.

Stephanie Mortimore is the Programme Director for Language Circle. Stephanie taught Japanese for 25 years at Rangitoto College, 10 of these years as HOD Languages. She worked as a Senior Leader at Kelston Deaf Education Centre where she also learnt some NZ Sign Language. Stephanie was the Programme Manager for Languages at Tui Tuia | Learning Circle for the last 3 years. Her personal educational philosophy has always been focused on improving outcomes for all students. She has a wide variety of professional interests including: language teaching pedagogy, e-learning, assessment, equity, culturally sustaining practice and leadership. Stephanie feels privileged to be able to work with teachers across all sectors of the language teaching community. Language Circle Ltd supports the teaching and learning of Languages at Primary, Intermediate and Secondary schools throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. We provide the National Language Advisers; Language Assistants in French, Spanish and German; and pedagogical support for all languages with an NCEA pathway.

Shuichi Murakawa, DBA, Associate Professor, Affiliated with the Career Education Center, Fujita Health University Junko Ishiguro, PhD, Professor, Faculty of Business Administration, Toyo Gakuen University

Dr Val O'Reilly Ko Aoraki te maunga Ko Waitaki te awa Ko Takitimu te waka Ko Kāi Tahu te iwi Ko Val O’Reilly ahau Nō reira, tēnā koutou katoa. In her mahi as a career development practitioner, educator, and researcher, Val centres her practice on relational approaches to wayfinding and navigating careers. Ongoing reflection on Ko wai au? (Who am I?) and Te Ao Māori shapes her practice and commitment to supporting others in making sense of their career journeys. She has extensive experience across school, tertiary, community, and professional contexts in Aotearoa. She contributes to governance in a community art organisation and in national conversations on artificial intelligence through the AI Forum NZ. Val has held leadership roles within the career profession and has published and presented widely. Her PhD explored professional identity and standards in career development. Her current research interests include navigating identity and complexity, and the ethical integration of technologies in career practice. Dr Lynette Reid Ko Pukehāpopo te maunga Ko Waiomoko te awa Ko Whitirēia te whare Ko Ngāti Konohi te iwi Ko Lynette Reid ahau Nō reira, tenā koutou katoa! Dr Lynette Reid was raised in Whāngārā-mai-tāwhiti, near Gisborne, NZ and is the eldest of six siblings. She was raised by her maternal grandparents and great-grandparents, grounded in whakapapa and aroha. She has dedicated more than twenty years to career development in Aotearoa, working as an employment advisor, career counsellor, senior lecturer, kaupapa Māori career development scholar, university leader, evaluator in the education and philanthropic sector, and currently as Impact Lead with Hāpai Tūhono. Career counselling will remain at the heart of her mahi. Lynette draws on a Māori worldview to understand career development practice and research. Through this lens, she contributes to reimagining and reframing career development as relational, place-driven, and grounded in collective wellbeing.

Laura Paaso is a Senior Lecturer at the Research and Innovation Centre of Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Finland. Her expertise lies in future-oriented career guidance, competence identity thinking, and strengths-based approaches within educational and working life contexts. She is currently conducting qualitative doctoral research on young adults’ competence identity development and the construction of meaningful career futures. Kati Mäenpää, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in Professional Teacher Education and Guidance Counsellor Education at Oulu University of Applied Sciences. She has extensive experience as a teacher and guidance counsellor in professional higher education. Her research interests focus on study well-being, student motivation, and the development of guidance counselling curricula from a future-oriented perspective.

Viviany Regina do Nascimento Cruz is Head of the Career Office at Insper – Institute of Education and Research (Brazil), where she leads initiatives focused on student career development and employability. In this role, she is responsible for designing and implementing structured programs that support students throughout their academic journey, integrating career guidance into the broader educational experience. Her work is centered on developing relational, student-centered approaches to career guidance, combining individual advising, group interventions, and institutional partnerships to foster students’ professional development, decision-making, and transition to the labor market. She has played a key role in the development of longitudinal career programs that promote reflection, narrative construction, and alignment between personal values and professional trajectories. Viviany’s professional experience is marked by a strong focus on higher education, student engagement, and the intersection between career development and institutional practices. Her work contributes to advancing career guidance as a strategic and formative dimension within universities, particularly in contexts characterized by uncertainty and evolving labor market demands. She is actively involved in academic and professional discussions on career development, student experience, and higher education, contributing to research and initiatives that connect theory and practice in the field of Career Guidance and Counselling.

Studies: Psychology and Educational Sciences in Scotland, France and Poland. Employment: Luxembourg, France, Scotland, Germany. Head of the multinational Luxembourg based Applied Vocational Psychology and Policy research unit (founded in 2005); guest lecturer at the University of Applied Labour Studies, Mannheim, Germany. Active collaboration in many EU / Federal Employment Agency funded research projects.

Dr. Tasnim Swaitti holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics and has extensive experience in scientific research, having participated in multiple projects across various fields. She possesses strong academic and administrative expertise and has contributed to numerous peer-reviewed studies and publications, reflecting her commitment to advancing knowledge and supporting academic progress.

Hsiu-Lan Shelley Tien, PhD, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling at the National Taiwan Normal University, earned her doctorate at the University of Iowa and was a Fulbright scholar at the University of Maryland. She has served as Dean of the College of Education, Chair of the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, Director of the Counseling Center, and Vice director of Student Personnel Services at the National Taiwan Normal University. In practice, she has served as president of Taiwan Career Development and Consultation Association, the Taipei Counseling Psychologist Association, and the Asia Pacific Career Development Association. From the National Career Development Association, she has earned the awards of International Career Practitioner in 2016, received the Fellow award in 2020, and received the Eminent Career Award in 2025. Her research area includes Career Counseling, Counselor Training/Supervision, Dream Work, and Qualitative Research.

Hoea te waka o te pukenga mahi Toia ki te ao! Kumea ki te awatea! Taatou katoa ki te hoe! Paddle the canoe of work skills Paddle it to the world! Haul it into the light of day! To all, take up the paddle! Mauri ora ki a taatou! Based in Huntly, Raahui Pookeka, Waikato, with whakapapa connections to Tainui, Ngāpuhi, and Rarotonga, I lead Oho Mauri — a charitable trust established in 2020. Our organisational superpower is to awaken the inner potential of rangatahi through manaakitanga. With a background in business development and education, and a deliberate focus on serving rangatahi who are most vulnerable, I am deeply committed to breaking the cycle of disadvantage and empowering rangatahi to thrive on pathways that are meaningful to them. I believe in the power of education, the removal of barriers, and the courage to challenge the status quo, especially where existing environments are failing rangatahi within them. Alongside my team, our collective aim is to equip rangatahi with the skills, knowledge, and conditioning they need to navigate today's challenges, learn, grow, and secure sustainable employment or further education and training. Our model has been grown from the ground up, shaped by lived experience, refined through post-programme review, and cultivated by the insights of rangatahi and whānau themselves. This ground-up approach to best practice has allowed us to build a sustainable model that continues to produce real, meaningful and measurable outcomes for those we serve. Thinking differently and pushing boundaries to create real change excites me. I am inspired every day by the resilience and determination of rangatahi I have been privileged to walk alongside, and I am passionate about supporting them on their journey toward a brighter future. Together, we are challenging norms, breaking down barriers, and creating opportunities for rangatahi to thrive so they can make a positive impact for themselves, their whānau and their wider communities. Just as Tupuānuku reminds us that what is cultivated with care produces abundant harvest, I am grateful for the privilege of tending to this transformative kaupapa and nurturing the next generation of leaders whose growth will sustain and enrich generations to come.