31 MARCH 2027
GRAND MILLENNIUM, AUCKLAND

Strategic Data, Analytics & AI Conference

TURNING CUSTOMER INSIGHT INTO MEANINGFUL ACTION

Customer Centred is the conference that moves beyond basic customer understanding to designing human-centric experiences that deliver measurable commercial value for both customers and your organisation.

Through real-world case studies and hands-on workshops, we explore how to elevate digital, B2B and B2C journeys, break down internal silos, and harness AI to drive highly relevant personalisation. Join New Zealand’s CX leaders to move from theory to practice because exceptional experiences are engineered by turning raw insight into immediate action.

WHAT WE'LL EXPLORE

Key themes

Strategic CX & Business Performance: Moving beyond satisfaction scores to demonstrate how customer needs directly influence growth, retention, and commercial outcomes.
Journey Design & Experience: Mapping complex digital and B2B ecosystems to design seamless, human-centred experiences across every touchpoint.
AI & Intelligent Interactions: Leveraging AI, data, and automation to create highly personalised experiences while balancing privacy, trust, and human judgement.
Data-Driven Insights to Action: Turning qualitative and quantitative customer data into testable solutions, and closing the feedback loop to genuinely involve customers in co-design.
Culture, Capability & Alignment: Breaking down internal silos, connecting employee experience with customer outcomes, and preparing your workforce for an AI-enabled future.

Agenda

31 MARCH 2027

8:30	Registration and Coffee
9:00	Welcome from the Chair Tola Olatunji, Customer Experience Lead, Partners Life
9:10	The customer of 2027: From changing expectations to strategic customer experience How AI and technology are changing customer behaviour and expectations Understanding information overload and its impact on decision-making Adapting customer engagement across channels and touchpoints Recognising employees as internal customers and connecting employee experience with CX Using customer and employee insights to influence business decisions Doug Grant, Head of Customer, Auckland Airport
9:40	Panel discussion: What does it take to build lasting customer relationships? Moving beyond individual touchpoints to build meaningful, long-term relationships Understanding what drives customer loyalty, trust and advocacy Exploring changing customer expectations and whether traditional CX approaches are keeping up Connecting employee experience with customer experience and breaking down internal silos Positioning CX professionals as strategic partners who influence business decisions Sharing real-world changes that have delivered better experiences and measurable outcomes Maggie Zhang, AI & Customer Growth Tech Director (Corporate), Restaurant Brands Ltd NZ Theresa Malloy, Head of Customer Insights, Watercare Services Limited Scott Jacobs, Chief Customer Officer, Habit Health
10.20	Human at the centre, designing better experiences in an AI-enabled world Understanding problems through quantitative and qualitative insight Engaging communities through human-centred design and co-design Using AI to analyse data and accelerate research Balancing AI with human judgement and quality control Turning insight into meaningful change
10:50	Morning break
11:20	Designing better digital experiences, where UX meets CX Connecting UX, CX and digital strategy Mapping customer behaviour across digital touchpoints Identifying where digital experiences fall short Designing around real customer needs Measuring the impact of better UX
11:40	The B2B customer journey: Creating experiences for complex customers Mapping the end-to-end B2B journey Understanding different customer needs and decision-makers Connecting marketing, sales and service Removing gaps between digital and human touchpoints Creating experiences that support retention and growth
12.00	Roundtable Turning customer voice into action and closing the CX feedback loop Breaking down organisational silos to deliver better customer experiences Doing more with less and prioritising CX when budgets and resources are tight Finding the right balance between human connection and digital experiences Moving beyond consultation to genuinely involving customers in co-design Turning CX transformation into lasting organisational change
1:00	Lunch
2:00	Interactive session: From problem to solution: How would you redesign this customer experience? Identifying a real customer problem, using research, customer insight and data to understand the needs, pain points and opportunities Working through the journey from problem to solution, challenging assumptions and exploring human, digital and AI-enabled approaches Developing and testing a customer-centred prototype, using feedback to refine the experience and identify what needs to change Considering how data, AI and personalisation can create more relevant experiences while balancing privacy, trust and human judgement Building the case for implementation by defining success measures and identifying how to bring employees, customers and the wider organisation on the journey
3.20	Afternoon break
3:50	What does the board actually care about? Connecting CX needs to business performance Moving beyond satisfaction scores to understanding how customer needs and behaviours influence growth, retention, profitability and operational performance Turning customer insights into a compelling commercial narrative for executives and boards Demonstrating the cost of ignoring customer needs, prioritising opportunities and measuring business outcomes Engaging executives and boards in customer-focused decision-making and embedding customer needs into business strategy and accountability
4:25	The future CX workforce, building you and your team capability Exploring how AI and automation are changing CX roles and skills Understanding which skills organisations are investing in and how roles are evolving Examining how organisations are redesigning teams, workflows and operating models Building capability for a more digital workforce Rethinking recruitment, flexibility and workplace expectations
5:00	Chair's summary remarks and end of conference followed by networking reception

Speakers

Check back soon for updates

Wayne Bloem

Director of Technology

Ritchies Transport Holdings Limited

Read bio

Wayne Bloem leads technology at Ritchies Transport, New Zealand’s largest privately owned bus and coach operator and a KKR portfolio company. Reporting to the CEO, he is responsible for digital strategy, infrastructure, data and analytics, and cybersecurity across a national network serving around 3,000 staff. Wayne treats AI as a business decision before a technology one. He defines the problem and what success should look like first, then decides where data, analytics and automation will make a real difference. At Ritchies he built a three-year digital roadmap tied to private equity value creation. He has also led large operational programmes, including HASTUS scheduling and a self-service platform for a workforce that is mostly on the road. He is particularly interested in how leaders move AI beyond pilots and into everyday operations without taking on unmanaged risk. He holds an AI for Business Mini MBA from Section and is based in Auckland.

Anupama Wijesundara

Data and Performance Lead / Board Member

TWOW/Kites

Read bio

Anupama is a data, strategy and governance leader with over 10 years of experience across the health, social services and community sectors. His expertise spans organisational strategy, data and analytics, operational leadership, transformation, governance and service improvement, with a strong focus on translating complexity into clear strategic direction and action. He has led multidisciplinary teams and major organisational initiatives, working across both strategy and execution to strengthen organisational performance, data governance, service delivery and decision-making. Anupama’s background in social work, combined with extensive experience in data, project management, technology and operational leadership, provides him with a distinctive systems-thinking and human-centred perspective on organisational transformation. He is particularly focused on connecting people, data, technology and strategy to break down organisational silos, strengthen organisational capability and build more responsive systems that deliver sustainable outcomes for communities.

Tuscany Joelle-Hui

Portfolio Product Manager | Data & AI

TVNZ

Read bio

Tuscany Joelle-Hui leads the AI Centre of Excellence at TVNZ, where she owns AI strategy and governance, including work with iwi and cultural advisors on Māori data sovereignty. A member of the AI Forum Governance Group, she has spent her career turning complex data into products that add value to New Zealand businesses without eroding public trust.

Caroline Webb

Principal Advisor - Digital Innovation

ACC New Zealand

Read bio

Paul Jepson

Chief Digital and Data Officer

FMG

Read bio

Paul joined the Mutual in February 2024 as Chief Information Officer (Chief Digital and Data Officer as of February 2026), bringing over 30 years’ experience within the digital and information technology transformation space. He’s worked for several organisations within the UK and New Zealand, including a range of executive roles, including Chief Information Officer at The Electoral Commission, IT Director at Newcastle Building Society, Deputy Chief Executive at the Earthquake Commission (EQC) and Chief Information Officer at the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). His authentic leadership style has seen him lead large and diverse teams within the private and public sectors, covering strategy definition through to operational execution. Paul also enjoys coaching and mentoring and has been a mentor for Women in Technology Leadership since 2020.

Pouria Asghari

Head of GTM Ecosystems & AI

Halter

Read bio

Pouria Asghari is a product and technology leader with deep experience building and scaling digital products, go-to-market systems, and AI-driven customer experiences. He is currently Head of GTM Ecosystems & AI at Halter, where he leads the technology ecosystem across sales, customer support and operations, with a focus on AI-first automation and scalable commercial systems. Previously, Pouria held product and technology leadership roles at MediaWorks New Zealand, leading product, AI, CRM and digital delivery across some of the country’s largest media platforms. His career spans more than a decade across New Zealand, the UAE and Spain, with experience across product, AI, CRM, data and digital transformation.

Sharyn Reichstein

Chief Risk Officer

Tower NZ

Read bio

Sharyn joined Tower in July 2023 as Chief Risk Officer, bringing deep expertise in enterprise risk, financial regulation, and corporate governance. Previously General Manager, General Insurance at APRA, she led supervision of Australia’s general insurance industry and chaired APRA’s General Insurance Industry Group. With experience across banking, insurance, and superannuation, Sharyn is highly skilled in stress testing, policy development, supervision frameworks, and strategic risk management.

Tighe Wall

Chief Transformation Officer

Contact Energy

Read bio

Tighe is responsible for the transformation of Contact Energy – leading the data & AI, digital, and core technology functions. He is also the 2026 New Zealand CIO of the Year. Prior to joining Contact Tighe was the Head of Digital Strategy and Transformation at E.ON SE (Germany) where his teams led the global digital, workplace, and cultural transformations. Before that he led several consulting practices at IBM Interactive Experience (the Netherlands, UK, and US).

Workshops - 1 April

STANDALONE WORKSHOPS (1 APRIL 2027) Attend for $799+gst standalone, or bundle with conference for $400+gst

AI & CX - The reality check, what's actually working

9:00am - 12:00pm

AI & CX - The reality check, what's actually working

Identifying where AI can improve the customer journey and deliver measurable value
Exploring practical applications of AI agents in customer service, customer support and end-to-end journey management
Understanding how AI agents are changing customer interactions and business processes
Assessing risks around privacy, accuracy, accountability and customer trust
Defining where human judgement, oversight and escalation remain essential
Developing practical guardrails and an actionable roadmap for adopting AI agents responsible

Facilitator to be confirmed

Attend for $799+gst standalone, or bundle with conference for $400+gst

From Customer Data to Action - Designing more relevant experiences

1:00pm - 5:00pm

From customer data to action: Designing more relevant experiences

Identifying how customer data can reveal needs, behaviours and pain points
Exploring how organisations can turn customer insights into more relevant and seamless experiences
Connecting data across channels to better understand the end-to-end customer journey
Balancing the use of customer data with privacy, trust and expectations
Identifying opportunities to improve engagement, loyalty and business performance
Developing practical actions for turning customer insights into measurable improvements

Facilitator to be confirmed

Attend for $799+gst standalone, or bundle with conference for $400+gst

Governing AI in Practice: From approval to audit readiness (ISO/IEC 42001)

From AI Approval to Audit Readiness

This practical, hands-on workshop takes participants through a real-world AI adoption decision, showing how ISO/IEC 42001 can be applied to move from “Can we approve this?” to “Can we prove we governed it?”

Using a fictional organisation and a Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption scenario, participants will work through the key risks, responsibilities, controls and evidence needed to make AI adoption defensible and audit-ready.

Scoping an AI Management System for a real-world organisational scenario
Assessing an AI adoption decision and identify the risks, responsibilities and obligations that need to be addressed
Translating the decision into practical controls, policies and governance processes
Identifying what good evidence looks like for demonstrating responsible and compliant AI use
Exploring how ISO/IEC 42001 works alongside ISO/IEC 27001 and existing governance frameworks
Building an ongoing management approach for monitoring and governing AI after approval
Developing a practical 90-day roadmap to strengthen AI governance and audit readiness

Facilitated by Owais Nawchoo, Consultant

CO-LOCATED WITH

THE STRATEGY OF DATA, ANALYTICS & AI CONFERENCE

Great ideas stall when customer strategy and technical reality talk past each other. Having both conferences under one roof allows your CX, data, and tech colleagues to learn side-by-side. Bridge the gap between front-stage personalisation and back-stage AI architecture – ensuring your team builds ambitious experiences that are fully executable.

Interested in both events? Your ticket allows access to both – book your preference, feel free to explore on the day.

Tickets

Book the conference and save $400 on workshops

$1499

$ 1099 + gst per person

Conference Only - For valid ticket/s, payment by 30 18 December 2026. Offer only available to enterprise and public sector end-users.

$1499

$ 999 + gst per person

Conference group rate min purchase 2 tickets - For valid ticket/s, payment by 18 December 2026. Offer only available to enterprise and public sector end-users.

$ 799 + gst

Choose between 3 workshops, bundle with conference for only $399 per workshop - For valid ticket/s, payment by 31 March 2027. Offer only available to enterprise and public sector end-users.

Registration Conditions

Ticket Terms
All prices are in New Zealand dollars ($NZD)
A surcharge of 2.5% + GST applies to credit card payments on top of the total amount.
Super Early Bird Tickets are valid only for the specific event for which they were purchased and cannot be transferred to other events. To remain valid, tickets must be paid by date quoted.
Group ticket options are valid for registrations from the same organisation, booked at the same time.
By selecting any special pricing offer for classes of organisation, sector, or individuals or using any promotion code, you are asserting to the organiser your right to claim any such pricing offer, and acknowledge the organiser’s right to audit such claim and, if in the opinion of the organiser using its sole discretion the conditions for special pricing are not met, reject any registration.

For full terms & conditions, please visit https://www.brightstar.co.nz/terms-and-conditions

Thanks to our Media Partners

Align Your Brand with Customer Experience Decision Makers

Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities

Connect with the executive decision-makers defining the future of customer experience in New Zealand.

Customer Centred gathers Chief Customer Officers, digital leaders, and CX transformation heads across NZ enterprise. This is your platform to showcase your solutions directly to key buyers as they design better digital journeys, connect UX with CX, and harness data and AI to drive meaningful personalisation.

A limited number of sponsorship and exhibition packages are available -delivering targeted brand exposure before, during, and after the event, alongside direct access to budget-holding decision-makers.

Partner with New Zealand’s premier customer experience event. Contact us today to discuss a tailored sponsorship package.

Explore event insights

Venue

The location and how you can get there

Address

Grand Millennium
71 Mayoral Drive,
Auckland

Check out our other upcoming events

Conference

The Strategy of Data, Analytics & AI Conference

Mar 31, 2027 - Mar 31, 2027

Auckland

Conference

Digitising Government New Zealand

Mar 23, 2027 - Mar 23, 2027

Wellington

Conference

National Cyber Security Summit

Mar 22, 2027 - Mar 23, 2027

Wellington

Conference

Cyber Security Risk Conference

Aug 10, 2027 - Aug 10, 2027

Auckland

Conference

New Zealand CIO Innovation Summit & Awards

Aug 10, 2027 - Aug 11, 2027

Auckland

Make an enquiry or register your interest

Got questions or want to stay in the loop? Write to us.

General Contact

Tagged Customer Centred

31 MARCH 2027 GRAND MILLENNIUM, AUCKLAND

Strategic Data, Analytics & AI Conference

TURNING CUSTOMER INSIGHT INTO MEANINGFUL ACTION

WHAT WE'LL EXPLORE

Key themes

Agenda

Speakers

Check back soon for updates

Wayne Bloem

Anupama Wijesundara

Tuscany Joelle-Hui

Caroline Webb

Paul Jepson

Pouria Asghari

Sharyn Reichstein

Tighe Wall

Workshops - 1 April

STANDALONE WORKSHOPS (1 APRIL 2027) Attend for $799+gst standalone, or bundle with conference for $400+gst

9:00am - 12:00pm

AI & CX - The reality check, what's actually working

1:00pm - 5:00pm

From customer data to action: Designing more relevant experiences

From AI Approval to Audit Readiness

CO-LOCATED WITH

THE STRATEGY OF DATA, ANALYTICS & AI CONFERENCE

Tickets

Book the conference and save $400 on workshops

CONFERENCE

CONFERENCE

WORKSHOP ONLY

Registration Conditions

Thanks to our Media Partners

Align Your Brand with Customer Experience Decision Makers

Explore event insights

Venue

The location and how you can get there

Check out our other upcoming events

Make an enquiry or register your interest

General Contact

31 MARCH 2027
GRAND MILLENNIUM, AUCKLAND