Conference Programme and Speakers
This page will always contain the most up to date version of the conference programme, when available, plus a downloadable link for both laptop and phone. Please refer to this link for room information.
Download the full conference programme.
For a summary of the Conference agenda, please click here.
Information will only appear here when fully confirmed. Please check for details on our Venue page as well (opens in a new page).
Information on this page is current to April 10th, 2026
Meet our Keynote and Educational Speakers
Friday, May 1 2026 - Keynote
Tim Muhundan, DTM
Keynote – The real mechanics behind building a new club
— and more importantly, how to build one that lasts.
Tim Muhundan, DTM, is the founder of Automate.CX®, where he helps organisations redefine customer experience through Agentic AI, intelligent automation, and human centred design. He works with businesses to create smarter customer journeys that combine operational efficiency with deeply human interactions.
Tim is a strong advocate for the future of customer experience (CX) where human empathy and intelligent automation work together to deliver meaningful outcomes. Through his work, he helps organisations rethink how technology and people come together to create experiences customers remember and trust.
Alongside his professional work, Tim is a passionate Toastmasters leader and community builder. He is the founder and Immediate Past President of Hobsonville Toastmasters, one of New Zealand’s newest community clubs, which achieved Smedley Distinguished status within its first year. He has also served as Area Director for Area N5 and as Vice President Education at West Harbour Toastmasters.
Tim brings together strategy, leadership, and storytelling to help leaders turn ideas into thriving communities, stronger organisations, and experiences that truly matter.
Friday, May 1 2026 - Workshops and Educational sessions
Kevin Prohl
Educational – Entertaining Speaker Workshop
Grab the Audience attention, keep their interest and they will remember your message.
POWER UP your performance with this entertaining and informative educational by international speaker and trainer Kevin as he takes us through the most powerful ways to engage with the audience. This interactive educational workshop will change the way you deliver your speeches and can take you on a new path of discovery in yourself and your speaking journey.
This session is not to be missed. Kevin Prohl DTM is a accomplished Toastmaster of 31 years missing only 2 meetings in that time. He has spoken and entertained people in 37 countries and appeared in movies, TV shows and on stage. He is a show and tell instructor who will open your eyes to the possibilities when you POWER UP.
Rhys Lewis
Workshop – easySPEAK – how it works
easySPEAK is a Toastmasters club automation service that thousands of
clubs across the world use to plan and run their club meetings. Rhys Lewis leads the technical team who are responsible for operating and developing the product.
The workshop will be an introduction to easySPEAK as well as the new features that have launched this year, including the mobile applications. It will be a two way workshop to learn about easySPEAK and where you would like to see it develop.
Rhys Lewis is a software and infrastructure architect who has been working in the IT industry since 1995, when he developed the first online retail website in New Zealand. He has worked in government, corporate and startup organisations.
Saturday, May 2 2026 - Keynote
John Fauvel DTM, PIP
Keynote – Journey in Leadership
John joined Auckland Toastmasters Club in June 1963 (is still a member) serving in the positions of Vice President Membership, Vice President Education and Club President. Although John chose Administration (Leadership) over Education (Speaking) he still found time to have won the district 72 prepared, impromptu, and most entertaining speaker contests. He has been District Toastmaster of the Year, Area Governor of the Year, was the district’s second DTM (# 291) and has received the International Communication and Leadership Award.
In 1980 in Milwaukee John was elected to the Toastmasters International Board of Directors as International Director-at-Large.
In 1984 in Orlando, he was elected Third Vice-President.
In 1987 at Convention Chicago, he was elected International President – the first person from outside the United States of America and Canada to hold this Office. His year as President was marked by a record-breaking number of 683 new clubs chartered.
John is a Freeman of the City of London. He was awarded an MBE in 1993 for services to International Communication.
Saturday, May 2 2026 - Educational sessions (also available on Sunday, May 3) - "Workshop 1" series
Glen Sharkey
Educational – Delivering workshops and presentations
Glen Sharkey has worked with developing people for over 30 years, having twice been awarded as the Professional Speakers Association educator of the year. His presentations are insightful, engaging, and memorable.
Glen has worked with hundreds of businesses and thousands of employees, especially in team leader development, with his expertise in this field being represented in seven published books including “The Art of Persuasive Influence” and “Navigating Courageous Conversations.” His professional and engaging presentations has seen him reach the status of “Certified Speaking Professional” (CSP) – one of only 10 in New Zealand.
Julie Nottage
Educational – Building a viable speaking business
Julie Nottage is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) and certified life coach and works in the space of Leadership, Personal branding, Confidence, Presentation Skills, and Diversity & Inclusion.
- New Zealand’s top 50 women of achievement;
- Westpac Women of Influence finalist for Diversity 2016 and 2020
- New Zealand Brightstar Speaker, 2019.
Luminary Award winner, ENZ, 2022
Julie is also the President of Professional Speakers Association New Zealand, a Chartered Civil Engineer and a Fellow of Engineering NZ. She has been an expert witness in environmental court and studied Law in Engineering Contracts.
Aroha Heene
Educational – Your PHD in Toastmasters
Inspired by a transformative conversation with Past International President Pat Johnson, DTM, Aroha Heenie is a passionate advocate for structured mentorship and practical training. In her session, “Your PhD in Toastmasters,” she demystifies the High Performance Leadership (HPL) process, offering tips to navigate time constraints and confidence hurdles. Aroha believes that every role is an opportunity for connection, impact, and most importantly, enjoyment on the road to excellence.
Aroha currently serves as the D112 Club Extension Chair and Corporate Liaison, where she bridges the gap between professional project management and sustainable club growth. With a background in business blueprinting, she brings a strategic, “systems-thinking” approach to the DTM path.
Marie Fox
Educational – The Exit Lounge
Marie Fox has been a Toastmaster since 2019. She is currently a member of Foveaux Club in Invercargill. She has been an area director three times, the district training officer and Club Growth Director for District 72.
In addition, Marie is an experienced people leader, team manager and technical leader within the public service (Ministry for Primary Industries).
Marie also enjoys competing and is no stranger to the district stage, winning a silver medal for the District 72 International Speech Contest in 2023 and bronze medals in the District 72 International speech and Evaluation contests in 2024. This workshop will provide insights and practical tips to prepare new and aspiring Toastmasters leaders in their leadership journey.
Tatiana Maior
Educational – Speak as a Queen
Tatiana currently serves as the D112 Public Relations Manager, where she leads strategic communications, strengthens the district’s brand presence, and inspires clubs across New Zealand to confidently share their stories
with the world. She is passionate about helping people discover their voice, build self-belief, and step into leadership with courage and authenticity.
Tatiana believes that communication is not just a skill, but a life-changing tool- one that empowers individuals to grow, connect across
cultures, and create opportunities they once thought were beyond their reach.
Stephen Budai
Educational – Blueprint to Brilliance: Your Rapid Speech Building Toolkit
For more than 18 years, Stephen Budai has been a committed and passionate Toastmaster, dedicating his career to growth, service, and empowering others. He holds three Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM)
awards. Stephen has served at the highest levels of leadership, including as Past District Director (2021-2022) and Past Region 12 Advisor (2024-2025), roles that allowed him to support clubs and districts across New Zealand, Australia, and the wider Asia‑Pacific region.
Known for his high energy and engaging presence, Stephen brings audiences to life
wherever he speaks. His workshops and presentations are interactive, fast‑paced, and filled with practical insights drawn from his extensive global Toastmasters experiences.
Saturday, May 2 2026 - Educational sessions (also available on Sunday, May 3) - "Workshop 2" series
Tim Muhundan
Educational – The Mechanics Behind Building a New Club that Lasts
See Friday keynote for biographical details
Julie Nottage
Educational – Building a viable speaking business
See Workshop 1 for biographical details
Aroha Heene
Educational – Your PHD in Toastmasters
See Workshop 1 for biographical details
Marie Fox
Educational – The Exit Lounge
See Workshop 1 for biographical details
Tatiana Maior
Educational – Speak as a Queen
See Workshop 1 for biographical details
Stephen Budai
Educational – Blueprint to Brilliance: Your Rapid Speech Building Toolkit
See Workshop 1 for biographical details
Sunday, May 3 2026 - Keynote
Joanne Drayton
Keynote – Anecdote to Academia: Unbelievable stories that become fact
This presentation looks at the way personal experiences and anecdotes become stories, then facts. In interviewing subjects and collecting material for her biographies, Dr Joanne Drayton has listened to people’s stories, collected archival material relating to their lives, and experienced things herself as part of that process that are arguably stranger than fiction. These things in the hands of the academic or writer are then woven together into a non-fiction narrative that is essentially true. The point of this presentation is to prove that while we give weight to facts as if they exist in some remote intellectual domain, it is actually life and stories that made them.
Dr Joanne Drayton is an acclaimed New Zealand author who has published seven books and numerous chapters and articles. Her book Hudson & Halls: The Food of Love was the winner of the coveted Royal Society Te Aparangi Award for General Non-fiction at the NZ Book Awards, and a cover story for the NZ Listener. Joanne’s The Search for Anne Perry was numbered in the top 10 non-fiction books on the New York Times bestseller list in 2015, was a finalist in the NZ Book Awards in 2013; was the subject of a 60 Minutes programme; and a cover story for the NZ Listener. Both The Search for Anne Perry and Hudson and Halls have been optioned for feature films. Her critically acclaimed Ngaio Marsh: Her Life in Crime (2008) was a Christmas pick of the Independent newspaper in 2009. Her other biographical subjects include expatriate painters Frances Hodgkins, Rhona Haszard and Edith Collier. In 2007, she was awarded a National Library Fellowship, and in 2017 the prestigious Logan Fellowship at the Carey Institute in upstate NY.
Sunday, May 3 2026 - Educational sessions (repeated from Saturday Workshop 1) - "Workshop 3" series
Glen Sharkey
Educational – Delivering workshops and presentations
See Workshop 1 for biographical details
Julie Nottage
Educational – Building a viable speaking business
See Workshop 1 for biographical details
Aroha Heene
Educational – Your PHD in Toastmasters
See Workshop 1 for biographical details
Marie Fox
Educational – The Exit Lounge
See Workshop 1 for biographical details
Tatiana Maior
Educational – Speak as a Queen
See Workshop 1 for biographical details
Stephen Budai
Educational – Blueprint to Brilliance: Your Rapid Speech Building Toolkit
See Workshop 1 for biographical details