Hall of Fame

Spencer is Head of Meta New Zealand and works on the commercialisation of Meta's family of products, apps and services in the New Zealand market, as well as playing an active role in the Advertising and Tech industries as a Digital specialist. Spencer is a proven leader in the corporate sector, as well as in start-ups and has over 25 years of experience working for some of the world’s leading Media and Tech companies including Facebook, Time Warner and Mail Newspapers in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Josh Borthwick is a senior leader with more than two decades of experience across media, technology and purpose-led organisations. He co-founded advertising network AdHub, led advertising at Trade Me, and held a national commercial leadership role at Stuff, helping shape Aotearoa's digital advertising landscape during a period of rapid transformation. A former IAB New Zealand board member from 2008 to 2014, Josh received the IAB New Zealand Service Award in 2017 in recognition of his contribution to the industry. He is currently Head of Fundraising at Outward Bound New Zealand, where he works to expand access to transformative outdoor experiences for rangatahi.

Nick Boulstridge is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a senior marketing leader with more than 20 years across financial services, technology and entertainment, in New Zealand and globally. A former Chair of the IAB Brand Steering Council and current memeber of the Emerging Technology council, he has been a persistent advocate for raising the standard of digital practice in New Zealand, through award-winning work, industry firsts, and a generous habit of bringing others up with him. He received the IAB Foundation Award in 2017 in recognition of that contribution. He continues to champion the craft today.

Liz is an inspiring and motivational senior leader with a strong track record of building and developing high-performing teams across media and aviation. With 22 years in media, rising to senior executive level, and a stint as Regional General Manager Americas for Air New Zealand based in Los Angeles, Liz brings both deep industry expertise and genuinely global thinking. Her key strengths lie in revenue growth, new product development, customer segmentation and navigating multi-platform environments. Known for her positive, honest leadership style, Liz is passionate about mentoring people and creating the conditions for others to do their best work.

Peter is a highly motivated digital advertising professional and consultant specialising in Ad Tech for media companies. With a career spanning software development, ad operations and technology leadership, Peter has delivered some of New Zealand's most significant digital advertising innovations. Highlights include implementing Open Measurement and Dynamic Ad Insertion for TVNZ, Interactive Ads on Big Screen via Innovid, and developing TVNZ On Demand's marketing intelligence platform. Peter has also built cloud-based automation and business intelligence solutions for clients including IAB New Zealand and AudioCloud, and led online ad operations across New Zealand's number one online entertainment network. A trusted navigator of complexity in a fast-moving industry.

Alisa has spent more than 20 years in digital advertising, ecommerce and online marketing, including senior roles that helped grow New Zealands online advertising industry. These days, she runs SportsBra.co.nz and also provides “support” to small, owner-run businesses across ecommerce, email and digital strategy, helping owners make sense of the practical, messy, day-to-day bits of digital marketing without making it more complicated than it needs to be.

Sarah Kavanagh is the founder and Managing Director of Sense - The Social Agency, a New Zealand agency built on a simple but powerful premise: that great creative and measurable performance aren't in tension, they're one and the same. With over two decades in digital marketing, Sarah has spent her career championing creative-led performance marketing for NZ businesses. Through Sense, Sarah and her team help Kiwi businesses grow, with effective creative strategies, built to perform.

Toni is an advertising, sales and marketing executive with a passion for digital and technology. Currently at Tilt, spanning all aspects of media strategy, planning and campaign execution across Google, DV360, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn and pDOOH. She recently completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Connected Environments, IoT with Tech Futures Lab. Broad experience across media planning, advertising sales, account management and building long-term client relationships, both in New Zealand and overseas.  Toni has strong technical understanding of the digital advertising landscape including programmatic, ad serving, rich video, tracking and reporting, with proven ability to liaise between technical teams, agencies and publishers.

Laura is an experienced C-suite executive and Board Director with a strong record of leading businesses to deliver sustainable growth across both large-scale organisations and start-ups. As CEO of OneRoof, she built New Zealand's fastest-growing real estate digital business, achieving break-even in year three. As CEO of GrabOne, she delivered revenue and EBITDA growth resulting in a successful divestment in 2021. Laura brings deep expertise across media, eCommerce, real estate, digital product, data management and digital marketplaces. Known for empowering teams and creating supportive cultures, she thrives in complexity and is passionate about delivering results through people.

Siobhan is a dynamic senior leader renowned for translating bold strategic vision into measurable business results. With deep expertise across customer experience design, marketing strategy, sales leadership, product transformation and organisational design, she has built a reputation as a consistent deliverer of EBITDA growth across complex media environments. Siobhan is recognised for her ability to recruit and retain high-performing, award-winning teams, and for identifying and developing new revenue streams with commercial precision. Colleagues and peers describe her as a big thinker with fierce determination and the rare ability to bring others with her to achieve ambitious goals

 John Schofield is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Tilt Digital, the independent Auckland agency he helped establish in 2014. He has worked in New Zealand's digital media industry since its earliest days, having previously founded The Internet Bureau and led iProspect New Zealand as Managing Director. At Tilt, his focus is digital strategy, media planning, and helping clients build their own digital capability. He remains a quiet advocate for raising the standard of digital marketing in Aotearoa.

Lee brings 30 years of innovation, growth and leadership in digital media, including founding AutoTrader.co.uk, widely regarded as Europe's definitive digital transformation case study. With over 60 successful global digital media product launches to his name, Lee has delivered high-profit growth and value totaling more than £2bn, alongside M&A deal involvement exceeding £150m. Today, Lee invests in and advises a diverse portfolio spanning automotive, real estate, fashion, media and biosciences tech, bringing strategic, commercial and operational expertise to founders and teams building for growth.

Michael has spent most of his career specialising in digital media, holding senior roles across digital publishers, media agencies, and most recently at Air New Zealand.  A digital professional at heart, Michael brings a perspective that goes beyond data and targeting, viewing audiences through a social and cultural lens as well as a digital one. He believes that while research, data and tools are invaluable, they can lead us to view people as a collective rather than as individuals shaped by vastly different lived experiences. Even within the same society, people don't live in the same worlds and for Michael, keeping that truth front of mind is what separates effective media thinking from the merely functional.

Alysha Delany is a senior AI, data, and digital leader with more than 20 years' experience helping organisations translate technology investment into measurable business value across New Zealand and Australia. As Senior Manager, Data & AI Value Realisation & Advanced Analytics at Genesis Energy, she leads enterprise AI, analytics, and data initiatives that enable smarter decision-making, accelerate transformation, and embed capability across the business. Previously, as Managing Partner at MBM NZ, she built and scaled a 50+ person data and digital team, established New Zealand's first marketing-based Google Cloud and Google Marketing Partner partnerships, and played a key role in MBM's acquisition by Publicis Groupe. Alysha combines commercial pragmatism with strong governance and delivery discipline. She holds a Master of Information Governance with First Class Honours and is passionate about helping organisations realise the full value of AI, data, and digital investments.

James Butcher is currently GM Sales at TVNZ and a senior commercial leader with more than 20 years’ experience across media, technology and digital advertising in New Zealand, Australia and the UK.  His career has included senior roles at FCB, Pandora, Nine and Microsoft Advertising, as well as time on the executive team at NZME as Chief Commercial Officer. James received the IAB New Zealand Service to the Industry Award during his time as General Manager, Digital at FCB, recognising his contribution to the growth and evolution of New Zealand’s digital advertising industry.  Throughout his career, James has been a strong advocate for digital innovation, industry collaboration and developing the next generation of commercial talent.

Rhys Heron is a technology and commercial leader specialising in building and scaling revenue streams through partnerships, product, and marketing. With experience spanning digital media, telecommunications, and government across New Zealand, Australia, and internationally, he has led teams of up to 40 people and $23M 23 million in revenue, taking products and platforms from concept to market and growing them through strategic channel management and marketing. Throughout his career, Rhys has managed high-profile relationships with global technology leaders including Microsoft and Yahoo!, and negotiated strategic partnerships with organisations such as Air New Zealand, the NRL, and ViacomCBS. Rhys contributed to IAB New Zealand as a board member for nine years and its chair from 2018-21. A recipient of the IAB New Zealand Service to the Industry Grand Award (2022), he brings a rare blend of commercial acumen, operational depthknow how, and people leadership, with a strong track record of delivering sustainable revenue customer and profit growth.

Jane Stanley is a marketing leader with extensive experience in senior roles spanning brand, digital, CRM, media, and everything in-between. A strategist by trade, she has led both agency and client teams across multiple global markets, bringing the strategic vision and hands-on expertise needed to deliver work that creates meaningful commercial impact. Jane is driven by the belief that creativity, innovation, and customer obsession are the foundations of commercial success. She has played an active role in developing award-winning campaigns recognised at Cannes Lions, Effies, and the Festival of Media, and has also been invited to judge on the global marketing awards stage.  Inspiring great talent to produce impactful, human-led and technology-powered work is what continues to fuel her passion for the industry.

Richard Conway is the founder and CEO of Pure SEO and The Optimisers. He’s also the author of How to Get to the Top of Google Search (Penguin Random House), a Gold IAB Award winner (Service to The Industry), and an EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist.

Kris Hadley is co-founder of Together, a new model strategy, media and technology agency built to put marketing back together. Together was founded on a belief that legacy silos, operating models and mindsets within the marketing services landscape were preventing message and moment from coming together. Tired of arbitrary discipline divisions, Kris and his co-founder set out to create an agency that met the needs of modern marketers, thinking that joins up, execution that creates connected experiences, and the creative ambition to drive real impact, not just efficiency. A model defined by need, not legacy. In 2024, Kris was named that year's winner in his role as a founding board member at Independent Agencies NZ, a recognition that reflects both his entrepreneurial drive and his broader commitment to shaping a healthier, more progressive industry. 

Kate is head of Publicis Media Exchange NZ (PMX). She has held senior digital roles at MBM and FCB for the past decade, and prior roles at global agencies Mediacom UK, UM and Y&R. Kate has a passion for creating new, integrated solutions that marry emerging technology and data with creativity. Her IAB New Zealand Digital Advertising Awards achievements include Best in Show and gold wins in every digital category, Mobile, Data, Technology, Programmatic, Performance, Video and Social, and in 2025, while leading PMX NZ, she was named that year's winner, the latest milestone in an remarkable awards record that spans the full breadth of digital advertising. As Digital Effectiveness Council Chair, Kate leads the Council's Working Groups.