This year, we’re thrilled to have two MCs — David Downs and Toni Street. Both bring a wealth of professionalism, experience, and charisma, ensuring the event stays engaging and entertaining from start to finish.
MEET OUR MC'S
TONI STREET
Familiar face Toni Street is a beloved Kiwi broadcaster, sports commentator and television personality. An expert MC and speaker, Toni has presented morning shows, reported sport for One News both locally and internationally and won the title of Television Personality of the Year at the NZTV Awards. Street also became a Kiwi best-seller in 2022 with memoir Lost and Found, a profound, personal story of heartbreak and resilience.
Currently a host on the ever popular Coast Breakfast show, Toni’s personal, spin-off podcast We Need To Talk gives opportunity for her to dive deeper into the topics that interest her most and engage further with listeners, discussing the realities of wellness goals on a more intimate basis. Exuding that same down-to-earth confidence and calm authority whether she’s addressing a noisy crowd or chatting on a podcast, Toni Street’s perspective and industry cred will add finesse and warmth to any event.
David Downs
David Downs is a business leader, public servant, speaker, and author, currently CEO of The New Zealand Story, a government initiative promoting New Zealand globally. He previously held senior roles at NZ Trade and Enterprise and Microsoft and has founded and led several businesses.
A chartered member of the Institute of Directors, David chairs multiple organisations including The Icehouse, the Hi-Tech Trust, and the Well Foundation, and serves on government advisory groups.
A published author on innovation (No.8 Re-wired, Silver Linings), David is also a former comedian and actor, a semi-finalist for New Zealander of the Year, and a cancer survivor who shared his journey in A Mild Touch of the Cancer and its documentary adaptation. His charity, Down with Cancer, supports access to CAR T-cell therapy in New Zealand.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, he co-founded sosbusiness.nz, a not-for-profit that raised over $2 million for 2,500 small businesses.
MEET OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Carlos Garcia-Galan is the Deputy Manager for the Gateway Program at NASA.
Jonathan Hall is Managing Partner of Kantar’s Sustainable Transformation Practice.
He is responsible for leading the team, solution development, thought leadership and business management for all of Kantar's client work across the world. The Practice operates at the intersection of consumers, brands and social and environmental issues.
Jonathan is also on the Executive Council for the Future of Marketing Initiative at the Said Business School, University of Oxford, as well as the Advisory Group for the Disrupting Marketing for Sustainability course at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. He is a Non-Executive Director of the water charity, Water Unite, a long-standing member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Brand Management, and a Fellow of the RSA.
He is a regular speakers at conferences, including COP, Cannes Lions, Ellen MacArthur Foundation Keystone, the World Marketing Summit, ESOMAR India, Sustainable Brands, Advertising Week UK, Consumers International, the Barcelona Fashion Summit and Venice Sustainable Fashion Forum.
Jonathan is responsible for Kantar’s relationships with the United Nations Global Compact, the World Federation of Advertisers, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, AdNetZero and Chapter Zero, and hosts Kantar’s bi-weekly Sustainable Futures podcast.
Jason Te Brake is Chief Executive Officer of Zespri, the world’s largest marketer of kiwifruit, delivering premium fruit to consumers in more than 50 countries. Guided by Zespri’s purpose to help people, communities and the environment thrive through the goodness of kiwifruit - Jason is committed to creating sustainable, long‑term value for growers.
Appointed CEO in July 2024, Jason previously served as Chief Operating Officer, leading Zespri’s global supply chain and New Zealand operations. He played a pivotal role in steering the industry through recent quality challenges and delivering a record crop through meticulous planning and execution. His earlier roles include Chief Global Supply Officer, Head of New Zealand Supply and Commercial Manager. A chartered accountant, Jason’s career spans KPMG, AFFCO, ANZCO Foods and Miraka.
Under his leadership, Zespri is accelerating its ambition to be the world’s healthiest fruit brand, reflecting a deep commitment to health, nutrition and sustainability. At Momentum 2026, Jason will discuss Zespri’s 2035 strategy, built around three priorities: unleashing brand‑led demand, transforming global supply, and creating the product portfolio of the future, which will ensure Zespri continues to deliver premium quality and value while meeting evolving consumer expectations.
Kia Hallaji is a global Futurist who has lived and worked in London, Shanghai, and Singapore over the last decade — helping organisations around the world imagine what’s coming next. As Head of Futures at Synthesis, Kia has partnered with Zespri to explore what the future could look like and how our brand can stay one step ahead.
Kia’s work blends creative thinking with real-world insight, making the future feel less like guesswork and more like something you can prepare for. Expect a presentation that’s surprising, inspiring, and a little bit provocative — designed to spark fresh thinking and new conversations.
Carolyn Mortland, Executive Officer Sustainability, is passionate about helping the business thrive through being good for people and planet, building resilience and opportunities through collaborative and innovative solutions. She has over 25 years' experience in strategic, stakeholder and sustainability roles.
She is a purpose-led leader, and in more recent roles co-funded the Futureful organisation that connects job seekers to employers that do good, before moving into providing strategic advice and governance for public and private sector organisations. Carolyn was Director, Sustainability at Fonterra for six years, setting global targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, building nature-based partnerships and publishing audited sustainability reports.
From 2022-2024 she served on Zespri's Sustainability Advisory Board, providing solid advice and support on our sustainability strategy, She is a long-time kiwifruit supporter, with fond memories of being raised on a kiwifruit orchard in Tauranga.
Kok Hwee Ng is Chief Marketing Officer at Zespri, leading the company’s global marketing strategy and championing the voice of the consumer. With over two decades of brand marketing experience, Kok Hwee brings deep expertise in consumer insights, brand building and innovation. Since joining Zespri eight years ago, she has led transformative initiatives including Zespri’s global brand refresh and the development of its 2035 strategy, positioning the brand to meet evolving consumer expectations and drive sustainable growth. Kok Hwee oversees Zespri’s marketing vision to strengthen brand leadership and accelerate its ambition to be the world’s healthiest fruit brand. Her focus is on delivering bold, insight-led campaigns, enhancing digital engagement, and ensuring Zespri remains a trusted partner for healthier food choices worldwide.