From Marketing to Managing Director: What a career without a straight line can teach us about leadership
Wednesday 11 November
5.00 - 7.00pm | BNZ Partners Centre
639 Cameron Road | Tauranga
Wendy Rayner, Managing Director of Coca-Cola New Zealand and 2026 New Zealand Marketing Awards Hall of Fame inductee, shares how a career spanning accounting, sales and marketing shaped the way she leads one of New Zealand’s most recognised businesses.
Great leaders rarely get there by following a straight line. Wendy Rayner’s career has taken her from accounting to sales, then into marketing and senior commercial leadership — giving her the kind of broad, real-world business perspective that marketing and business leaders can learn from.
In this candid and practical conversation, Wendy will share the opportunities, challenges and career decisions that shaped her journey, including lessons from roles at TVNZ, Lotto NZ and Coca-Cola New Zealand. She’ll talk about what it takes to lead across functions, build strong relationships, understand the wider business, and keep learning as your career evolves.
Rather than a traditional keynote, Wendy wants this session to be a conversation. Bring your questions and come ready for honest insights on leadership, career change, marketing’s role in business, and the value of saying yes to opportunities that may not have been part of the original plan.
This is an evening for marketers, business owners and emerging leaders who want fresh thinking, practical career advice and a behind-the-scenes view of what it takes to lead at scale.
$40 + Ticketing Fee
Brand Summit
2026
Thursday 15 October | 9.00am - 5.00pm
Grand Millennium Hotel
71 Mayoral Drive & Cnr Vincent Street Auckland
Big ideas. Real brands. Honest conversations.
Brand Summit is where local and global brands take the stage to share what’s really working — and what’s not — in brand building right now.
You’ll get behind-the-scenes stories from some of the world’s most exciting campaigns, explore the trends shaking up brand marketing, and leave with fresh ideas you can actually use.
What’s in store:
Inspiring speakers from top international and Kiwi brands
Real-world case studies and unfiltered insights
Conversations on creativity, trust, purpose, and the future of branding
Plenty of time to connect with other brands and marketing pros
If you’re serious about building stronger brands, this is where you need to be.
For $150 discount, apply the code TRAVEL150 at checkout. Accommodation discounts available too!
IMAGE: Kickstarter Magazine
Heilala Vanilla
Thursday 13 August | 5.00 - 7.30pm
BNZ Partners Centre
639 Cameron Road, Tauranga
Join Ruby Grant, Head of Brand and Jennifer Boggis, CEO and Co-founder, on the story of how Heilala Vanilla used story, flavour and partnerships to challenge category leaders.
Heilala Vanilla began with a trip to Tonga following a devastating cyclone and the idea of creating sustainable employment through vanilla farming.
What started as a purpose-led business built around one of the world's most-loved ingredients has grown into an international brand loved by chefs, bakers and food brands around the world.
Competing in a category dominated by legacy brands meant Heilala couldn't outspend the competition, so it had to out-story, out-partner and out-create them instead. Through collaborations with chefs and food personalities, earned media, retail partnerships and a relentless focus on flavour, Heilala has built a brand that punches well above its weight.
The journey hasn't been linear; from challenges in the Pacific and competitors with deep pockets, to changing the conversation around imitation vanilla.
Key takeaways:
What challenger brands can do when they can't outspend the competition
How collaborations, earned media, and partnerships can create an outsized impact
Lessons from building a premium brand in a category driven by habit and price
Building a brand takes resilience, persistence and no shortage of creativity.
$40 + Ticketing Fee