Keynote Speakers
Kris Faafoi
Chief Executive
Insurance Council of New Zealand
Kris became Chief Executive of theInsurance Council of New Zealand Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa(ICNZ)in April 2024, bringing a unique blend of political leadership and media expertise to the role. Kris served in Parliament from 2010-2022, holding multiple ministerial portfolios including Justice, Immigration, Broadcasting, and notably Commerce and Consumer Affairs where he oversaw insurance law reforms.
A graduate of the New Zealand Broadcasting School, he began his career as a journalist with TVNZ and BBC before transitioning to politics as Chief Press Secretary to Labour leader Phil Goff.
Richard Reinen-Hamill
Sector Director - Natural Hazards & Disaster Risk Reduction
Tonkin + Taylor
A Fellow ofEngineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau, Richard brings over 38 years of experience in coastal engineering and understanding how coastlines work and change. Throughout his career, he has helped communities and clients prepare for the future by assessing risks—such as those caused by climate change—and designing solutions that work with nature rather than against it. He is widely recognised as one of New Zealand’s leading experts in coastal engineering and coastal hazards. His work includes helping develop important strategies for managing coastal areas, such as the Clifton to Tangoio Coastal Management Strategy. He was a key part of introducing adaptive approaches that help communities respond to changing conditions and future uncertainties.
He has managed key projects like New Zealand’s first National Climate Change Risk Assessment as well as pioneered nature-based coastal edge designs, including Oriental Bay beach, Taumana Reserve, and the New Plymouth coastal walkway. Richard has contributing to international guide on using natural and nature-based approaches for managing coasts, helping to share best practices around the world as well as national and regional guidance notes.
Cr Hinewai Ormsby
Chair
Hawke's Bay Regional Council
Hinewai Ormsby is the Chair of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and the Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Joint Committee. She also serves as Chair of Waiohiki Marae, giving her a unique perspective that bridges regional governance and community leadership.
When Cyclone Gabrielle struck in 2023, Hinewai was not only a decision-maker but also directly affected, losing her own home in the floods. This dual experience – as both leader and survivor – has deeply shaped her approach to resilience, recovery, and long-term planning. At Waiohiki Marae, she coordinated shelter and support for hundreds of displaced whānau, while simultaneously working alongside regional and central government leaders to manage the wider recovery effort.
Her leadership since Gabrielle has focused on building stronger, hazard-resilient communities, advocating for bold planning decisions that protect lives and livelihoods, while integrating mātauranga Māori and community values into regional strategies. She believes that resilience cannot simply mean “bouncing back” to the way things were – it must mean “building forward better,” with courage, collaboration, and compassion at the core.
Hinewai brings to the NZCS conference both professional expertise and lived experience. She will share reflections on what resilience really means when communities are tested by climate-driven disasters, and how local leadership, strong partnerships, and indigenous knowledge can guide Aotearoa toward safer, better prepared futures.