EMERGE & EVOLVE

Dr Craig Jones
Deputy Chief Executive – Data System Leadership and Deputy Government Statistician, Stats New Zealand

Craig started as Deputy Government Statistician with responsibility for Data System Leadership in May 2020. Prior to this role he was Deputy Secretary, Evidence, Data and Knowledge in the Ministry of Education since May 2016. Prior to joining the Ministry he spent 16 years in the New South Wales public service, holding leadership roles in Justice, Treasury and Education. Originally from Waihopai | Invercargill, he graduated from Otago University in 2000 and was later awarded a PhD in forensic psychology from the University of New South Wales. Craig proudly describes himself as a data nerd and all of his roles in government have involved a strong focus on how government can collect, manage and use data to make better decisions.

Deepak Ramanathan
VP, Global Technology Practice, SAS

Deepak is Vice President, Global Technology Practice SAS. In his role, Deepak advises organizations who are investing in AI and machine learning projects with an objective of creating new business models and revenue streams. These conversations have moved from the data science backrooms to boardrooms. For over two decades Deepak has had the privilege to lead the smartest data scientists across the globe as they unlock the value of analytics for our clients. Together, we have guided clients on creating and measuring analytics-driven business outcomes. With the help of a robust analytics platform, we help them achieve a more equitable balance between infrastructure and skill while achieving their desired business outcomes.
Business sponsors and IT leaders are recognizing the need to operationalize these exploratory projects into recurring business value. But the path from AI pet projects to AI profit generating products is fraught with challenging questions about metrics that matter, transparency, governance and AI ethics While the core analytical principals continue to provide guide rails to these AI/ML journeys, the challenge continues to be timely insight and measured business outcomes. Deepak helps in crafting out these journeys for customers.
Deepak is based out of Singapore. 

Ernestynne Walsh
Analytics Lead, Nicholson Consulting

Ernestynne has been involved in a range of projects including te reo Māori revitalisation, iwi hauora, Māori businesses, monitoring equity for Māori and weaving in whakaaro Māori into data systems. She studies te reo Māori and is working towards her Masters of Māori and Indigenous Leadership. In her spare time, she runs a charitable trust called Te Rau Hihiri which advocates for Māori succeeding as Māori in the public sector.

Kat Greenbrook
Data Storyteller, Rogue Penguin

Kat is the founder of New Zealand-based data storytelling company, Rogue Penguin. She has a background in data science and digital design, and regularly works with clients throughout New Zealand, Australia and the UK. Kat is highly sought-after for her ability to apply design and communication principles to data visualisation projects, making insights more accessible. She regularly facilitates workshops on data communication to help businesses tell their own data stories. Her work has been published in industry-leading books and digital journals on data visualisation. 

Todd Nicholson
Analytics Lead, Nicholson Consulting

Todd is the founder of Nicholson Consulting and for the last 15 years has worked in Wellington building up a diverse team of young leaders and data scientists.  Armed with his extensive knowledge of advanced statistics, machine learning and AI, Todd strives to identify business problems that can be solved in a transparent way using data with the drive to make those solutions as simple as possible. Todd has experience delivering transparent and simple solutions to complex business problems across the government, private and charitable sectors. He also holds an award-winning PhD, a Bachelor of Science with honours (Mathematics) and has taught over 100 courses in data science and analytics. 

Jacky Long 
Advisory Solutions Architect, SAS 

In Jacky’s twenty five years with SAS, she has served in various roles including Pre-Sales Support, Business Development, Analytical Consulting, and Consulting Management.   These roles included SAS offices in Chicago, Denver, and Melbourne.

Jacky has implemented Analytic Lifecycle solutions with large banks in Brazil and Ireland,  several telecoms in the US and Philippines, a Korean semiconductor manufacturer and multiple government agencies to name a few.  These solutions include all stages of the ModelOps process including model performance monitoring, standardization of the life cycle processes, assistance with regulatory compliance, responsible AI, and workflow development. 

Jacky holds an MBA in Economics from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Quantitative Analysis from the University of Cincinnati: resulting in a highly effective blend of mathematics and business knowledge.  

Lily Clarke 
Lead Healthcare and Government Customer Advisor for Australia and New Zealand, SAS

Lily is a Customer Advisory professional leading the Health and Life Sciences Practice across Australia and New Zealand. Since joining SAS 4 years ago, Lily has worked extensively to evolve the analytics of the critical organisations advancing our communities. Her passion and work ethic was recently recognised by the Australian Reseller Network, with her being named as the Rising Star of Women in ICT for the Vendor Category at the ARN WIICT Awards for 2022.

Shane Gibson
Agile Data Coach, AgileData

Shane loves helping organisations craft a new agile way of working for teams that deliver data, analytics and visualisation at speed and in a safe repeatable way.

Yi Jian Ching
Solution Architect, SAS

Yi Jian Ching is a Solution Architect at SAS supporting the Asia-Pacific region. As an experienced Solution Architect with a demonstrated history of working in the computer software industry, Yi Jian has been advising many organizations across different industries on how to operationalize models at scale. Based in Sydney, Yi Jian graduated from the University of Sydney with a double major in Physics and Psychology.

Ben Davis
Director, Solution Engineering, Teradata

Ben Davis is the Technical Director for Teradata Australia & New Zealand. With over 25 years working in various data disciplines, Ben has worked across Federal Government over the past 20 years on various data programmes including data warehousing, Data security, Analytics and business driven outcomes. From small data platforms right up to operational databases that support the national economy and security, Ben knows what it takes to deliver successful analytic engagements within Government settings. He is available for Consulting and technical discussions across a wide variety of disciplines.

Jason Sharpe
Solution Engineer, Teradata

Jason is a solution engineer for Teradata based in Wellington, New Zealand.  Jason was a former Principal Consultant and Lead Technical Support for DATA STEP and MACRO for SAS Institute.  Jason is passionate about sustainability and enabling customers to achieve their data and analytic endeavors. 

Ian Munro
Risk Infrastructure Analyst, Kiwibank

Ian first starting using SAS in the early 1980s at one of SAS’s earliest international customers in New Zealand. So that’s over 40 years and counting! In that time he has worked in a wide variety of organisations, both in New Zealand and in the UK. In the last 20 years he has specialised in working in the NZ banking industry where use of SAS is widespread. This includes stints at NBNZ, Westpac, BNZ, ANZ and his current (and best!) role at Kiwibank. Here he is responsible for SAS architecture, administration, maintenance and development. SAS does a lot of the bank’s regulatory reporting as well as credit risk modelling and behaviour scorecards. The latest cab off the rank is climate change reporting, the topic of his SUNZ 2022 presentation.

Joe Robins 
Customer Advisory, SAS

Joe has spent 15 years in analytics leadership roles across a range of industries in New Zealand. He is now part of the Customer Advisory team at SAS NZ specializing in the Government Sector.

Colin Harris
Technical Director, Knoware

Colin Harris is Technical Director at Knoware, a Data and Analytics consultancy. Colin has over 25 years of experience in the data and analytics environment and using SAS. This has included working with SAS across two continents, which included a decade with SAS Institute, in capacities as diverse as hands on tools through to deploying large enterprise data warehouse and analytics environments, architecture and design, training and mentoring. Colin is currently engaged in several cloud migrations, including to SAS Viya 4. Currently Colin is working with a client where new users are being introduced to appropriate methodologies in the use of data and analytics via SAS on a modern SAS platform.

David Burgess
Principal Systems Engineer, SAS

David Burgess has almost 20 years of experience in Asia Pacific regional roles, with over 10 years experience leading analytics teams covering Marketing, Credit Risk, and AML/Fraud. His current role covers NZ/AU customer advisory activities with a focus on advanced analytics and FSI.

Frank Zhang
Programme Manager Planning Elements, Finance, Planning and Assurance, Department of Corrections

Frank’s career started as a Financial/Business Analyst. He spent most of his 35 years of professional development on managing business information, business analysis & modelling, management consultancy & information security at enterprise level. He is also experienced in leading of developing and maintaining related information systems including NZ Health payment systems, Assets Management System, Contract Management systems, and Identity and Access Management System. He has extensive business and IT management experience as Business Analyst, Manager Business Systems, Corporate Planning Manager, Project/Programme manager  in government agencies, DHBs, SOEs and the banking industry. Frank has a specific interest in using information technology to lift the Business Intelligence capability and generate quality and meaningful business information to enable better business decisions at all levels within an enterprise.

John Munro
Manager of Regulatory Intelligence, WorkSafe

As the Manager of Regulatory Intelligence at WorkSafe NZ, John is responsible for BI, Intelligence Analysis and Advanced Analytics streams. He has spent the majority of his career in government intelligence analysis, having formed and overseen national intelligence programs in Scotland and New Zealand. John has also served on the National Criminal Intelligence Service in the UK where his work was instrumental in connecting national intelligence agencies with corrections agencies through the implementation and management of new data structures and strategies. While never portraying himself as an expert, he has a strong grasp of the key elements within strategic data management, and he's happy to share his cross-industry viewpoints on using data and analytics to transform organisations.

Cameron Lawson
Services Manager, Selerity

Cameron has worked with SAS software for over 20 years and during that time, has worked extensively in making SAS play nice with others and integrating SAS into modern software chains.  Cameron is currently the Services Manager with Selerity, a leading Australian SAS Partner providing administration, hosting and other managed services to Australian and International clients.  When he is not making SAS do interesting things he can be found online destroying you in some game or making loud squalling feedback noises from weirdly tuned guitars. 

Nick Cater
NZ Data & AI Specialist for Public Sector and Health, Microsoft

Nick has over 20 years' experience helping organisations realise the true value of data in both public and commercial environments. As the Data and AI specialist for Public Sector and Health he helps organisations evaluate their business requirements, develop solutions that meet their needs, remove roadblocks to deployment, and drive customer satisfaction by delivering real business value.

Andrew Rae
Manager, Sector Analysis & Modelling, Ministry of Justice

Andrew is an experienced analytics manger with more than ten years managing Government Sector analytics teams. Andrew began his career applying operations research techniques to investment models in Telecom before stumbling into advanced analytics as part of a Customer Analytics team at ACC. More recently Andrew’s teams at the Ministry of Justice have been heavily involved in the Investment and Wellbeing approaches, and his current focus is supporting the Justice Sector leaders to understand impacts and deliver better services. Andrew can no longer remember how to code, struggles with helping his kids with their maths homework and has an obscene collection of strategy board games.

Rebecca Parish
Manager, Analytics & Insights, Ministry of Justice

Rebecca started out as a geologist in the outback of Australia where she quickly learnt the importance of quality data and analysis to inform decision making. For the last 15 years she has led government geospatial and analytics teams in the natural resources, transport, education and justice sectors.  Rebecca loves the challenge of understanding how a system works and supporting her analysts to grow their capabilities and share the insights they uncover in a way that Senior Leaders can understand and use. In her role at Justice she has the privilege of working with a talented and fun team who support both the Ministry, the Judiciary and the wider Justice Sector. When she is not at work she has enjoys time with her partner Ben, their four boys, two dogs and two cats (never a dull or quiet moment!)

Jimmy Kerr
Launch Lead, NZ, Microsoft

Jimmy is responsible for planning, owning and leading Microsoft’s business strategy to support the delivery of Microsoft's hyperscale region (New Zealand North). He brings extensive experience as a senior leader from across both corporate and public sectors. His leadership approach was developed and honed over several years in complex, politically sensitive and highly charged environments whilst working for the NZDF and United Nations. He's also the ANZ co-lead for Military @ Microsoft with the primary purpose to support veterans into technology pathways to address skill shortages.

Grant Beets
Alliances and Channel Manager (NZ), SAS

Grant has worked in the SAS New Zealand business for a number of years, leading the Alliance and Channel engagements with SAS Partners. Whether its partners reselling licenses, consultancies providing services to the SAS business, or building a market offer based on leading SAS technology, Grant has a passion to see partners succeed and customers grow. SAS Partners include the large system integrators, SAS skilled consultancies and of course – Microsoft, our strategic cloud partner for SAS deployments.