Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Resources, Associate Minister of Finance, and Associate Minister for Energy.

Chair of Ngāi Tahu Farming since 2019 and currently Chair of Pegasus Health Charitable Limited, Lyttelton Port Company Limited and Quarry Capital Limited and leading Awarua Rūnaka interests in aquaculture in their takiwā.

As General Manager – Seafood for Ngāi Tahu Holdings, Aaron leads the commercial operations of Ngāi Tahu Seafood and has played a key leadership role in advancing strategic growth initiatives, including the development of the Hananui Aquaculture Project.

For the past nine years, he has led the Hananui Aquaculture Project. This has involved identifying the site, evaluating the site’s potential, managing technical experts and developing the applications for the RMA, COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020 and Fast-track Approvals Act 2024.

Divisional Manager, Trade Policy and Negotiations at MFAT. Sara is responsible for developing and advancing New Zealand's trade policy objectives across the multilateral, plurilateral, and bilateral trade agendas.

Chief Commercial Officer - Scale AQ Seabased. Rising from fish farm technician to CCO, he has held leadership roles across some of the sector's most prominent companies, including Marine Harvest, Nutrimar, and ScaleAQ.

Associate Professor Alexander Tups is a neuroscientist at the Centre for Neuroendocrinology at the University of Otago and Chief Scientific Officer of Aroma New Zealand and co-founder of a novel bioactivity testing facility for natural products, the Zealife Institute.

Chief Science Officer at Cawthron Institute, where she leads Cawthron's research and consultancy groups, including its Aquaculture Group, as well as Cawthron Laboratories

James has been Chief Executive of Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ) since March 2026. He previously served as Chief Executive of the Ministry for the Environment and the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.

General Manager of Te Aupouri Fisheries Management Ltd and an elected member of the Far North District Council (FNDC).

CEO of AKVA Digital, the software business unit of AKVA group that builds digital platforms for the global aquaculture industry.

Kura is a pioneering Māori marine shellfish ecologist. Her intergenerational, quantitative research methods deliberately prioritise mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) with restorative aquaculture.

Founders of The Kutai Guy, an award-winning, family-owned business producing premium smoked New Zealand green-lipped mussels.

Stephen is BNZ’s Head of Research and regarded as one of the leading economic and political spokespeople in New Zealand.

Chris Bishop is the Attorney-General, Minister of Housing, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Minister of Transport, and Associate Minister of Finance. He is the MP for Hutt South.

Melissa is a street-smart futurist and tech entrepreneur who helps leaders cut through noise, tackle change head-on, and build clear pathways to tomorrow.

Bioeconomy Science Institute

NMIT

Biosecurity New Zealand

Scale AQ

MPI

New Zealand King Salmon

Technolab

New Zealand King Salmon