Speakers & Sessions

Day Two: Tuesday 14 November
9.30 am-10.30 am

Keynote Speaker

Shireen Chua, PhD (Candidate), MSc (Hons), MBA, ACC

Shireen Chua has spent the past 34 years living and working in New Zealand but goes to Asia regularly as her family is now based in Singapore and she has some work there.

Her personal experience of moving between the East and the West led her to explore how culture influences working and personal relationships and the challenges and opportunities that cultural diversity brings to teams and organisations. This led her to pursue further study in the area of Cultural Diversity in Organisations. Her MBA from Southern Cross University, Australia included a research project focusing on “Culture Matters: How NZ Organisations should develop Intercultural Competency”. She is about to complete her PhD looking at “Strategic Diversity Leadership of Culturally Diverse Organisations”.

After managing several multicultural teams, coaching professionals relocating to Asia and seeing the growing diversity in New Zealand, she set up Third Culture Solutions. Third Culture Solutions specialises in delivering transformative learning journeys (workshops and follow up coaching) and provides practical solutions for leaders, teams and organisations seeking thrive in today’s multicultural world. Workshops include Breaking Bias, Developing Intercultural Intelligence, Cross–cultural communication, Managing Culturally Diverse teams. , There is also growing work in the development of High Performing Intercultural Teams.

Shireen and her team of Associates work with small and large organisations across many sectors in New Zealand and beyond. Shireen is a Certified Professional Coach, gaining her ACC with the International Coach Federation and is also a Certified Intercultural Intelligence Trainer, Enhanced Conversational Intelligence Coach, and a CQ Trainer (Advanced) with Cultural Intelligence.

She has done a Tedx Talk in 2019. Her recent engagement was a keynote for Microsoft Australia/New Zealand in 2022. She has taught at Masters level at Massey University but has conducted workshops and learning journeys for organisations in business, local government and NGO group

Session Topic

Topic: Developing Intercultural Intelligence in Organisations: Practical Solutions for Cultural Diversity and Inclusion

In today’s globalised world, cultural diversity is becoming increasingly prevalent in organisations. However, the challenge lies in harnessing the potential of cultural diversity and developing inclusive practices that can lead to high-performing teams. Shireen Chua, Director of Third Culture Solutions Ltd, will be speaking on the importance of developing cultural intelligence and how it can contribute to the success of diverse teams. In this session, Shireen will draw upon her personal and professional experiences of managing multicultural teams and identifying factors that shape organisations’ ability to develop and grow cultural diversity. She will discuss the significance of cultural intelligence and how it can be developed through training and coaching.

The session will also highlight the use of the Cultural Intelligence (CQ) assessment tool and the Global DiSC in training and developing cultural intelligence. Shireen will share practical tips and strategies for developing cultural intelligence and overcoming unconscious biases to build inclusive and high-performing teams.

This session is ideal for leaders, managers, and HR professionals who are looking to build and develop culturally diverse teams, as well as individuals who are interested in enhancing their cultural intelligence. Attendees will gain insights into the importance of cultural intelligence, the benefits it can bring to organisations, and practical strategies for developing cultural intelligence.

Download Presentation

Theme: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

The “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” theme for the IIA NZ Conference 2023 challenges internal auditors to reflect on their past successes while embracing the need for innovation and adaptation in an everchanging business landscape. The conference theme serves as a powerful reminder that traditional methods and strategies that have led to success in the past may no longer be sufficient to navigate the complexities of the present and the future.

During this thought-provoking conference, attendees will explore how the role of internal auditors has evolved over time and how they must evolve with it. Speakers will share inspiring stories of organisations and professionals who have recognised the importance of continuous improvement and embraced transformative approaches to internal audit processes.

Participants will gain valuable insights into emerging trends and technologies shaping the internal audit profession. Workshops and interactive sessions will encourage attendees to challenge the status quo, identify opportunities for growth, and enhance their internal audit practices to drive maximum value for their organisations.

The “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” IIA NZ Conference 2023 theme is a call to action, urging internal auditors to be proactive change agents. By embracing innovation, adopting new methodologies, and enhancing their skillsets, internal auditors will be better equipped to lead their organisations through uncertainty and towards sustainable success.