Keynote Speakers
Judge Andrew Becroft
His Honour Judge Andrew Becroft was appointed Principal Youth Court Judge of New Zealand in June 2001.
Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and educated at Rongotai College, Wellington, Judge Becroft graduated from Auckland University in 1981 with a BA/LLB (Hons) degree. He practised in Auckland with the firm Fortune Manning & Partners. In 1986 he assisted with the establishment of the Mangere Community Law Centre and worked there as the Centre's senior solicitor until 1993.
He then worked as a criminal barrister in South Auckland until his appointment to the Wanganui District Court in 1996. Judge Becroft is a former council member of the Auckland District Law Society and the
New Zealand Law Society. He is a current editor of LexisNexis publication Transport Law.
Judge Becroft is currently the Patron of the New Zealand Speak Easy Association Inc., which assists those with various forms of speech impediment. He is also President of the NZ Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship.
Judge Becroft is married with three children and is a keen sports watcher. He is a strong advocate of youth issues.
Kindly supported by 
Peter Biggs
Peter Biggs is Managing Director of Clemenger BBDO in Melbourne, winner of the B&T Agency of the Year for Victoria in 2007 and 2008 and Campaign Brief Agency of the Year in 2008.
Before taking up his appointment in Melbourne in March 2006, he was Managing Director of Clemenger BBDO in Wellington, New Zealand. During his time at Clemenger BBDO/Wellington, the agency was New
Zealand Agency of the Year in 2002 and 2004, and he was chosen as Agency Chief Executive of the Year in 2003.
He is a member of the Board of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Chunky Move Dance Company and the Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas.
Peter has a first class honours degree in English Literature and Latin from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
He was chair of the Arts Council of New Zealand from 1999-2006 and, before moving to Australia, was a member of numerous private and public sector boards in New Zealand.
Peter was chosen as Wellingtonian of the Year in 2003. He is a soughtafter speaker on branding, marketing, creativity and leadership.
Mai Chen
Mai Chen is a founding partner of Chen Palmer, New Zealand Public Law Specialists, Barristers and Solicitors, Australasia's first public law specialist firm, which she co-founded in 1994.
Chen Palmer was voted best New Zealand Public Law Firm in the New Zealand Law Awards and runner-up in the best Boutique Law Firm category in 2007 and again in 2008. Mai has particular expertise in
constitutional and administrative law, judicial review, regulatory issues; public policy and legislative solutions.
Formerly a Senior Lecturer at Victoria University Law School, Mai sits on the Securities Commission. She is President of the Harvard Law School Alumni Association (New Zealand), and a member of the Asia New Zealand Foundation. Mai is an Associate Member of the New Zealand Advisory Board of Trade and Enterprise's Beachheads programme. Mai is Chair of the Inaugural Board of the Global Women Project, a member of the World Class New Zealand Network, and was a judge for the 2008 World Class New Zealand Awards. She was also a finalist in the Veuve Clicquot Award 2008 for the top New Zealand Businesswoman.
Mai has a First Class Law Honours degree from Otago University, a Masters degree from Harvard Law School, is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management, and an Honorary Associate of Auckland
University of Technology.
Kindly supported by 
Hon Peter Salmon
Hon Peter Salmon CNZM, QC, AAMINZ is Chair of the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance. Peter is a retired High Court Judge, who is currently an arbitrator and mediator, and sits on Pacific Island Courts of Appeal.
Prior to his appointment to the bench, he had extensive experience in Local Government, Environmental and Resource Management Law. He practised as a Barrister for 22 years and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1983.
He was a founding member and the first President of the Resource Management Law Association. Currently he is the General Editor of the Annotated Resource Management Act and he has completed, with two Commissioners, a review of the Draft National Policy Statement on Electricity Reticulation.
Kindly supported by 
