Brent Smart

Chief Marketing Officer, Telstra

“The biggest risk for marketers is taking no creative risk.”

Brent Smart is the Chief Marketing Officer at Telstra, Australia’s largest telco and third most valuable brand. Previously, he was CMO at insurance giant IAG, where he led the creative transformation of the NRMA brand, taking it from the 36th strongest brand in Australia when he joined to 5th, and picking up over 100 major creative awards along the way.

He spent 20 years in the agency business, leading NZ Agency of the Decade Colenso BBDO and serving as CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi New York, where he worked on iconic American brands such as Cheerios, Tide, and Walmart.

Chelsea Winstanley

Filmmaker, This Too Shall Pass Ltd. 

"Story Sovereignty and creating and curating audiences - creatively"

An Oscar® nominated producer and award-winning filmmaker with over two decades of experience across multiple genres as a producer, writer, and director.

As a p.g.a. producer on Jojo Rabbit, she became the first Indigenous female Oscar® nominee for Best Picture. She also produced Night Raiders, the first Canadian/NZ Indigenous co-production, and the acclaimed documentary Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen, now on Netflix.

Under Matewa Media, Chelsea produced the first-ever Disney reo Māori film, Moana Reo Māori, and has since reimagined six films. In 2024, Matewa Media became the first Indigenous company to release a Disney film in an Indigenous language alongside its English version.

She co-produced What We Do in the Shadows, now an FX series, and has had multiple films premiere at Cannes. As a director, she contributed to Waru and is in post-production on her documentary debut, Toi Tū Toi Ora Toitū!

Through her company This Too Shall Pass, she develops new projects while advocating for Indigenous storytelling and independent distribution. A member of multiple industry organisations, Chelsea was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2022.

She is of Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāi Te Rangi descent through her mother and Pākehā through her father.

Kevin Chesters

Founder/MD, Kevin Chesters Consulting - Why Creativity is vital in work (and how to get more of it)

Kevin Chesters has 30 years of experience leading strategy on both agency and client sides. He has served as CSO at W+K London, Dentsu mcgarrybowen, and Ogilvy, as well as Head of Strategy at BT.

A prolific industry commentator, trainer, and lecturer at six UK universities, he specialises in creativity and storytelling. His first book, The Creative Nudge, was an Amazon bestseller.

Kevin now runs his own strategic consultancy, working with a select group of clients.

Samira Ansari

Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy New York

An award-winning creative leader, Samira has shaped global campaigns for Fortune 500 brands. Her work on Michelob Ultra’s McEnroe vs McEnroe won a 2023 Emmy Sports Award and the only Cannes Gold Lion in Innovation in 2022. Recognised on Adweek’s Creative 100 list, she was also North America’s most awarded ECD at The One Show in 2021.

Samira has led major campaigns, including Michelob Ultra Courtside with the NBA, Mike’s Hard Lemonade’s South American launch, and groundbreaking work for U by Kotex. Her accolades span The One Show, Cannes Lions, D&AD, Effies, Clios, and ADC Awards.

Appointed CCO of Ogilvy New York in 2023, she helped the agency rank No. 3 globally at Cannes 2024. Her leadership contributed to Ogilvy’s Network of the Year win and Coca-Cola’s first Grand Prix in a decade, cementing the agency’s historic No. 1 ranking on WARC’s Creative 100 and Effective 100 lists.