Today is about celebrating the people who have taken part in the Smart Seeds Programme, bringing fresh perspectives, challenging the status quo and having the courage to explore what is possible for Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau. 

We are excited to see where their ideas, commitment and energy takes us next.

Meet the teams tackling real-world challenges

Meet the judges

We are delighted to introduce our exceptional panel of Smart Seeds Judges, bringing together some of the region’s most respected leaders and decision-makers. They bring a wealth of expertise to the room as they consider the ideas, ambition and potential on display today. 

Carrie Hurihianganui
Chief Executive Officer, Auckland Airport

With 25 years of leadership and operational experience in the aviation industry, Carrie previously held senior roles at Air New Zealand, including Chief Operating Officer. She left the airline in 2017 to join National Australia Bank (NAB) based in Melbourne as Executive General Manager Customer Experience before returning in 2018 to the Chief Ground Operations Officer role, transitioning into the Chief Operations Officer role in 2020.

Andrew Jackson
New Zealand Pacific General Manager, GHD

Andrew has more than 25 years of experience with GHD, having previously served as Operations Manager for South Australia. He has held senior leadership roles across operations, governance, project delivery and business growth.

Grant Kemble
Chief Executive Office, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Rawa

Formerly Chief Risk Officer at Heartland Bank, Grant has than 30 years of experience and expertise across a wide range of strategic and operational environments. Grant was also previously CEO at Perpetual Guardian and a partner at Russell McVeagh where he worked in Corporate Law for more than 20 years. 

Phil Wilson
Chief Executive Officer, Auckland Council

Phil joined Auckland Council in 2010 as Chief of Staff in the Mayoral Office and was appointed Director Governance and CCO Partnerships in 2015. He previously held senior leadership roles at Manukau City Council, served as a board member and chair of Taituarā (Local Government Professionals Aotearoa), and was Acting Group Recovery Manager during Auckland’s response to the 2023 floods and Cyclone Gabrielle.

Live illustration

Interactionz helps individuals, organisations and businesses to picture the future they want and find their pathway forward. 

Let’s all get on the same page! Watch your ideas transform into a dynamic visual illustration live at the Smart Seeds Showcase.

Smart Seeds is a dynamic innovation programme run by GHD in collaboration with industry clients and partners. This programme brings the next generation of leaders together to tackle the challenges facing our communities. 

Participants from multiple organisations develop valuable skills to empathise, re-frame problems, pitch ideas and influence positive change.