Auckland Trade and Economic Policy School 202
Wednesday 19 November
Waipapa Taumata Rau
University of Auckland
Resilience by Design
Future-Proofing Strategies Amid Tariffs, Trade Barriers, and Global Shifts
About ATEPS
Hosted by University of Auckland’s Public Policy Institute and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade the theme for #ATEPS2025 focuses on Resilience by Design – Future-Proofing Strategies Amid Tariffs, Trade Barriers, and Global Shifts.
This stimulating single stream, one-day conference presents a valuable opportunity to hear from leading experts on the latest international trade developments, to better understand the challenges and opportunities for New Zealand firms in rapidly evolving global markets, and to build cross-sectoral connections.
Panels
Geopolitics: Trade in a Redrawn World
Tariffs in Transition
Business Solutions in a Shifting Trade Landscape
Māori Business
ood Security and Sustainability
Connectivity and Innovation
Speakers
Keynote speeches from prominent international academics, experts, and business leaders, including:
Hon Todd McClay (Minister for Trade)
Hon Nicola Grigg (Minister of State for Trade)
Ambassador Lawrence Meredith (EU Delegation)
Professor Peter Draper (University of Adelaide)
Vangelis Vitalis (Deputy Secretary, MFAT)
Deborah Elms (Hinrich Foundation)
And more (details coming soon)
Join us for in-depth discussions on key trends shaping the future of regional and global trade; and insights on how New Zealand and Kiwi businesses can navigate international markets.
Wednesday 19 November 2025
8.30-9.15am
Welcome and Opening address
Dep PVC Māori, Michael Steedman, DVC Strategic Engagement, Prof Erik Lithander; Hon Todd McCLay (Minister for Trade)
9.15-10.30am
Panel: Trade in a Redrawn World
Navigating Political Volatility and Strategic Opportunity in a New Global Order
Vangelis Vitalis (MFAT), Ambassador Lawrence Meredith (EU Delegation), Hon Nicola Grigg (Minister of State for Trade and Investment)
Chair: Prof Jennifer Curtin (Waipapa Taumata Rau)
10.30-11am
Morning Tea
11am-12.30pm
Panel: Tariffs in Transition
From Temporary Tool to Long-Term Challenge: What Comes Next for Global Trade
Dr Deborah Elms (Hinrich Foundation), Prof Peter Draper (University of Adelaide)
Chair: TBC
12.30-1.15pm
Lunch
1.15-2.15pm
Panel: Business Solutions in a Shifting Trade Landscape
Real-World Strategies for Building Business Resilience in an Era of Trade Disruption
2.15-2.45pm
Afternoon Tea
2.45-3.45pm
Panel: Māori Business: Leveraging Kawa to Maximise Opportunities in a Disrupted World
How Māori Business are Adapting to a Shifting Global Landscape
3.45-4.45pm
Panel: Navigating Global Trade: Practical Insights from Government Experts
Actionable advice from real-world strategies from Government to help businesses succeed in international markets
4.45-5.15pm
Closing Address
5.30pm
Cocktail Reception
Speakers
Todd McClay is the Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Forestry, Minister for Hunting and Fishing, Minister for Trade, and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs. He has been the MP for Rotorua since 2008.
Todd held several Ministerial roles in the Fifth National Government with portfolios including Trade, State-Owned Enterprises and Revenue.
Todd has previously been a diplomat and was the Cook Islands and Niue Ambassador to the European Union. He has worked in business in Europe as well as government and public relations internationally.
Hon Todd McClay
MINISTER FOR TRADE
Hon Nicola Grigg
MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRADE
MINISTER FOR WOMEN
Nicola Grigg is the Minister of State for Trade, Minister for Women, and Associate Minister of Agriculture (Horticulture). Nicola has been the MP for Selwyn since 2020.
Nicola was born and raised on the family sheep and beef farm in Mt Somers, and studied at the New Zealand Broadcasting School, graduating with a Degree in Broadcast Communications and Diplomas in Television and Radio News.
Nicola has worked as a reporter and newsreader and was a press secretary for Sir Bill English during his tenure as Minister of Finance, and Prime Minister. Following that, Nicola worked with a wide range of agri-businesses in export marketing and business development.
Vangelis Vitalis is Deputy Secretary, Trade and Economic. He is New Zealand’s Chief Negotiator who led the conclusion of negotiations for the New Zealand European Union Free Trade Agreement (EUNZFTA), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) and the Malaysia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (MNZFTA). He was also a member of the negotiating teams for the New Zealand-China FTA and the P4 Agreement.
Vangelis was also the APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) Chair for New Zealand’s host year in 2021 which established the APEC Aotearoa Plan of Action(external link) – APEC’s programme of work for the coming two decades. Vangelis was also the CPTPP SOM Chair for New Zealand’s host year in 2023 which oversaw the accession of the United Kingdom and the establishment of the Auckland Principles which guide and inform the process for CPTPP members to consider accession requests.
Prior to taking up his role in Wellington in 2017, Vangelis was New Zealand’s Permanent Representative (Ambassador) to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva where he chaired the agriculture negotiations in a personal capacity. In this role he helped draft the text of the historic Nairobi WTO Ministerial Decision(external link) to eliminate agricultural export subsidies. Vangelis has also been New Zealand’s Ambassador to the European Union and NATO in Brussels and has had postings to Canberra and Moscow.
In his role as Deputy Secretary, Vangelis also had management oversight of the conclusion of negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the UK-NZ FTA, the FTA upgrades with China and ASEAN. In addition, Vangelis has helped design and implement the advancement of New Zealand’s strategy of concerted open plurilateralism, including through the conclusion and expansion of the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, the Agreement on Climate Change and Sustainable Development and the Indigenous Peoples’ Economic Cooperation and Trade Arrangement. Vangelis was also involved in the establishment and expansion of the Inclusive Trade Action Group and New Zealand’s membership of the Global Trade and Gender Arrangement.
Vangelis has worked outside the Ministry including in the Secretariat of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). He is a past member of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Future Council on Trade, is currently a member of the WEF International Trade and Investment Action Group and is also on the Steering Committee for the WEF Climate Trade Zero initiative. He has chaired in a personal capacity the OECD Committee on Trade and the Environment. the OECD Global Forum on Trade and Climate Change and is currently the New Zealand Envoy for the Small Advanced Economies’ Initiative.
A keen saltwater land-based fisherman, Vangelis is married with three children and speaks Greek, German and Russian. He is a longstanding (and suffering) supporter of the Wellington Phoenix Football Club.
Vangelis Vitalis
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE
DEPUTY SECRETARY TRADE AND ECONOMIC
Professor Jennifer Curtin
WAIPAPA TAUMATA RAU, UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND
Jennifer Curtin is a Professor of Politics and Public Policy in the School of Social Sciences. I am also Director of the Public Policy Institute in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Auckland (ppi.auckland.ac.nz (http://ppi.auckland.ac.nz). My research and publications focus on Australian and New Zealand politics and policy, gender, policy analysis and political leadership, and the politics of sport.
My research involves engagement with a range of government agencies, policy consultancies and non-profit organisations, and my publications appear in scholarly journals both internationally and in New Zealand, as books, editions, and peer reviewed reports. I regularly share my findings with community organisations and the media, both in New Zealand and Internationally.
I am currently leading externally funded projects on the following topics: Gender Responsive Budgeting in New Zealand; the Gendered Effects of COVID19; Gender and Political Leadership at the Subnational Level in Australia and Canada; as well as being a Principal Investigator on the New Zealand Election Study. You can find more of my policy-relevant research on the PPI-sponsored website Auckland Policy Commons (policycommons.ac.nz (http://policycommons.ac.nz), and our Gender Responsive Analysis and Budgeting website (www.grab-nz.ac.nz (http://grab-nz.ac.nz).
I teach comparative public policy, lesson drawing and the gender analysis in the Master of Public Policy, I have supervised more than 30 PhD and Masters theses to completion, and currently I am the PhD Adviser for Public Policy.
Dr Deborah Elms
HEAD OF TRADE POLICY, HINRICH FOUNDATION
Dr. Elms is Head of Trade Policy at the Hinrich Foundation in Singapore. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was the Executive Director and Founder of the Asian Trade Centre (ATC). She was also President of the Asia Business Trade Association (ABTA) and the Board Director of the Asian Trade Centre Foundation (ATCF).
Dr. Elms serves on the board of the Trade and Investment Negotiation Adviser (TINA) at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific (UNESCAP). She was on the International Advisory Council for APCO (2021-2023) and was a member of the International Technical Advisory Committee of the Global Trade Professionals Alliance and Chair of the Working Group on Trade Policy and Law. She was also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Trade and Investment Council for 2018-2020.
Prior to founding ATC/ATCF and the ABTA, she was head of the Temasek Foundation Centre for Trade & Negotiations (TFCTN) and Senior fellow of International Political Economy at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Dr. Elms received a PhD in political science from the University of Washington, an MA in International Relations from the University of Southern California, and bachelor’s degrees from Boston University.
She is the author of numerous articles, editor of several books, and regularly published the Talking Trade Blog. Dr. Elms also routinely appears on television and in major newspapers and magazines around the world to comment on trade and economic issues. Dr. Elms also makes frequent appearances at a range of global trade and economic workshops, conferences, capacity building sessions, and negotiations.
Our Sponsors
Contact Us
