Dr Denise Quinlan is a Research Fellow at the University of Otago and lectures internationally on Positive Psychology. She contributes to the development of wellbeing in education and the workplace through her research, programme development and face-to-face consulting and training. Having trained and worked with leaders in positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, her PhD at the University of Otago focused on wellbeing interventions in the NZ context. Denise’s work in international banking and management consultancy with KPMG and Deloitte ensure her workplace wellbeing work reflects her understanding of corporate environments. Her work is published in international academic journals and edited volumes…

Dr Lucy Hone is a research associate at AUT University. As well as having her scientific research published in leading academic journals internationally, she writes for the Sunday Star Times and Psychology Today. Having been trained by the thought-leaders in the field at the University of Pennsylvania, she completed a PhD in public health at AUT. She now assists organisations – from leading law and aviation firms, to schools and health practitioners – to design and implement wellbeing initiatives creating sustained and meaningful change. The widespread respect for Lucy’s work is demonstrated by two large-scale projects she is currently running involving dozens of NZ schools, backed by Ministry of Education funding…

After working as a Social Worker with older children and adolescents in East London for several years Dr Emma Woodward decided that the only effective way to support children and young people with their mental health was to get in earlier and teach them the protective skills they needed in the first instance. So, in 2006 Emma changed careers and undertook her Doctorate in Child, Educational and Community Psychology at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. Emma now has over 20 years experience working with children, young people and their families to support their mental health and wellbeing. …

Reuben is acknowledged internationally for his expertise in extracting meaningful insights from large amounts of complex data. He has a PhD in positive psychology from the highly regarded University of Melbourne, and has had his research published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, the Psychology of Well-Being, and the Journal of Happiness Studies. Coming from a previous career as a professional engineer, he can understand and explain how wellbeing works in ways that make sense using down-to-earth language.Reuben is a great asset for NZIWR because he understands the complexities of measuring wellbeing. He’s also a first rate trainer, able to communicate helpful, scientifically-sound insights in a pragmatic, no-nonsense, and accessible way. An Honorary Fellow of the Centre for Positive Psychology at the University of Melbourne, where he has also lectured, Reuben is a reviewer for the Journal of Positive Psychologyand a member of the New Zealand Association of Positive Psychology since 2009.

Paul’s 15 years of youth-centred work began by running camps for marginalised kids and school retreats in Auckland. After completing a joint BA Social Science & BBus Management degree he began working for AUT, facilitating programmes in schools like the Prefect Training Programme. He was also able to develop and lead the MEN Programme (Males in Education Now), supporting year 10 boys to develop intrinsic engagement in their education journeys. Contributing to the foundation of Dilworth School’s Rural Campus was Paul’s introduction to teaching, as well as mentoring and pastoral care in a residential setting. He then went on to lead staff training and organisational change through the development of Dilworth’s Personal and Social Growth curriculum. Paul has a Diploma in Positive Psychology and Wellbeing from the Langley Group Institute in Australia and is currently enrolled in the Masters in Applied Positive Psychology at the University of Melbourne.

Kathryn studied at the University of Stirling and the University of Texas A&M, specialising in understanding Motivation at Work. She completed her first coaching qualification with the Oxford School of Coaching and has subsequently been audited by the Oxford School of Coaching for her EIA Accreditation in 2017. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. Kathryn began her working life as an HR Consultant in the corporate world specialising in learning & development, understanding engagement, and designing career success for the Bank of Scotland, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Andersen’s. Since 2006, she has been a full-time coach designing solutions to strengthen the confidence of people managers, supporting professionals in achieving career goals and encouraging employees to search for excellence. Being selected as one of just five Australasian coaches to support Christchurch’s rebuild provided the ideal opportunity for Kathryn to combine her expertise in practical people management with the latest academic research about resilience, leading to her new book, Resilience at Work: Practical Tools for Career Success (2018).

An experienced teacher (with over 15 years working with adolescents and their families both here and internationally), Adrienne has a Diploma in Positive Psychology and Wellbeing from the Langley Group Institute in Australia. Faced with the increasing challenge of helping young people navigate the 21^stcentury, Adrienne found that best practice teaching needs to be complemented and enhanced by research-informed strategies for wellbeing to enable optimal performance. A curriculum leader in two schools and, with the last 7 years spent in pastoral care focusing on behaviour management, student wellbeing and supporting staff, her deep knowledge of school context and the NZ curriculum, as well as wellbeing and resilience, are key assets for our team. Adrienne graduated from Trent University (Canada) in 2003 with a BA (Hons) in Psychology and English Literature. She attended Christchurch College of Education (New Zealand) which led to her first teaching job at Otago Boys’ High School. Subsequently, Adrienne taught Psychology at Ravens Wood School (United Kingdom), Drama at The English Academy (Kuwait) and English at Kavanagh College (New Zealand) before returning to ‘the castle on the hill’ to learn about pastoral care and wellbeing.