Meet the 2025 Biosecurity Excellence Symposium Speakers
Dr Beccy Ganley
Plant & Food Research - Science Group Leader + Co-Chair
Dr Ganley's research has dealt with understanding and finding solutions to diseases that are problematic for commercially produced, urban and native trees.
Most recently, she has been intensively involved in the incursion response to myrtle rust and research for long-term management.
Carlton Bidois
Tauranga Moana Biosecurity Capital - Co-Chair
Carlton has an extensive background of iwi and hapū representation across a diverse range of institutions. He brings a wealth of cultural knowledge to the table as a mediator and negotiator of national and regional issues on behalf of Māoridom.
Specialising in environmental management, with an intimate knowledge of the Kaimai forest range and its conservation concerns, Carlton has been an iwi representative to the Department of Conservation (DOC) for 15 years, gaining the confidence of iwi and hapū to speak on high level conservation issues.
Carlton is a founding member and current chair of Manaaki Te Awanui Environmental Research and Development Trust, which conducts major cross-cultural research and restoration projects in the Tauranga Harbour and surrounding catchments.
Matire Duncan
Tauranga Moana Biosecurity Capital - Māori Caucus
Matire Duncan, is a respected Māori leader, strategist, and advocate for tangata whenua representation. She works alongside iwi, hapū, and Māori land trusts, weaving Te Ao Māori values into governance, environmental protection, and housing development. Matire has been instrumental in advancing kaupapa such as Māori wards, papakāinga housing, cultural heritage, and biosecurity. She is deeply committed to kaitiakitanga, whanaungatanga, and ensuring Māori voices are heard where it matters most. Please welcome Matire Duncan.
Mike Inglis
Commissioner, North, Biosecurity New Zealand
Mike Inglis moved from Scotland to New Zealand in 2014 after two decades with the Scottish Prison Service, where he held senior leadership roles including Governor in Charge and Assistant Director of Prisons HQ.
He went on to become the first Director of Kohuora Auckland South Corrections Facility before joining MPI in 2019 as Northern Regional Commissioner for Biosecurity New Zealand.
Today, Mike oversees border clearance services, the national Detector Dog Programme, and major projects such as the new Auckland Processing Centre. He is passionate about collaboration, safety, and protecting New Zealand’s primary industries from invasive pests and diseases.
Chris Battershill
University of Waikato
Chris Battershill led Marine Bioresources/Biodiversity teams at the Australian Institute of Marine Science, for 12 years. His MSc was in environmental toxicology; PhD in reef ecology at Auckland University; then a 3 year National Cancer Institute (US) Fellowship in medicinal biodiscovery. He is now Toihuarewa-Takutai, inaugural Professorial of Coastal Science, University of Waikato, Tauranga.
Mark Whitworth
Port of Tauranga
Mark has been with the Port of Tauranga for 14 years and has a background of 12 years
in the stevedoring management and managing vessel operations and planning.
Previous to this, he had 5 plus years in the meat industry in planning and logistics.
With an extensive background in Exporting and Logistics, Mark's role as Cargo Services
Manager sees him interacting with exporters and importers on a daily basis as well as overseeing on-port logistics and movement of cargo.
His role also interacts with on port service providers to manage the cargo movements to and from the vessels with a strong focus on Health and Safety of all port workers. Mark enjoys the challenge of finding
solutions to exporter’s problems that enhance the logistics supply chain, minimize cost and maximize efficiency and service.
Andrew Cridge
Molecular Entomologist, Ecology & Environment, Scion
Andrew Cridge is a molecular entomologist with experience in biosecurity, biocontrol, insect genomics and genome evolution. His research focuses on developing integrated and sustainable solutions to detect and manage invasive insects in New Zealand’s native and productive ecosystems. He is currently research centres on developing novel eDNA sampling and detection methods to improve terrestrial biosecurity monitoring. Andrew joined Scion in December 2020 as the Research Portfolio Leader for “Trees for High Volume Wood Products”. Before moving to Rotorua, he was a Research Fellow at the University of Otago. He is a graduate of Lincoln University (BSc (Hons)) and Otago University (PhD).
Courtney Kuralas
Deep Division Dive
Courtney and Motootua (Tua) Karalus are the husband-and-wife team behind Deep Dive Division Limited, a New Zealand leader in marine technology, underwater innovation, and regenerative ocean solutions. Together, they bring a rare balance of expertise — pairing world-class underwater experience with business acumen and strategic leadership — to drive meaningful impact for Aotearoa’s freshwater and marine environments.
With more than 20 years of commercial diving and marine engineering experience, Tua Karalus has become a pioneering Pasifika entrepreneur at the forefront of high-stakes underwater operations and ocean innovation. His career spans complex maritime salvage (MV Rena), sustainable offshore aquaculture research, and even serving as Health & Safety Dive Supervisor for James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water. Today, Tua is advancing autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) surveying and developing regenerative reef structures (Peara), weaving together mātauranga Māori and cutting-edge engineering to restore marine ecosystems.
Courtney Karalus (Ngāti Hauā – Parata whakapapa) complements this technical expertise with a strong background in business, marketing, and strategic growth. After a decade at NZME as a Key Account Director, she joined Deep Dive Division in 2021 to strengthen its commercial resilience. Courtney leads the company’s strategy, brand positioning, and partnerships across its three verticals — services, products & technology, and education. Her vision ensures that Deep Dive Division’s pioneering work is not only scientifically and technically robust, but also sustainable, scalable, and impactful on a national and global stage.
Together, Courtney and Tua have built a business that embodies kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and whanaungatanga (collaboration), earning recognition such as the 2025 New Zealand Hi-Tech Māori Business of the Year Award. Their shared leadership reflects the power of blending whakapapa, Indigenous knowledge, entrepreneurial strategy, and practical expertise — offering audiences insights into how purpose-driven partnerships can shape the future of marine restoration, technology, and sustainable industries.
Jasmine Apaapa
Kia ora my name is Jasmine Apaapa, I am from Pirirakau Hapū in Tauranga Moana and have a passion for protecting Te Taiao. I work for Manaaki Te Awanui as the lead Kaitiaki of the Ngā Pāpaka Project - Asian Paddle Crab trapping program within the Tauranga Harbour and Ōhiwa Harbour.
Ian Greaves
Local Kiwifruit Grower
Hugely experienced across the kiwifruit industry as a grower, post-harvest operator and in governance roles.
Awarded for pastoral lifesaving work at industry, community and national levels
Started as a volunteer responder during kiwifruit Psa crisis morphed into 5-year role of suicide prevention and caring for the people
Ian is focussed on encouraging, supporting and empowering the next generations.
He operates as a Business mentor to a diverse range of individuals and start-ups.
Committed to assisting ‘Garden to Table’ a nationwide school-based programme teaching children to grow, harvest, prepare and eat healthy nutritious food.
Assisting for decades the development and funding of a Children’s Home in India along with establishing micro-enterprises and a coffee plantation to give people a hand up out of poverty.
Clare Rodgers
PiPs
Nina Henderson - PIPS Facilitator and the tamariki from the STEM class from Suzanne Aubert Catholic School have been mini biosecurity officers in the sentinel gardens at their Kura for the pass three years. Every week they explore the host plants to see if there are any invasive pests or pathogen’s on the plants. They will be sharing their experiences with you and how they feel being mini biosecurity officers and why they feel teaching tamariki at this age about biosecurity is important
Pete Thomson
CBO, Biosecurity New Zealand
Mr Pete Thomson is the Chief Biosecurity Officer for the Ministry for Primary Industries. He is responsible for the whole-of-system biosecurity strategy, oversight, assurance and GIA (the Government Industry Agreement). He has previously held roles leading development of animal and plant health import regulations, enabling plant and animal product exports, national surveillance, eradication, and long-term pest management programmes across plant, animal and marine sectors.
Dominic Hartnett
Surveillance Coordinator, SPS Biota
Dominic Hartnett, surveillance coordinator at SPS Biota working on surveillance of unwanted insect pests and plant diseases as part of Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) surveillance programmes such as high-risk site surveillance, BMSB surveillance and forest biosecurity surveillance (FBS) which is jointly funded by the FOA and MPI. SPS Biota also conducts trapping for wood and bark boring beetles for detection of unwanted forestry pests funded by the FOA.
Phil Taylor
Managing Director, Port Blakely
Phil Taylor is the Managing Director of Port Blakely’s New Zealand Forestry business. Phil leads the company’s operations throughout New Zealand. He is responsible for the strategic direction of Port Blakely’s forestry, essential oils, barge, and carbon operations.
Phil joined Port Blakely in 2006 after serving as CEO of City Forests Ltd, where he spent nearly three decades in progressively senior roles. With more than 45 years in the forestry sector, he brings deep experience across the full forestry value chain—from field operations to executive leadership, risk management, strategy and industry governance.
He currently serves on the board of the Forest Growers Levy Trust, and is a member of the Executive Council of the New Zealand Forest Owners Association, where he previously served as President. Phil has also previously served on the board for Scion Research until July 2025. He is a respected voice in national forestry strategy, climate resilience, and research investment.
Phil travelled to the Basque Country in Nov 2024 as part of a NZ delegation looking into forest health issues and in particular the impact of Lecanosticta acicola [Brown spot needle blight] on the Radiata pine resource in the region .
Phil holds a New Zealand Certificate in Forestry and a Bachelor of Forestry Science (First Class Honours) from the University of Canterbury. He has also completed executive study toward an MBA at the University of Otago. He is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry and was named NZIF Forester of the Year in 2013.