Meet our team

Good relationships are the cornerstone of any successful event partnership – and that’s where our team come into their own. We’re enormously proud of our people: cheerful, unflappable, unfailingly courteous, they’re always willing to help in any way they can.

Your project team will be led by a senior conference or event manager, supported by a conference coordinator, backed by the expertise of our finance and operations teams and overseen by our managing director.

We work with an understudy system so that in every eventuality, there’s someone who can step in who knows your project inside out.

Jan Tonkin Managing Director Jan is the founder of The Conference Company and a leader in New Zealand's conference industry, with a long professional history in both New Zealand and the UK. Jan is on the Board of Conventions & Incentives New Zealand and is a member of the Council of IAPCO, the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers. She is a member of IAPCO's International Training Faculty, speaking regularly at overseas conferences and teaching in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East. Jan is also Chair of the IAPCO Membership Committee, part of the IAPCO Sustainability Working Group and Vice-Chair of the Training Academy. Jan is responsible for overseeing the service delivery of The Conference Company's team, budget monitoring, risk assessment and contingency planning. She holds a BA from the University of Auckland.
Miriam Wilkins Wellington Manager Born and bred Wellingtonian Miriam heads our team in the capital. She has been a key part of the company since 1990, managing numerous government, national and international conferences in Wellington and throughout New Zealand. She has also worked at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and in design and advertising. She holds an MA from the University of Victoria.
Margaret Brown South Island Manager Margaret has been a professional conference organiser for more than 20 years and is a prominent figure in Canterbury conference and event management. She brings to our Christchurch office unparalleled practical experience, connections and local and national knowledge. Previously employed at the University of Canterbury, Margaret is a specialist in the field of national and international academic and scientific conferences.
Margaret Tracey Financial Controller As the head of our finance team, Margaret oversees The Conference Company's rigorous financial management, planning and reporting processes. Her strong accountancy and business management background has seen her work around the world with organisations ranging from charities to leading corporations, including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Telecom New Zealand and World Vision. Margaret is an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ACA), one of the world's leading business and finance qualifications, and holds an MBA from the University of Otago.
James Brehaut Operations Manager James is responsible for the timely, accurate delivery of all our support services, including registration management, abstract and awards entry management, client reporting and on-site staffing. He manages the IT requirements of all our conferences and events, including websites and other communications, as well as those of our three offices. Prior to joining The Conference Company, James gained eight years' experience in business and operations management with multinational investment banks and legal firms overseas. He holds a BCom from the University of Victoria.
Connie Clarkson Marketing Communications Manager Food writer, broadcaster and veteran of the hospitality industry, Connie has spent the last 20 years creating and managing events and awards programmes, with a special focus on food and wine. She is the former chef and owner of The French Café, creator of Milly's Cooking Academy and the long-serving Chair of the Lewisham Awards, benchmark of the Auckland hospitality industry. A former senior account manager at Goode PR, she has a strong marketing and media background, including seven years marketing conventions and special events with Hyatt Regency Auckland. She holds a BA from the University of Auckland.
Stephen Noble Conference and Events Team Manager Stephen has been involved in organising conferences, corporate events and sporting tournaments both in New Zealand and overseas. Since joining The Conference Company, Stephen has managed a number of international conferences and is currently managing New Zealand, Australasian and international meetings ranging in size from 500 to 1500 participants. Stephen consistently receives accolades from event organisers for his proactive approach and his aptitude for dealing with the myriad of details calmly and without fuss.
Andi Fear-Ross Conference Manager Andi joined our Christchurch office with extensive international experience organising conferences, roadshows and corporate and non-profit events throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Her excellent people skills and multi-tasking abilities earn consistent praise from our clients, and ensure that even the most complicated of events are delivered to exacting standards. Andi holds a BSc from the University of Canterbury.
Leny Woolsey Conference Manager Leny's event management career began in London in 2005 after three years spent touring Europe as a professional actress and musician. Since settling in New Zealand she has managed a wide variety of projects including conferences, international sporting championships and corporate events. Leny holds a BSc from Edinburgh University and a BA in Acting and will shortly complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Auckland.
Nihal Fernandez Sponsorship & Exhibition Manager Nihal has a passion for sales and has spent several years securing sponsorship in the highly competitive conferencing market in Dubai. As well as sales, he was responsible for ongoing communication with sponsors, ensuring that they were more than satisfied with their investment and keen to be involved in future conferences. Nihal has delivered excellent sponsorship and exhibition sales results for our projects to date. He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in International Business and a BCom from the Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai.
Clare Kelly Awards Manager Clare is The Conference Company's awards programme specialist and has worked across a wide range of our events, conferences and awards. She oversees the coordination of entries, the judging process and ticket sales during the lead-up period. A background in archaeology has taught Clare to be infinitely patient and meticulously careful, and she brings to the table superior analytical and IT skills. She holds a BA from Trinity College, Dublin.
Claire Warin Communications Co-ordinator Claire joined The Conference Company from the world of television, having previously been the Lifestyle Online Editor of TV3's very busy 3News interactive website. As part of our communications team, Claire assists with implementing and driving all our electronic marketing and communications. Her brief includes website management, copywriting, media management and developing interactive social media initiatives. She holds a BA from the University of Auckland.