Kara Smith
Kara is passionate about people, their potential and what is possible. Starting her recruitment career over 16 years ago, she has helped kickstart and accelerate hundreds of careers for tech candidates, as well as built and nurtured growing teams within some of Auckland’s biggest businesses.
As Managing Director of Talent Auckland for six years now, her vision of creating a space where team members are encouraged to learn and grow in their roles, and can bring their most authentic selves to work, is one of the reasons why Talent is a Gallup Exceptional Workplace award winner four years running. Kara is a huge advocate for providing great experiences for both candidates and clients alike, and in 2021 Talent New Zealand was awarded the SEEK SARA award for Large Recruitment Agency of the year.
She recognises that she has been fortunate to work with great leaders and mentors which has enabled her to overcome challenges and barriers. As a result, Kara is particularly passionate about supporting aspiring women leaders and encouraging Māori and Pasifika talent in both the recruitment and technology industries.
When Kara is not working, she’s balancing motherhood and therefore you’ll normally find her with whānau and running after her two children.
Sean Walters
With over 20 years in recruitment, Sean Walters has seen it all, forgotten most of it, and written about the rest. He began his career in-house with one of the UK’s most successful telco groups before moving to New Zealand, where he now heads up Rice & Co, is co-founder of recruitment disruptor JOYN, and is a driving force behind superHUMAN software.
He’s also the slightly dangerous mind behind “The Whiteboard” - New Zealand’s most controversial and widely read recruitment blog. Equal parts industry soapbox and recruiter confessional, it’s known for calling BS on the nonsense, buzzwords, and bravado that plague the profession.
Sean has spent the past 15 years in candid conversation with the country’s recruitment leaders. That front-row seat has given him a privileged (and often eyebrow-raising) view of where the industry’s been, where it’s at, and where it’s probably headed next.
Panel Session
Main Stage - 3:45pm - 4:25pm
The Future of Recruitment
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