In 2008 there will be a panel of two who will make the final selections of NZ content for entry into the 2008 Worldwide Award process.
Jan Bieringa
Jan Bieringa works independently as a creative producer in both new media and with feature documentaries. The opportunity to work across both sectors is immensely satisfying & provides the best of both worlds.
Jan has primarily worked in and around the cultural sector and during the 90s, she was Programme Director at Creative New Zealand, responsible for programming and funding short film, documentary and new media. Jan, with a small dedicated team, set up and ran (e)-vision Digital Media Centre for Communication Art and Technology in the late '90s. From (e)-vision came her engagement with WSA in '03 and she is now working with both New Zealand & the Pacific to ensure submissions from both regions are available. She is involved with a WSA Roadshow to Rarotonga to the PacInet conference in September. Simultaneously she is working to realise a Digital Content Showcase in 2009 in NZ.
The WSA Roadshow will provide the central component to this extended event and will seek to engage with a broad cross-sector audience with the aim of showcasing new media practice outside the parameters of the ICT world. The philosophy of the WSA makes it the perfect vehicle to encourage and demonstrate digital content in the fullest sense.
She is currently the programme co-ordinater for the 7X7 ideas forum. A forum for people ambitious for what the world might be and New Zealand's role in this framework.
Peter Macaulay
Peter is passionate about the ability of the Internet to enhance many aspects of peoples' lives, and works to make it happen. Currently on a six month assignment as Outreach Director for the Ministry of Health's Connected Health Community. Making the Digital Strategy work seemed a natural thing to do and Peter became the Programme Manager on August 15, 2005. Immediately before that, since January 2003, Peter was Executive Director of InternetNZ - The Internet Society. To continue his commitment to InternetNZ Peter has been elected onto the InternetNZ council. He is also Chief Executive and Founder of The Number One IT Group Ltd.
Moving from aircraft engineering into the Computer Services division of Air New Zealand Peter became an analyst programmer in 1972. This technical background is the foundation on which he has superimposed management, sales and marketing skills. Generalization has allowed Peter to work internationally in roles as diverse as developer of operating system components, through to CIO of one of the world's largest electronics distributors.
Peter has a strong interest in intellectual property, and was a founder of the NZ Business Software alliance. To emphasize a commitment to the industry Peter served on the board of ITANZ - The Information Technology Association, and was elected president for a two year term in 1998.
Janet Mazenier
Janet Mazenier is responsible for strategy and development for NZ-owned company Catalyst IT Ltd. She has a background as a business-focused multi-disciplinary consultant and has been the Programme Manager for NZ's Digital Strategy. She provides consultancy services to clients such as Ministry of Economic Development (establishment of the $340m Broadband Investment Fund) and the State Services Commission (state sector wide ICT capability development). In her role at Catalyst Janet advocates throughout NZ for market adoption of open source software.
Janet is passionate about digital technology and communications, the productivity and capability development opportunities ICT offers society, business and young people. She is a strong communicator and leader who is often engaged by organizations to present on topics as diverse as broadband investment, open source and NZ's digital future.
Previous to her recent experience in consulting to the state sector and her work at Catalyst, Janet worked as a senior Project Director/Programme Manager at TelecomNZ for a number of years, and was responsible for a number of large change programmes including Project PROBE1, billing systems replacements and the establishment of a new Telecom-wide supply chain organization. She is experienced in the development of public-private sector partnerships building on her extensive ICT programme, sales and business development expertise and the drive to deploy broadband access via fibre throughout NZ. Janet has worked in the public and private sector for organizations such as Lucent Technologies, IBM, Unisys, TranzRail, RogenSI and the Education Review Office.
Janet actively participates in a wide range of industry forums and is also a practicing artist. She provides mentoring and guidance to young people including the founders of start-up social innovation media company yMedia and is a trustee of the 'Shine' Trust - which has been established to assist people achieve their potential via mentoring and support. Janet and her border collie Eva are volunteers with the Canine Pet Therapy organization and regularly visit hospices, resthomes and hospitals.