Paula Knaap
Deputy Chief Executive, Organisational Enablement
Ministry of Regulation
Paula Knaap is Deputy Chief Executive, Organisational Enablement at the Ministry for Regulation, where she leads a broad portfolio of corporate and operational services and serves as the Ministry’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Information Officer. Paula has played a pivotal role in building the Ministry from the ground up, embedding digital modernisation, AI enablement, and people-centred frameworks that drive high-performing, agile operations.
She brings senior leadership experience across a range of complex regulatory and social policy environments, including the Environmental Protection Authority, WorkSafe NZ, Ministry of Education, and Inland Revenue. Her career spans leading multi-disciplinary teams of up to 1,000 people and budgets of $60M, and representing New Zealand internationally in negotiations and intergovernmental agreements.
A qualified lawyer with a Master’s in Business from Henley Business School (UK), Paula is a Global Women Breakthrough Leaders alumna. She is passionate about enabling innovation and delivering enduring impact through shared values and inclusive leadership—ensuring technology transformation works for people and communities.
SESSIONS
Day 2
4.20
Panel: Making change management the engine of transformation
Why do so many technology projects fail at the adoption stage, and how can early investment in change management prevent that?
What does effective leadership buy-in look like in practice, and how can senior executives model the change they expect?
How can organisations engage users meaningfully to reduce resistance and turn employees into champions of new systems?
Paula Knaap, Deputy Chief Executive, Organisational Enablement, Ministry of Regulation
Andrea Conlan, Chief Operating Officer, NZ Police
Milica Zivanovic, Chief Information Officer, Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission
Anne Columbus, Chief People Officer, General Manager Corporate Services, Christchurch City Council