The Worthies NZ Conference and Awards is proud to be guided by two exceptional Honorary Co-Chairs — respected leaders from both the agency world and the public sector. Their deep commitment to our mission and their passion for elevating public impact work make them invaluable champions of The Worthies. Nick McFarlane, Creative Lead at Clems Shop, and Tim Aitken, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at Auckland Council.
Their appointment builds a vital bridge between agency innovation and public service where creativity meets complexity, and ideas create measurable change.
Serving in an advisory capacity, our Co-Chairs offer strategic counsel to the Founders and act as trusted bridges to our stakeholder communities. Their insights help shape our direction, ensuring The Worthies remains bold, inclusive, and future-focused.
Together, they uphold our commitment to innovation and excellence across public sector marketing, communications, engagement, advertising, and public affairs. With their support, we’re building a thriving community that celebrates achievement, fosters collaboration, and inspires the next generation of marcomms practitioners and creative changemakers.
Creative Lead, Clems Shop
Honorary Co-Chair
Nick McFarlane
Nick McFarlane is a creative force with a mission: to tell the stories that drive positive change at scale. A veteran of the industry, he's bridged the gap between creative and design at many agencies within the Clemenger Group, including Raydar, Proximity NZ, Clems Shop and Colenso BBDO.
Nick is also the co-founder of Podium — a Web3 startup fusing sport, performance data, and storytelling — and a prolific creator beyond the 9-to-5. He writes books, makes art, curates exhibitions, and occasionally lectures at universities. His published works include Hunting the Killer Idea, a razor-sharp guide to cracking big ideas; Spinfluence, a satirical take on propaganda that led (somehow) to designing a Prodigy album cover; and Monumental, an illustrated fable-meets-philosophy exploration of civilisation itself.
As Honorary Co-Chair of The Worthies, Nick brings bold thinking and a deep belief in the power of storytelling to lift the wellbeing of Aotearoa New Zealand.
“To achieve that, we must get better at telling the stories that create positive change at scale. The conference enables agencies and public sector practitioners to connect and shine a light on the most effective work — the initiatives and ideas that make a worthwhile difference. The awards create a powerful feedback loop: celebrating progress fuels more progress.”
Driven by the creative chase, Nick helps shape The Worthies into a platform that inspires, connects, and champions the work that truly matters.
Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, Auckland Council
Honorary Co-Chair
Tim Aitken
Tim Aitken is the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at Auckland Council, where he leads teams across marketing, communications, and brand to promote the breadth of services, products, and plans delivered for Aucklanders. His career spans more than a decade in senior roles at TVNZ, including as Group Marketing Manager, where he was responsible for marketing the network’s consumer brands.
Tim brings a deep respect and affection for the public sector and all who work within it.
As he puts it:
“We’re all trying to do ‘good’ by doing big, difficult things to make a real difference in people’s lives. They’re sometimes knotty and always worthy challenges, so when we get it right we should take a moment to recognise and enjoy that. Sharing our knowledge, successes and near-misses as a sector is how we’ll all learn, support and get better together.”
As Honorary Co-Chair of The Worthies, Tim offers invaluable insight and guidance, helping shape a platform that celebrates excellence, fosters collaboration, and champions the power of public impact communications.
Our Founders have been working in Film/TV, Conferences, Marketing, Communications and Events for over 30 years across Europe, Africa, SE Asia, and Australasia.
During the last 20 years they have been delivering the Promax Entertainment Marketing Conference and Awards.
They recognised that excellence in the public sector marketing, communications, advertising, PR, engagement, and creativity could be better supported, so they decided to establish The Worthies.
The choice of brand was important, ‘what you do matters, changing behaviours for public good is damned hard and requires resilience, confidence and creativity in an environment where every dollar matter’s,’ Paul Bowden.
By learning from the best and supporting each other, The Worthies Conference and Awards help you deliver more effective work and society benefits, that’s worthy.
Commercial Director
Paul Bowden
Paul is an accomplished senior leader with extensive experience across Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Public Affairs, and Sales. He has worked in both private and public sectors across the UK, Europe, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, bringing a global perspective to every challenge.
Over the past seven years, Paul has served in Local Government in Aotearoa New Zealand, driving meaningful change in one of the country’s most deprived communities. His work reflects a deep commitment to social impact and strategic transformation.
Paul is passionate about understanding audiences—whether B2B, B2C, or B2G—and uncovering the thoughts and emotions that shape behaviour. He excels at crafting compelling strategies that resonate deeply and deliver measurable results.
Executive Producer Events
Vanessa Sheldrick
Vanessa began her career in film and television, producing the award-winning feature film Snakeskin, which won Best Film at the 2001 New Zealand Film Awards. Her production credits also include two acclaimed short films with cult followings, notably Venus Blue, which was selected for the Sundance Film Festival in 1999.
She also held key roles in large-scale international productions, including work as a 3rd Assistant Director on iconic television series such as Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, along with contributions to various co-productions and documentary projects.
Global Events Leadership
For over 21 years, Vanessa has served as Event Director for Promax ANZ and Promax Africa, spearheading industry-leading conferences and award shows that celebrate excellence in entertainment marketing, creativity, and design. Her expertise helped establish Promax as a premier event brand in South Africa .
Vanessa also spent five years as Event Director for Promax Europe, where she played a key role in strengthening the brand’s presence and expanding its influence throughout the continent.
With a unique blend of production insight and strategic event direction, Vanessa continues to shape the way creative industries connect, celebrate, and grow.