The Business of Trust: Reputation, Risk and Corporate Credibility

On Wednesday 19 August 2026, the Asia Pacific Region (APRX) IDEA Exchange 2026, co-hosted by AUT, the University of Sydney and the University of Auckland, was held as an online panel bringing together business leaders, academics and honour society alumni from across the Asia Pacific region.

Trust as a business asset

In an era of misinformation, social media scrutiny and heightened stakeholder expectations, credibility can be lost in moments and take years to rebuild. The session examined trust as a strategic business asset rather than a soft concept.

What the panel explored

• How organisations build, lose and rebuild credibility
• How organisations manage reputation and respond to crises
• Maintaining trust with customers, employees, regulators and investors
• The leadership behaviours and governance practices that protect trust in high-stakes environments

Panellists

David Turner (Risk NZ)

David has been CEO of Risk NZ since 2018. A senior business executive and trusted advisor with more than 30 years’ experience in leadership and risk management, he is a former Australian Army specialist who has advised major organisations across government and the private sector. David specialises in human behaviour risk management.

Karen O’Leary (Russell McVeagh)

Karen is General Manager, People & Culture at Russell McVeagh, where she leads the firm’s people strategy across talent, leadership, learning and development, inclusion, employee experience and organisational performance.

Conor Roberts (Anthem New Zealand)

Conor is Executive Director of Anthem New Zealand and a seasoned corporate affairs and communications leader, with experience at organisations including One NZ, Suncorp, NZ Super Fund, Spark and Auckland Council. His expertise spans communications, external engagement and reputation management.

Dr Anna Young-Ferris (INNER TECHNOLOGY and University of Sydney Business School)

Anna is the founder of INNER TECHNOLOGY and Adjunct Faculty at the University of Sydney Business School. She is a twice UN-awarded responsible investment and sustainability leader with more than 20 years’ experience across investment, consulting and academia, and holds a PhD from the University of Sydney Business School.

MC and facilitator: Drew Franklin (University of Auckland Business School)

Drew is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Associate Dean External Engagement at the University of Auckland Business School. His research focuses on business-to-business marketing, strategy and relationship marketing, particularly trust and its repair.

Watch the recording

Missed it, or want to watch again? Watch the recording here: https://vimeo.com/1220865934

About the IDEA Exchange

The IDEA Exchange is our annual Asia Pacific panel series, sharing ideas and perspectives on the issues shaping business across the region. Thank you to our panellists, to AUT for hosting the webinar, and to everyone who joined us from across the region.