Keynote Speaker

Dr Merrin specializes in connecting businesses with their environment, in particular the natural environment. He was raised on a New Zealand dairy farm and has a PhD in Geodesy (read expert in GPS Technology and Mapping).  His career has connected him with all the continents of the world, from surveying at the South Pole to nature conservation projects in the tropics. He has been recognised with the Award of Merit for his work on the International Border between Ethiopia and Eritrea, voted the best conference presentation at the NZ Institute of Surveyors annual conference. He is active in numerous business and sustainability committees and NGOs. Dr Merrin Pearse is a weekly guest on Hong Kong’s RTHK Radio 3 and he hosts a monthly community event called Green Drinks facilitating various speakers discussing social and environmental issues.

Main speaking themes are:

• Sustainability
  • including Urban Planning, Recycling and Waste Management
• Creativity with Purpose
  • Explores how people’s passions can be hidden within an organization, or
  • An inspirational personal story of my own journey from a land surveying career to being a sustainability strategist
• Systems Thinking inspired by nature
  • Highlights the effects of thinking in silos (either within organisations or within sectors of the community) while comparing an ecosystem approach to collaboration.

Through Dr Merrin’s surveying experiences he has witnessed the destruction of unique natural environments, which could have be avoided if more sustainable design and construction options had been adopted. These experiences have Inspired him on a journey of speaking to others about the beauty of nature and how we can all live and work in harmony with our natural environment. Dr Merrin is a realist bridging the gaps in sustainable development. He has lived in New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong and travelled extensively. His speaking engagements have been to groups such as Lawyers, Project Managers, Land Surveyors, Property Owners/Developers, NGO Leaders & Volunteers, Entrepreneurs and Students.

Notable Presentations have included

• Integrate 2016 Facility Management Conference on 5 May 2016 in Hong Kong. Presentation was titled:
  • “Creative Solutions for a Wasteful City – How can we stop the Rubbish?”
• BuildTech Yangon 2016 conference in Myanmar.  Presentations were titled:
  • “Sustainable Waste Management: Tips & Tricks on Waste Management for the Built Environment Sector” and
  • “Balancing Sound Architecture & Quality of Environment”.
• TEDxYouth at The Harbour School on 29 January 2016.  Titled “Creative Solutions for a Wasteful City”
• English Schools Foundation (ESF) Young Activists Conference on 13 January 2017. Titled “Why take Action? Can you Make A Difference?”
• Lantau Health & Wellness Expo 2017 on 6 May 2017. Titled “Small Actions Can Make A Difference ”
• Association of Project Management Hong Kong on 20 September 2016. Titled “Balancing Sound Architecture & Quality of Environment”
• NZIS Annual Conference on October 2013 in Dunedin, New Zealand.  Titled “Sustainable Development, An Environmental Geodesist’s perspective from Hong Kong”
• NZIS Annual Conference on October 2005 in Westport, New Zealand.  Titled “Mentoring your Master Surveyor”. (Voted best conference presentation)