Resilient HR: Mastering Wellbeing & Communication in High-Stakes Moments

Presenter Details

Rajna Bogdanovic

Rajna is an internationally recognised Clinical and Organisational Psychologist with almost two decades of experience which spans frontline, professional services and wider corporate contexts. Her career is distinguished by her work with war crime victims and witnesses from within various United Nations Criminal Tribunals, as well as her time in Bosnia, where she helped those affected by war to heal and rebuild. She also served as a police psychologist within Victoria Police in Melbourne where she was the managing psychologist for the critical incident response (CIRT) team, water police and search and rescue squads and as a senior psychologist and manager within the Melbourne Fire Service, showcasing her ability to navigate and lead in high-stress environments and support those in critical roles. Additionally, her role as a psychology, policing and criminology lecturer has allowed her to impart her extensive knowledge to the next generation of professionals. Rajna's passion for supporting individuals in high-stakes environments led her to establish Optimally, recognising a critical gap in specialist mental health services within New Zealand’s professional services sector.

Seini O'Connor

Seini is an experienced researcher, clinician, lecturer, and leader with a wealth of international experience spanning corporate, academic, NGO, and health fields. Her early career in economic policy consulting gave her a strong grounding in the intersection of law and economics as well as experience navigating cross-cultural organisational dynamics. As a psychologist, her research and clinical interests have spanned the mental health spectrum from working with survivors of significant trauma to identifying pathways to resilience and positive self-development. Having worked among high-performers in various career fields, she has a strong interest in the ways in which diverse individuals manage to thrive in the face of intense pressure, and the roles that groups, organisations, and the wider social context play in impacting individual wellbeing. At Optimally, she enjoys the opportunity to work at both these levels - directly supporting individuals navigating a range of life challenges, as well as contributing to increased awareness and systemic change that can bring the benefits of increased well being to a wider population.

Sponsor Details

Optimally

Thank you to Optimally for sponsoring this event

Optimally is a specialist wellbeing firm combining clinical psychology, coaching, neuroscience, and functional health to deliver high-impact, precision-first solutions for professionals and leaders in high-pressure environments. We partner with organisations to create psychologically safe, sustainable, high-performing cultures through tailored services - ranging from executive mental health check-ins and leadership coaching to training and functional health support. With a focus on commercial outcomes, human connection, and measurable impact, Optimally helps businesses reduce burnout, improve engagement, and future-proof their people strategies.

Tonkin & Taylor Ltd

Thanks to Tonkin+Taylor for providing the venue

With locations across New Zealand and Australia, project offices in the Asia-Pacific region, and global connections with consultancies through the Inogen Alliance, Tonkin + Taylor Group is committed to creating sustainable outcomes that benefit their clients, communities, and the environment.