Speaking

I’ve always loved sharing my knowledge and experiences with others, but I didn’t always have the courage to step onto a stage. In 2023, I decided to face my fear of public speaking head-on, embracing the mantra “practice makes better”. Since then, I’ve jumped at every opportunity to talk about topics I’m passionate about, and it’s been an incredibly rewarding journey. Engaging with diverse minds at conferences and meetups has been especially fulfilling.

Below is a list of the talks, panels, and podcasts I’ve participated in, along with the invitation-only research gatherings I’ve taken part in.

If you’d like me to speak at your event, please feel free to get in touch. I’d love to connect!

Upcoming

• Keynote: Craft in the Time of Agents at Web Directions AI Engineer in Melbourne, Australia, on June 3-4, 2026

• Industry Panel on how AI is shaping the industry and how universities can reshape their teaching for better industry preparedness, organised by Software Innovation New Zealand at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, NZ (joining remotely), on June 22, 2026

• AI Adoption is a Deeply Personal Journey for Tech Leading Ladies remotely on June 23, 2026

• Keynote at Agentic Build Day in Auckland, NZ, on October 22, 2026

• Invited participant: Shonan Meeting 257 - Crafting the Future of Developer Experience hosted by NII at the Shonan Village Center in Shonan, Japan, on November 9-12, 2026

2026

Talks

• Guest speaker: Welcome to Explore-a-stan! for the engineering community at Air New Zealand in Auckland, NZ, on April 17

• The Specialisation Trap - Recording (requires IT Revolution login) - at IT Revolution Enterprise AI Summit in San Jose, California, USA, on April 10

• The Reshaping of Software Engineering in the Age of AI at Prompt Poets Society in Auckland, NZ, on February 17

Panels

• From Code to Capability: The New Role of Engineers, hosted by Deloitte at Techweek in Auckland (May 21) and Wellington (May 22), NZ

Gatherings

• Invited participant: Copenhagen Symposium on Human-Centered AI Adoption in Software Engineering, convened by Daniel Russo at Aalborg University Copenhagen in Copenhagen, Denmark, on May 6-8 - see the Copenhagen Manifesto

• Invited participant: The Future of Software Development Retreat hosted by Martin Fowler and Thoughtworks in Deer Valley, Utah, USA, on February 1-3 - reflections in Finding Comfort in the Uncertainty

2025

Talks

• Joint talk with Jason Vella: Software Engineering: The AI Reboot at JuniorDev Auckland Meet in Auckland, NZ, on August 6

• Opening keynote: The Duality of AI in Software Engineering at YOW! Tech Leaders Summit in Brisbane (June 17), Sydney (June 18), and Melbourne (June 19), Australia

• Am I Still a Software Engineer If I Don’t Write the Code? - Recording - at AI Native DevCon remotely on May 13

• Closing keynote: The Future Engineer: Redefining Software Engineering in the Age of AI at DevOps Summit Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, on March 13

Podcasts

• From Software Engineers to Agent Managers recorded with Ankit Jain for The Hangar DX Podcast from Aviator remotely, on November 13

• #223 - The Software Engineer Identity Crisis in the AI-Driven Future - Annie Vella recorded with Henry Suryawirawan for The Tech Lead Journal remotely, on July 7

• From Builder to Orchestrator - Confronting the Software Engineer’s Identity Crisis recorded with Simon Maple for AI Native Dev Podcast remotely, on April 22

Panels

• Microsoft Executive Breakfast Panel on The Impact of AI on Work in Auckland, NZ, on November 24

• Auckland Panel Event: Tech Hiring, Behind-the-Scenes Insights in Auckland, NZ, on September 11

Roundtables

• Co-hosting: Assessing the Impact of AI Coding Assistants with Scott Carey at LeadDev remotely, on March 5

Gatherings

• Invited participant: Shonan Meeting 222 - The Future of Development Environments with AI Foundation Models hosted by NII at the Shonan Village Center in Shonan, Japan, on October 6-9

2024

Talks

• Quantum Computing 101: An Easy Introduction to a Hard Topic at Ada Lovelace Day in Auckland, NZ, on October 9

• The Biggest Lessons I’ve Learned as an Engineering Leader at The Movac Engineering Jam in Auckland, NZ, on September 17

• Deming’s Wisdom for Staff+ Engineers: A Modern Take on Timeless Principles - Information & Recording - at StaffPlus London in London, UK, on June 11

• Staff Engineering: A Technical Alternative to Management at Code Camp Wellington in Wellington, NZ, on April 13

Podcasts

• Systems Thinking, AI, and Innovation with Annie Vella recorded with Jakub Jurkiewicz for Tech Waka Podcast in Auckland, NZ, on November 26

• S1E3 - Distinguished Engineer Annie Vella’s wild career journey and finding joy as a reluctant manager recorded with Scott Carey for LeadDev PriorityZero Podcast in London, UK, on June 11

Panels

• DevFest AI Panel in Auckland, NZ, on November 10

• Ada Lovelace Day 2024 – Celebrating Female Tech Leaders Panel in Auckland, NZ, on October 8

2023

Talks

• Staff Engineering: A Technical Alternative to Management at DevFest Auckland in Auckland, NZ, on November 12

• Staff Engineering: A Technical Alternative to Management at Code Camp Wellington in Wellington, NZ, on April 15

Panels

• TechWomen NZ and CyberCX Celebration Panel in Auckland, NZ, on December 5

• DevFest Career Panel in Auckland, NZ, on November 12

• Shadowtech Panel on a Day in the Life of an Engineer at Westpac, in Auckland, NZ, on September 14

• Movac Panel on Building Diverse and High-Performance Engineering Cultures in Auckland, NZ, on June 21

• DevOps Summit Panel on Discussing the Capabilities of a World Class DevOps Strategy in Auckland, NZ, on June 14

• Infosys International Women’s Day Panel in Auckland, NZ, on March 8

2022

Panels

• Real Stories from Real People organised by STEM Wana Trust at Techweek in Tauranga, NZ, on May 20

2021

Podcasts

• From Software Engineer to Engineering Manager with Annie Vella recorded with Gergely Orosz for The Pragmatic Engineer remotely, on January 21

• #30 - The Engineering Career Dilemma & Growing Through Self-Reflection - Annie Vella recorded with Henry Suryawirawan for The Tech Lead Journal remotely, on February 11