2025 Finalists

Awards homepage | Awards Ceremony 2025

Congratulations to the NZ HR Award Finalists for 2025.

HRNZ in association with Principal Partner AMP , are pleased to announce the finalists for the 2025 NZ HR Awards. Congratulations to the following individuals and organisations.  Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on the 27th February, in Auckland.

Individual Categories

HR Professional of the Year in association with Convergence

• Barbara Daxenberger - Tonkin + Taylor Group
• Jocelyn Visser - HR Consultant
• Sarah Jayne Dipert - Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland
• Stephanie Oborn - Alliance Group

Emerging HR Practitioner of the Year in association with recruitHRpeople

• Caitlin Ward - Danone Nutricia
• Grace Harford - ZURU
• Josie Matuku-Daley - Powerco
• Mackenzie Heaton - Craggy Range
• Rita Hababa - Fliway Transport

HR Student of the Year

• Aileen Joy Gutierrez - University of Waikato
• Chloe Dickie - University of Auckland
• Poppy Fogarty - University of Otago
• Westley Yang - Victoria University of Wellington

Leadership Award in association with Inspire Group

• Gill Sewell - Ember Korowai Takitini
• Deepika Jindal - University of Auckland
• Jan Bibby - Contact Energy
• Michal Pawlowicz - Hind Management

Outstanding Service Award in association with Strategic Pay 

• The recipient of this award is decided by the HRNZ Board and announced live at the Awards Ceremony

HR Person of the Year

• The recipient of this award will be determined from the pool of individual category winners [except Outstanding Service Award]

Mana Tangata Award Finalists

Emerging Māori HR Award

• Coastguard Tautiaki Moana
• Far North District Council - Te Kaunihera o Te Hiku o Te Ika
• Kacey Graham - Powerco

Leader Māori HR Award

• Southern Cross Healthcare
• Te Wānanga o Aotearoa

Organisational Award Finalists

Talent Acquisition Award in association with H2R Consulting

• Auckland Transport
• Craggy Range
• dentsu Aotearoa
• Neptune Pacific Direct Line (NPDL)

Learning and Development Award in association with Complete Learning Solutions

• Animates Vetcare NZ
• Danone Nutricia
• GPC Asia Pacific
• SkyCity Entertainment Group
• Tonkin + Taylor Group & The University of Auckland Business School

Diversity and Inclusion Award

• dentsu Aotearoa
• KPMG New Zealand
• TSA Riley

Organisational Change and Development Award

• Connetics
• New Plymouth District Council
• New Zealand Post
• Palmerston North City Council
• Te Wānanga o Aotearoa

Wellness Programme Award

• ASB
• DB Breweries
• dentsu Aotearoa
• Envelope Engineering
• GPC Asia Pacific
• Masterton District Council
• One New Zealand

Future of Work Award 

• Alliance Group
• Fonterra Co-operative Group
• New Zealand Post
• One New Zealand
• Skills Group

Building Sustainability through People 

• Medrecruit
• Omexom
• Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre

Volunteer of the Year Award

• Academic Branch
• Auckland Branch Committee
• Otago Branch Committee
• Queenstown Branch Commitee
• Wellington Branch Commitee

 Supreme Award in association with AMP 

The recipient of this award will be determined from the pool of organisation category winners