For Michelle Herlihy, CEO of Speirs Finance Group, leadership begins and ends with people. Michelle runs a near $1 billion lending business that supports thousands of New Zealand companies, yet when she describes her role, the financial metrics come second. The real work, she says, is human. “I would sum […]
While Chorus is focused on maintaining the digital infrastructure that powers New Zealand, Chief People Officer Jo Mataira is dedicated to the human elements that power the organisation. Having spent over a decade with the telecommunications giant, Mataira has seen the company through a period of immense structural change, yet […]
Sara Johnson leads one of the biggest trade-facing businesses in the country as CEO of ITM, New Zealand’s largest independent building supply network. On paper, the scale is substantial: a co-operative of more than 90 stores nationwide, backed by 26 Frame & Truss plants, serving everyone from local builders to […]
Alaina Luxmoore and Heather Polaschek of RUSH have spent years navigating industries that have not always made space for women. What they have been a part of building together showcases what genuine support in leadership actually looks like. Alaina Luxmoore is Director of Marketing at RUSH, Aotearoa’s leading digital design […]
Change, by its nature, can be unsettling within an organisation. Korrin Balmain often explains it with a simple analogy. “Imagine leaving your car at a valet car wash, when you get it back, the seat has moved, the mirrors are different, and the radio station has changed. You would stop […]
Wendy Nowell-Usticke has spent long enough in beauty to know when an industry is overcomplicating things. In a world that thrives on excess, multi-step routines, endless launches and ever-changing trends, she has found herself moving in the other direction. That shift did not come from trend forecasting or a sudden […]
New Zealand is full of amazing women leaders across a range of sectors and industries, and while our Leading from Every Angle series is an ongoing feature, here is a recap of the awesome leaders we have profiled and some of their lessons from the journey. 1. Speak up Tracey […]
She never intended to build a company. Even now, looking back, Sarah Heal still describes the beginning of Information Leadership as “a bit of a happy accident.” There was no plan, no strategy, and no planned leap into entrepreneurship. It began with a phone call from a friend. It started […]
When talking to Tracey Ryan, you quickly get the sense she has lived several careers in one lifetime. Chief Executive of Aurecon New Zealand, she sits at the intersection of engineering, infrastructure and national strategy, but her story starts a long way from project boards and government forums. It begins […]
Fusion5 is a big ship. It began as a small Wellington venture and has grown into a trans-Tasman technology services company of around a thousand people. It implements core platforms, runs managed services, integrates data so decisions move faster, and is increasingly known for getting AI out of slide decks […]
People often talk about leadership in terms of scale. The size of a business. The size of a transformation. The size of a mandate. But for Hannah Walton, the most meaningful measure is not scale at all. It is the human experience behind the numbers. It is how older New […]
Dawn Engelbrecht is no stranger to building scale. She grew a six-child after-school programme into 183 locations with 58 franchisees in New Zealand and branches in Australia, Canada, England, Ireland and South Africa caring for over 9,000 children a day, then brought that experience to Kitchen Studio, where she now […]
“You Win or Lose in the Second Half.” For Lisa Oakley, founder of People Associates, the second half isn’t about age or timing — it’s about renewal. It’s proof that you can rebuild, reimagine, and rise stronger from the toughest seasons. The first half might knock you down or strip […]
As the CEO of Skills Group, Rosanne Graham oversees a national education provider that spans 27 industries, serves 23 thousand learners, and is reshaping itself for a future defined by both human capability and technological change and is helping create the future of industry leaders of tomorrow. In the role […]
Jodie King is the Chief People Officer at One New Zealand, and leads a team responsible for the culture, capability and performance of circa 2,500 employees, while also helping steer one of the company’s boldest ambitions to become one of the most AI-enabled telcos in the world. It is a […]
Justine Gladwell-Hunt’s career has been anything but predictable. Moving from the UK to New Zealand, taking on roles across different industries, running a marathon on a whim with barely ten weeks of training, and most recently stepping into the role of National Compliance Manager at Raine & Horne New Zealand, […]
How do you define effective leadership? Effective leadership, to me, is about creating an environment where people feel safe to challenge the status quo and explore new ideas. Early in my career at Air New Zealand, I experienced this firsthand during a time when innovation was truly encouraged. It gave […]
How do you define effective leadership, and how has your definition evolved over time? It’s important to enjoy what you do, why you do it and be generous in sharing with your teams. They’ve been recruited for a reason and so empowering each team member with enough information to understand […]
How do you define effective leadership? Effective leadership for me involves setting an example and following through in what you say you will do, providing a vision and inspiring others while always maintaining integrity. Over time, it has evolved to what is best for the business is making sure I […]
How do you define effective leadership, and how has your definition evolved over time? Effective leadership is the ability to inspire trust, align people toward a shared vision, and empower them to do their best work. Early in my career, I focused on delivering outcomes and leading from the front. […]
How do you define effective leadership, and how has your definition evolved over time? Effective leadership can be defined as the ability to inspire and guide individuals or teams towards achieving common goals. Over time, my understanding of effective leadership has evolved to encompass not just the ability to direct, […]
With over three decades of experience in sales leadership, Sita Proud knows what it takes to lead with impact. From building high-performing teams to navigating uncertainty with resilience, she’s mastered the art of balancing authority with inclusivity. How do you define effective leadership, and how has your definition evolved over […]
How do you define effective leadership, and how has your definition evolved over time? My perspective on leadership has evolved a lot over time. Early in my career, I was focused on proving myself – delivering results, building credibility, and trying to be the smartest person in the room. It […]
How do you define effective leadership, and how has your definition evolved over time? I believe effective leadership is about fostering rapid, transformative, and sustainable growth – both personally and professionally – by creating an environment where people feel valued, connected and challenged. My definition of effective leadership has definitely […]
How do you define effective leadership, and how has your definition evolved over time? Effective leadership, to me, means empowering others to achieve their full potential while working towards a common goal. Over time, I’ve come to realise that leadership is not just about achieving results but also about creating […]
How do you define effective leadership, and how has your definition evolved over time? I believe strong leaders foster a culture of excellence, bring grit and unwavering determination and get everyone swimming in the same direction. You’ve got to be outwardly focused so putting the team and organisation above yourself. […]
How do you define effective leadership, and how has your definition evolved over time? Having a clear view of where we are going and being able to communicate that in a way that brings your teams onboard too. I think it’s important to lead by example and demonstrate the behavior […]
How do you define effective leadership, and how has your definition evolved over time? Over time I have developed a strong belief that leadership is about trust, and about creating space and opportunities so people can unlock their full potential. As a leader, my role isn’t telling people how to […]
How do you define effective leadership, and how has your definition evolved over time? I believe that effective leadership is about really knowing your team – what’s important to them in their lives – both professionally and personally. Only then can you provide them with the growth opportunities that align […]
How do you define effective leadership, and how has your definition evolved over time? Over time, my understanding of effective leadership has evolved from focusing primarily on task-oriented management to a deeper appreciation of emotional intelligence and relationship-building. Early on, I might have thought it was about clear direction and […]
How do you define effective leadership, and how has your definition evolved? Twenty years ago, I would have said that effective leadership is about setting a vision and inspiring others to follow you. Over time that has shifted to investing more time in aligning leaders to a vision, creating space […]
