March 3 2009 - The Human Resources Institute of New Zealand (HRINZ) has
announced the winners of the 2008/09 HRINZ HR Awards.
Designed to recognise excellence within New Zealand's human resource
professionals, the HRINZ HR Awards winners were:
- HRINZ HR Initiative of the Year - New Zealand Post
- HRINZ HR Person of the Year - Alan Davis, Massey University
- HRINZ Generalist HR Person of the Year, in association with Melbourne Business School - Alan Davis, Massey University
- HRINZ Young HR Practitioner of the Year, in association with Wheeler Campbell - Roz Urbahn, Hudson
- Southern Cross Wellness Award for commitment to wellness - Manukau City Council
Alan Davis' award came in recognition of his role as Massey University's HR Manager. He impressed the judges with his ability to exercise influence at a
strategic level, the panel comenting: "he is not only an HR Leader but also a Business Leader".
He has recently been appointed Assistant Vice-Chancellor (People & Organisational Development) at Massey University with
a team of 30 staff across three campuses.
According to the judges:
"Alan’s development of others, his breadth of experience and his ability to act as a Business Leader positions him well to be an
ambassador for this coming year as the Supreme Award Winner and the HRINZ HR Person of the Year."
Alan Davis also won the HRINZ Generalist HR Person of the Year, one of three award categories from which the overall Person of the
Year is selected.
Roz Urbahn, Hudson’s Australia and New Zealand HR Operations Manager, was awarded the Young HR Practitioner of the Year title.
Impressing the judges with her passion for her job and HR as a profession, they commented:
"She talked to us about the need to have a voice at the 'top table', the ability to talk the business language and to have a
quality team in delivering results." They said she was helping to drive her organisation forward and was a role model for others in doing that.
Manukau City Council won the Southern Cross Wellness award. The Council's Wellness Connection Programme has helped to reduce
absenteeism by encouraging employees to keep healthy. It has reduced sick leave significantly in its first three months, partly due to its use
Wellness Champions’throughout the organisation.