2017 Winners and Excellence Awardees
Friday 5 September 2025 | THE FULLERTON HOTEL SYDNEY
Award Categories
Employer of Choice (1-99 Employees)
Employer of Choice (100-999 Employees)
Accumulate Employer of Choice (≥1000 Employees)
Employer of Choice (Public Sector & NFP)
Best Change Management Strategy
Best Graduate Development Program
Best Health & Wellbeing Program
Afterburner Best Leadership Development Program
Best Learning & Development Program
Best Recruitment Campaign
Solterbeck Best Reward & Recognition Program
CEB Global Best Use of Technology
Smartgroup Best Workplace Diversity & Inclusion Program
Best Workplace Flexibility Program
Davidson Australian HR Director of the Year
Hays Human Resources Australian HR Manager of the Year
Elle Belle Recruitment Australian HR Rising Star of the Year
Australian HR Champion (CEO) of the Year
People + Culture Strategies Australian HR Team of the Year (≤1000 Employees)
Ironfish Australian HR Team of the Year (>1000 Employees)
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE (1-99 EMPLOYEES)
Winner: Excite Holidays

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
AdRoll
Carman’s
Corporate Technology Services
DDG
JCurve Solutions
Learning Seat
VGC Food Group Pty Ltd
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE (100-999 EMPLOYEES)
Winner: Lindt Australia

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Adshel Street Furniture
Credit Union Australia
Dexus
Employsure
HESTA
NSW Business Chamber
oOH!media
QinetiQ
Roche
ACCUMULATE EMPLOYER OF CHOICE (≥1000 EMPLOYEES)
Winner: PepsiCo

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Accenture
ALDI Australia
Assetlink Group
Mantra Group
PETstock
The Star Entertainment Group
TLC Healthcare
Sponsored by

EMPLOYER OF CHOICE (PUBLIC SECTOR & NFP)
Winner: Cancer Council NSW

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Adelaide Shores
BankVic
icare
Infoxchange
Key Assets – The Children’s Services Provider
Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation
Port Stephens Council
BEST CHANGE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
Winner: PepsiCo

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Australian Unity
Brisbane Motorway Services
Casey City Council
Defence Bank Ltd
Medibank Private
Vodafone Hutchison Australia
Westpac Group
BEST GRADUATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Winner: Broadspectrum

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
AMP Adviser Academy
Flight Centre Travel Group
Philip Morris International
PwC Australia
Quantium
Telstra Corporation Ltd
Winson Group (incorporating Signet and insignia)
BEST HEALTH & WELLBEING PROGRAM
Winner: Youi

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Anglican Care
Arts Centre Melbourne, Arts Wellbeing Collective
Colliers International
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Deloitte People &Performance
Mercy Health
Sydney Trains
AFTERBURNER BEST LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Winner: Special Broadcasting Services

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Adshel Street Furniture
ANSTO Training &Development Team
Australian Unity Human Resources Team
Deloitte People &Performance
Healthscope
IKEA
McDonald’s Australia Ltd
Vodafone Hutchison Australia
Sponsored by

BEST LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Winner: Bakers Delight

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Campbell Arnott’s
Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers
Edwards Lifesciences
Griffith University and AMP Partnership
Medibank Private
Merivale
Rio Tinto Iron Ore (WA)
BEST RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN
Winner: International Convention Centre Sydney

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Accenture
Cox Purtell Staffing Services
Inghams Group Ltd
McDonald’s Australia Ltd
PwC Australia
Telstra Corporation Ltd
WSP Australia Pty Ltd
SOLTERBECK BEST REWARD & RECOGNITION PROGRAM
Winner: Employsure

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
BankVic Sapphire Awards
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Connect Hearing
Merivale
The Star Entertainment Group
Western Power
Westpac Group
Sponsored by

CEB GLOBAL BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY
Winner: ISS Facility Services

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Blackmores HRM Project Team
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
HUGO BOSS
IAG Capability & Learning Team
Mantra Group
McDonald’s Australia Ltd
WSP Australia Pty Ltd
Sponsored by

SMARTGROUP BEST WORKPLACE DIVERSITY & INCLUSION PROGRAM
Winner: Vision Australia

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers
Crown Resorts
Deloitte People & Performance
EY
HESTA
New South Wales Police Force Human Resources Command Workforce Relations and Strategy
The Star Entertainment Group
Sponsored by

BEST WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY PROGRAM
Winner: Dexus

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Accenture
Family Planning Victoria
Medibank Private
NSW Business Chamber
performHR
Philip Morris International
Roche Products
DAVIDSON AUSTRALIAN HR DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Winner: Assistant Commissioner Carlene York, NSW Police Force

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Neil Baker, Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers
Greg Barnier, icare
Fiona Crawford,InfoTrack
Gwilym Davies, Brisbane Airport Corporation
Alex Diab, NSW Business Chamber
Laurence Halabut, Toyota Finance Australia
Denise Hanlon, Former HR Director – Vocus Group
Jane Keating, Queensland Treasury Corporation
Mathew Paine, International Convention Centre Sydney
Sponsored by

HAYS HUMAN RESOURCES AUSTRALIAN HR MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Winner: Jane Shand, Endeavour Foundation

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Helen Calladine, Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Joanna Copeland, The Citadel Group Ltd
Richard Griffiths, New South Wales Police Force
Jane Klumpp, Brisbane Motorway Services
Che Lewer, Heinemann Australia
Kariss O’Connor-Kerr, Honeywell
Lacey Schulz, Deloitte People &Performance|
Sponsored by

ELLE BELLE RECRUITMENT AUSTRALIAN HR RISING STAR OF THE YEAR
Winner: Lachlan Fleming, Endeavour Drinks Group, Woolworths Ltd

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Jessica Amanoel, Merivale
Camille Hughes, Quantium
Brett Johnson, University of Southern Queensland
Sam Johnson, PwC
Daniel Ko, The Fred Hollows Foundation
Karley McCormick, Access Community Services Ltd
Chris Purdy, Mantra Group
Sponsored by

AUSTRALIAN HR CHAMPION (CEO) OF THE YEAR
Winner: Trent Innes, Xero

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Stephen Canning, JCurve Solutions
Stephen Capello, BankVic
Lyndell Fogarty, performHR
Aurora Fonte, Assetlink
Gail Ker OAM, Access Community Services Ltd
Philip Noble, Queensland Treasury Corporation
Lou Pascuzzi, TLC Healthcare
PEOPLE + CULTURE STRATEGIES AUSTRALIAN HR TEAM OF THE YEAR (≤1000 EMPLOYEES)
Winner: Queensland Treasury Corporation

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Amadeus IT Pacific Human Resources Team
BankVic People & Culture Team
Employsure
GrainCorp Operations Ltd – Human Resources Team, Storage & Logistics
NSW Business Chamber HR Team
Sanofi-Aventis Australia Pty Ltd
Xero Australia
Sponsored by

IRONFISH AUSTRALIAN HR TEAM OF THE YEAR (>1000 EMPLOYEES)
Winner: International Convention Centre Sydney

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Endeavour Drinks Group People & Culture Team
Honeywell HR Team
ING Direct
New South Wales Police Force Human Resources Command
PepsiCo
Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT)
Vocus Group
Sponsored by
