Barbara Heald CMHRNZ

Please walk us through the journey that led you into your current role.  

My career has consistently centred on people, learning and business support. I began in administration before moving into IT training and tutoring business administration in the bilingual unit at Whitireia Polytech. I then took a different direction into real estate, where I spent 12 years and co-owned a real estate and property management business. When the business was sold to a competitor, I took the opportunity to return to the corporate environment and apply the skills I had developed across leadership, client service, systems, and people management. Those experiences have shaped the way I lead today: with a focus on positive culture, practical systems, and strong outcomes for people and the business. 

What is the best part of your job?  

Working with people, developing and driving strategic programmes of work to enable career growth, innovation and development.  I get a real buzz out of helping my team and others in the business succeed. 

What is a career highlight that stands out for you?   

I have been fortunate to have many career highlights throughout my journey. Two standouts in my current role are leading the development of our Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan, and helping create our company EVP and employer brand, “You Matter”. 

The Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan gave our people a clear process to follow in the event of a disaster. It also supported the migration of our files, documents and ways of working to the cloud, enabling our team to work remotely if needed. This was successfully tested the day before New Zealand went into lockdown. As a result, our people were safe at home and still able to support our clients remotely. That work also helped introduce more flexible ways of working into the business and strengthened our care plan for our people during an unprecedented time. 

Another key highlight was the creation of our company EVP and employer brand, “You Matter”. This was an extensive piece of work that helped us identify what matters most to our people, understand what we already deliver well, and clarify where we can continue to improve. It also gave us credible stories and messages to support retention and attract the right people to TBIG. 

What does becoming a Chartered Member mean to you personally?   

Represents recognition for the hard work in my personal development of my career.  Being able to connect with like-minded people and to share experiences and continue to learn new skills to enable me to drive successful outcomes for our team at TBIG. 

What pushed you towards pursuing Chartered Membership?   

As mentioned above, to connect with other members and to have successfully attained recognition for my hard work.  The Path is an excellent development tool which ensures Chartered Membership is a valid accreditation.   

Now that you are a Chartered Member, what do you see as being the next steps for your career?   

My next steps are to continue to learn, become active as a member of the Leadership Network, grow and develop new connections.  Support and coach others who are developing their HR career.