Crispin Garden-Webster DistFHRNZ
Tēnā koutou katoa
Ko Takitimu te waka
Ko Mihiwaka te maunga
Ko Waikouaiti te awa
Ko Kāi Tahu rāua ko Kāti Māmoe ōku iwi
Ko Kāti Huirapa tōku hapū
Ko Puketeraki tōku marae
Ko Parata tōku whānau
Ko Crispin Garden-Webster taku ingoa
What was your first HR role, and where are you today?
My first role was as a Field Psychologist in the New Zealand Army, starting as a Research Officer in Wellington and progressing through regional roles in Palmerston North, Papakura, Burnham and Waiouru. The focus was selection assessment, research and vocational development. Each role had different operational demands. Some of them took me away on tours of duty to Australia, Fiji, Singapore and the Middle East. I did an exchange in the British Army serving in Germany and the UK. I concluded my Regular service back in Wellington as Director of the Army Psychology team.
Today, I hold a senior professional role at the University of Otago, leading strategy and people-related projects in talent management, collaboration, AI, EVP and other OD type work.
Tell us about your “career in HR” story – how did this become your career and what brought you to where you are today?
My path has not been linear, and more a series of adventures. It has centred on organisational and individual development. After leaving the Army, I joined Telecom New Zealand (now Spark) as Manager Learning & Development. These were the heady days of the late-1990s; transformation,Y2K, the Individual Contracts Act, and the foundational mahi on leading recruitment and learning online. Too big a story to tell here, but we did some interesting work to establish what for many today is just normal practice.
Leaving Telecom NZ, I established my own consulting practice focused on organisational design, assessment and change, primarily across the public sector and local government. An offshore contract with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila followed, where I worked on competency frameworks, knowledge management, graduate programmes and recruitment. At this time, I also served as the New Zealand Rep and Vice President of the Asia-Pacific Federation of HR Management.
Back home in 2005, I continued consulting across science, banking, defence and central government, and through my ABD network supported public sector reform projects in Pakistan and Vietnam. In 2023, I accepted a Managing Consultant role in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, working across energy, aviation, utilities and fisheries on assessment, organisational design and leadership development. Big change but a wonderful, environment working with a mandate to grow the nation.
Returning home in 2022, I undertook contracting and coaching work before joining The University of Otago, where I have led the development of the People domain strategy, and been working up our Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and our Talent Management strategy. Itys been a story of exposure to multiple challenges and across multiple roles in organisational development, assessment, coaching, change, design and leadership growth.
What continues to inspire you about this profession?
Developing people and systems. My energy and inspiration comes from enabling growth and development. Changing lives. I have recently qualified as a coach and continue to build that capability. Mentoring, contributing to professional committees, and seeing both HR professionals and line managers grow as leaders remains deeply rewarding.
Looking back across your career, what moments or achievements come to mind?
Early affirmation stands out. Having a senior officer endorse my assessment as a young Army psychologist built confidence. At Telecom, earning my GM’s trust to lead executive succession discussions was pivotal. Being respected across cultures, gaining board-level endorsement for new ideas, and receiving recognition from HRNZ and the New Zealand Psychological Society have also been meaningful milestones. Take risks, volunteer for things even if you are not 100% confident about it. Trust your compass.
What wisdom would you share with early-career HR professionals?
Find a friend in Finance. Learn to talk in money words. People care more about your good ideas if you can demonstrate how they create value. Ask for feedback.
What difference does HRNZ make for HR professionals?
It provides community and a trusted environment to learn, test ideas and share practice.
Becoming a Distinguished Fellow is a significant achievement. What has the journey been like for you?
Continuous and diverse, sometimes risky. Staying networked, even when offshore, has been important. ‘None of us are as smart as all of us’. Curiosity and connection have shaped the journey.
What are you excited about working on these days?
I am excited about developing leaders and the processes and frameworks that chart the course and enable that development. Artificial intelligence offers a tantalising outlook on the future of networks and knowledge sharing.