Best Young HR Professionals in Australia | Rising Stars

This year’s Rising Stars are facing these hurdles head-on. HRD Australia invited HR professionals across the country to nominate their most exceptional young talent and selected a 31-strong cohort, who have earned their stripes with proactive leadership, adaptability and strong business acumen.

Across diverse industries, these emerging HR leaders are not just managing processes – they are driving strategic change, building inclusive cultures and delivering measurable impact.

Their abilities extend to: 

From back office to business partners

Australia is no different in being part of the global trend of HR shifting from a transactional back-office function to a core driver of business strategy.

Mark Whittle, vice president of advisory in the Gartner HR practice, explains, “CEOs are increasingly recognising the role HR plays in transformational growth, especially in aligning the workforce to power ambitions of the organisation.”

 

The business case for this shift is compelling. Research from recruitment firm Quantum Workplace shows that while 70% of CEOs expect their CHRO to play a central role in enterprise strategy, only 55% say this expectation is currently being met.

 

High-performing organisations are closing this gap by attracting top HR performers and empowering them to drive alignment, performance and innovation. In practice, this means deeper HR involvement in decisions on AI adoption, organisational design and business transformation to ensure that people and business strategies are inseparable.

For emerging HR professionals, this means showcasing a greater holistic understanding of how their organisations create value. This is a key differentiator that HRD’s Rising Stars bring to the table.

Ferrer adds that tech fluency must be matched by strong analytical capability. “They need to have the analytical skills to interrogate, interpret and draw from data answers to critical workplace questions and connect HR practices to business outcomes,”

Owens observes that these young achievers are already leveraging tech to improve the employee experience and inform business decisions. He further notes, “This requires a level of commercial acumen and tactical thinking that was previously seen only in more senior roles.”

A strong bench of change leaders

With HR now central to business strategy, leadership capability is critical.

Jobs and Skills Australia’s June 2025 labour data showed the national vacancy rate at 70.6%. As hiring pressures ease, organisations are shifting their focus from filling roles to retaining talent and building a strong bench of leaders who can navigate disruption with confidence.

Yet, the challenge is significant. A recent Gartner survey found that 69% of managers feel unprepared to lead change. Industry expert Owens underscores the scale of transformation.

“Up-and-coming HR professionals have been on the front lines of an exceptionally fast evolving world of work. Not only have we seen the early onset of an AI/automation revolution, but we have also seen a large governmental influence on workplace law and policy,” he says.

Owens adds that, for young professionals to thrive in this climate, agility and data fluency are critical.

“They need to learn fast, have a keen eye for data and be quick to recognise that verifiable information drives decision-making. They must be able to gather and apply knowledge effectively in our fast-changing world.”

This year’s Rising Stars have demonstrated these qualities. Many have built HR functions from the ground up, pioneered new systems and ensured compliance in complex environments.

Their nominators attest to their impact with statements including:

• “From being ‘thrown into HR’ to becoming a self-motivated and passionate leader, her journey speaks to resilience, curiosity and natural talent.”
   

• “He has taken on additional roles and implemented changes where things stalled. He is a huge asset and a dedicated high performer who is consistently looking to grow.”
   

• “Despite being early in her career, she is widely regarded as a culture carrier and a trusted advisor across the business. She is not just a rising star, but a future leader in the HR industry.”
   

• “From wellbeing to inclusion to systems-level transformation, she creates cultures where every person feels they belong, because belonging isn’t a ‘nice to have’; it is the foundation of every great workplace.”
   

• “His passion, energy, compassion and empathy, commercial and strategic acumen is outstanding.”

He adds that those who have earned recognition early in their careers display emotional intelligence and judgement. “Their IT factor is their ability to talk, understand and influence the people in and those leading the business.”

Ferrer also describes a Rising Star as emotionally intelligent, resilient and agile.

“They have the confidence to question and disrupt, balanced with the ability to empathise, communicate and build strong relationships," she says. "What sets them apart is their ability to combine these people skills with technical fluency, particularly as HR analytics, AI tools and digital platforms become central to the profession.”

She also highlights critical thinking and communication skills as indispensable.

“There is no space for shyness or complacency if they want to get ahead. Communication is where emotional intelligence, empathy and cultural intelligence need to be evident.”

HRD’s Rising Stars in action

The best young professionals in Australia’s HR industry have proven their star power by tackling some of the most pressing challenges within their organisations. Their achievements illustrate how their generation of leaders are driving change.

• Relationship building and influence 

HR manager Emily White of 3n Consultancy Group built all the company’s HR processes from the ground up. She introduced onboarding, compliance and performance systems, positioning herself as a trusted advisor to leadership. Her proactive approach not only established a strong HR foundation but shifted the company culture to value people and compliance.

• Strategic orientation and leadership capability

At travel retailer Heinemann Oceania, Victoria De Gennaro launched leadership programs and mentoring initiatives to nurture capability and boost internal promotion. Her strategic orientation and investment in leadership development captures how the nominees are shaping the Australian HR sector to value sustainable growth and resilience.

• Agility and adaptability

“Supporting the business through a period of rapid expansion – from 5 to 30 centres – meant building everything from scratch while keeping people engaged,” says Dilek Senturk of Aspire Early Education & Kindergarten.

To support the school’s expansion, Senturk established a scalable people and talent function, embedded new HR systems, and launched leadership development and succession planning programs. By focusing on both operational efficiency and people development, she ensured sustainable growth without losing core values and employee engagement.

Another winner, Abby Durant, an employee experience partner for the Queensland-based data centre, NEXTDC, adapted to hybrid work demands through new onboarding processes, digital communication tools and flexible work policies. Her initiatives kept their teams connected and productive across remote and onsite environments.

• Proactive problem-solving

Rather than wait for issues to escalate, the Rising Stars anticipate bottlenecks and act decisively. In competitive labour markets like legal and professional services, the nominees tackled the challenge of talent attraction head-on. 

Ashlee Schafer revitalised her law firm’s recruitment by amping up employer branding, building talent pools and improving engagement with universities. These strategies not only attracted high-quality candidates but boosted retention rates.

Penny Edwards, HR advisor at a healthcare and disability services facility, responded to high turnover rates and low morale by launching recognition programs, wellbeing initiatives and refreshing employee value propositions. These efforts improved retention and fostered a renewed sense of employee trust and belonging.

• Commitment to inclusion and wellbeing

Several Rising Stars identified that traditional diversity and inclusion efforts were often siloed and inefficient. In response, they developed unified frameworks that addressed cultural safety, mental health and employee recognition. 

Bridie Williams refreshed her company’s DEI approach by designing a bespoke intersectional Belonging Plan and Equity Impact Assessment framework. Her initiatives help streamline governance and drive improvements in genuine representation and cultural safety across her organisation. 

• Continuous learning and growth outlook

The winners demonstrate an exceptional appetite for learning, even in high-pressure situations. Managing sensitive employee relations cases and navigating complex compliance issues proved a steep learning curve, especially in unionised and high-risk environments.

Dana Comben, a workplace relations manager at an integrated facilities management provider, guided her organisation through high-stakes employee relations cases and represented the business at the Fair Work Commission. Through robust dispute resolution strategies, she ensured fair outcomes while strengthening her company’s compliance posture. This reflected technical mastery along with resilience, curiosity and a commitment to growth.

Conclusion: How the Rising Stars are transforming the profession

There is no doubt that Australia’s HR industry rests in capable hands.

HRD’s 2025 Rising Stars are proof that the next generation of leaders are not just ready to meet the profession’s evolving demands, but to shape its future by being:

• data-driven
   

• champions of culture, inclusion and wellbeing
   

• resilient
   

• effective, clear and concise communicators
   

• comfortable with difficult conversations and feedback
   

• lifelong learners with a growth mindset
   

• commercially aware
   

• empathetic
   

Best Young HR Professionals in Australia | Rising Stars

• Abby Durant
  Employee Experience Partner
  NEXTDC
• Alex Turner
  Leadership & Talent Manager
  KPMG Australia
• Alexander Jolly
  Senior Advisor, People & Culture
  Federal Court of Australia
• Alisa Shibalova
  Communications & Engagement Specialist
  Metso
• Anushka Lakhwara
  Senior People & Culture Advisor
  Publicis Groupe
• Ashlee Schafer
  Talent Adviser, People & Culture
  Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers
• Bianca Jackson
  People & Culture Business Partner AU
  Downer
• Bridie Williams
  Inclusion and Experience Lead
  Dental Health Services Victoria
• Charles Nieuwoudt
  HR Advisor
  Medem Group
• Dana Comben
  Workplace Relations Manager
  BGIS
• Dilek Senturk
  People & Talent Manager
  Aspire Early Education & Kindergarten
• Emily White
  Human Resources Manager
  3n Consultancy Group
• Emma Cooper
  P&C Business Partner
  Richard Crookes Constructions
• Emma Davy
  People Operations Lead
  Versent Group
• Emma Wellman
  HR Manager
  My Ability Australia
• Hamish Coffey
  Senior People & Culture Advisor
  Lycopodium
• Jackson Merrett
  HR Business Partner
  Petstock Group
• Jasleen Bhatia
  Human Resources Coordinator
  ProPharma
• Jemma Gabriel
  People and Culture Advisor
  Village Roadshow Theme Parks
• Kaley Purcell
  Learning & Development Specialist
  City of Parramatta
• Mac March
  Talent Acquisition Advisor
  Yarra Ranges Council
• Mary Sinmaz
  HR Business Partner
  Freedom Furniture
• Michael Iroeche
  Human Resources Advisor
  Melbourne City Mission
• Nicole Murraylee
  HR Advisor
  RWE Renewables Australia
• Penny Edwards
  HR Advisor
  St. John of God Midland Hospital
• Sarah Learmonth
  HR Manager, LDB
  L’Oreal ANZ
• Tanmai Khairnar
  HR Manager
  Oracle Australia
• Tayla Hupton
  People & Culture Business Partner
  Learning Links
• Tuan Nguyen
  People and Culture Advisor
  Federal Court of Australia
• Veronica Valente
  P&C Coordinator
  Insight PBS
• Victoria De Gennaro
  People & Culture Manager
  Heinemann Oceania