Last year's Australian HR Awards 2025 winners talk about the current state of the industry
It's no secret that the HR industry has been undergoing significant change, with new regulations and emerging technology continuing to reshape the profession.
As we gear up for the Australian HR Awards 2026, let's hear from last year's winners and how they're seeing the industry change.
"HR has moved definitively from a traditional support role into a role that is genuinely operational and strategic," said Anglo American's Ben Mansour, who bagged the Australian HR Director of the Year award in 2025.
"In periods of uncertainty and disruption, it's increasingly HR that leaders are turning to to provide stability, clarity and confidence for the workforce."
In Australia's mining sector, which has been criticised for widespread harassment and burnout over the years, Mansour noted that culture, inclusion, and wellbeing are no longer just add-on initiatives.
"They're recognised as core drivers of operational performance and social licence," Mansour told HRD.
Role of AI in HR
Meanwhile, artificial intelligence has also become more integrated in the HR function, according to last year's award-winning HR leaders.
Loan Market Group's Hannah Timcke, who was named the Australian HR Manager of the Year in 2025, shared that she has been using AI "all day, every day" now.
Utilisation ranged from payroll variance reporting and spotting anomalies in payroll data, as well as from drafting clauses, designing training programmes and performance and reward clauses.
"It feels like AI just has literally happened right in that time," Timcke told HRD. "The horse has bolted and if you're not on it, you're behind – and even if you are on it, you're already behind. It's just evolving so quickly."
But the HR leader also recognised how the technology is reshaping work design, workforce planning, and capability building.
"The way that we work is going to be a really big challenge," Timcke said.
"How we structure roles and what percentage of roles are going to be able to be done by AI versus where you need a human in the middle to [drive] and make judgment calls… getting that balance right, I think, will be really interesting."
Mansour has also acknowledged the rapid adoption of AI in the HR function.
"HR has become far more data‑driven. Real‑time insights and AI‑enabled analytics are now part of the basic toolkit, not something sitting on the fringe," he said.
He also pointed out the impact of AI on HR, while recognising the technology as an "opportunity."
"I expect it to move quickly from innovation to foundation – supporting predictive workforce planning, real‑time safety insights, automated compliance and smarter, faster decision‑making," he told HRD.
But the HR leader warned about the genuine risk of fatigue amid the acceleration of digital transformation.
"As digital transformation accelerates, change fatigue is a real risk," he said.
"HR will need to stay focused on co‑design with frontline teams, keeping systems simple and being able to clearly articulate the safety and productivity benefits of change."
These are just some of the most pressing trends shaping the profession today. This year, a new batch of HR leaders will have the chance to join their ranks when the 2026 Australian HR Awards takes place on Friday, 4 September at the Fullerton Hotel in Sydney.
