The SME Stream

What does strategic HR actually look like in practice? In this episode of HR Unlocked, Lisa Oakley sits down with Tina Evangelista, Chief People Officer at SeaLink New Zealand, to explore strategic HR, commercial credibility, employee experience, leadership, AI, organisational capability, and the human side of work. Tina shares why being strategic is not simply about being involved in strategy. For her, it means understanding how the business creates value, spending time where the work happens, and helping leaders solve real business problems. The conversation also explores why impact matters more than activity, how frontline visibility strengthens HR decision-making, and why employee experience needs to be shaped with the people doing the work. Leadership is another key theme. Tina talks about combining care with accountability, having difficult conversations, building credibility, and using judgement when there is no perfect answer. Lisa and Tina also discuss AI and the future of HR. Tina sees technology creating more space for judgement, analysis, capability building, and better decision-making, while emphasising that AI output still needs human review and context. The episode also challenges the assumption that every workplace issue is a “people problem”. Sometimes the real cause sits in workload, systems, structure, or role clarity. The conversation closes with Tina sharing her experience of bowel cancer, returning to work, and the difference supportive leadership made during a difficult period in her life. What You’ll Learn What strategic HR looks like beyond simply being involved in strategy Why commercial credibility starts with understanding the business Why impact matters more than activity How frontline visibility improves HR decision-making Why employee experience should be designed with people, not for them How care and accountability work together in leadership Why professional courage and judgement matter in HR How AI could create more space for higher-value People & Culture work Why AI output still needs human review and context Why some “people problems” are actually system, workload, or structure problems What supportive leadership can look like during serious illness Key Takeaways Strategic HR is about helping solve the right business problems, not simply running more HR initiatives. Commercial credibility comes from understanding operations, customers, finance, and how the organisation creates value. Good leadership requires both care and accountability. AI can create more capacity for higher-value HR work, but judgement and human context remain essential. Not every workplace issue is caused by the people involved. Sometimes the system around them is the real problem. Culture is often tested most clearly when an employee genuinely needs support. About Tina Evangelista Tina Evangelista is Chief People Officer at SeaLink New Zealand. Her career spans People & Culture, organisational development, leadership, change, and operational management across New Zealand and internationally. Before SeaLink, Tina spent almost a decade with Tāmaki Health, and her wider career has included consulting, healthcare management, and teaching. She brings a practical, business-focused approach to HR, with a strong emphasis on commercial credibility, frontline connection, employee experience, leadership, and organisational capability. Why This Episode Matters HR professionals are increasingly expected to be more commercial, strategic, technologically capable, and influential. Tina’s perspective brings that back to something practical: understand the business, spend time with the people doing the work, ask better questions, and focus on outcomes that actually matter. For HR professionals, People & Culture leaders, executives, and managers, this episode offers practical insight into making better people decisions while staying connected to both the business and the humans inside it. Resources & Links SeaLink New Zealand: https://www.sealink.co.nz/ Connect with Tina Evangelista on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-evangelista/ HR Unlocked: https://linktr.ee/hrunlocked See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alan McDonald, Employers and Manufacturers Association Head of Advocacy, on whether the election result delivers the certainty businesses need.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jordan McFall, Automate-X Co-owner and Chief Growth Officer, on how warehouse automation can boost productivity and help NZ businesses stay competitive.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Herald business commentator Fran O'Sullivan on what the election result means for businesses, from tax regulation to investment, confidence and growth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A man familiar with the role believes the finance portfolio doesn't just come down to who's best for the job.  ACT's leader David Seymour believes it's no longer tenable for National to demand the portfolio after his party received its highest share of the votes in Saturday's election.  He's making the case for himself to become Finance Minister.  Former National Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking parties in whatever coalition eventuates aren't going to have the same preferences or requirements.  He says there are bigger things to think about, and Seymour will likely trade off this role for something else.  Joyce is also warning Seymour to be careful what he wishes for, as in holding the portfolio, he would have to be a lot closer to National than he might like to be.  “The three parties together aren’t going to sign up to ACT’s preferences in terms of fiscal policy ... so he would have to be the Finance Minister presiding over what he would see as a highly watered-down version of what he would like to do.”  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our largest bank is continuing to see some people thriving and other people proving remarkably resilient.  ANZ New Zealand's reporting a statutory net profit of $2.36 billion – down 7% on last year, due in part to increased competition between banks.  Export industries continue to do well, with agricultural lending up 2.8% to $15.8 billion and farm deposits jumping 15.4%.  ANZ Agricultural Economist Matt Dilly told Mike Hosking they're feeling pretty good about how the agricultural business is doing, and there's plenty of money out there to lend.  He says the payout from Fonterra's sale to Lactalis earlier this year boosted things, but they're seeing really good performance across most of the portfolio.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank can hold the OCR steady, so why can longer-term mortgage rates still move? On The Prosperity Project, Nadine Higgins talks to Matt Logan, portfolio manager at Fisher Funds, about what rising US bond yields mean for Kiwi borrowers and savers. They also look at how Big Tech is borrowing to build AI data centres, and whether rising borrowing costs could slow the boom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when your next customer asks ChatGPT what to buy instead of searching on Google? And more importantly, will AI recommend YOUR business? The way customers discover brands, compare products and make purchasing decisions is changing fast. For business owners who rely on Google, SEO, social media and paid advertising to drive sales, this could change everything. In this episode we unpack how AI is reshaping online shopping, what it means for traditional marketing and how entrepreneurs can position their businesses to get discovered in this new era of search. We also put my own businesses to the test! We ask ChatGPT to recommend products and brands to see if my businesses make the cut or if AI sends potential customers straight to my competitors. We find out just how visible my own brands really are in the age of AI. We break down how to adapt your marketing strategy, get your brand discovered by AI and stay ahead of the competition. Because it's no longer just about ranking on Google. It's about making sure AI recommends YOUR business, not your competitors. Ready to take your business further? 🔗 Book a free strategy call: https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/ 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on business, marketing, strategy and scaling. 🌐 Learn more: http://makeithappen.org.nz/ 🌐 Instagram: @makeithappen  Episode references: Campaign Brief NZ — AI and consumer search, October 2026 IAB NZ — How Kiwi shoppers are discovering and buying in 2026 Google — Search, AI and brand discovery See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The wait is on to see what New Zealand's next government will look like.  Preliminary results favour the National Coalition, but that could change when special votes are counted.  Auckland Business Chamber CEO Simon Bridges says, "I'd like to see, ACT, New Zealand First and National really to come together on that, put aside a bit of politics, and do what the country needs" He says top priority for the coalition should be economic reform.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aaron Ibbotson from Forsyth Barr - why the bounce... and what are the risks?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.