At HR for Humans at Work, the belief is simple: positive workplace cultures are shaped by people who lead with care and intention. The Humane HR Awards were created to recognise individuals who place fairness, empathy, and growth at the centre of their work.

Here are our winners for 2025:

Human-Centred Safety & Neuro-Inclusive Leadership Award: Nicola Knobel — for redefining safety, risk, and governance through neurodiversity, psychological safety, and equitable system design.

Human–Technology Integration Leadership Award: Kurt Gillam — for advancing HR leadership that balances digital innovation with humanity, trust, and ethical impact.

Strategic Humane HR Leadership Award: Ashleigh Beadle — for elevating HR as a strategic, people-centred leadership function.

Emotional Intelligence & Workplace Flourishing Award: Karl Hebenstreit, PhD, PCC, PHR — for championing emotionally intelligent leadership that enables people and organisations to thrive.

People-First Innovation in HR Award: Camilla Guo — for embedding human-centred HR strategy within high-growth, technology-driven environments.

Purpose-Driven Human Leadership Award: Rick Williams — for bridging science, meaning, and humanity to create purpose-led workplaces.

Workplace Wellbeing & Resilient Leadership Award: Lora Cheadle — for positioning wellbeing as a leadership responsibility and organisational imperative.

Workplace Reinvention & Differentiated Leadership Award: Lorraine Berg — for reimagining work through inclusive, differentiated, and human-aware leadership.

Bold Futures Leadership Award: Erica Anderson Rooney — for expanding what’s possible in leadership through courage, vision, and human-centred change.

Trust-Led Transformation in HR Award: Suxian Woo — for leading organisational transformation grounded in trust, authenticity, and human connection.

Human-Balanced Leadership Award: Tsvika Abramovitch — for integrating empathy, realism, and performance in modern leadership practice.

Humane HR Book Award:

• The Art of Managing Humans by Tsvika Abramovitch
• Dying for a Paycheck by Jeffrey Pfeffer
• Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
• The Employee Experience Advantage by Jacob Morgan
• The Fearless Organization by Amy C. Edmondson
• Work Rules! by Laszlo Bock
• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink
• Wellbeing at Work by Jim Clifton
• Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux
• Radical Candor by Kim Scott
• Drive by Daniel H. Pink
• The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier
• Firms of Endearment by David B. Wolfe, Rajendra Sisodia, and Jagdish Sheth
• Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
• Work Rules! by Laszlo Bock
• The Fearless Organization by Amy C. Edmondson
• The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier
• Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
• Work Rules! by Laszlo Bock
• The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle
• Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
• No Rules Rules by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer
• No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy

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🔍 About the Awards

The Humane HR Awards celebrate individuals and organisations who go beyond compliance to create work cultures grounded in dignity, empathy, and growth. Established in 2024 by HR for Humans at Work, the Awards are part of a global movement to humanise HR and champion fairer, safer, and more inclusive workplaces. Click here to nominate or to find out more.