WorkTheory Co. Founder

Phillipa Gimmillaro (she/her) CMHRNZ

  • NZ Leadership Awards ED&I (2025) - Finalist
  • HRNZ Sustainability through People (2024) - Winner
  • HRD Best HR Executives (2024) - Hot List
  • HRD HR Director of the Year (2023) - Winner
  • HRD Innovate HR teams (2019) - Winner

Kia ora, I’m the Founder and Principal Consultant of WorkTheory Co., bringing 15+ years of HR leadership and expertise spanning New Zealand, Australia, UK, and USA. My career began in sales and customer service, building a strong foundation in operations and customer experience.  Throughout my career, I have held a variety of roles including leading guest relations, HR and Learning & Development for a global cruise corporation and served as the Chief People Officer for a number of years during a period of growth at Sudima Hotels under Hind Management in New Zealand. In these capacities, I led award-winning hospitality initiatives, drove transformative organisational change, opened numerous new sites/ships and launched new brands all while implementing new systems of work that supported successful growth.

My approach is dedicated to tackling complex workplace challenges, identifying pain points and collaborating closely with founders, CEO's, leaders and teams to understand their needs and turn insights into practical cost effective solutions that fit the business strategy. As a Chartered Member of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand (CMHRNZ) and an accredited DEI professional, I bring a strong ethical compass to my work. I specialise in governance, strategy, and fostering inclusive workplaces that deliver equitable and measurable results.

As an MBA candidate at the Australian Institute of Business (AIB), I am deeply passionate about aligning people, purpose, and performance to create meaningful impact. Certified in Thomas PPA (Personal Profile Analysis), I have the expertise to conduct assessments that uncover team dynamics and leverage individual strengths for optimal results. 

Beyond my professional work I volunteer as a mentor and chartering assesor for HRNZ, I am a proud mother of two awesome young people and I enjoy the local beaches of East Auckland, keeping fit and kayaking on my local Tāmaki Estuary.

 

'As a chartered member of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand, and Accredited DEI Professional, I specialise in governance, strategy, and diversity, creating thriving inclusive workplaces with measurable results'

 

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Testimonials

"She believes that a diverse and inclusive workplace brings out the best in our people, enabling us to provide superior products and services to the communities we serve.

Phillipa recently designed a new initiative to support Māori rangatahi and Pacific youth not in paid employment, education or training (NEET). It’s an initiative which will further strengthen our objectives"

Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala ONZM

Founder/CEO Sudima Hotels

& Hind Management

"A regular contributor to the New Zealand Disability Employers’ Network, Phillipa has played a pivotal role in driving initiatives that champion the employment and workplace inclusion, her efforts have transcended local boundaries, influencing practices and policies on an international scale"

Phil Turner

Chief Executive,

NZDEN

"She’s not afraid to tackle challenging topics,

Phillipa has that rare ability to make everyone in the room feel like their perspective matters, while challenging us to think more deeply about how we can do better. She’s pushed me to examine my own assumptions and blind spots."

Iftikhar Hussain

NZ Country Manager, 

Sudima Hotels

Awards