Profile
“I am a lifelong learner. I do not believe we ever reach a point where there is nothing more to understand, question or improve.” This is the philosophy that Lisa Oakley, director and lead consultant Mātanga Hāpai at People Associates, lives by. Her instinct for solving complex problems and seeing connections others miss first drew her towards consulting, an environment where she could move between different organisational contexts and continually encounter new challenges.
Oakley’s role today is to simplify complexity for clients, helping businesses navigate the point where privacy, employment relations and health and safety obligations intersect and pull an organisation towards competing priorities. She considers innovation in problem solving her strongest professional quality, an ability to understand a complex situation quickly and identify a practical path forward.
Building on that instinct, Oakley has spent her career constructing People Associates into a trusted consultancy, an achievement she describes through its multiplier effect. Strengthening one leader or resolving a single systemic issue, she says, extends impact well beyond that engagement, influencing teams, workplaces, customers and communities across Australasia.
Despite her years of experience, Oakley shares that credibility has not always come easily. “Like many women, I have experienced situations where credibility was not automatically assumed and expertise had to be demonstrated more than once,” she says, pointing to deeply held assumptions about what leadership looks and sounds like, and whose contribution carries authority in the room.
It is part of why she takes being named an Elite Woman seriously, not as an invitation to present a flawless version of success, but as a chance to be visible for other women navigating the same barriers. “Careers develop through hard work, uncertainty, setbacks, learning and the willingness to keep stepping forward,” she says, adding that leadership is less about having all the answers than about creating opportunities for others.
The instinct to open doors for others runs through the breadth of experience Oakley believes sets her apart. Her experience spans employment relations, mediation, workplace investigations, organisational change, leadership and governance, paired with doctoral research into employment dispute resolution. Alongside her consulting work, she created HR Unlocked, a platform for open conversations about employment relations practice, and continues mentoring and speaking to strengthen the profession.
Looking at the industry broadly, Oakley wants more active sponsorship of women and a wider understanding of what credible leadership looks like, rather than women having to adopt a particular style or meet every criterion before being seen as ready. Systems that identify potential early and value different ways of leading, she believes, allow organisations to benefit from a wider range of perspectives.
Through her doctoral research and HR Unlocked, Oakley hopes to leave the profession stronger than she found it, contributing to higher standards and a more humane approach to resolving workplace conflict. “I want leaders to approach difficult people issues with both courage and compassion, and for those involved in workplace conflict to feel heard, respected and fairly treated,” she says.
145 Khyber Pass Road, Grafton, Auckland 1023
027 573 5483
lisa@peopleassociates.nz
linkedin.com/in/lisamareeoakley/
peopleassociates.nz
Lisa Oakley
Director and Lead Consultant/Mātanga Hāpai People Associates
Read on
Special Report
Home
Bio
Milestones
2005 – 2011
2011-2015
2017-2020
2021-2023
Present
2005 – 2008 – University of Auckland – Bachelor of Commerce, Management and Employment Relations
2008 – 2011 – Massey University – Post Graduate Diploma in Business and Administration, Human Resources April 2011 – August 2012 – Human Resources Manager – University of Auckland
2005-
2011
September 2012 – June 2015 – Human Resources Manager – Spark NZ
2013 – 2015 – Massey University – Masters of Management, Human Resource Management July 2015 – January 2017 – Human Resources Manager – Air NZ
2011-
2015
Feb 2017 – June 2023 – Director and Lead Consultant – Love Your Work NZ
July 2018 – August 2019 – General Manager HR, HSE, QA – Fitzroy Engineering Group
May 2019 – May 2022 – Board Member – HRNZ
October 2019 – June 2020 – General Manager People and Culture – Blind Low Vision NZ
September 2020 – Present – Human Resources Consultant – JOYN
December 2020 – Present – Human Resources and Employment Relations Consultant – Employers and Manufacturers (EMA)
2017-
2020
2021 – Southern Institute of Technology, Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety
June 2021 – December 2024 – Human Resources Consultant – MyHR
June 2023 – Present – Director and Lead Consultant – People Associates
2021-
2023
2026 – University of Otago – Doctoral Candidate
Present
Milestones
