Headquarters:
Auckland
Year founded:
1994
Number of employees:
47
Phone:
09 303 4045
Email:
info@strategicpay.co.nz
Website:
strategicpay.co.nz
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/strategic-pay-limited
Cathy Hendry
Managing Director
Michelle Read
Director of Reward
Andrew Ritchie
Business Services Director
Leadership
Cathy Hendry is the managing director of Strategic Pay, bringing over 17 years of expertise as a leading New Zealand remuneration professional. Heading the company since 2021, she drives its strategic growth while maintaining a strong commitment to client success. A passionate advocate for pay equity, Hendry actively collaborates with initiatives like MindTheGap to advance fairness and equal pay research across New Zealand. She is a prominent speaker at industry events, widely recognised for her data-driven insights on remuneration trends.
Managing Director
Cathy Hendry
Michelle Read is director of reward at Strategic Pay, leading the reward consulting practice to simplify pay and performance for employees, management and boards. Specialising in remuneration management since 2003, Read joined Strategic Pay in 2012. Her extensive background includes leading local and global HR initiatives and global mobility and serving in commercial and not-for-profit governance roles. Read excels at defining client requirements and delivering value-driven solutions across executive remuneration, reward strategy, directors’ fees and incentive plans while maintaining positive workplace relations.
Director of Reward
Michelle Read
Andrew Ritchie joined Strategic Pay in early 2024, drawn by the company’s mission to drive client success through improved employee engagement and performance. As part of the leadership team, Ritchie oversees the business support functions of finance, marketing and legal, adding broad strategic value across the organisation. A member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Ritchie brings extensive experience in leading finance teams, with a core focus on delivering data and insights that empower better decision-making.
Business Services Director
Andrew Ritchie
Natasha Stone
Data and Analytics Director
Natasha Stone first joined Strategic Pay in 2011, managing a broad survey portfolio across public and private sectors, including local government, pharmaceuticals and executive pay, before being promoted to senior data analyst in 2014. Stone gained client-side experience as a senior planning analyst at Housing New Zealand in 2017, overseeing department budget planning and analytical reporting for major maintenance programmes. In 2018, Stone returned to Strategic Pay to manage the data and analytics team. Combining her deep remuneration expertise and background in analysis, she leads the delivery of high-level insights and data solutions to support both clients and internal consultants.
Data and Analytics Director
Natasha Stone
Santa Harvett is digital services director at Strategic Pay, having served on the leadership team since 2012. Previously leading the data and analytics unit, Harvett doubled its revenue and built New Zealand’s largest independent remuneration database before stepping into digital transformation roles. With over 20 years of international analytics and consulting experience, Harvett combines technical expertise with strong business acumen. She excels at optimising digital systems, evaluating client technology needs and managing complex projects to drive operational ROI. Dedicated to Strategic Pay’s Australasian growth vision, Harvett focuses on delivering innovative, data-driven total reward solutions tailored to evolving workforce demands.
Digital Services Director
Santa Harvett
Avi Lewis
Chief Financial Officer
Kathy Pallasis
Human Resources Manager
Nicholas Avramides
Investment Lending Manager Team Leader
David Sexton
Director Business Services
A seasoned finance leader with over 25 years of extensive financial management experience, Avi Lewis has held various senior commercial and strategic finance roles with companies such as Citrix, Envestment Yodlee, ANZ Bank, First Wave Cloud Technology and Ernst and Young.
Lewis has successfully led an ASX listing, a strategic sale of a private equity-owned tech enterprise and various ERP/CRM transformation projects, whilst delivering strategic insights driving business growth, fostering stakeholder engagement through a values-based approach centred on respect, integrity, accountability and excellence.
Chief Financial Officer
Avi Lewis
Kathy Pallasis is human resources manager at Frontier Software and leads HR strategy and operations from Melbourne. Her responsibilities include policy development, employee relations, employee records and internal communications. Pallasis works with senior leaders and teams across the organisation to support workforce planning and workplace operations. Her experience includes enterprise software, payroll systems and governance. A member of the Australian HR Institute, Pallasis contributes to continuous improvement through practical policy and operational leadership.
Human Resources Manager
Kathy Pallasis
As an Investment Lending Manager Team Leader, Nick is responsible for leading, coaching and developing our team of Investment Lending Managers. He works directly with brokers to strengthen technical capability, lending strategy, compliance and overall performance, while driving consistent service standards and exceptional client outcomes across the organisation. Through regular coaching, performance reviews, and deal strategy workshopping, Nick plays a key role in building broker capability, embedding best practice and fostering a high-performing culture focused on delivering outstanding client outcomes.
Investment Lending Manager Team Leader
Nicholas Avramides
As Director of Business Services, David oversees the financial, operational and commercial aspects of the School. In this role, he contributes to shaping and implementing strategic initiatives, supports business sustainability and enables the next phase of campus development, including the 10-year Master Plan and Strategic Plan (2026–2028).
He is an accomplished executive leader with over 25 years of experience at C-Suite and Board level spanning diverse sectors including education, not-for-profit, disability, sport and professional services. He has extensive experience shaping and executing strategic plans, driving income growth and diversification, master planning and major capital projects, stakeholder engagement, leading high-performing teams and managing complex budgets.
Director Business Services
David Sexton
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Adam Basaldella
Manager – Claims
Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Product Manager
Claire Watson
Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Commercial Manager
Stephen McMillan
“Having close connections with our parents, staff and community, is integral to a rich learning environment. When we work together, we can achieve amazing things”
Karen Yager,
Hills Grammar
“I believe that students learn in a supportive environment with passionate and inspiring teachers and staff. We surround our students with positive creative and inspiring people, enthusiastic about their own learning and keen to immerse students in the spirit of life-long learning across the whole community”
Karen Yager,
Hills Grammar
Strategic Pay has been recognised in HRD New Zealand’s Service Provider Awards for 2026, highlighting its contribution to helping organisations make fair, transparent and commercially sound remuneration decisions across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Founded in 1994, Strategic Pay has spent more than 30 years partnering with organisations across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors to solve complex remuneration challenges.
The 100% New Zealand-owned consultancy combines independent remuneration advice, specialist job evaluation expertise and practical implementation support with New Zealand’s most comprehensive remuneration database. Its dedicated consultants work alongside boards, executives and HR leaders to design reward frameworks and make fair, market-informed and defensible remuneration decisions.
Supporting this expertise is a remuneration database containing more than 260,000 employee records across over 1,400 organisations. However, Strategic Pay’s value extends beyond data. Consultants take the time to understand each client’s strategy, workforce and operating environment, applying professional judgement alongside robust market evidence to guide decisions that are often commercially sensitive and highly visible.
The firm’s consulting services span remuneration strategy and policy, job evaluation, salary structure design, executive and board remuneration, market benchmarking, pay equity analysis, incentive design and implementation support. Whether organisations are reviewing remuneration frameworks, establishing governance processes or preparing for organisational change, Strategic Pay provides objective advice that helps clients evaluate options, test assumptions and communicate decisions with confidence.
A key component of this work is Strategic Pay’s job sizing methodology, which evaluates roles using consistent factors such as accountability, problem-solving, knowledge, influence and organisational impact. This enables organisations to compare different roles on a common basis, build coherent remuneration structures and benchmark positions against genuinely comparable market data rather than relying solely on job titles.
Strategic Pay’s independence gives clients confidence that recommendations are based on evidence, consistent methodology and professional judgement rather than predetermined outcomes. By combining disciplined job evaluation, robust New Zealand market data and experienced consulting expertise, the firm helps organisations develop remuneration decisions that can be clearly explained to employees, executives, boards and other stakeholders.
Under Cathy Hendry’s leadership, Strategic Pay continues to contribute to national conversations around pay transparency, equitable reward practices and workforce planning. Its team of remuneration specialists is supported by professionals across consulting, data and digital functions, ensuring clients benefit from both expert advice and high-quality market intelligence.
“This recognition reflects the expertise of our people and the trust clients place in us to provide independent advice,” says Strategic Pay managing director Cathy Hendry. “We combine consistent job sizing, robust New Zealand market evidence and experienced professional judgement to help organisations make remuneration decisions that are fair, practical and defensible.”
Alongside its consulting services, Strategic Pay’s remuneration surveys, market data and digital tools help clients access reliable insights and implement decisions efficiently. This recognition reinforces the company’s position as a trusted remuneration adviser, combining specialist expertise, independent advice and practical solutions to help organisations navigate evolving expectations around fairness, transparency and reward.
Learning designed for educators
The centrepiece of Hills Grammar’s approach to staff development is its Professional Learning Model, led by director of professional learning Dr. Chris Furner. Grounded in adult learning pedagogies, aligned with the school’s strategic intent and staff profile and standards, the model deliberately moves away from compliance-driven professional development towards something more meaningful. This is delivered as learning that is authentic, research-based and tailored to where each educator is in their career journey.
Supporting this is the Learning Centre Staff Program, which creates structured opportunities for staff to share practice, reflect on their work and learn from one another. Mentoring, leadership development and action research opportunities are embedded throughout, making professional growth a continuous and collegial practice rather than a periodic obligation. It is a model that reflects Hills Grammar’s commitment to investing in the people responsible for delivering its educational vision.
Future-forward leadership
The school’s commitment to its team extends to how Hills Grammar approaches leadership. Working in partnership with the governing council, school leaders maintain a shared focus on developing what the school describes as a ‘future fit’ graduate and the workforce equipped to teach them. Innovation is encouraged, and the culture is one where academic ambition and professional development are seen as inseparable.
Wellbeing in a remarkable setting
Staff also benefit from complimentary wellbeing programs, a genuine commitment to work-life balance and access to an Employee Assistance Program. Additionally, for educators who value a workplace where the physical environment itself is part of the daily experience, Hills Grammar’s picturesque campus offers a setting that is as restorative as it is inspiring.
There is also a proactive approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), such that employees are informed and educated through integrated professional learning frameworks. Hills Grammar is proud to be actively shaping bold thinkers, and in turn empowering the people who teach them.
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EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, REWARDS & BENEFIT
Benefits
Compensation
Culture
Diversity, equity and inclusion
Innovation
Reputation
Sustainable programs
Overall
Santa Harvett
Digital Services Director
Medal
Recruitment Solutions Software
Benefits
Compensation
Culture
Diversity, equity and inclusion
Innovation
Reputation
Sustainable programs
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Meet the Team