What can HR and business leaders learn from paramedics who make life-and-death decisions every day?

In this episode of HR Unlocked, Lisa Oakley sits down with Ross Aitken, Clinical Operations Manager at Northern Rescue, and Mark Quin, Secretary of the New Zealand Ambulance Association.

Together they explore leadership under pressure, resilience, decision-making in high-stakes environments, and what a truly constructive employer-union relationship looks like in practice.

Drawing on decades of experience in emergency services, Ross and Mark share practical insights on staying calm in crisis, valuing highly skilled workforces, and creating partnerships that deliver better outcomes for organisations, employees, and the communities they serve.

What You'll Learn

• How paramedics make decisions in high-pressure situations

• Practical lessons leaders can apply when navigating workplace crises

• Why adaptability and course-correction are critical leadership skills

• The importance of trust in employer-union relationships

• How regular communication prevents conflict and builds partnership

• Why workforce value goes beyond pay alone

• Lessons in resilience, leadership, and emotional regulation

Key Takeaways

• Great leaders stay calm, adaptable, and focused under pressure

• Trust is built through consistent communication and follow-through

• Strong employer-union relationships create better outcomes for everyone

• Workforce retention starts with genuinely valuing people

• Sometimes the most important leadership skill is knowing when to pause and reassess

About Ross Aitken & Mark Quin

Ross Aitken is Clinical Operations Manager at Northern Rescue, leading highly skilled aeromedical and rescue teams across New Zealand's upper North Island.

Mark Quin is Secretary of the New Zealand Ambulance Association, representing ambulance professionals across New Zealand and advocating for workforce wellbeing, capability, and sustainable employment outcomes.

Why This Episode Matters

Whether you're leading a team, managing workplace challenges, or navigating complex stakeholder relationships, this episode offers practical leadership lessons from professionals who operate in some of the highest-pressure environments imaginable.

Resources & Links

• Northern Rescue: https://www.nrhl.co.nz/
• New Zealand Ambulance Association: https://www.nzambulance.org.nz/

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What does it take to scale a New Zealand technology company into a truly global organisation?

In this episode of HR Unlocked, Lisa Oakley sits down with Rachael Satherley, Chief People Officer at Serko, to explore the realities of global growth, leadership across cultures, and building organisations that can scale without losing their identity.

Drawing on experience from Expedia Group and now Serko, Rachael shares practical insights from building teams across New Zealand, India, Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. From creating a network of global hubs to navigating different leadership styles and cultural expectations, this conversation offers a candid look at the opportunities and challenges that come with international expansion.

The discussion also explores workforce capability, AI, employee experience design, and why successful growth is ultimately driven by people, leadership, and culture.

What You'll Learn

• How to scale teams across multiple countries while maintaining culture and connection

• The importance of local leadership when expanding into new markets

• How leadership styles differ across New Zealand, India, and the United States

• Why capability building is becoming more important than traditional workforce planning

• How to create alignment without forcing uniformity across global teams

• What employee experience design can teach HR and people leaders

• How AI is influencing learning, leadership, and organisational capability

• Why adaptability and resilience are critical leadership skills in high-growth environments

Key Takeaways

• Successful global expansion starts with strategy, not headcount

• Local leadership is critical for translating strategy into local reality

• Strong cultures are built through shared principles, not identical practices

• Leadership capability becomes increasingly important as organisations scale

• Employee experience improves when solutions are co-created with employees rather than designed for them

• Learning, adaptability, and experimentation are essential in technology-driven organisations

• Growth is easier to sustain when organisations take the time to build strong foundations first

About Rachael Satherley

Rachael Satherley is Chief People Officer at Serko, one of New Zealand's leading travel technology companies.

With more than 20 years of international experience, Rachael has built and scaled teams across New Zealand, Europe, the Middle East, the United States, and India. Prior to joining Serko, she spent 16 years with Expedia Group, helping navigate periods of rapid global growth and organisational expansion.

At Serko, she leads the people strategy behind the company's international growth, focusing on leadership, capability, culture, and building connected global teams.

Why This Episode Matters

As organisations increasingly operate across borders, leaders are being challenged to build cultures that work across different markets, time zones, and ways of working.

Whether you're leading growth, building capability, managing distributed teams, or preparing your organisation for the future of work, this episode offers practical lessons from someone who has successfully navigated those challenges firsthand.

Resources & Links

• Serko: https://www.serko.com

• Rachael Satherley (she / her / hers) | LinkedIn

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Why are burnout rates still so high years after COVID, and what can leaders actually do about it?

In this episode of HR Unlocked, Lisa Oakley sits down with Professor Jarrod Haar, one of New Zealand’s leading workplace researchers, to explore burnout, workplace loneliness, leadership, wellbeing, and the future of work.

Drawing on decades of research and data collected across New Zealand workplaces, Jarrod shares why severe burnout continues to affect around one in five workers, the surprising role workplace loneliness plays in employee wellbeing, and how leaders can better manage workload, change, and performance pressures.

The conversation also explores AI, productivity, organisational culture, Māori perspectives on work, and the leadership behaviours that make the biggest difference to employee wellbeing.

This episode challenges many of the assumptions organisations make about performance and offers practical insights into creating healthier, more sustainable workplaces.

What You'll Learn

• Why burnout remains one of the biggest workplace challenges in New Zealand

• The connection between workplace loneliness and employee wellbeing

• How workload design and job creep contribute to burnout

• What leaders can do to identify and prevent burnout earlier

• Why productivity and long hours are not the same thing

• The impact AI is having on performance, workload, and employee wellbeing

• How Māori perspectives can influence workplace culture and leadership

• The role connection, belonging, and community play in workplace success

• What great leaders do differently when supporting wellbeing and performance

Key Takeaways

• Workplace loneliness is one of the strongest predictors of burnout

• Burnout is often caused by workload design and organisational systems, not individual weakness

• High performance should not be confused with long working hours

• Organisations need to prioritise workload, not simply add more initiatives

• AI may improve efficiency, but can also increase workload expectations

• Strong leadership improves wellbeing, engagement, and performance simultaneously

• Connection and belonging are critical to creating healthy workplaces

• Small, consistent leadership behaviours often have a greater impact than large wellbeing initiatives

About Jarrod Haar

Professor Jarrod Haar is Dean’s Chair and Professor of Management and Māori Business at Massey University.

He is one of New Zealand’s most respected workplace researchers, specialising in employee wellbeing, burnout, leadership, workplace culture, and Māori business.

Jarrod has published more than 170 academic journal articles, secured numerous research grants, delivered over 140 keynote presentations, and has been ranked among the world’s top 2% of scientists since 2021.

His research regularly informs business leaders, government agencies, and organisations seeking to better understand the future of work and employee wellbeing.

Why This Episode Matters

Burnout, loneliness, and workplace pressure are affecting organisations across every sector.

For leaders, HR professionals, and business owners looking to create healthier, higher-performing workplaces, this episode provides evidence-based insights into what is really driving employee wellbeing and what practical steps can be taken to improve it.

Resources & Links

• Massey University

• Prof Jarrod Haar, PhD, FRSNZ, CFHRNZ | LinkedIn

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