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NZATD Awards 2026 – Celebrating excellence in L&D

Congratulations to all our 2026 NZATD Award winners, finalists, and nominees.

Held at the beautiful Waipuna Hotel & Conference Centre in Auckland, our Awards Gala Dinner was a wonderful evening of celebration, connection, and recognition, bringing together learning and development professionals from across Aotearoa New Zealand to acknowledge outstanding achievements, innovation, and impact in our profession.

We are incredibly proud of everyone who submitted an entry this year. The quality of nominations and award submissions continues to showcase the depth of talent, dedication, and expertise within the NZATD community.

A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors and partners for their ongoing support, particularly our Premier Partner, Accipio. Their commitment helps make these awards possible and enables us to recognise excellence across the learning and development sector.

You can view the full list of 2026 finalists and winners below, along with the partners who supported this year's awards programme.

2026 Winners

Initiative categories 

  • Best Compliance Learning Programme: 
    Follow My Lead & ANZCO Foods     - Access Denied

  • Best Induction or Onboarding Programme:
    Two Degrees Mobile Limited - Reimagine Care Learning (RCL) - Induction Transformation

  • Best Skills-Based Learning Project (sponsored by Like-Minded): 
    Pukeko Learning Solutions & Manaaki Tangata Victim Support      - Engaging with clients:  Using AI simulations to practise human skills

  • Best Transformation Programme (sponsored by Blanchard Aotearoa New Zealand): 
    One NZ - AI Transformation Programme
     
  • Best Leadership Development Programme (sponsored by Inspire Group): 
    Fulton Hogan - Taeao Fou - Pasifika Leadership Development     

  • Best Online Learning Project (sponsored by Catalyst): 
    Te Amo Ako | Learning and Teaching Development Team, Otago Polytechnic


Individual categories 

  • L&D Team Member: 
    Moumita Jamindar-Arnold
     
  • L&D Consultant : 
    Christie Hutt     

  • L&D Manager (sponsored by University of Auckland): 
    Yasmin Kachwala     

  • L&D Strategist: (sponsored by Synapsys):
    Bonita Misilisi     

  • Emerging L&D Practitioner (sponsored by Accipio):
    Ina Capulong 
  • L&D Practitioner of the Year (sponsored by Complete Learning Solutions): 
    Penelope Chua-Ong 

Our Partners

A massive thanks to all our 2026 sponsors!

Premier Partner


Category Partners









2026 FINALISTS

Individual Awards

L&D Team Member

Heather Hardie - Gallagher Security

Moumita Jamindar-Arnold - Te Puni Kōkiri

L&D Consultant

Alex Bozga - Adeptis Learning

Christie Hutt - Bobbie Beau

Loz Wootton - Whanake Learning

Pasitaua Haufano - Zeducation

L&D Manager

Yasmin Kachwala - 2dgrees Ltd

L&D Strategist

Bonita Misilisi - Fulton Hogan

Emerging L&D Practitioner

Bhawna Raina - 2degrees Mobile Limited

Ina Capulong - Compass Group New Zealand

Simoné Duvenage - Gallagher Security

L&D Practitioner of the Year

Ian Martin - Fisher & Paykel Healthcare

Lana Signal 

Penelope Chua-Ong - 2degrees

Rodney August - Site Safe

Initiative Awards

Best Compliance Learning Programme

  • Southern Cross Health Insurance - Southern Cross Health Insurance - Adviser Induction and Accreditation Programme

  • Epic Learning and Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui - The National Chaperone Accreditation Programme in Anti-Doping Testing

  • Follow My Lead and ANZCO Foods - Access Denied

Best Induction / Onboarding Programme

  • Mitre 10 - Mitre 10 Retail Store Onboarding Programme

  • IAG - IAG Sales and Service Induction Evolution

  • 2degrees (Two Degrees Mobile Limited) - Reimagine Care Learning (RCL) – Induction Transformation

Best Leadership Development Programme

  • FMG - FMG Mentoring Programme

  • One NZ - Leading One - One NZ Leadership Programme

  • Douglas Pharmaceuticals and Unboxable - LEADForward

  • Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support and Pūkeko Learning - Manaaki Tāngata People Leaders’ Development Programme

  • Fulton Hogan - Taeao Fou - Pasifika Leadership Development

Best Online Learning Project

  • Otago Polytechnic and Te Ama Ako | Learning and Teaching Development team, Otago Polytechnic - Post Graduate Certificate in Learning Design (Level 8)

  • Hato Hone St John and Programme Development Team - Te Whai Aroha: The Journey to Wellbeing

  • Ministry of Education and Learning Support Programme - Role Essentials for Learning Support Coordinators

  • Orion Group Limited - LeadershipOS — Always-On Online Learning Platform for Human Skills in the AI Era

Best Skills-Based Learning Project

  • Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora and Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora (HNZ) Safe Staffing Healthy Workplaces Unit (SSHW). - TrendCare

  • IAG - Personal Lines Underwriting Academy Uplift – Te Wānanga o Te Whakaaetanga Inihua Uplift

  • Pūkeko Learning Solutions and Manaaki Tāngata Victim Support - Engaging with clients: Using AI simulations to practise human skills

  • Ministry of Education and Learning Support Programme - Learning Support Coordinator (LSC) Professional Learning and Development (PLD) Project

  • Orion Group Limited with participant and stakeholder input from the 2025 Navigating Complexity with Systems Thinking cohort - Navigating Complexity with Systems Thinking - Leadership Gym - Practice-Based Skill Formation

Best Transformation Programme

  • Auckland International Campus - Transforming Learning at AIC: Experiential Education Framework and AI-Resilient Assessment Redesign

  • Hato Hone St John - WEAVE: Workforce Capability and Learning Transformation

  • F&P Healthcare - Time & Attendance

  • One NZ - One NZ AI Transformation Programme

  • Fulton Hogan - Te Ao Māori Programme







New Zealand Association for Training and Development (NZATD)

Address: P O Box 9319, Waikato Mail Centre, Hamilton 3240

Phone:  021 794 277

Email:  nzatd@nzatd.org.nz

G-82J3ZF4543