Tēnā koe, talofa lava, hello!

I’m Laura Constantine Warren, Founder and Principal Consultant of HelmHR.

I am an award-winning former HR executive with over 20 years of HR experience across a wide range of industries - tertiary and vocational education, manufacturing, not-for-profit, and lots in between.

Some of my former roles include:

• Regional P&C Director & National ER/IR Director, Te Pūkenga

• Deputy Chief Executive: People, Culture & Safety, Otago Polytechnic

• Divisional HR Manager, Otago University

I was awarded HR Person of the Year at the 2023 Human Resources Institute of New Zealand (HRNZ) Awards, receiving the Leadership Award in the same year. I was named a winner in the HRD Magazine HR Director Hot List in 2024.

I bring deep HR expertise along with a pragmatic, energetic, and friendly style. I’m passionate about ensuring people are at the centre of what organisations do, and about “doing HR” with heart. I’m also committed to ensuring that our HR practice in Aotearoa New Zealand reflects our unique context and is Te Tiriti responsive.

It’s not all I do, but I’ve got particular expertise in:

• Employment and industrial relations

• Leadership

• Change, transition, and restructuring

• Coaching and mentoring

I’m a proud Dunedinite, University of Otago alumna, Chartered Member of HRNZ, and mother to two school-aged children.

My values include integrity, authenticity, collaboration, and fun.

I am Ōtepōti | Dunedin based and work regionally and nationally to meet client needs.