Carolyn Tremain is a HR consultant based in Auckland, and is one of New Zealand’s most experienced human resource executives. She is a former Senior Vice President for Human Resources and Organisational Change at Air New Zealand. While there, Carolyn worked with four CEOs during the most significant period of change and challenge ever for the airline as it merged and subsequently de-merged with Ansett Airlines of Australia, and dealt with the impact on global aviation of the events of September 11, 2001.
As high-level corporate transactions were playing out during this period, Carolyn had hands-on responsibility for developing the organisational structures and HR policies affecting up to 24,000 employees. Leading the development of best practice policies, and winning support for these from a series of CEOs–each with different philosophies and management styles–was a unique challenge and opportunity that makes a most valuable case study for all HR professionals.