Genesis goes live with Workday in finance overhaul
Tue, 26th May 2026 (Today)
Genesis Energy has gone live with Workday Financial Management, replacing a legacy Oracle finance system at the New Zealand energy provider as part of a broader finance transformation programme.
The rollout is intended to shift the finance function from a primarily transactional role into a more strategic business capability. Genesis worked with Accenture on advisory and implementation support during the deployment.
The company selected Workday following a nine-month discovery process. Genesis said the platform stood out not only as a replacement for its existing finance system, but also as a foundation for wider operational and organisational change.
Finance overhaul
According to the companies, the deployment is designed to consolidate finance systems, standardise finance and business processes, and provide a more consistent user experience for employees. The platform is also expected to improve access to real-time data insights and flexible reporting tools for internal decision-making and investor communications.
The finance transformation is tied to Genesis' wider Gen35 energy transition strategy. The strategy includes a NZD $2 billion pipeline of renewable electricity generation and back-up supply by FY32, supporting New Zealand's broader net zero 2050 target.
Genesis said the platform provides part of the digital foundation needed to support that transition, particularly as the company manages investment, operations and reporting across a mix of traditional and renewable energy assets.
Energy portfolio
The company serves nearly 500,000 residential and business customers across New Zealand. Genesis also owns Ecotricity and holds a 65% stake in EV charging company ChargeNet.
Its generation portfolio spans thermal, hydro and solar assets, while a grid-scale battery project is under development at Huntly Power Station. Genesis also holds a 46% equity interest in the Kupe oil and gas field in Taranaki.
The scale and diversity of those operations place significant demands on finance systems, particularly around asset tracking, operational reporting and investment management across multiple business units and infrastructure projects.
Strategic shift
Genesis has positioned the Workday implementation as a broader operational transformation rather than a standalone software upgrade. The company said the project is intended to support best-practice finance and business processes using what it described as future-ready technology.
"Implementing Workday Financial Management will provide Genesis with an out-of-box solution to leverage best practice finance and business processes with future-ready technology," said Emma Oettli, Chief Financial Officer, Genesis Energy.
For Workday, the project adds another large utility company to its regional finance customer base. The software vendor said the deployment was completed with limited disruption to day-to-day operations.
"We are proud to support such an iconic Kiwi company in its digital transformation efforts. The Workday platform enabled Genesis to go live with minimal disruption, so it can continue to focus on delivering electricity and gas throughout the country. With Workday, Genesis is on track to significantly improve how the finance function works," said Jonathan Brabant, Regional Sales Director, Workday New Zealand.
The implementation also reflects the continued shift among utilities and other asset-heavy organisations away from legacy enterprise software platforms and towards more integrated finance systems.
At Genesis, the finance overhaul sits alongside a broader business transition as the company balances existing thermal and gas operations with investment in renewable generation, storage infrastructure and electric mobility services.