Humankind has appointed Anna Muir as Acting Chief Executive Officer while Chief Executive Officer Kalyn Ponti takes one year of parental leave, as the New Zealand people and culture consultancy prepares for a planned leadership transition.
Muir will take up the role on 16 November. Charlotte Brochoire Falamić will become Acting Director, while Sophie McLernon has been promoted to Director of Growth and will join the leadership team permanently.
The company said the changes are intended to maintain continuity for clients during Ponti's absence. Muir will lead the business with support from an expanded leadership team, while existing client teams and key contacts remain in place.
Muir has been with Humankind for ten years. During that time, she has helped shape the company's approach to clients and led teams serving organisations including Ideally, Sharesies and NZX.
Charlotte Bates will remain a Director, focusing on employment relations and strategic people and culture work. The wider leadership structure reflects Humankind's internal succession planning as it continues to expand its range of services.
Humankind has worked with more than 1,300 organisations and operates through a fractional model. This approach places senior people and culture expertise within client organisations, allowing businesses to access specialist support without building the full function internally.
Broader offer
Humankind has been in the market for more than 14 years and works with companies across New Zealand. The business has also reported growing activity in Australia and the United States as it broadens its advisory work.
Recent changes to its offering include an expansion of its talent and recruitment services. The company has also extended its support for manager and leadership development through its acquisition of Mintable.
The leadership transition comes as Humankind expands beyond its original focus on strategic people and culture and specialist employment relations. Its services include organisational design, leadership development and people strategy for founders and executive teams.
Ponti said the transition had been prepared in advance and reflected the work the company had done to develop its leadership team. She also emphasised the importance of maintaining established client relationships throughout the handover.
"This is a transition we can make because we have been deliberate about building leadership depth over time," said Kalyn Ponti, Chief Executive Officer, Humankind.
"Anna, Charlotte Bates and I have led Humankind together for years, and we have worked hard to develop leaders around us who know our clients, understand the business and are ready to step into bigger roles. For clients, the priority is continuity. Their existing Humankind teams and key contacts remain in place," Ponti said.
The appointments establish an interim leadership arrangement during Ponti's leave while adding McLernon permanently to the leadership team. Humankind said existing client teams and contacts would remain unchanged during the transition as the business continues to develop its advisory services.