Member Profile: Debbie Kirby

Debbie Kirby is General Manager Human Resources at Downer New Zealand. She is considered one of the most significant contributors within her organisation and is acknowledged as a leader in building capability within marginalised groups. In addition, Debbie won the HR Person of the Year Award – the premium individual award in the HRNZ 2020 Awards.

1. What do you do in your current role to help your organisation be successful?

I am the General Manager HR for Transport Services and also hold the responsibility for the Corporate Social Outcomes function within Downer. Having come from a background in social services, I have brought to the organisation a different way of looking at employees and ideas around holistic support that have seen a large increase in employment and retention of people who may traditionally have had challenges in maintaining a job. Over several years this has helped to change the culture of Downer and strengthened our ability to deliver work and therefore be successful at the tender box.

2. What attracted you to pursue a career in HR?

I had a wide and varied career before I moved into HR, but the common component of all of my previous roles was a real desire to see potential and empower people to succeed. I am interested in big-picture thinking and understanding where things connect to achieve overall outcomes, and HR is the perfect career for these passions to intersect. Motivating and developing people to be their best and channelling skills and talents to meet business goals is always challenging and rewarding work.

3. What has been a highlight in your career to date?

Being part of the development of Te Ara Whanake, the Downer Maori Leadership programme, and seeing that grow and evolve into a number of other programmes for our Maori employees has been incredibly special for me. Last year, we introduced a 24-hour maraebased immersion programme for non-Maori employees where we explore tikanga, kawa, culture and history. This programme includes an introduction to the Treaty of Waitangi. Co-facilitating that, and observing the engagement from attendees learning about some tough stuff, was a real highlight for me and made me very proud to work for Downer.

4. What do you most value about

HRNZ membership? It is great to be part of a professional body through which we can share ideas and learn from each other. HR is such a broad field, so to have a forum through which we can hear different perspectives and experiences is fantastic. Building the profile of our industry is also a key factor for me.

5. What’s something that not many people know about you?

The road not taken for me would have been a singing career. I had to choose in my twenties whether to jump into that pathway, boots and all, or just to have it as a sideline hobby. I chose hobby and even though I sometimes wonder “what if …?”, I have never regretted my decision.

6. If you could have dinner with three people living or dead, who would they be and why?

First and foremost, my Dad, who passed away nearly five years ago. He was an amazing inspirational man who, although completely blind through a degenerative eye disease he was born with, never let that hold him back. He lived life to the full, including being an internationally acclaimed scientist and still chopping kindling ‘by feel’ until the day he died. I miss him a lot and would love to share dinner with him. Barack Obama would be a fascinating dinner companion, I think, and one who I would have a lot of questions for and, finally, Paul Henry. I know he may be a controversial choice. Still, I have always enjoyed the company of people who are slightly outrageous and think he would undoubtedly add spark to the dinner party conversation.

7. What’s your happy place?

My husband and I have seven children between us, and my happy place is when we are all together with them and their partners. We are very fortunate that they all really enjoy each other’s company and whatever we do as a group, it is always a fantastic time.