Kalyn Ponti

KP's career path has exposed her to all kinds of high-performance workplaces, most notably when she was a Director on the team that led North American retail giant, Aritzia LP, to list on the Toronto Stock Exchange. During her time working both inside and alongside these workforces, she's developed a knack for unlocking human potential and leading organisations to commercial success. She believes that strong leadership is not only rational and decisive, it's empathetic, collaborative, and human-centred. Balancing the head and the heart, or charting a course of performance through humanity at work isn't easy – it's a skill earned through time in the field – but it's this 6th sense that helps KP and Humankind deliver on their purpose every day.

Alongside leading Humankind, KP serves as an advisor and judge for the Best Places to Work awards and advises on leadership and governance forums, contributing to New Zealand’s broader business ecosystem. Her track record spans guiding high-growth companies like Sharesies, Projectworks, and Medica Group, to advising CEOs and boards on building performance cultures that scale.

Balancing the head and the heart, or charting a course of performance through humanity at work isn't easy – it's a skill earned through time in the field – but it's this 6th sense that helps KP and Humankind deliver on their purpose every day.

KP embodies Humankind’s belief in “humanity at work” showing that organisations with strong cultures of excellence, clarity of leadership, and great people can achieve exceptional commercial results.