Louise Lethbridge

Louise Lethbridge’s career has taken her from legal support in boutique firms through to running the London office of global litigation firm, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan, where she oversaw people and culture, operations, and delivery support for 150 staff. Returning to New Zealand, she brought that depth of experience in professional services and people leadership into Humankind, where she now focuses on shaping employee experience and building the operational backbone that enables the team to thrive

She is known for her empathy, systems thinking, and solutions-focused approach, always looking across the needs of clients, employees, and the business to find practical, human-centred outcomes.

At Humankind she co-designed the performance and growth framework, now a cornerstone of how the team develops, and our knowledge management system, and champions our AI strategy and approach. Her proudest achievements, though, are the leaders she has grown and mentored over her career, many of whom have gone on to senior operations roles.

Louise is driven by the belief that workplaces shape lives beyond the office. She is passionate about uplifting organisational capability, enhancing wellbeing, and creating environments where people feel valued, capable, and inspired. She sees her work as a way to make both the business and its people smarter, and more resilient.

Colleagues describe Louise as approachable, conscientious, and curious, with an eye for detail and a safe pair of hands who always follows through. She combines high standards with warmth and care, ensuring that systems and processes empower people rather than constrain them. Her background in theatre brings a creative, sleeves-rolled-up energy, whether collaborating, iterating, or solving problems with the team.