Cultural Achievement Awards – 2025
The Cultural Achievement Awards
Each year we celebrate the Cultural Transformation and Sustainability achievements of high performing organisations and these are announced at our Culture & Leadership Conference annually.
Culture Transformation and Sustainability Awards recognise those organisations which have created a Constructive Culture or sustained a Constructive Culture on a subsequent remeasure using the Organisational Culture Inventory® (OCI).
The Constructive Culture Award recognises organisations which have a Constructive Culture on their first measure using the Organisational Culture Inventory (OCI).
All constructive styles are over the 50th percentile, defensive styles are averaging below the 50th percentile and the aim is to sustain or increase constructive expectations along with reductions in defensive expectations.
This little excerpt is from last year’s Cultural Achievement Awards filmed at the end of 2024 Culture & Leadership Conference.
2025 Award Winners
Transformation
Cultural Transformation Award, 2025
The Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) is committed to delivering world-class events while fostering a workplace where people thrive. Recognising the role of culture in exceptional outcomes, AGPC has invested in building trust, accountability, and collaboration across the organisation.
Guided by Organisational Culture Inventory® (OCI) measures in 2021 and 2023, AGPC developed clear action plans to strengthen performance and employee experience. Staff engagement surveys after each event capture honest feedback to drive continuous improvement. In response to staff input, AGPC revised its organisational values and behaviours, supported by a bi-monthly recognition program that highlights employees living these values.
The organisation has introduced a transparent remuneration structure and created regular CEO coffee catch-ups to encourage open dialogue. Strategic restructures have aligned teams and improved collaboration, while employees have been empowered with greater autonomy over how they structure their work.
Innovation is driven through cross-functional working groups, often led by non-leaders, generating fresh ideas to enhance event delivery and fan experiences. All senior leaders have also completed the Human Synergistics Life Styles Inventory® (LSI), building self-awareness and strengthening team culture.
AGPC’s journey demonstrates a strong commitment to delivering unforgettable events while nurturing a constructive and sustainable culture for its people.
Cultural Transformation Award, 2025
The PGA of Australia is the leading authority for professional golf in Australia, playing a central role in developing and supporting professional golfers and promoting the game across the country.
The PGA’s purpose is to engage and inspire golfers, and showcase golf in Australia, to positively impact its members, fans and the community.
The PGA represents and supports PGA Professionals who are the leading voices in coaching, operations, management, retail, and elite competition.
As owners of the PGA Tour of Australasia, administrators of the WPGA Tour, and founding members of the International Federation of PGA Tours, the PGA helps shape the game locally and globally.
With a legacy of integrity and innovation since 1911, the PGA is committed to elevating professional golf and growing the industry for all.
PGA undertook their initial Culture measure in 2022, they remeasured in 2023 and then again in 2024. In 2025 they were awarded the Cultural Transformation Award in recognition of the efforts in transforming to a Constructive Culture using the Organisational Culture Inventory® (OCI).
Cultural Transformation Award, 2025
Plan Group is a commercial construction company operating across Australia, known for delivering innovative fit-out, refurbishment, and construction solutions. With a strong people-first ethos, the company has built its reputation on quality, collaboration, and long-term client success.
Recognising the link between culture and performance, Plan Group sought to strengthen its leadership behaviours and embed a consistent, constructive culture across all levels of the business. In 2023, they partnered with Human Synergistics, using the Organisational Culture Inventory® (OCI), Organisational Effectiveness Inventory® (OEI), and Life Styles Inventory™ (LSI) to gain insight into their current culture and identify key opportunities for growth. These tools provided a roadmap focused on embedding constructive thinking and behaviours throughout the organisation.
Leadership development, coaching, and open communication played a key role in the transformation. Leaders modelled new behaviours and helped foster a culture where people feel empowered, connected, and motivated to succeed. The shift has improved the employee experience, strengthened team dynamics, and enhanced overall business performance.
Rather than treating culture as a one-off initiative, Plan Group has made it a continuous focus. Regular re-measurement, LSI and OCI accreditations, and internal development programs help sustain momentum and identify new areas for improvement.
By embedding culture into its core business strategy, Plan Group is creating a high-performing workplace where people thrive—positioning itself strongly for innovation, resilience, and long-term success.
Sustainability
Cultural Sustainability Award, 2025
CEnet has demonstrated remarkable dedication to embedding a sustainable and values-driven culture across Australia’s Catholic education sector. As a not-for-profit shared services organisation, CEnet supports the evolving digital needs of over 370,000 students, teachers, and staff across 816 schools in 18 diocesan systems throughout New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, The Australian Capital Territory and The Northern Territory.
Recognising the importance of culture in sustaining operational excellence, CEnet began its culture development journey in 2015.
With guidance from Oliver Brecht, Leader of the Workplace Options Centre for Organisational Effectiveness, CEnet engaged in a series of culture assessments that helped shape its long-term strategy. The results speak volumes: CEnet earned its inaugural Culture Sustainability Award in 2017, followed by continued recognition in 2019, 2021 and 2025. These awards honour an enduring commitment to a culture that supports collaboration, growth, wellbeing, and shared purpose.
Cultural Sustainability Award, 2025
Kennards Self Storage, the trans-Tasman leader in the storage industry, continues to place culture at the centre of its business strategy. With a culture measurement journey dating back to 1998, Kennards once again used the Organisational Culture Inventory® (OCI) in 2024, achieving its highest participation yet – nearly 300 team members across Australia and New Zealand.
Kennards achieved another strong Constructive result, with Humanistic-Encouraging and Self-Actualising styles continuing to lead. These behaviours, centred on growth, collaboration and empowerment, and have directly supported standout outcomes in team satisfaction, customer service, and role clarity, consistently exceeding industry benchmarks.
At the same time, the business noted a rise in Oppositional behaviours. Rather than overlooking this, Kennards took it as an opportunity to reflect on the impacts of growth and pace, and to recommit to fostering openness, agility, and psychological safety.
Insights were also broken into 22 subgroups, revealing both strong alignment and opportunities for targeted support – particularly among Assistant Managers, the Finance team, and mobile support roles.
Kennards culture journey is one of consistent measurement, meaningful action, and belief in a Constructive mindset. Through initiatives like Momentum, pulse surveys, and localised development, the business continues to live its vision to be The Favourite Name in Space from the inside out.
Cultural Sustainability Award, 2025
Over the past six years, Latrobe Health Services have undergone a significant culture transformation journey, evolving into a workplace recognised for not only building but also sustaining a constructive culture. This achievement has been acknowledged through its 2021 Culture Transformation Award and Culture Sustainability Awards – the first in 2023 and now 2025.
We’ve created an environment where our people feel valued, empowered, and supported. Our Employee Value Proposition (EVP) reflects our commitment to professional growth, wellbeing, and work-life balance, offering benefits such as subsidised private health insurance, TPD cover from day one, and 24/7 wellbeing support.
Our strong performance in the CMHAA Mentally Healthy Workplaces Survey highlights our proactive approach to mental health, supported by regular check-ins, open dialogue, and accessible resources.
We invest in leadership through three internal development programs and maintain high engagement via pulse surveys, culture checks, and transparent communication, including weekly CEO updates and biannual all-staff forums.
Our modern office space and regular team celebrations further reinforce a culture of collaboration, wellbeing, and recognition. This journey continues to shape a workplace where people thrive and deliver their best.
Constructive
Constructive Culture Award, 2025
Aware Real Estate generates strong, long-term returns for Aware Super’s members by investing in Australian Industrial, Commercial and Retail & Mixed Use sectors. With deep local expertise, we actively manage every asset to maximise value and drive investment strategies that optimise returns. Our best-in-class talent thrives in a collaborative culture, ensuring excellence at every stage.
Our principles are integrated into everything we do. They’re designed to reflect who we are, what we stand for, and how we aspire to conduct ourselves every day at work.
As part of its culture program, Aware Real Estate engaged closely with employees to understand how they experience the workplace—what supports their success and where improvements could be made. Together, leaders and employees shaped culture aspirations: to be a workplace that is constructive, engaging, and high performing. By aligning everyday behaviours with these aspirations, the organisation is building a culture with its people, for its people – one that empowers and sustains long-term success.
Constructive Culture Award, 2025
Candlefox is a privately owned marketing technology company that creates digital education pathways and supports student enrolment. Headquartered in Melbourne, the company has expanded to a team of over 60 people with operations across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the Philippines. To attract top talent in the MarTech space, the founders have prioritised cultivating a strong company culture, creating an enjoyable and supportive work environment where their team can thrive, innovate, and continuously develop.
After conducting their first culture survey using the Human Synergistics Organisational Culture Inventory® (OCI) and Organisational Effectiveness InventoryTM (OEI) diagnostic tools through Accredited Practitioner Stephanie Bown, the team was thrilled to discover that their efforts had led to a predominantly constructive culture. While there’s always room for growth, Candlefox remains committed to improving its culture by setting clearer, measurable individual goals and fostering even more positive feedback between leaders and their teams.
Constructive Culture Award, 2025
MPI Recruitment is a privately owned technical recruitment firm with over 30 years of success in Western Australia’s resource industry. While the company has long been known for its trusted expertise and client care, shifting market conditions and the impact of COVID-19 prompted MPI to embark on a proactive culture transformation to future-proof the business and support its ambitious growth plans.
Partnering with Human Synergistics through Accredited Practitioner Tony Papotto and 3Sixty Australia (dedicated to helping organisations create great workplaces, grow capable people, and deliver stronger performance), MPI introduced a structured program built around leadership development, employee experience, strategic clarity, and ongoing culture measurement. This comprehensive approach has enabled the organisation to reduce defensive behaviours and strengthen constructive ways of working, leading to greater alignment, stronger leadership presence, and deeper employee connection. Today, MPI is positioned with a resilient, purpose-driven culture that not only underpins sustained performance but also ensures its legacy of success for the decades ahead.
Constructive Culture Award, 2025
Strategic Development Group is a values-driven professional services company that exists to make a positive difference in the world. They aim to do this through two main ways: impact through their work; and impact for their people. The company collaborates with a range of clients across the private and public sectors to design, implement and review projects that help to build thriving communities both nationally and internationally. People and communities are central to their understanding of development. Their work is thoughtful, and their impact is far-reaching.
The company has a genuine care for their people, and a clear set of values that inform all aspects of their work – Humility, Integrity and Ambition. These values are embodied consistently in its founders and leaders and have remained at the core of everything as the company has grown and diversified. There are high levels of trust and respect across the team, and team members are empowered to take responsibility for clients, projects and activities – and never to hold back in proposing new initiatives, ideas and ways of working. The company continues to attract excellent people who each enhance the organisation through their unique skill set and networks while reinforcing the Strategic values in genuine and meaningful ways. This ‘Strategic DNA’ as they call it, has been central to the company’s success, and has been successfully embedded across the whole team while working across multiple locations and time zones.
Despite the success and positive indicators being experienced, the leaders at Strategic didn’t take their culture for granted. Rather they wanted to understand it more deeply and sustain it through growth and change. In 2024 they chose to invest in culture, working with Ronelle Pratt from Humanly Consulting to measure their company culture using the Human Synergistics Organisational Culture Inventory® (OCI) and Organisational Effectiveness InventoryTM (OEI) and plan for continued success through growth and change. This was a very positive experience for the leaders and broader team at Strategic. The experience provided a solid evidence base, giving them greater clarity of their strengths and the opportunity to better understand the aspects of their current culture that were enabling the positive outcomes being enjoyed. The company has grown over this time and the increase in the size of their team has happened smoothly with the help of the company’s constructive culture. The work provided the company with an ability to identify actions for improvements but also, even more importantly, know what to keep front and centre: that is what to protect and nurture through the future.
Constructive Culture Award, 2025
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