HG Welcomes David Price as New Zealand National Manager

30 Jun 2025

HG is delighted to announce the appointment of David Price as our New Zelanad National Manager.

David’s leadership journey spans over two decades, during which he has consistently held executive and senior roles focused on driving service innovation and strategic transformation. Throughout his career, David has built a reputation for advancing equity, leading high-performing teams, and delivering co-designed, outcomes-driven change. He also serves as Chair of Man Alive/Tāne Ora, a New Zealand organization supporting men and whānau affected by family violence, where he has contributed governance leadership since 2019.

We had the opportunity to delve deeper into David’s insights and leadership style, and here’s what he shared with us:

To me, great leadership, particularly in complex and evolving systems, is about being anchored in purpose while staying adaptable. In my time working across the health services and public sectors of Aotearoa and Australia, I’ve seen how effective leaders bring clarity to ambiguity and create space for diverse voices and lived experiences to shape solutions. Great leaders build safe environments where people can think boldly and speak honestly. They resist the urge to control everything, and instead enable others to contribute, learn, and thrive. 

Especially in times of change, leadership is about relational trust, the courage to ask hard questions, and the humility to listen deeply and shift when needed.

I’m driven by the belief that leadership has the power to transform not just organisations, but the experiences and outcomes of the people they serve. My background in occupational therapy taught me early on about the importance of enabling people to access their full potential, something that carries through into how I lead and support others. 

Supporting leaders to grow means supporting them to lead in a way that’s authentic, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of their communities. What keeps me passionate is seeing those moments when a leader connects the dots between their own development and the impact they can make, it’s powerful, and a real privilege to support.

HardyGroup’s purpose and values felt deeply aligned with my own. Much of my career has been focused on enabling inclusive service design, supporting leaders to grow and lead with integrity, and helping people navigate complex systems, HG sits at the intersection of all of those things.

I’d had the opportunity to work with HG in the past, and those experiences left a lasting impression. The professionalism, depth of insight, and commitment to doing what’s right for people and organisations really stood out. When the opportunity to lead the New Zealand arm came up, it felt like a natural continuation of my commitment to meaningful change across health and human services and the broader public sector. A chance to support leaders across Aotearoa to grow their impact in a way that honours Te Tiriti, embraces equity, and responds to the needs of the communities we serve.

A big part of saying yes was also the opportunity to work alongside incredibly talented people. There’s something energising about stepping into a role where you’re surrounded by others who are equally passionate about helping leaders thrive.

  • What’s one lesson you’ve learned as a leader that you carry with you every day?

You don’t need to have all the answers to lead well, you just need to create the space for others to find them, ask the right questions, and be willing to learn alongside them. That mindset has shaped the way I work leading with curiosity, inviting challenge, and viewing mistakes as opportunities to grow. Every day, I remind myself to stay open, reflective, and focused on creating the conditions for others to do their best work. Leadership is a shared endeavour, and humility, curiosity, and trust are at the heart of it.

To read more about David’s experience, download his bio here.