Shark Tank's Andrew Banks to Judge New HR Influence Awards Defining Industry Recognition in ANZ

The HR Influence Awards, presented by HR tech company Compono, opens nominations this week for the Top 12 ANZ - recognising practitioners at any level whose work drives measurable change, from outcomes inside organisations to capability building across the profession.

Banks will be joined on the judging panel by Leeanne Bond, Independent Non-executive Director with expertise in energy transition, corporate governance, and workplace diversity and inclusion, and Rudy Crous, CEO of Compono and corporate psychologist.

"Real influence in HR isn't about who shouts the loudest or who has the most impressive job title," says Andrew Banks. "It's about the practitioners who solve problems others can't, build capability in others, and drive genuine change. Those are the people worth recognising."

Unlike existing awards that focus on organisational programs, seniority, or require membership fees, the HR Influence Awards democratises recognition with a free, accessible model and evidence-based judging against five specific criteria: Impact, Voice, Innovation, Community, and Influence.

"We're on a mission to find out who the most influential HR voices in ANZ actually are," says Rudy Crous. "Influence requires more than reach - it requires outcomes. We're looking for practitioners whose work genuinely changes what happens inside organisations and lifts the profession's capability."

Nominations are open until 3 March, with self-nominations explicitly welcomed. The judging panel will assess candidates using publicly available evidence against published criteria, with judges recusing themselves from any nominations where conflicts exist.

The Top 12 ANZ will be announced 10 March 2026, followed by spotlight interviews sharing practical insights from each winner.

Nominations close: 3 March 2026
Winners announced: 10 March 2026
Nominate or learn more: hrinfluenceawards.com.au

-ENDS-

Media contact: 

Mathan Allington
Compono 
media@compono.com 
+61 489 905 148

About the Judging Panel

Andrew Banks is an investor on Shark Tank Australia, executive recruitment leader, and founder of multiple successful recruitment businesses including Morgan & Banks and Talent2.

Leeanne Bond is an Independent Non-executive Director with more than 30 years experience in executive and board roles, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and director of multiple organisations including Aurecon and ATSE.

Rudy Crous is CEO of Compono and corporate psychologist specialising in behavioural science applications in workplace performance.

About Compono

Compono is an HR tech company that helps organisations understand how people work, using behavioural science to bring clarity to hiring, team performance, and leadership development across Australia and New Zealand.