Samantha Gadd

For more than two decades, she has worked with leaders to unlock business performance by elevating people as key stakeholders in organisational success.


In 2012, Samantha founded Humankind, now New Zealand’s leading HR and EX consultancy, partnering with more than 1,300 organisations across 13 years. In 2020 she created EX Design School, a global certification program equipping leaders and practitioners with the tools, frameworks, and capability to design workplaces people love.


In 2022, Samantha initiated and led the global EX Manifesto Project (exmanifesto.com), bringing together contributors from more than 30 countries to define the future of Employee Experience. The manifesto has since become an anchor for EX practitioners and organisations worldwide.


Her work is grounded in co-creation, experimentation, and community. She continues to collaborate with colleagues, clients, and a global network of EX designers shaping the future of work. Based in New Zealand, Samantha is also the proud mum of three boys—Ryder, Harper, and Miller—who remind her daily of the future we’re all designing for.