On September 4th, the Internal Talent Awards (ITAs) lit up the stunning Plaza Ballroom in Melbourne with more than 400 of our industry’s finest coming together to celebrate the very best of Internal Talent Acquisition.
This year saw the highest volume of nominations yet—proof that our industry is brimming with creativity, resilience, and a whole lot of passion. With 18 winners across 16 award categories, the night was nothing short of magic.
Here’s the full list of winners and their award sponsors:
The Big Ones
Enterprise Talent Team of the Year – sponsored by SmartRecruiters → The Warehouse Group
Enterprise Talent Leader of the Year – sponsored by TQSolutions → Jessica Gibson-Jones – Toll Group
Enterprise Talent Professional of the Year – sponsored by Avature → Rosa Van Kuyk – AFCA
Corporate Talent Team of the Year – sponsored by Lightbox → Metso Australia
Corporate Talent Leader of the Year – sponsored by Upplft → Kylie Cashion – TasNetworks & Reegan Kerkin – Oceana Gold (joint winners)
Corporate Talent Professional of the Year – sponsored by Daxtra → Sarah Kean – TasNetworks
Excellence Awards
Excellence in Candidate Experience – sponsored by WorkPro → AFCA & Abano Healthcare (joint winners)
Excellence in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – sponsored by Enboarder → Capgemini
Excellence in Employer Branding – sponsored by Havas People → AFCA
Excellence in Onboarding – sponsored by Oncore → Story House Early Learning
Excellence in Innovation – sponsored by Paradox → Abano Healthcare
Specialist Awards
Social Consciousness Award – sponsored by PROMPTAi → Glow Up Careers & Each (joint winners)
Best Tech Stack – sponsored by Talent Tech Solutions → Abano Healthcare
Best Use of Video – sponsored by Oncore → Coles Group
Best Careers Website – sponsored by PageUp → Story House Early Learning
Best Vendor Solution – sponsored by TaPod → Coles Group & Havas People (joint winners)
Lifetime Achievement Award → Sue Howse
A Word from the Top
TaPod co-host and ITAs co-creator, Craig Watson, summed it up perfectly:
“The ITAs are about recognising the very best in our profession, and 2025 didn’t disappoint. The sheer volume and quality of submissions this year shows the strength, creativity, and resilience of internal talent. A huge congratulations to our winners, and to all those nominated—you’re shaping the future of our industry.”
What a night. The red carpet, the big moments, the celebrations—it all came together thanks to our sponsors, judges, finalists, and of course, the incredible internal talent community.
Until next year… #ITAs2025