Dublin Zoo's HR team shortlisted across two categories at HR Leadership & Management Awards 2025

Shortlisted for HR Team of the Year and HR Rising Star of the Year last year, Dublin Zoo's two-person HR team earned recognition at the HR Leadership & Management Awards 2025, demonstrating how strategic HR capability can drive cultural transformation in Ireland's most popular family attraction as the sector looks ahead to 2026.

The finalist entry highlighted the team's achievement in establishing the organisation's first in-house HR department, implementing comprehensive HRIS systems, and launching Dublin Zoo's CARE values within twelve months.

Operating within a compact structure, the team delivered foundational HR infrastructure that positioned Dublin Zoo to evolve from operational personnel management to strategic people leadership. The introduction of HRIS technology created data visibility and process consistency, while the CARE values framework provided cultural anchors to guide organisational development across diverse operational teams.

The dual recognition across HR Team of the Year and HR Rising Star of the Year categories reflects both collective team impact and individual professional excellence, highlighting how emerging HR leaders can drive transformation in organisations transitioning to professionalised people functions.

Dublin Zoo's shortlisting illustrates broader trends within the HR Leadership & Management Awards, where finalists are increasingly distinguished by their capacity to establish HR foundations rapidly, integrate systems and culture work coherently, and deliver measurable progress with lean resources in complex operational environments.

The recognition positions Dublin Zoo alongside established HR teams from organisations such as Applegreen, BWG Foods, and BaxterStorey Ireland, demonstrating that scale and team size matter less than strategic clarity, execution discipline, and alignment between HR investment and organisational priorities.

As the 2026 awards cycle approaches, Dublin Zoo's achievement sets a benchmark for organisations building in-house HR capability, transitioning from outsourced models, or seeking to professionalise people functions in operationally intensive environments. The question now is: which emerging HR teams will drive the next wave of foundational transformation and values-led culture change this 2026?

Visit the official HR Leadership & Management Awards website to explore the full shortlist, review award categories, and subscribe to the newsletter for updates, insights, and coverage of Ireland's leading HR initiatives.