People and Culture

Welcome to the People and Culture Portfolio

The People and Culture Portfolio plays a pivotal role by aligning our people strategies with the goals of Adelaide University. By building a supportive environment, individuals can thrive and contribute meaningfully to the University’s mission.

The People and Culture Portfolio achieves this vision by fostering an engaging and inclusive staff experience. Leading efforts to attract, develop and retain top talent, each function helps to ensure the University’s capabilities align with strategic ambitions.

The portfolio consists of several functions:

Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor – People and Culture
People Advisory and Wellbeing
People Services and Careers
Organisational Capability
Workforce Planning and Partnering.

By providing seamless people experiences, innovative frameworks and tailored support, the People and Culture portfolio empowers Adelaide University staff at all levels to grow personally and professionally.

Discover the People and Culture Portfolio

Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor – People and Culture

The Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor – People and Culture provides strategic oversight and executive support across the portfolio. The function drives continuous improvement and planning to ensure people strategies align with Adelaide University’s goals.

People Advisory and Wellbeing

People Advisory and Wellbeing provides advisory and specialist services across industrial and employee relations, advisory, wellbeing and safety. The function ensures consistent, proactive support for workforce management, dispute resolution, enterprise bargaining and wellbeing, fostering a resilient and high-performing culture. 

People Services and Careers

People Services and Careers is the operational hub of the People and Culture Portfolio. The function provides first-point-of-contact services and transactional support across recruitment, payroll, career pathways and global mobility—ensuring a seamless experience for staff. 

Organisational Capability

The Organisational Capability team designs, develops and implements people programs and initiatives across multiple areas of expertise to strengthen university culture, capability and performance. The function supports continuous learning, inclusive practices and employee engagement through specialist teams and strategic frameworks. 

Workforce Planning and Partnering

The Workforce Planning and Partnering team supports Adelaide University’s long-term vision by delivering strategic workforce planning and expert partnering. The function ensures the right people, capabilities and structures are in place to meet future needs. 

Our people

Deputy Vice Chancellor – People and Culture: Paula Ward
Executive Director, People Advisory and Wellbeing: Julie Pennetta
Director, People Services and Careers: Frank Mazzone
Interim Executive Director, Organisational Capability: Ceinwen Ahern

People Advisory and Wellbeing
Director, People Advisory: Steph Roberts
Interim Director, Enterprise Bargaining: Mark Gladigau

People Services and Careers
Director, People Services: Bryanne Smith

Contact us

Get in touch with us on (08) 8302 2220, or via email at people@adelaide.edu.au.