About Kaycee Projects Limited

 
 

Kaycee Projects has been operating since 1994.  It has been a consultancy company specialising in bespoke solutions relating to business strategy and performance; people, leadership and culture; conflict resolution and mediation, including workplace reviews and employment investigations.  It has offered consultancy, research, training and facilitation services and coaching, as well as part-time executive leasing on a case-by-case basis. 

Now Kaycee Projects is operating part time, specialising in sharing about Kris’s book Elegant Leadership: A Practice Guide and leadership development and coaching for Tiers, 1, 2 and 3 (in large organisations) and business owner/manager and governors (in small organisations).  A limited number of clients are taken on each year.  Please be in touch to discuss what’s possible and how Kris can help you lead well.

Kristen Cooper

Managing Director, Kristen Cooper has over thirty years’ experience in middle and senior management positions in the fields of planning, human resource management, marketing, training and consultancy.  She had a quick trajectory into the world of management: At the age of 20 she was leading sessions in tertiary education in management and marketing topics, at 21 she was the first female to join the ranks of middle management in a banking organisation, and by the time she was 28 she was the only woman in a senior executive team of four.  Both line management and consulting captured Kris’ imagination and she has led successful projects across many industries, including city, district and regional councils; financial institutions; information technology businesses; energy and mining; meat and food processing companies; travel, transport and aviation companies; education; accountancy partnerships; art and culture businesses; the health sector; the rural sector; social services, housing and community service organisations; science; retail; parliament; family court and the justice sector; police; corrections; fire; sports and professional rugby.

These days, with more line management and consulting roles under her belt, Kris’ passion is helping senior people manage well, and recognise and realise their leadership potential for themselves and their organisations.

Domiciled in Invercargill, Wellington and now Canterbury, consulting work undertaken by Kris has included:

  • Leadership development

  • Coaching, supervision and mentoring

  • Mediation and conflict resolution

  • Drafting and editing strategy documents and plans

  • Strategy and planning facilitation for strategic and operational plans

  • Managing the establishment of a business in Christchurch on behalf of the head office

  • Project managing the Paradigm Shift change project at the Christchurch Art Gallery

  • Executive leasing in HR, OD (organisation development) and general management roles

  • Delivering leadership, strategy and people sessions on the University of Otago’s Executive Education programmes and their MBA

  • Lecturing and coordinating HR papers for University of Canterbury MBA and honours students, including supervising MBA projects

  • Managing organisational training and performance management systems

  • Workplace culture and team audits; organisation, department and workplace reviews; and employment investigations

  • Human resource management audits

  • Developing human resource management policies and manuals

  • Preparing employment contracts and agreements

  • Reviewing and designing human resource development systems, such as structured selection interviews, performance appraisal and training systems; job analysis

  • Designing health and safety hazard management systems, and facilitation/ training in their use

  • Preparing quality manual documents

  • Designing and delivering tailored training programmes in over thirty topics covering management, marketing, customer service and selling skills

  • Conducting focus groups with staff and clients’ customers

  • Conducting market and company research, including telephone and mail surveys, focus groups and in-house surveys and research projects

  • Preparing marketing and promotion plans 

  • Conducting feasibility studies

  • Writing board proposals and papers

Kris is motivated to facilitate organisations and individuals aim high and reach their potential.  

Publications

  • Elegant Leadership: A Practice Guide, published in 2025.

  • Various articles and book reviews written for Employment Today, HR Magazine and Safeguard, Metropol and other publications on a variety of workplace topics.

  • Book chapter: “The Business of HRM” in Human Resource Management in the Workplace by Jane Bryson and Rose Ryan, published by Pearson in 2012.

  • As Chair of the Research and Publications Committee of HRINZ, responsible for the online Journal of Human Resource Management of New Zealand and selection of a new editor who rejuvenated the publication. (www.nzjhrm.co.nz)

Qualifications and Memberships

  • Bachelor of Commerce (major: Manpower Studies – these days known as ‘Management’)

  • Post Graduate Certificate in Business and Administration (Marketing)

  • Master of Commerce (thesis topic: ‘Does CEO leadership style impact on adoption of the marketing concept?’ – or strategy adoption) 

  • Executive Certificate in Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School, USA

  • Trained adult tutor

  • Accredited by LEADR as a mediator for alternative disputes resolution processes (now Resolution Institute)

  • Private Investigator Licence for employment investigations

  • Bronze level Kirkpatrick Certification

  • Member of NZIM 

  • Chartered Member of the NZ Institute of Directors

  • Distinguished Fellow of HRINZ, where she served as National President for two years, which involved representing NZ people practices in the international setting.  

Reflections on Achievements

Kris reflects, “I was fortunate to have managers and colleagues who believed in me and gave me amazing career opportunities from a very young age.  I didn’t realise how special they were at the time, and am immensely grateful to my early mentors.  

“I count my time as an elected Director of HRINZ very highly, too.  Membership organisations add significant value for professionals, and it is a humbling experience to be elected into positions by your peers.  I was involved with many different projects and roles, all of which I found interesting and fulfilling.  When I was elected National President, I remember being asked by the writer of an article for Employment Today what my legacy would be.  I think I gave some vague answer about every National President finding the right thing for the time of the Institute as their gift.  As it happened, during my time in the role, I initiated and led a change in the governance structure of the Institute.  I had the support of the Directors and we worked through a substantial consultation process with members and the incumbent Directors to reduce the Board size from 22 (and growing) to 8.  That provides a much more efficient, effective and commercially focused opportunity for future National Presidents / Board Chairs to make their mark for membership benefit, as well as to continue to evolve the governance needs.

“These days my work sees me involved with many like-minded professionals in the leadership development space, and I am invigorated by both the collaborations and the inspiring work the leaders do to develop their own skills, teams and workplaces.  It’s simply fabulous to get together with programme and coaching participants to hear about their successes and the learnings from the setbacks!  I also get a regular “itch” to practice what I preach and I am lucky enough to have had several part-time executive lease roles over the years, mainly operating at tiers 2 and 3 in large organisations.  It helps me keep my practical skills current, and I think it adds value in the consulting, training, education, coaching and facilitation roles, too.  

“Another major workstream has been helping people and organisations with conflict situations. That might involve facilitated meetings or mediation, workplace reviews or employment investigations. It is a privilege I don’t take lightly to be involved with people in situations they’d rather not be in.  I seek to help provide pathways forward.

“Most recently, writing and publishing a book has been a learning experience that is ultimately gratifying. It’s a book about the ‘doing’ of leadership, rather than lots of theories. It was fun to write.  Now that it is published, it’s lovely to see people enjoying the book and crafting what they can do and how they can learn about themselves while exercising leadership.

“In all roles I undertake, it’s important to me to leave organisations and individuals in a better space than before we met.  Most of the time it feels like that’s exactly what happens.  It’s wonderful to love what you do for a living.”