Whakarongorau Aotearoa’s Head of Analytics and Insight took top honours for professionals under 35 at the 2025 NZ CIO Awards
The NZ CIO Awards 2025 named Stasha Rmandic as the 2025 Emerging ICT Leader of the year, an award sponsored by ManageEngine that celebrates the exceptional talent of professionals under the age of 35. This category identifies the future leaders of New Zealand’s technology sector – individuals who not only demonstrate outstanding technical initiative but also act as pivotal drivers of digital transformation within their organisations.
As Vinayak Sreedhar, Country Head for ANZ at ManageEngine, noted during the presentation, today’s emerging leaders operate in a fast-paced world where their work has a direct bearing on business success. Rmandic stood out amongst an incredibly high calibre of finalists, including Fiona Miller and Henry Chen, for her ability to navigate complex data ecosystems while maintaining a steadfast focus on the people they serve.
Connecting the dots for health equity
In her role as Head of Analytics and Insight at Whakarongorau Aotearoa (New Zealand Telehealth Services), Rmandic has led an enterprise-wide transformation of their data platform using Microsoft Fabric. This initiative has shifted the organisation from fragmented systems to a future-ready ecosystem, unlocking hundreds of thousands in efficiencies and enabling personalised, predictive care at scale.
For Rmandic, leadership is about “connecting the dots” between purpose, systems, and people. Her strategic approach has set the digital foundations for advanced AI tools and real-time analytics, ensuring that health data is not just a collection of numbers, but a tool for driving meaningful change and health equity across Aotearoa.
A career defined by purpose and crisis response
The judges’ citation highlighted Rmandic as a dynamic, values-driven leader. Her career is marked by a history of using data to support critical decisions in high-pressure environments, including health forecasting, justice sector analytics, and crisis response. Her leadership during the Australian bushfires and the early stages of COVID-19 previously earned her a nomination for the National Emergency Medal, showcasing a level of resilience and expertise that belies her years.
During her acceptance speech, Rmandic emphasised her core philosophy: “Data should serve people, not the other way around.” Whether it is improving access to virtual care or enabling smarter decisions, she views technology as a tool to reimagine what is possible for communities.
Cultivating the next generation
Beyond her technical achievements, Rmandic is dedicated to shaping the next generation of data leaders through her governance and advisory roles. Her presence on various boards adds a strong equity lens to digital strategies, ensuring that the technology of tomorrow is built with a deep understanding of social impact.
Her success is a testament to the power of combining strategic thinking with a clear drive to real-world outcomes. As Whakarongorau Aotearoa continues to provide 24/7 virtual care, Rmandic’s leadership ensures that their digital future remains bright, efficient, and, most importantly, human-centric.
Check out their story, and award acceptance highlight video below:
Inspired by Stasha Rmandic’s Journey?
Do you know a young professional who is driving digital transformation and showing the potential to lead New Zealand’s ICT sector? The Emerging ICT Leader Award recognises individuals under 35 who have demonstrated exceptional initiative and leadership – nominate now for 2026!
