TrAIlblazers: AI in action with Team P&C (ANZ)

As AI adoption accelerates at Zip, we want to give both current and future Zipsters a clear, inside view of how our ways of working are evolving; the problems we’re tackling, how we’re adapting our roles and skills in real time, and the support we’re getting along the way.

Our story has always been about our Zipsters pushing what’s possible with technology to create exceptional customer experiences - and as AI becomes deeply embedded in how we work, our focus stays firmly on enabling our teams to do that even more effectively.

So wherever you are on your own AI journey, this is about helping you understand your fit at Zip, whether that means getting the support to level up your own capability, or playing a leading role in shaping what comes next.

In this first edition, Nilan and Andrew share how AI is reshaping their work in our ANZ People & Culture team, from automating processes and improving data access, to rethinking how we design Zipster experiences. Their stories reflect a common thread: using AI as a practical partner to move smarter, test and improve ideas quicker, and transform how work gets done.

Nilan

I’m Nilan, and I lead People Operations and Systems in the People & Culture team at Zip. My role doesn’t really have a typical day, it shifts depending on what the business needs. But more recently a key focus has been on automating processes and embedding AI into how we work.

AI is starting to feel like an extremely useful working partner in my day-to-day. When I begin a task, I’ll often start a conversation with tools like ChatGPT or Gemini to help structure my thinking and explore different approaches. It’s not perfect, but it helps me move faster and consider options I might not have naturally landed on.

One example is our monthly headcount reporting. Previously, it could take over half a day to pull together manually. I mapped out the process end-to-end, then used Gemini to explore how it could be automated. That led me to Google Apps Script - something I hadn’t used before. What started as a simple automation evolved into a more structured solution, where we now have an automated report supported by two dashboards: an executive snapshot of the previous month, and a deeper 12-month view using Looker Studio.

This has started to improve how data is accessed and used across the business, supporting our leaders, People Partners, and Inclusion reporting in a more consistent and efficient way. Zip has provided a strong foundation through learning resources, but a lot of the progress has come from hands-on experimentation - trying things, testing ideas, and building capability over time.

Looking ahead, I think AI will fundamentally reshape how People functions operate, not just by automating tasks, but by changing how decisions are made. A lot of HR today is built around manual processes, fragmented data, and human interpretation. Over time, I see that shifting toward more system-led, decision-driven environments where AI supports consistency, surfaces insights, and enables better judgement at scale.

That doesn’t remove the need for people; it changes where we add value. Instead of spending time gathering data or running processes, the focus shifts toward designing the systems, governance, and frameworks that guide those decisions. It’s still early, but it feels like we’re at the start of that transition, and there’s a real opportunity to shape what that future looks like.

Andrew

I’m Andrew, and I sit in Zip’s People & Culture team. I lead our employer brand work and people experience strategy, and day to day I’m also responsible for how we design and ship internal people programs like employee listening and performance. My role is really about shaping how Zipster’s experience their work at Zip, and making sure our processes support great performance, not just measure it.

AI is changing how I approach both creativity, and delivery. I use it as a co-pilot when I’m ideating on content, experience design, or new programs of work. It helps me get to a strong first draft quickly, which I then refine using my judgment and context of the organisation, before bringing stakeholders in. It’s sped up the design and development phases of initiatives - both large and small - in a meaningful way.

We’ve also applied AI to elevate historically manual processes, like our performance review cycle. Insights gathered from the team told us that the hardest part of completing self-reviews was often just getting started, staring at a blank page and trying to summarise six to twelve months worth of work. In response, we built a custom GPT which acts like a supportive, friendly career coach. The assistant prompts for achievements, impact, metrics, and stakeholder outcomes, helping Zipsters get structured thoughts down quickly. The feedback has been very positive, and around a third of our AI-enabled Zipsters chose to use it in their Half-Year Check-Ins.

What excites me most is that big briefs - and tight timeframes - feel less daunting. AI helps compress the time it takes to design and deliver meaningful work. We know we won’t get this 100% right, 100% of the time, and that’s okay, as long as we’re seen to be trying new ways to create value for our customers (mostly internal ones for me) and drive productivity gains within teams. The combination of designing and delivering solutions - and then levelling them up based on feedback by humans - feels powerful, and above all very time and cost efficient.

As a Zipster, AI feels like experimentation. It’s about giving all team members - myself included - the permission to try, test, learn, and ultimately level up our roles, and the experience for both internal customers and external candidates.