About Us
Russell Drake Consulting Ltd was founded in 2010 by Russell Drake. With a background in the corporate sector and a strong understanding of how organisations operate, Russell set out to create a practical, business-focused consultancy that helps employers make confident, legally compliant decisions.
- 2010
Purchased the EMA licence for Waikato, doubling our client base.
- 2011
Linda-Maree joined the business full-time to strengthen business development and build scalable systems and processes.
- 2011-2013
Continued to grow at around 20% year on year through new client acquisition and strong outcomes for employers.
- Today (2018–2026)
We now support 1,200+ business owners, including New Zealand-owned organisations as well as American and Australian businesses operating in New Zealand.
How we evolved
We refined our operating model to support continued growth, including expanding our team with legally trained expertise and developing new services and resources for employers.
In recent years, the operating environment for employers has changed rapidly. We help clients navigate evolving expectations, shifting workplace practices, and the continued adoption of technology—so they can stay compliant and make sound decisions.
Our team continues to grow, and we are investing in the capability and resources needed to support more business owners nationwide.
What we do
Our advice is legally grounded and solution-led, commercially practical advice, resolving workplace issues efficiently—so you can move forward with confidence, managing your risk, without unnecessary complexity or escalation, postering or prolonged legal process.
Employment Relations (ER) and HR advice tailored to your business
Practical guidance grounded in New Zealand employment law and real-world experience
Support across all industry sectors and business sizes
Tools, resources, and coaching that help you build confident, compliant workplace practices
Technology and AI
As AI becomes a bigger part of day-to-day business, employers need clear strategy, documentation, and staff training to meet New Zealand legal and privacy requirements.
If things go wrong with staff using AI or other technology, we help you respond quickly and fairly, including:
- Investigating what happened and advising on lawful next steps
- Updating policies, processes, and staff training to prevent repeat issues
- Managing disciplinary or performance processes where needed
We’re focused on helping business owners across New Zealand with clear, practical ER and HR support—and we’re excited to keep growing our services to meet the needs of new and existing clients.
Meet The Owners
Contact Us
Call now for an obligation free conversation to discuss your needs.
We are proud to service clients across New Zealand and Australian
businesses who have divisions in NZ.
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