About Rebecca
A modern thought leader at the intersection of wellbeing & performance.
Rebecca Furness is a speaker, facilitator and educator helping people and organisations build the confidence, resilience and skills to succeed in a changing world. Her work moves between schools and global boardrooms, bridging youth empowerment with executive-level leadership development.
Story
From valedictorian to mentor - by way of $100K+ in scholarships.
Rebecca's path didn't start with a stage. It started with the kind of relentless self-belief that came from learning - early - that opportunity is built, not given. Selected as Valedictorian and earning more than $100K+ in scholarships, she navigated the gap between school, university and professional success as COO at a global start-up with intention.
Today she helps others do the same. Whether speaking to a hall of high schoolers, facilitating a leadership offsite, or guiding an executive team through psychological safety and AI adoption, her work returns to a single question: how do we help people thrive?
Rebecca brings the rare blend organisations are searching for - lived experience, executive credibility, emotional intelligence and a future-focused lens. She speaks the language of both a 16-year-old preparing for a scholarship interview and a CPO redesigning their wellbeing strategy.
Her philosophy is simple: resilient humans build resilient organisations. The skills are learnable. The cultures are buildable. And the future of work doesn't have to be something we brace for - it can be something we shape.
Credentials & Recognition
Awards, scholarships & speaking honours.
- University Valedictorian
- Prime Minister's Scholarship for Asia Recipient
- Zhu Xing Global Youth Leadership Fellowship Recipient
- Vice Chancellor's Scholarship for All Around Excellence Recipient
- Graduate Women North Shore Scholarship Recipient
- Global Citizen Scholarship Recipient
- Massey University Scholars Award Recipient
- Keynote Speaker at Youth Leadership Summit 2024 & 2026
- Academic Author in the Journal of Positive Psychology
- International Leadership & Wellbeing Facilitator
What guides the work
Three values, in every room.
Human-centred
People come before frameworks. Every programme is grounded in empathy, dignity and lived experience.
Future-focused
From AI literacy to psychological safety - building skills that matter for the next decade, not the last one.
Practical, not preachy
Tools, language and habits people can actually use on Monday morning.
Global Experience
Working with executive teams and organisations globally.
From boardrooms in Auckland, to hosting leadership events in Dubai and Muscat, Rebecca partners with senior teams to build psychologically safe workplaces and improve workplace wellbeing for tangible business outcomes including reduced burnout, increased employee retention, and reduced psychosocial risks.
New Zealand
Executive teams across financial services, tech and education.
Australia
Leadership offsites and culture programmes with national organisations.
United Arab Emirates
Senior leadership development across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Oman
Workplace wellbeing and psychosocial risk advisory in Muscat.
Thailand
Experience working with leadership teams in Bangkok and across Thailand, supporting organisational development, leadership capability, and workplace wellbeing.
Focus area
Psychological safety
Building cultures where people can speak up, take risks and perform without fear.
Focus area
Wellbeing & burnout prevention
Helping leaders design sustainable rhythms that protect people and performance.
Focus area
Productivity & performance
Reframing productivity as a human system - energy, focus and meaningful work.
Focus area
Psychosocial risk reduction
Practical strategies that meet modern obligations, support compliance with legislation, and build healthier workplaces through education, facilitation, and measurement and management of psychosocial risks.
Want to bring Rebecca to your audience?
Available for keynotes, workshops, mentorship and consulting - across schools, universities and organisations.