You don’t need a better strategy, you need better conversations.
Emma Gibbens is a Culture and Conversation Strategist who helps individuals and organisations get alignment and momentum using the power of conversations.
WE CAN’T FIX
WHAT WE CAN’t TALK ABOUT
When people can say what’s hard, teams move faster, waste less, and trust more.
Howdy y’all, I’m Emma.
I help people start the conversations that create momentum.
As a keynote speaker, I energise large groups and equip them with tools to have more impactful conversations and meetings.
To navigate complexity, change or conflict, I partner with leadership teams to lead the conversation.
Inside organisations, I build conversation capacity through workshops, offsites and coaching.
Current highlights reel:
Campaigned to elect the First Black President of the USA, Barack Obama
Cellist, toured China with the university orchestra and played on the Great Wall of China (I play sporadically now)
Delivered TEDx talk “Making Social Change Stick”
Ran the Marriage Equality campaign in Western Australia
Facilitated a significant cultural conversation about Acknowledgements of Country, training over 30,000+ people
Published two books: From Country with Love, and Anatomy of Conversation. Next book is co-authored “It’s Not Bloody Rocket Science: Mentoring” and will be out later in 2026.
work with Emma
How I work
SPEAK
Keynotes and conversational MCing for events that need to move people.
Want to shift conversation skills across your whole organisation? A keynote is the fastest way to do it. The right talk can hand thousands of people the energy, the will and the practical skills to start better conversations the moment they walk out.
My keynotes aren't one-way. As a conversations expert, I bring the audience in, building real interaction, real reflection and real momentum from the stage. Consistently rated as engaging, energising and inspiring, every session is tailored to your audience and your moment.
Whether it's a mainstage keynote, a conversational MC role weaving the day together, expect a room that leaves people talking and acting differently.
PARTNER
Strategic offsites, workshops and group mentoring for executive and leadership teams.
Got an exec team that isn't quite clicking? Everything in your organisation flows from the top. When your leaders aren't talking well to each other, that dysfunction filters down into every team, every meeting, every decision.
I partner with executive and leadership teams to lubricate the conversations that drive business outcomes. Through strategic offsites, group mentoring and tailored workshops, I help leaders communicate through uncertainty, navigate complexity, change and conflict, and stay connected when the pressure is on.
Leaders don't need all the answers. They need to lead the conversation.
BUILD
Workshops and training that build conversation capacity across your organisation.
Culture doesn't live in your values. It lives in the conversations your people are having, or avoiding, every day. When those conversations break down, so does trust, momentum and retention.
I work with People and Culture teams to build conversation capacity at scale. From Conversations 101 for early-career professionals to managing emotions or speaking across difference, every program blends practical tools with mindset shifts that actually stick.
Your people leave with the skills to give feedback, navigate friction and lead with curiosity, turning everyday conversations into your strongest cultural infrastructure.
RECENT PUBLICATIONs
Conversations are Cultural Infrastructure
You don’t need another strategy, you need better conversations.
When culture feels off, misaligned, tense, or quietly stuck, it’s usually because the right conversations aren’t happening. This short, practical guide outlines the seven conversations every organisation needs to have to rebuild trust, unlock alignment and get things moving again. No fluff. Just the conversations that actually shifts culture.
What People Say
THe book
"Anatomy of Conversation" by Emma Gibbens explores the heart of human connection, masterfully dissecting the elements that make our interactions meaningful, transformative, and, at times, challenging. This book is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to elevate their communication skills, forge deeper relationships, and navigate the complexities of interpersonal exchanges with grace and confidence.
This book is not merely a guide to talking; it is a blueprint for building bridges through words. It addresses the nuances of communication across different contexts like in the workplace, within personal relationships, or across cultural divides. She provides inspiration and practical strategies to move forward together.
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