From strategy to culture, your outcomes depend on how well you communicate.

Emma Gibbens is a Communication Strategist who helps individuals and organisations get where they need to go, using the power of conversations.

Most workplace problems are communication problems in disguise. Culture fails not because of bad intentions but because people don’t know how to speak up, listen deeply, give feedback or talk across difference.

Emma works with organisations fix the conversations that get in the way of culture change.

As a strategic facilitator and culture coach, she has worked with over 30,000 people across Australia hosting the conversations that are hardest to have. Conversations about reconciliation, race, identity, inclusion, power and how change really happens inside systems. Emma helps teams navigate the tension between what’s said and what’s felt and how to build a culture that can hold both.

Emma’s career started in political campaigns (working for Obama in 2008), brought her to Silicon Valley, and then led her to run the successful marriage equality campaign in Western Australia. She’s advised executives, ran impactful strategic campaigns, and co-founded a business that helped teams across every sector have real, honest conversations that led to meaningful change.

work with Emma

Speaking + MC

Emma doesn’t talk at people, she brings them into the conversation. With a mix of sharp insight and genuine connection, she creates the kind of energy that makes audiences lean in, open up, and walk away changed.

Training

Emma’s training combines practical tools with big shifts in mindset. It’s the kind of experience that sparks change in the room and sticks long after, as teams walk away inspired, equipped, and ready to lead better conversations.

Strategic Facilitation

When change is stuck, culture feels off, or no one’s saying the hard thing out loud, Emma’s facilitation cuts through the noise. With a unique mix of campaign savvy and cultural intelligence, she creates space for honest dialogue that unlocks momentum and moves the room forward together.

Coaching

Emma coaches leaders and managers to find their voice and own the room. With equal parts strategy and heart, she helps them lead with clarity, confidence, and the kind of presence that earns trust fast.

What People Say

  • "Emma was a fantastic presenter; the clinic was a great idea, and it would've been great to have more time to delve into this and look at more examples."

  • "Emma's content was really thought provoking because she focused on the power of face-to-face conversation at a time when many of us are too reliant on digital engagement."

  • "Fun and bright. Loved her energy!"

  • "Great insights into normalising difficult conversations."

  • "Emma's session was great. It was useful and relevant."

  • "Rhys and Emma are hilarious and genuine hosts. This training has helped me so much in seeing how an AoC can be used to connect yourself, the people you are meeting with, the land and traditional owners together!"

  • "Rhys and Emma are absolutely brilliant! They mix incredibly important and handy information with humour and positivity, and make you feel so much more confident moving forward."

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 - be it in the workplace, within personal relationships, or across cultural divides - and provides actionable strategies to help parties move forward together.

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