Ross Reekie Keynote Speaker

Founder of Rise Consulting and expert on meaningful work, engagement and workplace culture
Creator of the Fun Jobs Project, exploring the drivers of curiosity, connection and performance
TEDx speaker and leadership advisor working across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia

Ross Reekie's Biography

Ross Reekie has spent two decades working with leadership teams on meaningful work and culture, founding Rise Consulting in Sydney and consulting across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia. He holds an Engineering degree from Edinburgh, an MBA and a Master’s in Sustainable Leadership from MGSM Sydney, and pursued PhD-track research at Macquarie — rigour that gives everything he brings to the room a credible research spine.

His work is anchored by the Fun Jobs Project — a live experiment he ran on himself after burning out as a meaningful work expert. Taking roles from ski instructor to stand-up comedian to opera extra, he built a model of engagement that treats curiosity and connection as performance inputs, not wellbeing initiatives. The argument lands with operating leaders who have stopped believing engagement programmes pay back.

He has brought that work to TEDx stages at Monash and Glasgow Caledonian, the Urban Future Global Conference, and private leadership rooms across two continents. His keynotes run as live, interactive sessions — with props, audience experiments, and moments that range from ski lessons on stage to spontaneous group singing — designed for senior teams who want a working session, not a lecture.

The Fun Jobs Project (Signature Talk) Reigniting culture with meaning and serious fun

Ross burnt out as a meaningful work expert with 20 years of global consulting experience. He ran a radical experiment — the Fun Jobs Project — taking on "fun jobs" from opera extra to ski instructor to reconnect with meaning. The core insight: serious fun — curious exploration, playful problem-solving, and stepping outside comfort zones — is the skill that unlocks purpose, energy, and performance. Audiences participate directly, through live science experiments, ski lessons, and spontaneous group singing. People leave reconnected to why they work, to each other, and to their organisation's mission — with tools to build a culture that performs.

Follow the Sparkles Work with authenticity

An energising, story-rich talk that invites audiences to reconnect with who they are, what lights them up, and how to follow that spark in their day-to-day work. An inspiring invitation to realign work with what matters — through a curious mindset — to create the building blocks of work that makes us feel alive.

Bring Your Own Brick Creating belonging

This talk explores what belonging at work really means and how to create it — reframing it as a personal as well as shared responsibility. Through story, reflection, and interaction, Ross shows how connection, contribution, and shared voice create a culture people want to be part of. If you want to feel you belong, help build the place that belongs to you.

Getting Past F.E.A.R. Performance & achievement

Fear shows up in work every day — masquerading as control, perfectionism, or hesitation. Drawing on stories from teaching kids to ski, Ross reawakens a spirit of childlike wonder and invites audiences to ask "what if?" This talk shows leaders how to spot fear, name it, and disarm it — revealing it for what it is: a signpost that you're heading somewhere that matters.

Even a Bunny Can Make a Difference Connecting to purpose

Purpose is powerful — but only when people feel connected to it. Through warmth, humour, and raw emotion — including stories from Ross's time as an opera extra, including a stint on stage as a giant rabbit — this talk helps leaders reconnect their teams to the impact of what they do, leaving people feeling more motivated, fulfilled, and energised.

He has spent two decades helping leadership teams create more meaningful, engaging and high-performing cultures, working with organisations across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia.
He translates research on engagement, leadership and human motivation into practical strategies that help organisations improve performance, strengthen culture and unlock the potential of their people.
He combines academic rigour with real-world experimentation, drawing on his pioneering Fun Jobs Project to challenge conventional thinking about work, wellbeing and what drives sustained engagement.
He brings an interactive and highly experiential approach to leadership development, helping audiences move beyond theory and apply new ideas in ways that create immediate impact.
His presentations help leaders foster curiosity, connection and purpose within their teams, enabling organisations to build cultures where people perform at their best and find greater meaning in their work.