Facilitation

  • As humans we’re designed to gather - to meet with purpose.

    Teams gather to reconnect, and to get clearer on collective purpose, priorities, strategies and values. To work together more effectively, and to iron out challenges. To boost wellbeing, and to maintain motivation for the long run.

    Groups of like-minded people gather to connect, to learn and grow and be inspired. To identify shared challenges and to co-design solutions to those challenges.

    Teams and groups are different, but I’m a qualified Team Coach and an experienced facilitator, so I’m well placed to support your event.

  • Here’s what you don’t want -

    • You don’t want to leave event planning and facilitation to an internal team member. Because in the lead up, they won’t have the dedicated time and headspace for planning. And on the day, they may not know what’s needed to make the event fizz.

    • You don’t want so little structure that nothing gets done. But you don’t want so much structure that there’s no time for a laugh, or for the important, emergent discussions.

    • You don’t want to exclude anyone’s views. But you also don’t want a talk-fest with no consensus or action.

    • You don’t want it to be a chore or a bore. But you want to get work done alongside the fun.

    The point is - facilitation is a bit of an art. Experienced facilitators know that even a 1-hour event requires robust planning and prep. They know how to dial up energy levels, or quiet focus, as needed. How to stay on track and explore emergent but essential topics. How to help everyone feel heard and move forward together.

    As an experienced facilitator, I can help you to avoid the pitfalls and to get real value from your time together.

  • Let’s talk through your event, so I can understand why you’re gathering and what good looks like from your perspective. Then I can propose a structure and a price, and we'll go from there.

    As a guide, I can facilitate sessions from 1-hour to multi-day in length, and my prices are typically in the $1k - $5k range, plus GST.

Previous work

  • I have facilitated one-off or repeat sessions for these clients:

    • A boutique law firm

    • AsureQuality

    • Auckland Council

    • Auckland Policy Office

    • AUT

    • Dress for Success

    • Frucor Suntory

    • Institute of Chemical Engineers

    • Ministry of Justice

    • Nimbl Consulting

    • Polis Consulting

    • Presbyterian Support Northern / Lifeline

    • Prostate Cancer New Zealand

    • Vector

    • Women for Climate

  • In internal team sessions, I help teams to lift their performance and their wellbeing. I can facilitate one-off sessions, Away Days, or multiple sessions over time.

    The sessions are crafted to the client’s needs. Previous sessions include:

    • The 5 Key Building Blocks of Thriving at Work

    • Improving Mental Wellbeing at Work - diagnostic sessions, ideation, evaluation

    • Designing a World-Class People Experience

    • Values in Action

    • Understanding & Leveraging Strengths

    • Coaching for Efficient and Effective Decision Making

    • Achieving more Streamlined and Sustainable Ways of Working

    • Preventing Burnout

    • Facilitation of a 2-day team event including: Uncovering Your Purpose; Aligning on Our Purpose; Mapping our Impact

    • Using the Science of Behaviour Change in Your Team

  • I have facilitated personal development workshops for women, including one-off events and 6-week programmes.

    (I even facilitated a ‘birthday workshop’ for a friend’s 40th! Love it.)

    These sessions are always joyful and powerful.

  • I also have some experience as an MC and panel moderator, and as a guest speaker. This includes:

    • Speaking at HRNZ’s Virtual Summit on Mental Health and Wellbeing (watch here)

    • Hosting an event to launch the EMA and nib’s latest findings from their workplace wellbeing survey, including running the panel discussion

    • Engaging as a panellist for Transform HR’s launch event in Auckland, about Leading through Change

    I love to share insights that matter, and my content is always well received.

Testimonials

  • “In early 2025, Renee facilitated an employee engagement and 360 degree review process for our team. She did an outstanding job - engaging deeply with every staff member, synthesising their feedback, prioritising organisational needs, and designing solutions that achieved full buy-in.”

    (David Cunliffe, Partner & Director, Polis Consulting Group)

  • “Renee did a fantastic job taking the reins in facilitating the key sessions in our recent off-site. She was able to rapidly take our objectives and design engaging sessions to help us reflect on our strategy and reset our priorities and the way forward with clear actions – invaluable!”

    (Jayesh Rama, Management Consultant, Nimbl Consulting)

  • “Thanks for the sessions – they were very helpful and I thought they were better than all of the other sessions we’ve had before. You encouraged us to get stuff done - long may that last.”

    (Partner, professional services firm)

  • "We were delighted to have Renee speak at our recent Mental Health and Wellbeing summit. She provided an in-depth exploration of the macro trends influencing how people feel and perform in the workplace, backed by solid evidence and data.  Renee also highlighted the most promising interventions and approaches, to help people shift from surviving to thriving. Renee's engaging presentation style and sound expertise made her session a standout. She adeptly tailored her content to our brief, delivering exactly what we sought in terms of valuable insights and actionable takeaways.”

    (Tina Berry, HRNZ National Events Manager)

  • “Renee ran a full-team values workshop with us, exploring what it means in practice to enhance mana and to empower each other. She first created a safe environment for sharing, and then led an ideation process that helped us identify the shifts we’d like to make. The session was thought-provoking, practical and a valuable contribution to our development as a new team.”

    (Peter Dickens, Chief Executive, Prostate Cancer NZ)

  • “It was great to have Renee take us through a bespoke session for the 2023 Auckland Women4Climate steering group, mentees and mentors. I’d definitely recommend Renee and Thrive Lab for ‘think and connection’ sessions - so many great resources to take away too.”

    (Amanda Pearson, Senior Consultant, Sustainability and Resilience, Aurecon)

  • “Thank you so much for today Renee – we loved looking into the science behind behaviour.”

    (Alisha Iyer, Senior Manager, Student Communications and Engagement, AUT)

  • “Thank you for an amazing course. Rewilding left me feeling energised and was just what I needed to end the year on a positive note. I loved the deep conversations and connecting with other likeminded women. The course gave me the opportunity to delve into topics I often think about but don't usually get the chance to explore or discuss in my day-to-day life. Renee is a skilled facilitator and uses the right mix of evidence and storytelling to connect people and ideas.”

    (Julia, Communications and Engagement Specialist)

  • "Renee’s easy going and empathetic nature made it really easy to connect and put everyone at ease, and the mix of group work and breakout sessions worked well. The course helped me to reconnect with myself, and gave me ideas and tools to boost my confidence and sense of self, rediscover the fun in my work - and I added some amazing women to my personal network.”

    (Stefanie, Urban Planner)

  • Renee’s expertly guided sessions were a great mix of theory and practice, and she created a safe space for open discussion between attendees.

    (Jo, Lawyer)

  • "Renee is an incredible educator, coach and leader in the field of behavioural science, positive psychology, goal setting, self awareness and developing helpful habits and practices. She is well-researched, warm and wise - a comfortable and natural facilitator! Renee’s sessions have given me encouragement, insight and tools to create a more enriching and purposeful life.”

    (Hannah, Author)

  • “Renee’s session was full of insightful content of great value for individuals, teams, and organisations. Highly engaging and highly recommended!”

    (Rob Graham, Chief Advisor – Auckland, Kāinga Ora)

  • “Renee ran a ‘Thriving at Work’ workshop for our cross-agency policy team and I highly recommend it. She hit a great balance between interactive/informative activities and practical/research examples. The framework Renee has developed and the take-home messages she left us with really resonated and are practical tools that managers and team members will use at work and beyond.”

    (Andy Hill, Director Auckland, MBIE)

  • “Renee hosted two wonderful events for our Ministry’s young professionals. She was an excellent, organised and responsive facilitator. She delivered interactive and fun sessions where she took our teams through her Thriving at Work framework, and then guided discussions on what was working well, and what opportunities we had for improvement.”

    (Team Leader, Ministry of Justice)

  • “Renee hosted a Wellbeing workshop covering a range of topics and tools on how to navigate our busy lives and careers. We focused on stress and techniques for managing it, which was very valuable for the team. I loved how she described the key pillars for thriving at work. She fully engaged with everyone making it an interactive experience!”

    (Vlad, Institute of Chemical Engineers)