Sir Peter Blake Leader, NZ Army Veteran, #WorkSchoolHours Author & Speaker

Dr Ellen Joan Ford is one of New Zealand's most original leadership voices — a former NZ Army officer turned PhD researcher, TEDx speaker, Sir Peter Blake Leader and author of #WorkSchoolHours, the movement reshaping how organisations think about parents, performance and the future of work.

Who is Dr Ellen Joan Ford?

Dr Ellen Joan Ford is a New Zealand researcher, speaker, facilitator, consultant and author with an MBA (Exec) and a PhD focused on leadership. She served ten years as an Officer in the NZ Army, leading engineering and construction teams from Antarctica to Afghanistan, before moving into corporate leadership and academic research. She founded the #WorkSchoolHours movement and authored the bestselling book of the same name, helped lead a volunteer team that supported the evacuation of 563 people from Afghanistan to New Zealand after the fall of Kabul, and was named KiwiBank New Zealander of the Year — Local Hero (2023), Manawatu Standard Person of the Year (2022) and a Sir Peter Blake Leader.

Career Highlights

• KiwiBank New Zealander of the Year — Local Hero (2023)

• Sir Peter Blake Leader Award recipient

• Person of the Year, Manawatu Standard (2022)

• Author of #WorkSchoolHours: A Revolution for Parents, Workplaces and the World

• Co-author of a nationwide leadership project for NZ's largest exporting sector

• 18-month advisory role to the Chief of the NZ Army, General John Boswell

• TEDx speaker; international keynote engagements across multiple sectors

• Has worked with KPMG, EY, FMG, Kiwibank, NZDF, Cliftons, Metcash and Craigmore Farming

Key Speaking Themes

• Belonging, Autonomy and Purpose leadership model

• The future of work and the #WorkSchoolHours movement

• High-performance team culture and inclusive leadership

• Women in leadership and closing the gender gap

• Leading through crisis — from Afghanistan to corporate change

What Your Audience Will Gain

Ellen is engaging, honest and refreshingly practical. Audiences leave with a stronger framework for inclusive leadership, immediately usable principles for designing work around outputs rather than hours, and the courage to question the legacy ways of working that no longer serve them or their teams.

Ideal For

• Leadership and HR conferences

• Future-of-work and workplace design events

• Women in leadership and DEI programmes

• Defence, primary industries and professional services events

• Executive offsites and board strategy sessions

Frequently Asked Questions about Dr Ellen Joan Ford

What does Dr Ellen Joan Ford speak about? Leadership, the future of work, high-performance culture, women in leadership and the #WorkSchoolHours movement.

Where is Dr Ellen Joan Ford based? Ellen is based in New Zealand and travels nationally and internationally for speaking engagements.

What is Dr Ellen Joan Ford best known for? Founding #WorkSchoolHours, helping evacuate 563 people from Afghanistan to NZ, and receiving the Sir Peter Blake Leader Award.

Can Ellen deliver workshops as well as keynotes? Yes. Ellen offers keynotes, workshops, leadership programmes and consulting engagements.

Has Ellen Joan Ford written a book? Yes — #WorkSchoolHours: A Revolution for Parents, Workplaces and the World, endorsed by the CEOs of KiwiBank, FMG, DevryBV and Cliftons.

Is Dr Ellen Joan Ford available for international events? Yes. Ellen has presented across Australia, the US, the UK and globally, and is available for offshore engagements.