About your instructor

Kia ora! I’m Rhiannon

Rhiannon

Until 2023, I was the CEO of Kiwi Wealth - a KiwiSaver fund manager which looked after over a quarter of a million Kiwis’ retirement savings. At the helm, I built a diverse and high performing senior team, clarified the vision and strategy, divested our corporate start up for $40m, delivered make or break technology projects, experienced operating systems highs and lows, and led the business through the sale process culminating in a $310m exit for its shareholders.

I learnt a lot of lessons along the way. Some were hard learnt, some were gifted to me by other CEOs. Now I’d like to share some of those tips and tricks to set you up for success through a curriculum that combines theory with practical experience and reflection.

I can also support, coach and mentor aspiring and first time CEOs and C suite leaders, leveraging the courses but attuning to you and your organisation’s unique situation. Once the dust has settled, you may even be interested in my other services too.

Good luck in your career - I trust you’ll fly.

Rhiannon

Experience and education

Leadership

  • CEO at Kiwi Wealth

  • Asia Pacific Sabre PR CEO of the Year 2022

  • Member, Global Women

  • President Dress for Success Wellington

  • Board member, NZ Film Commission

Strategy

  • Executive advisor to CEO at Kiwibank

  • GM Strategy & Partnerships at Kiwi Wealth

Finance

  • Equity research at Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan Cazenove

  • Corporate finance at Murray & Company

  • Treasury and Corporate finance at NZ Post

Education

  • History MA from Cambridge University

  • CFA Charterholder

  • Company Directors Course, Institute of Directors

Thought leadership

Since starting CEO 101 and Cassiobury, Rhiannon has been published by leading New Zealand newspapers with her thought leadership on leading organisations and teams.

With ‘diversity’ under attack, what kind of leaders do we need?

NZ Herald

There are three key attributes for a successful CEO, all of which are attainable by future leaders. Here is the CEO formula for 2025:

  • Inspirer

  • Realist

  • Listener

Lead out of a recession

NZ Herald

A great CEO not only survives a recession but brings their company out on top. Climbing out of economic adversity is really about the leader’s mindset and how it is applied to the current context. Here are some helpful ways to think about it:

  • Look to the horizon

  • Place your bets

  • Realign and simplify

Hold onto key staff

The Post

Value your people, protect them, and have them in the right roles.

The role of the CEO is to bring together the best people – talented, focused, motivated, and competitive – and create a culture where competitive spirit is directed towards common goals.

Rhiannon also posts regularly on LinkedIn about a range of topics regarding leadership and the realities of juggling work and home life.

Core beliefs

The courses are jam packed full of hot tips and hard skills but soft skills and how you treat others matter even more. Here’s a taster of what I believe:

We can all lead

Leaders can exist in any part of the organisation. You may need a title to be a manager, but being a leader is something we can be without permission from others. It doesn’t matter if you don’t look like a ‘traditional’ leader - if you can help others do more, particularly together, you are a leader.

Serve the people

It’s a time worn cliche, but the greatest asset of any organisation is its people. Your job is to create the conditions where the best teams can truly perform. Your dedication to serving this cause will inspire your people to do their best for you in return.

Representation matters

Senior leadership can suffer from homogeneity which is a pity because leaders can and should come from a wide variety of backgrounds. My sincere hope is that CEO 101 will contribute to a diverse range of people taking the next steps in the careers, paving the way for others to follow in their footsteps.

To find out more around Rhiannon’s background and values, check out:

Course FAQ

  • No. You choose whether you want to receive them and the pace (5 a week or 5 a fortnight). We think it's a neat way to get through the course but it's whatever works best for you. You choose.

  • Yes! All the lessons have been recorded as audio if you prefer to listen rather than read - or you just like to mix it up a bit,

  • This is now included in your membership for twelve months from purchase.

  • For sure! Either sign up to a hybrid course or let us know you're interested in networking and we'll connect you to likeminded professionals.

  • You're welcome to hit reply to any email or just send one to: hello@ceo101.nz Rhiannon will reply ASAP.

    If you purchase Leadership essentials, you schedule a 20 minute welcome call with Rhiannon.

    If you purchase CEO essentials, you schedule a 2 × 30 minute coaching calls with Rhiannon.

    If you choose a hybrid option, Rhiannon will facilitate the meet ups.

    If you choose 1-on-1 coaching, obviously you have scheduled meetings with her!