Sarah McGuinness
- Bachelor of Science (Hons), Massey University – New Zealand
- Graduate Diploma in Psychology, Swinburne University – Australia
- Bachelor of Communication Studies (major in PR), AUT – New Zealand
- Diploma in Professional Coaching, SIT – New Zealand
- Certificate IV Workplace Training and Assessment, RMIT – Australia
- Certificate III Fitness, Australian Training College – Australia
- Chronic Condition Management Program certified, Flinders University – Australia
- Grade 8 (Speech and Drama) and Performer’s Certificate, Trinity College London – UK
- Appetite for Life – Pegasus Health
- Conflict coach practitioner – CLS
- Coaching for cultural transformation – Oisin
- Situational Leadership – Influence3 / The Center for Leadership Studies
- Myers Briggs Type Indicator – The Myers Briggs Company
- Hogan Personality Assessments – PBC / Hogan Assessment Systems
- Personal Profile Analysis/DISC – Thomas International
Current study:
In 2025, I’m completing a Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, focusing my thesis on burnout in healthcare and how people recover when leaving their jobs isn’t an option. I’m working towards registration as a psychologist.
What drives me is three things
- Professional experience – Having worked in and with large organisations for two decades in corporate communications, leadership development, and people and culture roles, I’ve seen firsthand what a difference a healthy culture can make. I’ve worked with leaders and teams that have thrived, and those trying to survive. The risks of inaction are too great.
- My Dad’s experience – he was a Chief Financial Officer of a large international company for 18 years. He is now spending his retirement undoing the effects of chronic stress. We have had frank conversations about what he would have done differently. I’m driven to help others avoid the same experience.
- My own experience – I’ve had my own mental health challenges including burnout and anxiety. I also have ADHD and fibromyalgia. It’s been a steep learning curve, even with an honours degree in psychology! I openly share my experience to help normalise the mental health conversation and shine a light on recovery.
There are people in our network doing some awesome work in their workplaces to make it better – it is a privilege to support them.
THE COMMON THREAD
At the heart of everything I do is an infinite curiosity about people – how they behave, what drives them, and how we can create the conditions for wellbeing and performance. That thread has run through my career, whether I’m coaching CEOs, leading teams, or delivering evidence-based initiatives.
During my 20+ year career, I’ve worked in the corporate sector specialising in corporate communications, and leadership and organisational development, in Australia and New Zealand. You can see my work history on Linkedin.
I’ve worked in Government, the private sector and for not-for-profit, and had the privilege of advising and guiding national and international organisations, including Foodstuffs North Island (NZ), Xylem (global), Christ Hospital Health Network (USA), CSG (global), UDC (NZ), Ministry of Justice (NZ), and New Zealand Dental Association (NZ).
I’ve worn many hats, and I love the mix. I’m just as comfortable presenting to a board on the hard data as I am finding the stories that need to be told and editing the vocal quality of a podcast (check out ROW’s podcast).
mY WORK BACKGROUND
I bring lived experience and professional expertise, and having walked the corridors of corporate life, I completely understand the joys and realities of work.
I get the challenges of juggling competing priorities, managing heavy workloads, and dealing with systems (and people) that don’t talk to each other. This real-world experience drives my focus on bringing practical solutions to the workplace.
I know how to research with academic rigor, find patterns in data, and make sense of complex challenges. I can lead teams, facilitate honest conversations, and run focus groups that get to the heart of things. My expertise also spans stakeholder management, marketing, branding, and community building.
I craft compelling narratives, design strategic initiatives, and dive into research to find credible information people can trust – so they can make informed decisions. I also bring ideas to life, whether it’s coding in HTML to build websites, cutting videos, or delivering an animated keynote that keeps people engaged.
At the end of the day, it all comes back to understanding and supporting people, and creating environments where they can do great work… without burning out.
Beyond work
I live in Queenstown, New Zealand, and absolutely love getting into the mountains here. That photo of me is at Lake Marian, in Fiordland. It’s mind-blowingly beautiful – check it out! I love going to yin yoga with my girlfriends and was, once, a fairly decent rower and road cyclist… and then I had children. If you really want to get to know me, my knees are super dodgy and I’ve had seven surgeries to fix them (one just flat-out refuses to be fixed). Hiking poles, a solid knee brace, and shoes with decent grip are my friends…
As a volunteer, I’ve recently stepped down from being on the Board of the local Queenstown Coastguard unit in a marketing/fundraising capacity. I am so proud to have supported its vital work saving lives on the water. I’m still part of the unit but less involved this year as I juggle my Master of Science (psychology). I was previously a support group facilitator and spokesperson at Eating Disorders Victoria, Australia.
My honours research on midlife eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction, published in the New Zealand Journal of Psychology, continues to be cited (and is one of the hardest things I’ve done).
I’m a mum of two kids and a cat, and a partner to a man who is much fitter and much more adventurous, which is stretching my belief in what’s possible.
Drop me a line if you’d like to chat about breaking burnout culture in your workplace.
And connect with me on Linkedin. See you there!