Sustainability inspires people, uplifts places, and creates a world where all life thrives together.
Dr Sheila Nguyen is a trusted advisor to leaders navigating complexity, change and opportunity. With a career spanning global sport, corporate consultancy, performance psychology and purpose-led innovation, Sheila equips organisations to create cultures that thrive, teams that align, and strategies that stick.
Her leadership on the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 sustainability program set a new global benchmark for how major events can drive long-term social and commercial impact. Sheila’s influence extends beyond sustainability. She has supported organisations including the Australian Olympic Committee, National Football League, Hilton Hotels and SailGP to unlock performance through smarter thinking, clearer culture and aligned action.
Sheila studied performance psychology at Temple University under American Psychological Association expert Dr Michael Sachs, founder of the "runner’s high" concept. Her applied work with the Philadelphia Phillies and Temple University's men's ice hockey team brings a high-performance mindset to her leadership philosophy. Her background also includes commercial and marketing roles with the PGA Tour, the Southern California Golf Association, and clients in the media, technology, and entertainment industries.
Through her consultancy, Happy Planet People, Sheila supports executives and teams to navigate complexity with clarity, confidence and collaboration. Whether solving cross-functional challenges or re-energising a workforce, she helps leaders shift from reaction to intention, from silos to systems, and from pressure to performance.
Named one of the Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Women of Influence and Sport Positive’s Regional Leader for Oceania, Sheila brings both gravitas and relatability to every stage.
Talking Points
Better, Best, Brave: Energising Teams Around a Shared Mission
Complex challenges need more than direction. They call for alignment, belief and shared energy.Better, Best, Brave: Energising Teams Around a Shared Mission
In this keynote, Dr Sheila Nguyen introduces her Better, Best, Brave framework for activating purpose and performance across teams. Combining lived experience with her background in psychology and global leadership, Sheila helps audiences move from siloed thinking to collective momentum. She creates the space, both mentally and emotionally, for people to connect, align and lead with clarity.
Key Takeaways:
- A practical framework to align teams and accelerate progress
- Tools to foster confidence, contribution and clarity across roles
- How to energise people around shared goals, even in complexity
The Power of Perspective: Unlocking New Ways to Solve Big Problems
When the same thinking delivers the same results, it’s time to shift the lens.The Power of Perspective: Unlocking New Ways to Solve Big Problems
Sheila helps teams step back and reframe how they see their work, each other and the systems around them. This keynote introduces strategies to expand thinking, challenge assumptions and simplify complexity. By creating a calm and open environment, Sheila enables teams to find clarity, regain confidence and move towards solutions with greater ease.
Key Takeaways:
- Tools to broaden perspective and challenge limiting assumptions
- How to move from problem-focused to solution-oriented thinking
- Strategies for working better together, not just harder
Designing Cultures That Thrive: Leadership for the Future
Leaders today are not just decision-makers. They are environment shapers.Designing Cultures That Thrive: Leadership for the Future
In this session, Sheila explores how effective leadership is rooted in culture design, not control. Drawing on evidence-based practice and her work across elite sport and business, she helps leaders create the conditions for people to thrive. The result is a focused, human-centred environment where clarity, care and performance can coexist.
Key Takeaways:
- How to shape culture through clarity, consistency and care
- The leader’s role in designing resilient, adaptive teams
- A roadmap for embedding values, performance and purpose
Commercialising Sustainability: From Cost Centre to Growth Strategy
Sustainability is not a side task. It is a strategic driver.Commercialising Sustainability: From Cost Centre to Growth Strategy
Sheila reframes sustainability as a source of innovation, value and long-term advantage. With real-world examples from global sport and business, this keynote shows how purpose-led strategy can strengthen reputation, unlock revenue and build resilience. Sheila gives leaders the mental space to think beyond compliance and reconnect with the commercial potential of sustainability.
Key Takeaways:
- How to align sustainability with core business objectives
- Case studies where sustainability drove growth and brand value
- Tools to shift internal mindsets and strategic positioning
From Adversity to Advantage: Building Inner Bravery for Lasting Impact
Sheila’s personal story—from a refugee family to overcoming trauma and breaking through in male-dominated spaces—is a powerful testament to what’s possible when inner strength meets outer purpose. This keynote is a call to action for individuals and teams to embrace their uniqueness, reframe adversity, and lead with authenticity.From Adversity to Advantage: Building Inner Bravery for Lasting Impact
Key Takeaways:
- Tools for transforming setbacks into growth
- How identity, values, and experience can become your greatest assets
- Encouragement to act with courage, conviction, and compassion
