Tony Gardner - Leadership Speaker
A natural storyteller, Tony speaks to a range of leadership topics, from anecdotes of his life-saving, and literally life-threatening, experiences in Bosnia to genuine leadership wisdom that draws on his own leadership journey in New Zealand, Australia, Asia-Pacific and Europe and his expertise as a leadership development facilitator and leadership team coach.
Comfortable speaking to a small group of senior executives or a large conference audience, Tony will bring authenticity and insight to your leadership address.
“Tony is simply amazing - an inspiring leader and speaker.”
Tony is one of New Zealand's most sought-after leadership development facilitators and consultants, bringing over 20 years of international leadership experience to his role as Managing Director of Archetype Leadership + Teams. His role as a pre-qualified facilitator for New Zealand's Leadership Development Centre reflects his recognised expertise in leadership development.
His real-world leadership experience and leadership development expertise make him a credible and compelling leadership speaker. His engaging speaking make him an audience favourite.
Authentic and Impactful Style
What distinguishes Tony as a speaker is his enthusiastic but authentic style and easy integration of personal leadership experiences with leadership wisdom. Testimonials consistently highlight his deep understanding of subject matter and engaging delivery and praise his ability to blend insights with real world learning and application.
“He has a warm and empathetic energy, and spoke with a pragmatic and to the point lens.”
“Tony was INCREDIBLE. What a skilled facilitator and the guidance he gave us was as inspiring.””
Extensive Real-World Leadership Foundation
Tony is one of New Zealand’s leading leadership development facilitators and Managing Director of Archetype Leadership + Teams. Since 2016, he has delivered over 1000 leadership workshops in New Zealand and Australia for an extensive list of clients in a broad range of industries. With 20+ years international executive leadership and governance experience and exceptional facilitation skills, he specialises in keynote leadership speaking.
Tony’s own leadership journey began when founded an international medical aid organisation to source and deliver medicine to Bosnia during the war there. Suffering from PTSD, Tony returned to New Zealand where a friend helped him get a job at the then-famed Saatchi & Saatchi Wellington advertising agency.
Gardner's speaking authority stems from his substantial executive experience spanning New Zealand, Europe, Australia, and Asia, where he has held team leader, general manager, managing director, and chief executive roles. This international leadership background, complemented by governance experience including five years chairing an industry board, provides him with authentic insights that resonate deeply with audiences facing similar leadership challenges.
“Great speaker!”
Sources
[1] Archetype Leadership + Teams https://www.archetype.nz/about
[2] Keynote Workshop: How to Lead in Law in 2025 https://thelawassociation.nz/event/keynote-workshop-how-to-lead-in-law-in-2025/
[3] Top Talent Marketing School - Auckland https://marketing.org.nz/top-talent-2025
[4] Stakeholder Management | Workshop https://marketing.org.nz/stakeholder-management/traininghub?id=19988267288
[5] LDC :: Pre-qualified facilitators https://www.ldc.govt.nz/resources/coaches-and-facilitators/ldc-pre-qualified-facilitators
[6] Leadership Coaching https://www.archetype.nz/leadership-coaching
[7] Archetype - Leadership + Teams https://nz.linkedin.com/company/archetype-leadershipandteams
[8] Professional Certification of Advanced Marketing Leadership https://marketing.org.nz/advanced-marketing-leadership/2025
[9] Tony Gardner - Leadership Development ... https://nz.linkedin.com/in/tonygardner