Book IWD Speaker: Dr. Emily Read, RN, PhD

I speak about resilient leadership to help people lead with clarity, confidence & sustainability in the face of pressure, change & complexity

Dr. Emily Read, RN, PhD, Professor, Faculty of Nursing & Health Sciences, Scientific Director, Institute for Population Health, University of New Brunswick | Leadership & Resilience Speaker

Through research-informed insight, compelling real-world stories, and practical tools, Emily equips students, professionals, and leaders to lead with clarity, confidence, and sustainability in the face of pressure, change, and complexity. Audiences leave not only inspired, but with simple shifts they can immediately apply to strengthen resilience, adaptability, and leadership impact.

Dr. Read learned the power of resilience long before she became a tenured professor or academic leader.
Early in her academic journey, she left university while struggling with significant mental health challenges. What followed—recovery, reflection, and transformative experiences working with young people—reshaped how she understood resilience, leadership, and growth. Those early “bumps” would later become the foundation of her work: resilience isn’t something you’re born with; it’s something you build.

Today, Dr. Read is the Scientific Director of the Institute for Population Health and a Professor in the Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of New Brunswick. With an interdisciplinary background in nursing, exercise physiology, and leadership, her research focuses on resilient leadership, healthy work environments, career development, and the systems and conditions that allow people and organizations to thrive.

Known for translating rigorous research into practical insight, Dr. Read brings clarity to complex challenges. Her work emphasizes that adaptability is no longer optional, that strong leaders learn from challenge rather than avoid it, and that self-awareness and compassion are essential leadership capabilities—not soft skills. Her engaging keynotes blend evidence, lived experience, and actionable frameworks that resonate across academic, corporate, healthcare, and women’s leadership audiences.

Dr. Read is recognized for her empowering leadership style and her ability to create meaningful learning experiences that stay with audiences long after the session ends. Participants consistently describe her talks as grounded, relatable, and immediately useful.

When she’s not teaching, researching, or speaking, Dr. Read enjoys lifting weights, hiking, and spending time with her family—activities that reinforce the same message she shares on stage: sustainable leadership starts with how we care for ourselves and others.

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