Eileen Donnelly

2 Oct

Strategic Wellbeing Leader

Eileen Donnelly is a Strategic Wellbeing Leader with 20+ years of senior corporate experience and a track record of helping organisations embed purpose and measurable wellbeing. A multi-award-winning speaker and FTSE 250 alumna, she’s known for cutting through the fluff with evidence-based insights that link employee mental health to real business impact.

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Biography

Eileen Donnelly is a Strategic Wellbeing Leader with over 20 years’ senior corporate experience, known for helping organisations bridge the gap between good intentions and measurable impact in workplace wellbeing. A former Director in a global FTSE 250, she now leads Ripple & Co, an award-winning consultancy and training provider that works with companies like NatWest, Cadent Gas, Virgin, GXO, and Mott MacDonald to build mentally healthier, more productive cultures.

Eileen’s approach is rooted in evidence, not empty wellbeing rhetoric. Her work focuses on creating integrated, data-led wellbeing strategies that deliver tangible return on investment - financially, culturally and reputationally. At a time when many organisations are scrambling to define their ESG credentials, Eileen brings clarity and credibility: a pragmatic voice on what works, what doesn’t, and what’s coming next in mental health governance and psychological safety at work.

Her credibility is hard-earned. Eileen has led sustainability, wellbeing and culture programmes across sectors, from not-for-profits to blue chips, and was voted Best Speaker at the edie Sustainability Conference and Female Speaker of the year at the Professional Speakers Academy. She has guest lectured at Harvard Business School, developed sector-specific mental health courses for the UK’s leading first aid training provider, and won the Health & Wellbeing Businesswoman of the Year at the Business Awards UK.

But what sets her apart is her ability to cut through the fluff. Eileen speaks candidly about the commercial realities of leading with care: the pressures on leaders, the pitfalls of performative wellbeing, and the value of designing systems that support not just individual resilience, but systemic change. Her keynotes and masterclasses are engaging, practical and provocative, designed for senior audiences who want to understand wellbeing not just as a moral imperative, but as a business-critical lever.

Speaking

Interviews

Workshops

Topics

Eileen is a leading voice on workplace wellbeing, known for blending warmth and authority with sharp commercial insight. She helps organisations move beyond perks to embed wellbeing into culture, strategy, and leadership behaviours. Drawing on her work with regulated and high-risk sectors, Eileen shows how well-being links to risk management, ESG goals, and business performance. Her talks equip leaders, managers, and HR teams with practical tools, from building psychological safety and resilience to sustaining their own wellbeing, creating ripple effects that transform both people and organisations.

Creating a Culture of Workplace Wellbeing

Learn how to embed wellbeing into everyday business culture for healthier, more productive teams.

Building Personal Resilience in High-Pressure Roles

Gain practical tools to develop sustainable resilience and navigate challenges with confidence.

Navigating Wellbeing During Times of Change

Learn strategies to protect employee mental health and resilience during periods of uncertainty and transition.

Example Videos

See Eileen Discussing Workplace Wellbeing

What do you get when you book Eileen to speak?

Eileen is most commonly asked to keynote, but she is happy to also deliver workshops at events. Eileen is an experienced speaker with an audience of her own who is happy to work with you to help you promote your event.

This can include: