Frances Valintine CNZM is the CEO & Founder of academyEX. She is a passionate educator and technologist who is focused on developing education opportunities that connect professionals to the knowledge they need to be successful in today’s rapidly advancing world. For 25 years she has been dedicated to shifting education and business practice to develop the capabilities, knowledge and mindset needed to respond to the future of work, changing societal expectations and the protection of the planet.
She is the Chief Executive of academyEX, a post-graduate institute focused on professional development and knowledge in the fields of technological advancement, education, sustainability and leadership. She is also the founder of The Mind Lab - a business that empowers students and educators to develop applied digital knowledge and capability. The Mindlab was judged Best Start-Up in Asia-Pacific by Steve Wozniak and Sir Richard Branson.
She is also a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her lifetime contribution to education and technology (2018), was awarded the NZ Flying Kiwi Award in 2017, inducted into the New Zealand Hi-Tech Hall of Fame in 2022, and named one of the top 3 NZ Innovators of the Year at the NZer of the Year awards.
Driven by a strong sense of purpose to support positive growth for Aotearoa, Frances sits on the board of Watercare and is a selection adviser to the Edmund Hillary Foundation, a judge on the Hi-Tech Awards, and the National Expert for the global World Summit Awards. Frances is also a mentor to a number of global female technology leaders, and a Director to On Being Bold, an initiative to support and encourage emerging female leaders and female students to aim high and dream big. Frances is also on the Board of Trustees for the University of Silicon Valley.
Frances is also the author of FutureYou, a book dedicated to shifting perceptions about learning as an adult and promoting the need to stay connected, relevant and informed throughout our life. Frances holds a Master of Education Management from the University of Melbourne.