Rebekah McKenna

Rebekah’s career started on the frontlines of a fast-scaling startup, My Food Bag, where she found her way into HR by doing what came naturally: hiring great humans, building systems that worked, and creating spaces where people could thrive. Since then, she’s led the people function at lifestyle brand Città through high-growth and high-change moments, including a multifaceted pandemic response and a full HRIS implementation. Rebekah brings practical end-to-end experience across the full employee lifecycle, with a special knack for making things easier, for both people and the business.

Rebekah is known for her rare mix of empathy, intuition, and clear commercial thinking. She builds trust quickly, tunes into what people really need, and brings a warmth and pragmatism that helps clients feel supported and confident. Whether she’s designing systems, coaching leaders, or managing change, her ability to connect with people from all walks of life, from warehouse teams to C-suite, makes her a trusted partner across the board.

From helping to build the HR function in a startup, to leading Città’s COVID response, to implementing a fully tailored HRIS, Rebekah has always balanced care and clarity. She’s especially proud of the hires she’s made over the years, not just for their performance, but for how they grew into roles that aligned with their growth and career trajectory. Building capability, nurturing talent, and helping people feel seen and supported is what lights her up.

At the heart of Rebekah’s work is a belief in people, their potential, their wholeness, and their worthiness to feel respected and empowered at work. She’s driven by the idea that work is a deeply human experience, one that touches identity, stability, purpose, and wellbeing. Her approach is grounded in a simple but powerful truth: he tangata, he tangata, he tangata, what matters most is people.

Rebekah is practical, heart-led, and quietly fierce about doing work that makes a difference. She’s down-to-earth and straight-talking, with a focus on action and outcomes. Her style is collaborative, intuitive, and values-driven. Whether she's streamlining systems, leading change, or building leadership capability, she brings humour, humility, and intentionality to every project.