About Ruth Dance

I’m Ruth Dance — a coach, consultant, facilitator, and speaker with two decades of experience helping leaders and organisations be the best versions of themselves. 

After spending the first part of my career in the UK, partnering with businesses across financial services, technology, media, and professional services, I relocated to the UAE — bringing my international experience into a region where relationships, trust, and reputation drive success.

Today, through Rise Development, I partner with organisations that want more than surface-level change.
I work with HR Directors, Founders, and senior leadership teams to strengthen leadership capability, create thriving employee experiences, build reputations, and drive real, lasting impact — for people and for business. 

From a young age, I’ve been fascinated by people — what motivates them, how they work together, and how the environments around them shape their success.

Over my career, I’ve been fortunate to work with businesses of all shapes and sizes — from fast-growing startups to some of the world’s most recognised organisations — helping leaders grow, cultures shift, and organisations thrive.

Alongside my consultancy work, I’ve developed and delivered hundreds of training sessions, workshops, employee experience audits, coaching programmes, leadership offsites, and conference keynotes — always focused on real-world impact, not just theory.

No matter the project or setting, my approach stays the same:
Human. Practical. Strategic. Focused on creating the conditions where people and organisations can truly thrive.

I'm originally from North Wales , UK (a Wrexham FC football fan) and after an 18 year career in London I'm now settled in Dubai, UAE with my husband and 3 young boys. I love cooking (but terrible at  baking), camping, travel and long evenings at the beach.  

Throughout my career, I've been recognised for outstanding contributions. I was part of the National Business Awards' Training Team of the Year and have been named one of the Top 100 Global Employee Engagement Influencers