Improving Humanity One Pet At A Time

The Pet Humanist. Founder. Speaker. On a mission to change the way we care for pets, people and the planet.

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About Anneke

Anneke van den Broek is a multi-award winning entrepreneur, pet advocate, and one of Australia's most respected female founders. Over nearly two decades, she has created a trusted brand in pet care and built an internationally recognised brand with a portfolio of products and service that elevate personal care for pets.

As the Founder and CEO of Rufus & Coco, Anneke has led the brand's expansion into nine countries and secured over 15 national and international awards for innovation, sustainability, and business excellence. Her portfolio includes Rufus & Coco, Wee Kitty, The Fur Salon, and The Fur Dental and represents her belief that better isn't a slogan; it's a standard that pets, their people, and the planet deserve.

Anneke's impact extends beyond business. As The Pet Humanist, she has set out to prove that in a world more connected than ever, yet lonelier than ever, that the cure for disconnection has whiskers not WiFi. Her philosophy is that pets make us more human and her mission is to make a pet-inclusive world the new normal and show how pets are not just companions but catalysts for human wellbeing.

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Signature Speaking Topics

Each keynote can be fully tailored or newly curated to suit your audience, blending science, storytelling, and strategy around your event theme or industry.

Anneke van den Broek blends business insight and storytelling to show how empathy fuels leadership, performance, and growth. Drawing on her experience scaling startups into global brands, she inspires audiences to lead with purpose, build strong teams, and create businesses that make a difference. As The Pet Humanist, she also reveals how welcoming pets into our lives and workplaces helps build more connected, compassionate, and successful communities.

Pack Leadership: Building Better Business by Design

Lead with loyalty, empathy, and trust to scale culture and performance.

The Human Animal of Business: Why Connection Outperforms Competition

Connection fuels innovation, retention, and results more reliably than rivalry.

From Kennel to Global Brand: Lessons in Growing a Pet Empire with Heart

Purpose and proof can take a small Aussie brand to the world.

The Loyalty Instinct: Creating Brands People and Pets Love for Life

Earn lifelong fans through authenticity, consistency, and trust.

The Pet Humanist: How Pets Can Help Cure Disconnection

Pets spark everyday connection and improve community wellbeing.

Pawprint Planet: Sustainability and the Future of Pet Care

Design choices that are kind to pets can be kind to the planet too.

The Healing Paw: What Science Says About the Human–Animal Bond

Evidence shows pets reduce stress, lift mood, and support mental health.

Pets in More Places: The Movement for Pet Inclusive Communities

Pet friendly workplaces, classrooms, and care settings help humans thrive.

Leading with Heart: The Future of Female Leadership

Courage, clarity, and compassion are strategic advantages.

The Balancing Act: Building Empires Between Meetings and Bedtime Stories

Ambition works best when work is designed to fit real life.

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Brands and Achievements

Through her award-winning portfolio, Anneke continues to prove that business can be both kind and commercial.

Australia's most awarded pet care brand with innovative products

Natural, flushable, biodegradable litter that outperforms the rest

Australia's Premier salon offering signature style cuts

Professional pet dental care by qualified vet nurses

Awards

Philosophy

The Pet Humanist

The Pet Humanist is a simple, evidence-led philosophy: when we raise the standard of care for pets, we raise the standard of care for humans. People deserve better. Pets deserve better. And when pets are welcomed in more places, everything gets better.

Companion animals are linked with lower stress, improved mental health, and a stronger sense of belonging. In Australia, pet ownership saves the healthcare system billions each year. Globally, conservative estimates indicate pet ownership saves public and private health systems at least US $30–35 billion annually.

This philosophy asks us to design everyday policies, products, and spaces that consider animal wellbeing alongside human wellbeing. By making more offices, cafés, aged-care homes, and classrooms pet-inclusive, communities become more connected, loneliness recedes, intergenerational bridges form, and the standard of care rises for everyone.

Keynote Speaker & MC Podcasts & Features

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Latest Articles

Stay updated with our latest insights and stories

21 October 2025

Premium With Purpose: The Innovation Gap Customers Can Feel

How to turn pets/people/planet into clear product & experience cues customers actually notice—and choose again

From Values to Voice: Crafting a Five-Second Message That Travels

A practical guide for leaders to compress purpose and innovation into a global-ready claim—without fluff or greenwash.

The Pet Economy Grows Up: What 73% Ownership Means for Every Category

The macro shifts (ownership, spending, sustainability expectations) and what executive teams should do next: product roadmap, partnerships, and policy.

By the numbers: why “better” matters

74%

of people say their pet makes them more compassionate

1 in 3

adults live alone — but most aren’t lonely if they have a pet.

70%

of employees say pets at work ease stress and build connection.

$320 billion

spent yearly proving love really does have fur