Meet Mark Bunting
Igniter, delighter and internal fire lighter
Based in Hamilton, New Zealand, Mark is a former broadcaster, TV presenter, and city councillor who now dedicates his life to one mission: making New Zealand a friendlier place — person by person, team by team, business by business.
Mark Bunting is not your typical corporate trainer. With 35 years in broadcasting as a multi-award winning nationwide radio broadcaster, a career in television presenting, and two terms as a top-polling Hamilton City Councillor, Mark has spent a lifetime communicating with people from every walk of life.
A trained teacher (B.Ed, Dip Tchg), Mark has worked alongside the All Blacks, the Chiefs, the Crusaders, NPC rugby teams, and international sports teams. He trains large commercial entities, government organisations, schools, and charities. He's also a marriage and funeral celebrant, MC, and the host of The Mark Bunting Podcast.
Through all of it, Mark noticed something fundamental: we don't all speak the same style. That insight led him to create the OPEN FLAME techniques — a simpler, more practical alternative to DISC and Myers-Briggs that makes personality and communication frameworks really work for you and your team.
From the Classroom to the Airwaves to City Hall
Mark started where all great communicators should — in the classroom. A trained teacher with a Bachelor of Education, he learned early that connecting with people is a skill you can build, not a gift you're born with.
From teaching, he moved into broadcasting, spending 35 years on air as a multi-award winning nationwide radio broadcaster. He became a household voice, then a television presenter, honing the ability to read an audience and adapt in real time.
Mark then took his communication skills into public life, serving two terms as Hamilton City Councillor — top-polling both times — and chairing the community committee. The experience gave him a front-row seat to what happens when communication breaks down, and what's possible when it works.
Today, Mark channels all of that experience into helping teams and organisations communicate better, using the practical tools he's developed over a lifetime.
A Simpler Way to Understand People
Mark created the OPEN FLAME techniques because he saw teams struggling with overly complex personality tools. His approach is the simpler alternative to DISC and Myers-Briggs — one that actually sticks.
We Don't All Speak the Same Style
The core insight behind OPEN FLAME. Once your team understands this, everything changes. You stop taking things personally and start communicating with intention.
Made for Real Teams
No jargon, no four-letter codes to memorise. OPEN FLAME gives teams a shared language they'll actually use on Monday morning — in meetings, emails, and one-on-ones.
Practical, Not Theoretical
Built from 35 years of real-world communication — in broadcast studios, council chambers, dressing rooms with the All Blacks, and classrooms across NZ.
Experience & Credentials
35 years in broadcasting — multi-award winning nationwide radio broadcaster
Former television presenter
Two-term Hamilton City Councillor (top-polling), chaired community committee
Worked with the All Blacks, Chiefs, Crusaders, NPC rugby teams, and international sports teams
B.Ed, Dip Tchg — trained teacher turned communication specialist
Podcaster — The Mark Bunting Podcast (29 episodes and counting)
Trains large commercial entities, government organisations, schools, and charities
Marriage and funeral celebrant, MC, and master of ceremonies
Ready to Light the Fire?
Whether you need a keynote speaker, a team workshop, an MC, or a celebrant — Mark would love to hear from you.