Crisis Talks

Bill Bestic and Dan Cooney each espoused the importance of debriefing during or immediately after a crisis to ensure we capture the lessons learnt for our own improvement. In this Video, I take the opportunity to debrief the first series and reflect on some of the key lessons and themes drawn from the first 11 episodes of Crisis Talks. With a great head for Podcasts, this is my first fireside debr...

Its March 2018 in South Africa and the Australian Cricket Team are caught in a ball tampering scandal which causes all Australians to question their love of the game. In this Episode of Crisis Talks, I interview Earl Eddings, the Chairman of Cricket Australia. We talk about Cricket Australia’s response to the crisis, the role boards play in leading the culture of an organisation and the importance...

Jim Molan AO DSC has led a distinguished life of service, firstly as a highly decorated General in the Australian Army, and more recently as a Liberal Party Senator. Jim gives a frank assessment on the state of leadership in Australia from the lens of a person who has worked as an Attache in Indonesia during the East Timor crisis; as a General running time critical targeting of terrorists in Iraq;...

In Part 2 of Get the Gringo, with the rescue mission well under way, we explore how Kelvin picked himself and his team up from the initial despair of their first unsuccessful hole and how he and his team drew inspiration from the families of the trapped miners to go on and find them all alive. Kelvin’s story about his experience and the life-changing effect it has had on him is an inspiration. 

Eps 8 & 9 - "Get the Gringo". We go back to August 5, 2010 to Copiapo in Chile, where an underground collapse trapped 33 Miners sparking an international rescue. I speak to Kelvin Brown, the Aussie Drilling Expert, flown in on the direct request of the Chilean President, who told the pilot “Please do not spare the fuel”. Kelvin’s life-changing story of his technical execution under the watchful ey...

In Episode 7, I talk with the CEO of Tower Insurance, Richard Harding. In February, 2010, as the CEO of TIO Insurance in Darwin, Richard led the crisis response after a disgruntled claimant firebombed a crowded insurance branch in broad daylight. He talks candidly about the challenges managing the reputational impact in parallel with a police investigation, the importance of caring for all people...

In Episode 6, we pick up where we left off with the rescue. Once they’d found them alive, the world's media converged on the mine, creating a media tsunami never seen before. We explore the role of Bill Shorten, the Foo fighters and how the team handled the media circus. Matt’s insights into the key decisions involved in the rescue and how they coordinated over 200 people to achieve the ultimate g...

On ANZAC Day 2006, a Mine Collapse occurred at Beaconsfield Gold Mine in Tasmania, killing Larry Knight and trapping Todd Russell and Brandt Webb underground. In this 1st episode of a 2 part series, I interview Matthew Gill, the former Mine Manager who led the team of over 200 people who rescued them. We talk through the early rescue operation; the effect on the team when they found Larry Knight;...

Bill Bestic is an Anaesthetist - who was a Kidnap and Ransom Negotiator - who was a NZ SAS Officer before that! We talk about how the different industries that he has worked in approach failure; the importance of debriefing to capture improvement opportunities; and how culture and humility are essential elements in high performing teams. Bill’s research into cognitive dissonance, combined with his...

Dan Cooney is a former Naval Aviator who authored the book, "Decision Making - Military Tactics To Master Situational Awareness and Leadership". We talk about Dan's transition from Pilot to entrepreneur and how he is applying the leadership lessons of the military aviation industry in business. Dan is now based in the UK where he works as a keynote speaker and consultant on leadership, strategic r...

In Ep.2 we pick up where we left off and talk through finding the aircrash; the family and welfare support; repatriating them home; and the governance and regulatory challenges reconstituting a company without a surviving board. We then close off with the recovery process, some of the lessons learnt and the importance of trusted advisors in a crisis.

In Episode 1, Peter Canterbury, the former CFO of Sundance Resources revisits Sundance pre 19 June 2010, the amazing team they had assembled and the fateful flight. We re-trace the frantic days of the international search and rescue effort, the impact on the families, and the pressure from the media. Peter's story of situational leadership without any formal crisis management training is remarkabl...

Welcome to my new Trailer for Crisis Talks. Crisis Talks is dedicated to those people who have responded to crises and their stories of leadership and resilience in the face of adversity. Episode 1, launches on 19th June, the 9 year anniversary from the fateful aircrash which claimed the lives of the entire Sundance Resources Board.