Australian of the Year 2016 - Diversity Advocate

Effective leadership requires many and varied talents and keynote speaker Lt. General David General Morrison has all the tools.

General Morrison is a recognised public speaker and frequently addresses distinguished organisations such as the Lowy Institute, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, and the Sydney Institute. David has also given presentations to many leading corporate boards and groups.

In May 2015, General Morrison brought to an end his appointment as Australia’s Chief of Army. His 36-year career as a soldier saw David excel in operational service in Bougainville and East Timor. As an Australian Army Officer, he had the opportunity to manage troops as a platoon leader through to the rank of three-star general, Chief of Army. He held his Chief of Army appointment for the last four years of his career. David's loyalty to the Australian Army and his tremendous, consistent performance throughout his career earned him the title of Officer in the Order of Australia in 2010.

In his tenure as the leader of the Australian Army, David was a staunch defender of gender equality in the army, as well as spearheading cultural change in large organisations. The general's stance on gender equality became a viral sensation when his three-minute YouTube address to his workforce in the wake of a particular instance of poor behaviour by a group of officers and senior soldiers surpassed the 1.5 million-view mark.

David's defence of equality is a worldwide endeavour. He has spoken about diversity and culture to the United Nations International Women’s Day Conference in New York, and was a closing speaker along with Angelina Jolie, John Kerry and William Hague at the Global Summit to Prevent Sexual Violence in Military Conflict in London in 2014.

However, cultural change and gender equality are just two aspects of General Morrison's leadership experience. He led an energetic, ever-changing work force of more than 30,000 men and women. He's dealt with business resilience and intense crisis management situations in which sound decision making was crucial. While in command of a work force that suffered from the tyranny of distance and separation, General Morrison boosted morale and successfully juggled the interests of a multitude of stakeholders, many with vastly different ideologies.

Implicit in the arc of Morrison's successful career is his commitment to see beyond the present and peer into the future, a quality which has has led change to meet the operational and institutional needs of his organisation. Good leadership drives change to stay at the top of any business.

When General Morrison is your keynote speaker, he challenges individuals, small and medium enterprises, large multi-national companies and audiences of all types with this question: “Are we the best we can be?” He uses his experience in the military and in international affairs to pepper his presentations with engaging anecdotes and actionable principles that can transform the way you lead and do business.

General Morrison was honoured as 2016 Australian of the Year.

Testimonials

An outstanding event with a powerful address by David Morrison on men’s violence against women.
Geelong Port

The audience response was excellent - brilliant presenter.
BCC Management