An absence of decision making is an absence of leadership.
From car bombings to meeting Yasser Arafat and making it to the summit of Mount Everest, Mark 'Squiz' Squirrell has experienced more than many can dream about. When he headed to the East Timor Crisis in 1999 he was setting out on the adventure of a lifetime. It was a journey that would see him navigate some of the globe's most brutal war zones to deliver emergency aid and conquer the world's tallest mountain.
Squiz uses real-life anecdotes and presents real-time scenarios that demand lateral thinking to deliver relevant and practical tips for those working in today's complex and fluid global market. The real-time conundrums are presented via authentic video, Virtual Reality goggles and photos that have the audience embroiled in the critical decision-making that leads to his eventual success.
In addition to this, Squiz has taken the concept of being motivated at work to an all-new level. He was inspired by his organisation, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and the impoverished people that it feeds, to climb to the top of the world and help raise awareness of the global hunger crisis. After a gruelling six-week ordeal, Squiz raised the WFP flag on the summit of Mount Everest. The inspiring and thrilling recount across glaciers and up exposed cliffs reveal the motivation, habits and adversity skills that facilitated his success.
Current work
Now based out of Melbourne, Squiz provides keynotes, workshops and team-building activities to develop workplace performance. Unique footage played through Virtual Reality goggles guarantees that your staff will have a life-like, high impact and unforgettable experience!
Previous experience
Green Beret: Squiz was awarded the coveted “Green Beret” whilst serving with the Australian Commandos. His tenure with the military provided him with the skills and courage to succeed in the face of adversity and turmoil. It was the perfect grounding for a career as an International Aid Worker.
Negotiations: Squiz escorted food convoys through the Gaza Strip, negotiated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamel Eelam (Tamil Tigers) and brokered deals with Somali Clansmen to ensure the safe delivery of United Nations food aid. In doing so, he has mastered the challenges of performing under pressure, communicating effectively and building relationships.
Education: Squiz has a Bachelor of Business (HRM) and has published a memoir titled From Arafat to Everest. In 2019 Squiz was recognised in the Australia Day Honours List with an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for “service to the international community through humanitarian aid”. He continues to deploy on short-term assignments to emergency zones, such as the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa and the 2015 Nepal Earthquake.
Talking Points
Leading your Team through the Outbreak
Mark "Squiz" Squirrell OAM deployed to Liberia (with the United Nations) and Sierra Leonne (with Aspen Medical) during the 2015 Ebola Outbreak. It was his job to keep staff safe and ensure that the organisation could continue operating at the epicentre of the health emergency.Leading your Team through the Outbreak
Squiz is now available to deliver strategy sessions with your leadership team to provide insights and guidance based on what worked and failed during the Ebo la Outbreak.The session provides:
Squiz is now available to deliver one-hour sessions that provide unique insights into how individuals and organisations can work and operate amongst pandemics. The session provides:
- Clarity (Fact versus Fear)
- Insights into what is and what will happen to your workforce
- Leadership tactics for a workforce operating within the COVID-19 Outbreak
- A platform to corrobor ate your COVID-19 plan
Squiz can tailor his presentation to meet your workplace needs. The session can be delivered via a teleconference medium.
Extreme Leadership
Strategic leading to ensure a unified and collaborative effort at all levels.
Extreme Leadership
Building Resilience
Succeeding during turbulent times and in unpredictable environments.
Building Resilience
Team Building Activities
High pressure situations are recreated inside or outside your conference room to build your team. These are tailored to suit your objectives and can be used to enhance a Keynote presentation.
Team Building Activities
Virtual Reality Experience
Experience first-hand the challenges and rewards of working in war zones and climbing Everest. Up to 100 VR goggles are available, larger audiences would need to be staggered.
Virtual Reality Experience
Motivating Teams
How to get your team to climb the organisations Everest.
Motivating Teams
Extreme Performance Workshop
Everything you get from a Keynote, plus a whole lot more. Dive in deeper and add in some activities to truely immerse your team into the time critical and high stakes environments of the battlefield and Everest.
Extreme Performance Workshop
Video
Mark Squirrell Keynote Speaker at Saxton Speakers Bureau
Mark "Squiz" Squirrell is a keynote speaker at Saxton Speakers Bureau. Squiz uses experiences from the Australian Special Forces, Humanitarian Aid Work and climb on Everest to enhance workplace performance through Keynotes, Workshops and Team BuildingExtreme Performance Workshop
The Extreme Performance Workshop will take the audience on a journey to discover what it takes to become a member of the Australian Special Forces, work across the globe as humanitarian Aid Worker and summit Mt Everest.Virtual Reality promo
This video is about Virtual Reality Training for corporatesSquiz was fantastic! A really strong, engaging presentation and Q&A that was truly inspirational and landed the key messages for the team to take away really succinctly. He delivered very st ... keep reading PZ Cussons
Oh my goodness! He was amazing. You were absolutely right.he was inspiring, funny and truly had the audience captivated! I actually have one of our franchisees in Melbourne thinking about booking him for another event!
The executive team at Indigo was very energized by your presentation to the group. Hearing your stories about working as a team in times of adversity, allowed us to draw some terrific parallels to how we can work closely together as a cohesive unit under difficult circumstances.
All delegates at the Forum were impressed with his story and the relevance to what we as an industry are trying to achieve. Squiz's story and the way he presented it uplifted all of us to new heights.
....it was a pleasure to have you take us all on a journey to some places far removed from our daily work lives, but none the less relevant. The scenario exercise in particular provided our staff with a great opportunity to problem solve using some basic tools that operate at a very human level, something I know the team valued and made for great discussion the next day as we continued to work with these principles
