Mark Wales is an Australian author, entrepreneur, and former military officer whose diverse career spans military service, business, and entertainment. Gaining national prominence for winning Australian Survivor, Wales has also achieved notable success as a memoirist and media figure.
Wales was born in Newman, Western Australia, and inspired by the SAS hostage rescue mission OP NIMROD, Mark made a decision to join the military, and seek entry to special forces. Enlisting at 17, Wales had a distinguished career with the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), making ten deployments over 16 years, including four tours in Afghanistan. His service was marked by high-stakes operations and left him with PTSD and moral injury, themes he later addressed in his memoir.
After leaving the military, Wales pursued business studies at the Wharton School in Pennsylvania. He transitioned into the business world by launching Kill Kapture, a luxury apparel brand in New York City. The brand’s flagship product, a leather jacket made from kangaroo hide, was designed to reflect his personal journey and resilience. Kill Kapture received attention for its innovative design and high-quality craftsmanship. He went on to win the 40-under-40 Award for Business Excellence from The Wharton School and became an accomplished public speaker on resilience and leadership.
Wales’s memoir, Survivor (2021), offers a raw and insightful look into his wartime experiences and personal recovery. The book was praised for its candid portrayal of the effects of combat and was shortlisted for the Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award in 2022. His writing earned accolades from the Australian military community and was endorsed by survivalist Bear Grylls.
In addition to his literary and business achievements, Wales has made significant strides in entertainment. He competed in Australian Survivor and was a participant in the World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji, showcasing his endurance and adaptability. He also secured a role in the highly regarded 2024 film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
Wales’s debut novel, Outrider (2024), is a geopolitical thriller depicting an invasion of Australia. The novel has been well-received for its gripping narrative and realistic geopolitical scenarios. His career reflects a dynamic blend of resilience, strategic insight, and creative endeavor, earning him recognition and respect across multiple fields.
Mark is based in Melbourne, is now married and has a six year old son.
Talking Points
Elite Leadership (Keynote)
Mark believes that leadership can be taught, and the aim of this keynote is to outline the fundamentals of elite leadership.Elite Leadership (Keynote)
Mark draws on his experience at the top levels of business and Special Operations to show you that the basics done well, are the foundations of mission success.
Key Takeaways:
- Any endeavour requires applying the basics of mission focus, a supportive team, and self-care
- Self-care fundamentals such as rest, nutrition, exercise and growth are the basics needed for elite performance.
- Mark draws from neurobiology and uses personal examples to illustrate a proven approach to prevention, recovery and growth
- Outlines the importance of simplicity, focus and agility in planning to achieve mission success
Duration: 60 minutes, including 15 minutes discussion / Q&A
Self-Care for Leaders
Mark addresses increasing demands and pressures on team leaders and how self-care is critical to elite performance, mental health and thriving under pressure.Self-Care for Leaders
Key Takeaways:
- Mark discusses team mission, team norms and personal boundaries needed for optimal performance
- Addressing overwhelm and learning how to triage tasks in a high-pressure environment
- Leading in chaos' tips. Mark uses an example of a failed combat mission in Afghanistan to outline the importance of simplicity, focus and agility in planning
Workshop: Pre-mortems: wargaming your plans and teams for improved resilience
The aim of this series is to show the pre-mortem framework for stress testing initiatives to increase chances of mission success. Perfect for an annual kick-off, launching a project, or forming a new team.Workshop: Pre-mortems: wargaming your plans and teams for improved resilience
This workshop promotes collaboration, candour and removes bias, all while building better plans and is focused on skills and mindsets needed to lead teams under extreme uncertainty, in a highly interactive environment.
Using examples from Special Operations, startups, and McKinsey & Company, Mark focuses on tactical tips you can use from Day 1 to improve your chances of a win in your new project or team
Duration: 90 minutes, with an optional 60-minute follow-up
Video
Mark Wales | Saxton Speakers
As an elite special forces team leader, Mark learned how to drive top personal performance in himself and in other. He speaks about the fundamentals of resilience, leadership, teamwork, risk and self-care for leaders. This is based on his experience in both the military, and as a business leader. Mark served as a special forces Major, has an Ivy League MBA, and is a Wharton Forty-under-Forty alumni for business excellence. He was a team leader in a top-tier global consulting firm. Mark has founded an award wining tough luxury apparel company and has a best selling memoir Survivor: Life in the SAS. Mark was crowned sole survivor as a contestant on the popular reality Australian Survivor (2022)Saxton Fireside Chat with Resilience Experts Samantha Gash & Mark Wales
The exchange of stories and ideas is more important now than ever. In this bi-weekly series of virtual Fireside Chats you can gain unprecedented access to the world's greatest storytellers and thought leaders. In this session, Mark and Samantha - the King and Queen of Resilience, share the rituals and routines that have helped them maintain resilience and mental and physical wellness throughout this pandemic.Mark Wales | Showreel
Mark Wales is a former special operations commander, CEO and author. An expert in resilience, planning and transformation, Mark is an experienced keynote presenter who can elevate your event to the next level. Remote delivery, in-person and webinar are all formats Mark has applied to great effect.Mark Wales was an outstanding Guest Speaker at our regional health service AGM. With a mixed audience of over 200 people including staff and community members, Mark's fabulous presentation a ... keep reading Northeast Health Wangaratta
Mark delivered a thought-provoking and insightful presentation. He displayed a level of vulnerability which was refreshing and enabled the audience to connect with him and his story. Mark also provided some very practical tips and was able to inspire others to make positive changes for both to improve mental health and perform better in the workplace. Mark made himself available during breaks and lunch to speak with individuals and answer questions and this was appreciated by many. On an administrative note, Mark was easy to contact, engage with and he was punctual and well prepared.
Mark was very engaging and provided the perfect message that the team required as we head into another year of selling. Mark delivered a message that demonstrated mental strong, commitment, ownership and emotion. I would highly recommend Mark.
Mark spoke to our group of approximately 100 executives at a high profile leadership offsite. He led topics related to mental health and effective techniques for stress management in the workplace. He was deeply credible and highly engaging, drawing on his experience from both the battlefield and the boardroom. We would be thrilled to have Mark join us again in the future and would certainly recommend him for other engagements.
In his Peer Perspectives on Leadership' keystone speech at Wharton, Mark passed on thrilling lessons about life and leadership as a Troop Commander in the Australian Special Air Service Regiment. The unit specialized in sensitive strategic operations, hostage recovery, counter terrorism, and precision air strikes. Mark completed 10 tours of duty overseas, including in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, East Timor, and the Solomon Islands. Experiences in each of these countries taught Mark about the importance of how personal values and your perspectives on life can shape your approach to leadership. An unforgettable talk.
Mark had the audience captivated. His story is compelling and life lessons extremely relatable for any audience. One of our sponsors purchased 10 copies of his book and he signed, and we gave them out for the best questions asked by the audience. I would happily recommend him.
Mark was excellent, he made time for everyone and was so engaging.
