Book Paul For Your Next Corporate Event
Former NSW Ambulance Senior Chaplain and workplace wellbeing leader with more than 30 years' experience helping people and organisations navigate crisis, trauma and high-pressure environments. From supporting responders during the Lindt Café siege and the Black Summer bushfires to advising business leaders on psychosocial risk and organisational wellbeing, Paul combines frontline experience with practical leadership strategies that help leaders respond with confidence when it matters most.
Helping leaders navigate uncertainty with clarity, confidence and compassion
Why This Matters
What Paul Delivers
The biggest challenge facing leaders today isn’t just performance - it’s pressure.
Leaders are expected to:
Support their people through uncertainty
Manage psychosocial risks in the workplace
Make decisions with incomplete or changing information
Stay steady while others rely on them
But most have never been shown how to do this well.
When pressure rises, leaders can:
Overthink or hesitate
Communicate poorly
Take on too much
Burn out trying to support everyone
This is where leadership is tested - and where it matters most.
Paul works at the intersection of crisis leadership, workplace wellbeing and organisational resilience.
He doesn’t deliver theory - his insights deliver when the pressure is real.
Paul brings practical leadership strategies shaped in real-world, high-pressure environments, where clear thinking, calm communication, and effective support are critical.
His keynotes help leaders:
Think clearly under pressure
Communicate when it matters most
Support their team without taking on too much
Create calm and stability in uncertain situations
The result is leadership that is grounded, effective, and immediately applicable.
Keynote Topics
Leading During a Crisis
Workshops & Masterclasses
Practical approaches to thinking clearly, communicating effectively, and making confident decisions when pressure is high.
Participants will gain practical strategies to:
Lead decisively during crisis.
Communicate with clarity under pressure.
Support their people through difficult events.
Reduce the impact of trauma and uncertainty on their teams.
Foster cultures built on trust, resilience and connection.
Topics can be tailored to your audience and available timeframes, including:
Leadership
Decision Making Under Pressure
Building Trust & Connection
Compassionate Leadership
Wellbeing
Understanding Vicarious Trauma
Managing Psychosocial Risk
Supporting Staff After Critical Incidents
Frameworks & Practical Skills
CARE Leadership Model™
Resilience Without Burnout
Introducing Paul McFarlane
Paul brings over 30 years of experience across healthcare, emergency services, and workplace wellbeing, shaped in some of Australia’s most challenging environments.
As the former Senior Chaplain with NSW Ambulance, he spent more than two decades supporting paramedics and communities through critical incidents, natural disasters, and high-pressure operational environments.
This included providing leadership support during major incidents such as the Lindt Café siege. His work placed him alongside frontline teams during moments of crisis - offering care, guidance, and leadership when it mattered most, and learning what effective leadership under pressure looks like.
Paul later served as a senior leader at Converge International, where he led national teams delivering workplace wellbeing services across more than 500 organisations.
Today, as the founder of Responder Care, he works with business owners and leaders to help them navigate psychosocial risk, lead through challenging situations, and support their people with clarity and confidence.
He is also the author of the upcoming book Charlie 1: Leadership Lessons from the Front Line.
“I’ve walked alongside first responders through some of Australia’s toughest moments. I bring that same care and insight to help you support your people.”
What a Keynote Includes
Who This Is For?
A typical engagement includes:
A 45-60 minute keynote presentation tailored to your audience
Optional facilitated Q&A or “in conversation” session
Optional workshop or leadership session (60–90 minutes)
Pre-event briefing to align with your organisation’s context and objectives
Additional advisory or leadership sessions can be arranged where appropriate.
These keynotes are ideal for:
Executive Leadership Teams
Government and Public Sector Organisations
People leaders and managers
Safety and HR leaders
Business owners and founders
Franchise networks
Teams operating in high-pressure or high-risk environments
Availability & Bookings
Paul works with a limited number of organisations each year to ensure quality and impact.
Speaking engagements are primarily focused on:
Corporate and organisational events
Leadership and safety conferences
Franchise and business networks
Priority is given to paid keynote engagements. A small number of community or not-for-profit presentations may be offered each year, depending on availability and alignment.
Due to the nature of his work, Paul does not accept all speaking requests.
