Book Paul For Your Next Corporate Event
Former NSW Ambulance Senior Chaplain with over 20 years experience supporting people in high-pressure environments, including incidents such as the Lindt Café siege
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, and human performance.
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
How To Lead Well During a Crisis
How To Support Your team Without Taking On Too Much
How to slow your thinking, communicate clearly, and lead effectively when pressure is high and information is incomplete.
Participants will learn:
How to think clearly and make decisions under pressure
How to communicate with clarity when information is changing
How to create a calm environment for your team
How to support your people without burning out or feeling like you have to carry everything yourself.
Participants will learn:
What they should (and shouldn’t) take responsibility for
How to support others without trying to fix everything
How to stay effective without becoming overwhelmed
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: Wellbeing 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:
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.
