Nationality Australian | Name Rachael Robertson Years active 2006 – present | |
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Full Name Rachael Lee Robertson Known for Antarctic Expedition Leader (2005)Leading in extreme environments Books Leading on the Edge: Extraordinary Stories and Leadership Insights from The World's Most Extreme Workplace | ||
Rachael robertson speaker highlights and sizzle reel
Rachael Robertson is an Australian author and keynote speaker. She is best known as an authority on leading in extreme environments. Robertson is a former Antarctic Expedition Leader, who lead the 58th Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE) to Davis Station in 2005. Her current work of speaking, writing and mentoring is based around the leadership lessons she learned in what she terms as"the world's most extreme workplace". She holds an MBA from Melbourne Business School and has been accredited as a Certified Speaking Professional from the National Speakers Association of Australia (NSAA).
Contents
- Rachael robertson speaker highlights and sizzle reel
- Personal life
- Early career
- Robertsons year in Antarctica
- Robertsons Leadership Ideas
- Clients
- Charitable Work
- References
Personal life
Robertson was born in Geelong, Victoria, Australia to Sharon and Lawrence Robertson and grew up as the oldest child with a younger brother and sister. She spent the majority of her pre-adult life living in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Robertson now resides in Melbourne with her husband and child.
Early career
Robertson graduated from Deakin University with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Public Relations and commenced a career in Public Relations with Melbourne Parks and Waterways (now defunct). She quickly moved out of PR and into the operational role of Park Ranger - Customer Services with the newly created Parks Victoria. Over a period of 14 years Rachael successively moved into more challenging and senior roles such that, at the time of leaving for Antarctica she was Chief Ranger of Victoria's South West Region.
Rachael hates the cold and had only seen snow once before she led the expedition to Antarctica.
Robertson's year in Antarctica
Robertson's role at Davis station was to provide leadership to the 120 scientists and tradespeople over Antarctic summer (December 2004 to February 2005) and then lead and manage the 17 other people who remained behind at Davis Station to maintain the operation until the scientists and tradespeople returned in November 2005. In "Leading on the Edge" she recounts the wide disparity between Antarctic life in summer, and Antarctic life in winter. Where the pace of life and work over summer is intense, and the leader must remember not just to manage but to lead people, the focus over winter turns inwards as all the work suddenly stops. As Robertson describes in her book "the repetitive monotony of the day-to-day work and the same old faces at breakfast, lunch and inner create a nine-month-long 'groundhog day' experience".
Robertson's Leadership Ideas
Once she returned from Antarctica Robertson earnt an MBA and used this education to develop her own leadership frameworks based on her Antarctic experience. These frameworks include:
Clients
As of March 2014, Robertson has delivered more than 550 keynote sessions to organisations and associations across the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Her clients range from large global organisations such as Randstad to local fundraising events such as Day of Inspiration
Charitable Work
Rachael is an Australia Day ambassador and is a media-spokesperson for RUOK? Day