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Peter Baines OAM is one of Australia’s most respected leadership experts — not through theory, but through lived experience at the sharp end of some of the world’s most challenging environments.
Over a 22-year career with the NSW Police, Peter led teams in response to acts of terrorism and natural disaster on a global scale. He was part of the leadership response to the 2002 Bali bombings and went on to lead international teams following the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004, heading multiple rotations into Thailand to identify those who lost their lives. His final years in the Police were spent on secondment to the National Institute of Forensic Science, working on counter-terrorism and leadership capacity building — advising bodies including Interpol and the United Nations Office of Drug and Crime. He has also been engaged by the Government of Saudi Arabia on crisis mitigation and deployed to Japan following the 2011 tsunami.
It was the scale of human loss in Thailand that moved Peter to act. In late 2005, he founded Hands Across the Water — a charity dedicated to the children left without parents by the disaster. Today, Hands has raised over $40 million, supporting several hundred children every night across multiple locations in Thailand, and continues to create meaningful shared experiences that connect supporters deeply to its work.
Peter holds qualifications in Law, Forensic Science, and postgraduate Management, and is the author of four books — Hands Across the Water, Doing Good by Doing Good, Leadership Matters, and his most recent release, Together We Can (2025).
His accolades include an Order of Australia Medal for International Humanitarian work, the Fifth Class of the Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn awarded by the King of Thailand, a Rotary Professional Excellence Award — the first Australian to receive this international honour — and multiple police service medals.
He was a NSW finalist for Australian of the Year in 2010 and in 2025 was recognised as one of the top five most influential Australians working in Thailand.
When he’s not on a stage or in the field, Peter can be found with his wife Claire on their rural property, running ultra marathons, or flying helicopters. In 2024, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Boxing Day Tsunami, he ran 1,400 kilometres through Thailand in just 26 days — the equivalent of 33 marathons — in the heat and humidity of a country that has shaped so much of who he is.
Peter’s keynote sessions are known for creating a rare level of presence in the room — where leadership is no longer theoretical, but deeply human and immediately relevant. Audiences consistently describe a shift in perspective, where complex ideas around responsibility, decision-making, and resilience are brought into defined focus through lived experience rather than abstract principle.
His ability to connect across industries and leadership levels means the message resonates equally with senior executives, frontline teams, and large-scale organisations navigating change. What sets his sessions apart is the balance between emotional honesty and practical application — leaving audiences not only moved, but also clearer in how they lead under pressure and uncertainty.
Many emerge from his sessions with a recalibrated sense of what matters most in leadership and life, and a renewed commitment to how they show up for their teams, their organisations, and each other.
Available for engagements worldwide, with all travel expenses included within the speaking fee.
Leading under pressure requires calm clarity, sound judgement, and the ability to hold direction when the stakes are high. This session explores how leaders make better decisions in volatile environments, build trust when certainty is limited, and lead with character as much as authority.
High-performing teams are built on shared ownership, resilience, and alignment through change. This presentation unpacks how leaders strengthen culture during uncertainty, build collective accountability, and align purpose with performance so teams move forward together.
Sustained leadership demands more than short-term intensity; it requires repeatable resilience and disciplined clarity over time. This keynote focuses on maintaining direction under prolonged pressure, strengthening personal and organisational endurance, and leading consistently even as conditions shift.
Peter brings extraordinary experience and translates it into practical leadership insight. His message was highly relevant to our audience and challenged the way our leaders think about responsibility and decision-making.
Peter offers a level of perspective rarely experienced in a keynote. His story brings leadership into sharp focus, giving audiences a deeper understanding of what it takes to lead when it really matters.
