Most leaders are prepared for success.
Few are prepared for crisis.
Former NSW Police Forensic Leader
Founder of
Hands Across the Water
Author and
international speaker
Trusted by corporate
and industry audiences
Who is Peter Baines OAM?
Peter Baines OAM is an Australian leadership keynote speaker, author, former police forensic leader and founder of Hands Across the Water. He speaks to corporate, government and industry audiences about leadership under pressure, crisis leadership, resilience, purpose-led leadership, decision-making and building high-trust teams.
Leadership shaped in crisis.
Delivered with purpose.
Peter Baines OAM brings a rare depth of lived experience to the stage.
As a former police forensic leader, Peter worked in some of the most complex crisis environments of the past two decades, including the Bali Bombings and the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. These were moments where leadership was not theoretical. It was immediate, human and carried real consequence.
In the aftermath of the tsunami, Peter founded Hands Across the Water, creating a long-term commitment to children and communities in Thailand. What began as a response to tragedy became a lasting example of purpose-led leadership, resilience and action sustained over time.
Twenty years later, Peter returned to Thailand to run 1,400 kilometres in 26 days, honouring the lives changed by the tsunami and demonstrating that resilience is not a moment. It is a discipline built over time.
Peter’s stories resonate with corporate audiences because they translate directly into the pressures leaders face today: uncertainty, responsibility, decision-making, trust, fatigue and the need to keep showing up when others are relying on you.
keynote presentations
Peter’s keynotes are designed for corporate conferences, leadership events, executive offsites, industry forums, franchise conferences, client events and team development programs. Each keynote can be tailored to the audience, event theme and desired outcome.
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Leadership under pressure. Decision-making when the stakes are high. Clarity when conditions are uncertain.
Leadership is easy to talk about when conditions are stable. It is revealed when pressure rises, information is incomplete and people are looking to you for direction.
In this keynote, Peter draws on his experience leading teams in major crisis environments to explore what leadership looks like when there is no rehearsal, no perfect information and no time to wait for certainty.
This keynote challenges audiences to think differently about responsibility, trust, decision-making and the way leaders show up when others are relying on them.
Ideal for:
Corporate conferences
Executive leadership events
Crisis leadership programs
Change and transformation events
Government and emergency services audiences
Financial services, healthcare, insurance and other high-responsibility sectors
Audience takeaways:
A clearer understanding of leadership under pressure
Practical insight into decision-making when conditions are uncertain
A stronger sense of personal responsibility and accountability
Greater awareness of how trust is built or lost in critical moments
A renewed focus on calm, clarity and discipline when pressure is high
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Purpose-led leadership. Culture. Accountability. The power of shared commitment.
Great leadership is not built on individual effort alone. It is built through connection, shared responsibility and the willingness to act before all the answers are clear.
Together We Can is Peter’s keynote on purpose-led leadership, culture and collective performance. Drawing on the story of Hands Across the Water and the long-term commitment that followed the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, Peter explores what happens when people move from intention to action.
This keynote is not about charity. It is about leadership, responsibility and the growth that comes when people commit to something bigger than themselves.
Ideal for:
Culture and leadership conferences
Purpose-led business events
Team alignment sessions
Franchise and network conferences
Client and partner events
Organisations seeking to connect people to purpose
Audience takeaways:
A deeper understanding of purpose as an action, not a statement
Insight into how shared commitment builds trust and culture
A stronger connection between values, behaviour and leadership
Greater awareness of the role each person plays in collective outcomes
Motivation to act with responsibility, courage and purpose
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Endurance. Discipline. Resilience beyond the moment.
Resilience is not dramatic. It is deliberate.
In 2024, Peter ran 1,400 kilometres across Thailand to mark 20 years since the Boxing Day Tsunami and honour the lives changed by that day. The run was not about distance alone. It was about endurance, discipline, fatigue, doubt and the decision to keep moving when the road ahead was long.
In this keynote, Peter explores resilience not as a motivational phrase, but as a practice built over time. He speaks to the moments when momentum fades, when the applause disappears and when leaders must reconnect with the reason they started.
This keynote is highly relevant for leaders and teams navigating fatigue, pressure, uncertainty, long-term change or sustained performance demands.
Ideal for:
Resilience and wellbeing events
Leadership offsites
Sales and performance conferences
Teams navigating change or fatigue
Organisations in high-pressure environments
Events focused on endurance, mindset and long-term performance
Audience takeaways:
A practical understanding of resilience as a long-term discipline
Insight into how leaders sustain purpose when momentum fades
A stronger awareness of the connection between discomfort, growth and progress
Renewed perspective on fatigue, pressure and perseverance
Motivation to keep moving with clarity and commitment
“Leadership is not proven in the moment. It is revealed over time.”
Experience Peter on Stage
Get a glimpse of Peter in action and see how he brings leadership, resilience and purpose to life for corporate and conference audiences.
Through lived experience, powerful storytelling and practical insight, Peter creates a keynote experience that challenges, connects and stays with the audience long after the event.
YOUR AUDIENCE WILL LEAVE READY TO
Lead Under Pressure
Understand how clarity, calm and responsibility shape leadership when conditions are uncertain and stakes are high.
Build Trust
Recognise how trust is earned through decisions, behaviour and the way leaders show up when others are relying on them.
Act With Purpose
Reconnect with the power of purpose, connection and shared commitment in creating meaningful and lasting impact.
Strengthen Resilience
Gain practical perspective on adversity, discomfort and the discipline required to keep moving when pressure builds.
Make Clearer Decisions
Develop greater confidence in making decisions when information is incomplete, pressure is high and others are looking for direction.
Take Greater Responsibility
Reflect on the responsibility leaders carry, not just for outcomes, but for the way they show up when it matters most.
What CLIENTS Are Saying
“In 30 years of events management I’ve heard thousands of speakers and only a handful have really impacted me or left a long lasting memory or impression. You will be one of them. What a great story teller you are, what an incredible life you have lived and what an incredibly positive mark you are leaving on our world. You are one of the best of us, we need more like you.”
Deb Budich
Director, dbusiness Events
“Your message around resilience, leadership and perspective truly resonated with our dealer network. You struck the perfect balance between inspiration and practical relevance - which is exactly what this group needed after a challenging period.”
Aaron Sampson
General Manager, Hot Spring Spas Australasia
“Very few speakers have the gift of effortlessly combining education and inspiration, all perfectly tied up with vivid stories, leaving audiences feeling like they have heard a once-in-a-lifetime presentation.”
Andrew Klein
Professional MC
beyond the keynote
For organisations seeking deeper engagement, Peter can support your event or leadership program beyond the keynote.
His work can extend into executive conversations, leadership sessions, facilitated discussions and immersive shared experiences designed to move people from inspiration to application.
These sessions create space for leaders and teams to explore the themes behind the keynote in a more practical and personal way. Whether the focus is decision-making under pressure, building trust, strengthening culture or reconnecting people to purpose, Peter helps groups reflect on how they lead when responsibility is real.
For teams wanting to go deeper again, Peter also facilitates shared experiences that challenge people outside the conference room. From crisis leadership simulations to corporate bike rides in Thailand, these experiences are designed to build connection, resilience and perspective through action, not theory.
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Peter works with leadership teams to explore responsibility, decision-making, trust and performance under pressure. These sessions can be designed for executive teams, senior leaders, boards, franchise groups or emerging leaders.
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Peter’s crisis leadership simulation experiences place teams in high-pressure environments where they must communicate, make decisions and lead through uncertainty. These sessions help participants understand how they operate under pressure and how trust, clarity and accountability affect outcomes.
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For organisations seeking a deeper shared experience, Peter facilitates multi-day leadership programs and corporate bike rides in Thailand. These experiences combine challenge, reflection and connection, helping teams build trust, resilience and perspective through shared adversity.
These programs are not simply about riding a bike or completing a challenge. They are about what happens when people step outside comfort, rely on each other and discover what they are capable of together.
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Peter is the author of four books on leadership, resilience, purpose and contribution. His books can be incorporated into conferences, leadership programs and client events as audience gifts, pre-reading or post-event reflection tools.
For organisations wanting the keynote message to continue beyond the room, book bundles can be arranged as part of the event experience.
Purchase today.
SPEAKING FEE & BOOKING INFORMATION
Peter’s keynote fee starts from
$15,000 + GST + travel from Sydney
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Peter’s speaking fee may vary depending on the location, event format, travel requirements, preparation involved and the scope of the engagement.
Additional elements such as facilitated sessions, panel participation, leadership workshops, executive conversations, multi-day programs or corporate ride experiences may affect the final fee.
For the most accurate quote, please share as much detail as possible about your event.
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To help us respond quickly and accurately, please include:
Event date
Event location
Audience size
Event format
Conference, leadership event, offsite, client event or workshop
Audience profile
Event theme or objectives
Preferred keynote topic
Whether you are interested in a keynote only or a broader leadership experience
Any timing, travel or budget considerations -
Peter is available for a range of speaking and leadership formats, including:
Conference keynote presentations
Opening or closing keynotes
Executive leadership sessions
Leadership workshops
Panel discussions and facilitated conversations
Crisis leadership simulation workshops
Corporate bike rides in Thailand
Multi-day leadership experiences
Virtual keynote presentationsEach engagement can be tailored to the audience, event theme and desired outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Peter Baines OAM speaks about leadership under pressure, crisis leadership, resilience, decision-making, purpose-led leadership and the responsibility leaders carry when others are relying on them.
His keynotes draw on lived experience from major international crisis environments, humanitarian leadership, endurance and building long-term impact through Hands Across the Water.
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Yes. Peter is regularly engaged for corporate conferences, leadership events, executive offsites, client events, franchise conferences, industry forums and team development programs.
His keynotes are especially relevant for organisations navigating pressure, change, uncertainty, growth, fatigue, transformation or the need to strengthen leadership, trust and culture.
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Peter’s current keynote themes include:
Leadership When It Matters Most
Leadership under pressure, decision-making and clarity when conditions are uncertain.Together We Can
Purpose-led leadership, culture, accountability and the power of shared commitment.The Long Road: Resilience Over Time
Endurance, discipline and resilience beyond the moment.Each keynote can be tailored to the audience, event theme and desired outcome.
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Yes. Peter tailors each keynote to suit the audience, event purpose and key message the organiser wants to land.
Before each event, Peter works to understand the audience, industry context, leadership challenges and desired outcomes so the keynote feels relevant, practical and connected to the room.
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Audiences walk away with a clearer understanding of leadership under pressure, a stronger sense of personal responsibility and practical insight into resilience, trust, decision-making and purpose.
Peter’s keynotes are designed to help people think differently about how they show up when conditions are uncertain and others are relying on them.
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Peter’s keynotes are suited to corporate leaders, executive teams, franchise networks, industry associations, government audiences, financial services, healthcare, insurance, hospitality, agriculture, education, emergency services and purpose-led organisations.
His message is especially relevant for audiences carrying responsibility, navigating change, leading through pressure or seeking a stronger connection to purpose and shared commitment.
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Peter Baines is based in New South Wales, Australia, and speaks at events across Australia and internationally.
Travel arrangements can be discussed as part of the booking enquiry.
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Peter’s keynote fee starts from $15,000 + GST + travel from Sydney.
The final fee may vary depending on the event location, format, preparation required, travel requirements and whether the engagement includes additional sessions, workshops, facilitation or a broader leadership experience.
-
Peter’s speaking fee may vary depending on the location, event format, travel requirements, preparation involved and the scope of the engagement.
Additional elements such as facilitated sessions, panel participation, leadership workshops, executive conversations, multi-day programs or corporate ride experiences may affect the final fee.
For the most accurate quote, please share as much detail as possible about your event when enquiring.
-
Peter is available for a range of speaking and leadership formats, including conference keynote presentations, opening or closing keynotes, executive leadership sessions, leadership workshops, panel discussions, facilitated conversations, crisis leadership simulation workshops, corporate bike rides in Thailand, multi-day leadership experiences and virtual keynote presentations.
Each engagement can be tailored to the audience, event theme and desired outcome.
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Yes. In addition to keynote presentations, Peter offers leadership sessions, executive conversations, crisis leadership simulations and immersive leadership experiences.
These programs are designed to help teams explore leadership under pressure, decision-making, trust, resilience, accountability and connection in a more practical and applied way.
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Yes. Peter facilitates corporate bike rides and multi-day leadership experiences in Thailand. These experiences combine challenge, reflection and connection, helping teams build trust, resilience and perspective through shared adversity.
They are not simply about riding a bike. They are about what happens when people step outside comfort, rely on each other and discover what they are capable of together.
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Yes. Peter has spoken to audiences across Australia and internationally and is available for international conferences, leadership events and corporate programs.
International bookings are quoted based on location, travel requirements, event format and scope of engagement.
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Yes. Peter can deliver virtual keynote presentations and online leadership sessions where appropriate.
Virtual sessions can be tailored for leadership teams, conferences, remote teams, client events and professional development programs.
Bring Peter Baines to your next leadership event
If you are planning a conference, executive offsite, client event or leadership program, Peter can help your audience think differently about pressure, resilience, trust and the responsibility of leadership.