How to Recognise and Survive the Tell-Tale Signs of Stress to Continue Leading Your Association

Keith Banks (Former COO, Real Estate Institute of Victoria and Board Director, The Male Hug)
Gavin Sharp (Leadership and Corporate Psychologist, Novoture Executive Coaching)

Over the past two years, most association leaders have had to deal with sleepless nights, and constant stress, fatigue and burnout. Ensuring mental health and fitness should be at the top of every association leader’s priority list. In this presentation, we will hear from Keith Banks, one of Queensland’s most decorated police officers. Keith will describe his journey into the world of drugs as an undercover operative in the 1980s, as a member of the Tactical Response Squad, and managing the personal impact of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Keith and Gavin will touch on the tell-tale signs of mental health distress and what to be aware of in yourself, your staff, and your members. This presentation is a must for any person involved in not-for-profit leadership. An open, and possibility confronting presentation, it will underline the essential nature of mental health.

Keith Banks, Former COO, Real Estate Institute of Victoria & Board Director, The Male Hug

Keith Banks is a Queensland Police veteran and served as an operational officer from 1975 to 1995. He is one of the most decorated Police officers in the history of the Queensland Police and is the recipient of the Bravery Medal and two Police Valour Award medals. His police career included deep undercover, criminal investigation, counter terrorism, tactical weapons operations and criminal intelligence. He resigned from Queensland Police to accept a role in the corporate sector and subsequently held various senior roles in retail organisations and membership associations. These roles included (then) Coles Myer Ltd (Logistics, Myer and Officeworks) as well as Asia Pacific Risk Manager for Borders Books. He then moved onto the membership association industry with senior roles in the Housing Industry Association and more recently the Real Estate Institute of Victoria. Keith has completed a Master of Business Administration and is an experienced change manager. He is a current Board member of The Male Hug, a not-for-profit foundation with the vision to encourage men to speak about mental health. He is also the published author of two best selling books, autobiographical stories of his police service and his journey of recovery from post-traumatic stress. Keith brings a unique perspective of the challenges and benefits of transitioning from policing to the corporate world and is an advocate for encouraging authentic conversation of around mental health, anxiety and depression not only on an individual basis but also organizationally.

Gavin Sharp, Leadership & Corporate Psychologist, Novoture Executive Coaching

With 20 years of experience as an organisational consultant, Gavin Sharp is a registered Psychologist with a Masters in Management. Gavin is a coach, trainer, accredited mediator, facilitator and outplacement specialist. He has consulted extensively to businesses large and small, all tiers of government, private and public schools, higher education, NFPs and NGOs. Passionate about people building individual resilience, and organisations working together in harmony, Gavin believes success can occur through the ability to adapt to change. Prior to establishing his own business, Gavin spent over 15 years providing career transition, psychometric testing, management coaching and mediation. He trains people in leadership, change management, stress management and consults to businesses to help their staff ‘work smarter’. Gavin is experienced in administering and interpreting a wide range of psychometric tests. He is accredited in The Judgment Index (an assessment which examines the quality of our decision making www.jiau.com.au) and the EQi2 (an Emotional Intelligence assessment for coaching, selection and 360 feedback). He provides support to AES clients in the areas of bullying and harassment, performance management, executive and management coaching, career management, conflict management and mediation, plus psychometric assessments. Gavin has a Masters of Management and is a nationally accredited mediator.