Matina Jewell
PROFILE
Major Matina Jewell (Retired) grew up in the hinterland of Byron Bay and joined the Army at age 17. During her 15 year military career Matina:
- Served on five missions and earned nine military service & war medals
- Is the only Australian to receive two Republic of Lebanon war medals for acts of bravery on the battlefield and being wounded in combat
- Was the first woman in the Australian Army to complete the physically demanding Navy divers’ course
- Served with American Navy Seals
- Tracked-down war lords in the Solomon Islands
- Fast-roped from helicopters and boarded smuggler ships in the Arabian Gulf, and
- Was posted as a peacekeeper with the United Nations in Syria and Lebanon.
Medically retired from injuries sustained during the 2006 Lebanon War, Matina served on the Prime Ministerial Advisory Council and continues to champion change for our injured war veterans.
Among her many honorary roles, Matina is a founding ambassador for Project Thankful, a movement partnered with the United Nations to help empower women and children globally.
Matina has been featured on the ABC’s Australian Story, is a best-selling author and now shares her unique insights on leadership and resilience with audiences around the word as a keynote speaker.
SPEAKING TOPICS
Leadership
“Authentic, values-based leadership often takes great courage.”
Matina draws on her extraordinary experience of conquering one seemingly insurmountable leadership challenge after another, to help reframe our perspective on life.
In her relatable, girl-next-door style, Matina reminds us that it takes leaders who are courageous, and who have vision to lead their organisation in a direction where they may not be 100% certain how things will look on the other side.
Resilience
“Even out of adversity can come incredible opportunities, so long as we have the courage to pursue them.”
Through courageous decision-making, Matina shares how she overcame almost inconceivable life and death situations, often in some of the harshest environments on earth. Always drawing out the learning, Matina shares how resilient organisations can be better equipped for everyday challenges – and major disruption – all while protecting our most valuable asset, our people.
Change
“Create a purpose-driven culture that thrives through change.”
With the uncertainty that comes from the ‘fog of war’ comes the certainty of change.
With so many of us ‘change weary’, Matina reminds us that now, more than ever, we can be those leaders who know how to shift the team mindset from fearing and resisting change, to embracing it, and in doing so, creating a culture that thrives through change.
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