Kate Munari

Imagine flying a helicopter in a war zone with 18 peoples’ lives in your hands. Suddenly, the enemy opens fire on you. How do you maintain both your and your team’s focus? How do you continue to make optimal decisions, minimise the disruption and effectively complete the mission? And how do you motivate your team to face this threat day after day?

Kate has extensive experience leading both herself and her team through all sorts of challenges, often as the only female amongst her team and peers. From life-or-death moments being fired upon in Afghanistan while a helicopter pilot for 17 years, to the challenges of confined life on-board a Navy ship – Kate understands better than most the everyday pressures of a busy, reactive workplace

Effective leadership combined with individual resilience and a positive mindset can overcome any moment of adversity, big or small and keep your team operating effectively though any challenge. Kate’s experience will enhance your team’s ability to remain focused and effective as you and your team tackle challenges big and small. The principles Kate used to overcome the personal and professional challenges of life in the military are principles she continues to use throughout her professional and personal life. These principles can be scaled for any situation and are an instant go to when things don’t go to plan. And Kate shares them with you throughout her interesting, inspiring, sometimes humorous, sometimes frightening in-person, online and hybrid keynote.

Her speaking clients include Amazon Web Services, SAP, Spotify and more. From a small intimate audience to a crowd of hundreds, Kate will captivate and connect with each and every one, leaving them with a lasting memory of just what they are capable of achieving with the right mindset.

Kate Munari talks about:

Resilience Under Fire: Beatings The Odds And Thriving In High-Pressure Environments

As the only female Australian Navy pilot to ever fly in Afghanistan, Kate knows all about adversity and overcoming the odds. She was responsible for the lives of 16 personnel when their Sea King helicopter was shot at mid-air in a warzone, she frequently made quick decisions under tough military circumstances, and when posted to Commando Helicopter Force, UK, she was the only female frontline pilot among 150 pilots and aircrewmen.

Through compelling storytelling that spans two decades in the Navy, Kate shares strategies she used to cope with stress under extreme military conditions, how her failures motivated her to enhance her performance, and imparts a unique and refreshing insight into gender stereotypes (and it’s not what you would think).

In this emotive, gripping and upbeat keynote, Kate shares inspiring lessons about the power we all have to beat the odds with a winning mindset.

Themes: Resilience, mindset, goals, overcoming adversity

Powerful Leadership Starts and Ends With Your Team

Having spent most of her time in the Navy managing teams, former helicopter pilot Kate Munari knows what it means to lead effectively. In this inspiring and gripping keynote, Kate will explain why effective leadership is made up of two essential and very simple components: strong communication and understanding your team.

Kate will inspire you with real and raw stories from her time in Afghanistan. She will share strategies and techniques for empowering your team, decision making under pressure, positive mentoring, the power of accountability, and much more. Kate will uncover why great leadership truly starts and ends with your team.

Themes: Leadership, teamwork, communication, decision making

Gender In The Workforce: Don’t Let Your Assumptions Hold You Back

As the only female Australian Navy pilot to ever fly in Afghanistan, Kate Munari truly knows what it means to work and live in male-dominated environments.

Through detailing her own experiences from alpha male military bases both in Australia and overseas, Kate will explore the important lessons she learnt about gender in the workplace.

Kate will share how her assumptions were challenged and broken, why we can’t allow gender to be a limiting factor, the great opportunity females have to create and set their own standards for leadership, and why we should never allow our own assumptions to hold us back.

Themes: Unconscious bias, leadership, resilience, mindset