Tim Jarvis AM
Adventurer, Environmental Scientist and 2024 South Australian of the Year
Tim Jarvis is in the business of making things happen, applying the same vision, leadership and problem-solving ability to everything he does, whether it is a world-class expedition, achieving sustainability outcomes or helping an individual or organisation reach a business or life goal.
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Tim’s childhood love of the outdoors has led to his career as an environmental scientist and in leading expeditions to some of the world’s most remote places. With more than 30 years of experience in both disciplines, Tim has a wealth of knowledge about what it takes to lead teams to perform at the highest level – knowledge he regularly shares with corporate and governmental audiences around the world.
Tim’s sustainability beliefs, like his approach to expeditions, are based around a pragmatic optimism – understanding the scale of the task ahead and prevailing through a combination of outcome-focused goal-setting, adaptability, resilience and good teamwork.
Tim is proud to be working closely with the South Australian government as Biodiversity Champion and advisor on the shaping of a new biodiversity act to protect the state’s flora and fauna. He also provides strategic and practical sustainability advice to a range of corporate organisations, with current roles including providing environmental advice to outdoor apparel company Patagonia, for whom sustainability and brand quality are top priorities, and Vitality Ambassador for global insurance company AIA. Tim is also head of the adventure advisory panel and on the advisory board of the Australian Geographic Society.
Tim is also a highly sought after public speaker, particularly on leadership and motivation as well as on environmental, biodiversity and climate-change-related issues.
Tim also provides strategic and practical sustainability advice to a range of corporate organisations. His current roles with partner organisations include providing environmental advice to outdoor apparel company Patagonia for whom sustainability and brand quality are top priorities, Vitality Ambassador for global insurance company AIA, and Environment Ambassador for the BGIS Property Group, and he is head of the adventure advisory panel and on the advisory board of the Australian Geographic Society. Tim is also a highly sought after public speaker, particularly on leadership and motivation as well as on environmental, biodiversity and climate-change-related issues.
Tim holds Masters degrees in environmental science and environmental law and was appointed Professor of Leadership at Edith Cown University in 2024. He was conferred a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to environment, community and exploration in the 2010 Australian honours list and was voted Conservationist of the Year in 2016 by the Australian Geographic Society. Tim was named South Australia’s Australian of the Year 2024.
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Topics
Leadership: By Endurance We Conquer: lessons in leadership from a lifetime of expeditions
- In his presentation (virtual or in-person) Tim will talk about the lessons learnt from both the Shackleton Epic Expedition and his current climate change awareness project 25zero to talk about leadership, problem solving, risk management, resilience, teamwork, motivation and goal setting in an organisational and personal context. In the context of the challenges the world faces as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic, when the need for resilient and humane leadership, adaptability, motivation and team cohesion is greater than ever, Tim’s observations have even more resonance.
Isolation: Coping with Isolation – lessons from a lifetime of exploration and environmentalism
- Tim’s experience of isolation has taken many forms over the years, from undertaking expeditions to some of the world’s remotest regions to the loneliness of working for himself, of leadership and of challenging environmental norms. In his virtual presentation, Tim will share with his online audience the coping mechanisms that he has employed in these widely ranging but surprisingly connected scenarios.
