Matina Jewell

Matina Jewell's Biography

Matina Jewell is a transformative leader providing life-changing perspective from the front-line of leadership, resilience and change.

Matina earned military accolades in some of the toughest environments on earth and her courageous decision making, values-based leadership and vision for empowering teams continue to transform organisations globally.

More than just another incredible life story, Matina's lessons on leadership, resilience and seeing change as opportunity have transformed some of our largest organisations. Her message of courage continues to empower leaders and transform mindsets from all walks of life.

With enthralling footage that she shot on-the-front-line, stories of hardship and invaluable learning from her life-threatening missions, Matina will take you on a journey that will affect long lasting positive impact in your leaders, teams and organisations for years to come.

Leave – and lead – with a renewed sense of purpose, passion and perspective to thrive through change. Major Matina Jewell (Retired) CSP is leadership in action.

A remarkable woman, a remarkable life, a remarkable story! Matina Jewell is a special breed of person – an Australian to be proud of. Her audience is taken to a world we know little of and astounds us with her courage and integrity.

Be inspired. Hear how Matina cheated death, took command and showed pure courage while leading her teams under extreme conditions right around the globe – and under fire during the Lebanon War. Brave, dignified and sharing her experience and insight in her down-to-earth style, take-home value from this speaker is priceless and will have lasting impact on your audience!

After graduating with honours from ADFA and RMC – Duntroon, Matina joined the Royal Australian Transport Corps where she specialised in Amphibious Operations. Matina is one of the very few females in the Australian Defence Force to have passed the physically demanding Navy Divers’ course.

Matina has deployed on five overseas operational missions. While with HMAS Kanimbla, she saw active service twice, on the second occasion in the North Arabian Gulf in the early stages of the war on terror. In addition to her command of the ship’s Army Department at the age of just 24yo, Matina boarded ships smuggling contraband, worked with the elite American Navy Seals, fast-roped out of helicopters to secure docking locations and led the ship’s dive team.

Since being medically retired, Matina has campaigned for change for veterans and others in need through numerous honorary, ambassador and advisory roles, including:

• Prime Ministerial Advisory Council
• National Mental Health Forum
• ANZAC Centenary Commission, alongside former Prime Ministers Bob Hawke and Malcolm Fraser
• National Suicide Prevention Commission
• Australian Peacekeeping Memorial Project as Ambassador
• Project Thankful as Ambassador

Hear how Matina cheated death, took command and showed pure courage while leading teams under fire during the Lebanon War and operations around the globe.

Matina’s stories of leadership, resilience and having the courage to see change as opportunity is transformative.

Audiences are captured from the first moment with enthralling frontline footage, and are then taken on a journey that provides the opportunity to re-think perspective for a renewed sense of purpose.

‘Q&A’ then allows individuals the opportunity engage directly for a sense of even deeper engagement.

As Nicole from Commbank so eloquently put it, “It’s so inconceivable, yet I can see my story so clearly in Matina’s; she creates the extraordinary ability for ME to hear her story – and simultaneously SEE my story in hers. My perception is changed forever and I feel an inherent ‘call to action’ in this ‘awakening’ of my story.”

To enquire about Matina Jewell for your next event contact Helene Greenham directly – helene@platinumspeakers.com.au

Speaking Topics Include

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.

Additional Topics and Themes

Authentic leadership in extreme environments

Leading through adversity and change

Motivating teams & inspiring others

Communication in a crisis

Performing under pressure

Mental Health

Risk management & decision making

Overcoming adversity

Facing fear and having a go

Tackling gender issues and cultural stereotypes

Working in male dominated environments

Thinking outside the box & making it work

Managing difficult people

Harnessing strengths; matching people to tasks

Interpersonal relations

The importance of humour

Stretching to your potential

Overcoming the fear of failure

Managing emotions as a leader

Thriving in chaos