Chris Lemons Keynote Speaker

• Leadership and Maintaining the Chain of Command

Chris can discuss how strong leadership plays a vital role in all spheres of the work he does. From a robust chain of command, right through to individual leadership whilst working on the ocean floors, Chris is able to share how clear-cut but objective governance and accountability is key to the safe and efficient running of complicated and inherently dangerous offshore subsea operations. He can also describe how this same clear minded and well-rehearsed structure of leadership played a pivotal role in saving his life, and how you can use these methods to enhance the organisational culture within your own place of work.

• Crisis Management and Emergency Response

What happened to Chris is the very definition of a crisis, not only to him personally, but to his crewmates and the reputation of the company he was working for. Chris can discuss how detailed preparation, effective leadership, an effective chain of command, and proper training and drills allowed the team around him to remain calm under extreme pressure and fulfil the miraculous rescue which saved his life.

• Procedures and the Power of Drills and Practice

Chris works in a world where procedures, checklists, training and drills are not just essential to the work he performs, but to the preservation of life itself. He can communicate how these are used to allow him and his colleagues to safely work and live in the dangerous environments of compression chambers and the deep sea, but also how they played an essential role in allowing his crew mates to act with the calm assurance needed to pull him back from the brink of death.

• Risk

Chris is able to discuss how, despite the inherent dangers involved with working in such an extreme environment, the risks are calculated and managed to make them acceptable. Identifying hazards, dynamic risk assessments and management of change are fundamental in making what could potentially be the most dangerous job on the planet, into what is arguably the safest form of diving in the world. Chris can explain how this is implemented, and how the lessons learned can apply to your sphere of work or life.

• Incident Investigation

Following Chris’ life-threatening incident, which would have profound professional and personal implications for all involved had the rescue not been affected, it was essential that a far reaching and detailed investigation be conducted. Chris can recount the processes that the company went through to ensure that this was not only completed in as comprehensive manner as possible, but also in a fashion that was sensitive to the needs of those involved, as well as managing and protecting the public image of the company. This all culminated in a successful return to work just three weeks later, with the company using the incident as an industry wide learning tool and success story