Our annual Frontline Leaders Forum in Brisbane provided frontline leaders with the opportunity to gather with their peers, learn new leadership skills and share the emerging and current safety concerns they are observing within their teams.
We were thrilled in 2026 to have frontline leader (and ex-Olympian!) Tanya Harding (Wood) as our event MC, opening the Forum and setting the scene with a brief look back at our 2025 Frontline Leader Forum and gently looking delegates for input, asking ‘why are we here today?’.
Brendan Warren (Wild Desert) opened presentations with his Safety Moment, delivering the 2025 Safety Performance Data video, covering data from the entirety 2025, providing insights into how we performed as an industry. Brendan provided helpful and informative guidance about how he would deliver and discuss the toolbox with his team.
A group meditation activity followed, 'Being Fully Present: Creating space for productive thinking', presented by Tom Pettitt (Safer Together). A timely reminder that being fully present is an important skill in the frontline leader role. Tom led the room thorough techniques to become entirely engaged in the current moment, both mentally and physically and reminded us that being able to create space for productive thinking helps us to recentre and be ready to better engage, be present and aware.
Tom followed this with a skills-building session with a module from our Frontline Leadership Training - Communicating Effectively - designed to provide frontline leaders with some personal tools to communicate a safety message 1-to-many, by using body language, voice, content of message and personal engagement to ensure that the safety message has it’s intended impact.
Kim Pullon (Safety Solutions) then delivered a fascinating presentation, Leadership AImplification? Exploring AI risks during multi-generational team frontline leadership, about role of AI and how frontline leaders can continue to safely lead their teams in the day and age where technology is an essential and increasing part of business processes.
Following a break, and a quick exercise from Tom to help the room recentre and focus, Kim then followed with a group activity - How do we ensure new technologies enhance – not erode – safety, trust, engagement and perceived physical & psychological safety among our workforce – with groups discussing:
- What does it mean for how we communicate and engage with workforce?
- What does it mean for sustaining physical and psychological safety in our workplace?
- What does it mean for how we maintain “corporate memory” such as experience, knowledge?
With the question to all tables: what skills will help you do that?
Tanya returned to wrap-up and close the morning ‘s Forum before a luncheon followed by the Industry Safety Forum.
During the break, a summary from the group activity was collated for feedback to the Industry Safety Forum in the afternoon, with some frontline leaders chosen to deliver this feedback on behalf of their peers.
Members can view the event slide pack.
If you would like to receive an invitation to next year’s Frontline Leaders Forum, get in touch: [email protected].