Fear is just a failure of planning.
Dr Jorian (Jo) Kippax was part of a specialist team of rescuers tasked to free a whitewater rafter who was trapped in perilous rapids on the Franklin River in 2024.
Lithuanian whitewater rafter, Valdas Bieliauskas, was retrieved from freezing water by Jo and his team. The clinical team operated to amputate Valdas’s leg underwater, allowing him to be freed and ultimately saving his life. Throughout the rescue, Jo was instrumental in guiding the team with professionalism, courage and remarkable calmness under pressure.
For this life-saving act, the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, awarded the country’s Life Saving Cross award to Jo, which he humbly accepted on behalf of his team.
The rescue of Valdas is just one chapter in Jo’s long career in emergency medicine, disaster response, and search and rescue. Demonstrating outstanding skill, courage and team leadership in the aid of others, Jo displays selfless dedication to saving lives in often very challenging circumstances.
Talking Points
Leadership When Every Minute Matters
In high-pressure environments, leaders need clarity and speed. Drawing on emergency medicine and wilderness rescue, Jorian provides practical strategies for crisis leadership, rapid decision-making, and team alignment. This keynote equips executives to cut through complexity, prioritise effectively and lead with confidence when stakes are high.Leadership When Every Minute Matters
Key Takeaways
• A proven decision-making framework for time-critical situations
• How to create clarity fast: roles, priorities and communication
• Techniques for maintaining composure under pressure
• Building trust so teams act decisively
• Debriefing habits that drive continuous improvement
Risk, Safety and Trust
Risk is inevitable, but unmanaged risk erodes performance. Jorian shares how elite teams use risk management frameworks, psychological safety, and clear communication to protect people and outcomes. Leaders learn how to balance ambition with safety and build cultures where trust accelerates execution.Risk, Safety and Trust
Key Takeaways
• A practical risk register for everyday operations
• Communicating risk in plain language for action
• Understanding “red lines” versus “grey zones”
• Creating psychological safety so concerns surface early
• Linking risk decisions to brand, customers and culture
The Aftermath Advantage: Turning Incidents into Organisational Learning
Every organisation faces setbacks. The difference is whether you learn from them. Jorian introduces a structured approach to incident analysis, continuous improvement, and performance culture drawn from emergency medicine. Leaders discover how to turn challenges into growth without blame.The Aftermath Advantage: Turning Incidents into Organisational Learning
Key Takeaways
• A five-step debrief model for any team
• Separating people from process for objective learning
• Capturing insights and closing the loop quickly
• Building a culture of incremental improvement
• How leaders model curiosity and accountability
Calm is Contagious: Communication That Steadies Teams
In times of uncertainty, communication drives confidence. Jorian reveals techniques for clear leadership communication, crisis messaging, and team resilience. This keynote equips leaders to brief, update and debrief with precision, reducing noise and keeping teams focused.Calm is Contagious: Communication That Steadies Teams
Key Takeaways
• Briefing scripts that create instant alignment
• Signal versus noise: keeping messages short and useful
• Listening under pressure to extract critical information
• Using cadence and checkpoints to prevent drift
• Practical tools for virtual and hybrid teams
Ethics at Speed: Values-Based Decisions in Complex Systems
Fast decisions still need firm values. Jorian explores how leaders can apply ethical decision-making frameworks under pressure, balancing competing priorities without paralysis. This keynote helps organisations protect reputation, people and outcomes in complex environments.Ethics at Speed: Values-Based Decisions in Complex Systems
Key Takeaways
• A compact ethics triage: people, risk, impact
• Handling conflicting priorities with transparency
• Communicating decisions to maintain stakeholder trust
• Setting boundaries in partnerships and sectors
• Embedding ethics into everyday workflows
Video
Meet your Australians - 2026 TAS Australian of the Year Dr Jorian Kippax
Dr Jorian (Jo) Kippax was part of a specialist team of rescuers tasked to free a whitewater rafter who was trapped in perilous rapids on the Franklin River in 2024. Lithuanian whitewater rafter, Valdas Bieliauskas, was retrieved from freezing water by Jo and his team. The clinical team performed an operation to amputate Valdas’s leg underwater, allowing him to be freed and ultimately saving his life. Throughout the rescue, Jo was instrumental in guiding the team with professionalism, courage and remarkable calmness under pressure. For this life-saving act, the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda awarded the country’s Life Saving Cross award to Jo, which he humbly accepted on behalf of his team. The rescue of Valdas is just one chapter in Jo’s long career in emergency medicine, disaster response, and search and rescue. Demonstrating outstanding skill, courage and team leadership in the aid of others, Jo displays selfless dedication to saving lives in often very challenging circumstances.Trapped in the rapids – a 24-hour fight to survive | Australian Story | Full documentary
When a Lithuanian rafter became trapped in rapids on the Franklin River it made headlines around the world. Now, for the first time, the rafter Valdas Bieliauskas and those who fought to save him, reveal the dramatic details of his 20-hour rescue. It was a race against time to save Valdas who was trapped up to his neck in rapids. As his condition deteriorates, a decision is taken to amputate his leg. But the chance of him surviving such a difficult operation in the wilderness are slim.
