Who we are
Michael Willing APM
GCG Consortium · Member record
Australia
Tab 01 · Profile
Profile
Former Deputy Commissioner of the NSW Police Force and NSW State Recovery Coordinator for the 2019/2020 bushfire disaster. Now Chief Executive Officer of Fortem Australia and Managing Director and Founder of The Peelian Group, providing specialist advisory, security risk and intelligence, crisis management and leadership services.
Michael's NSW Police Force career ran from 1990 to 2022 and spanned command of the Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command, the Central Metropolitan Region and the NSW Homicide Squad – where he was the longest-serving commander in the squad's history – before his appointment as Deputy Commissioner, Regional NSW Field Operations, leading more than 5,800 staff and a recurrent budget of $703 million. In January 2020 the Premier of NSW appointed him State Recovery Coordinator for the 2019/2020 bushfire disaster, leading a whole-of-government and Australian Defence Force taskforce and the transitional NSW Disaster Recovery Office.
Since leaving policing he has led Accenture's national security and public safety practice in Australia as Managing Director – National Security and Safety, founded The Peelian Group and become Chief Executive Officer of Fortem Australia. He holds an Executive Master of Public Administration from the University of Sydney/ANZSOG, an MBA, a Graduate Diploma in Criminology and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Harvard Business School's High Potentials Leadership Program. He holds an NV2 security clearance.
Tab 02 · Areas of expertise
Areas of expertise
- Crisis leadership NSW State Recovery Coordinator for the 2019/2020 bushfire disaster, appointed by the Premier of NSW to lead a first-of-its-kind whole-of-government and Australian Defence Force taskforce; NSW Deputy State Emergency Operations Controller.
- Counter-terrorism Former Commander of the NSW Police Force Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command, Principal Advisor to the Australia–New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee (ANZCTC), and co-designer of the initial terrorism residual-risk framework for Australian policing jurisdictions.
- Security & risk management Planned and led major event security operations – the 2018 ASEAN Conference, 2019 AUSMIN and 2019 Invictus Games – working with Five Eyes law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
- Organisational transformation Transformed the Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics command following the Lindt Café Siege Coronial Inquest, and designed and led Accenture's national security and public safety practice in Australia.
- Strategic advisory Managing Director and Founder of The Peelian Group, providing specialist advisory, security risk and intelligence services, crisis management and leadership advice, professional coaching and board representation.
Tab 03 · Service record
Service record
- 2024 – present Chief Executive Officer, Fortem Australia Leads Fortem Australia, the charity that supports Australia's first responders and the national security community – people whose work exposes them repeatedly to traumatic material. Reports to the board and is accountable for the strategy, the workforce and the funding.
- 2024 – present Managing Director and Founder, The Peelian Group Part of a network of high-profile individuals providing specialist advisory, security risk and intelligence services, crisis management and leadership advice, mentoring, professional coaching and board representation.
- 2022 – 2024 Managing Director – National Security and Safety, Accenture Australia Led Accenture's national security and public safety practice in Australia, advising intelligence agencies, police forces and border agencies – and the places where the three have to work together.
- 2021 – 2022 Deputy Commissioner, Regional NSW Field Operations, NSW Police Force Member of the Commissioner's Executive Team leading more than 5,800 staff across Northern, Western and Southern NSW and a recurrent budget of $703 million; NSW Deputy State Emergency Operations Controller.
- 2019 – 2021 Assistant Commissioner – Commander, Central Metropolitan Region, NSW Police Force Led 2,500 people delivering community policing and complex security operations for major events, large-scale protests and high-risk incidents. In January 2020 appointed by the Premier of NSW as State Recovery Coordinator for the 2019/2020 bushfire disaster.
- 2017 – 2019 Assistant Commissioner – Commander, Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command, NSW Police Force Led more than 520 people across tactical operations, public order, investigation and intelligence, post-detention terrorism offender risk management, protective security and dignitary protection, collaborating with national and international partners.
- 2011 – 2017 Detective Superintendent – Commander, NSW Homicide Squad The longest-serving officer to hold the position and head of profession for homicide, leading more than 100 investigators, intelligence officers and support staff on high-profile homicide and Coronial investigations.
- 2007 – 2011 Superintendent – Local Area Commander, NSW Police Force One of the youngest officers to hold the rank of Superintendent in the history of the NSW Police Force, leading complex policing business units that achieved record reductions in crime.
- Earlier career NSW Police Force, 1990 – 2007 Detective Inspector, Detective Sergeant, Detective Senior Constable and Constable roles in general and specialist policing, criminal investigation and crime management.
Tab 04 · Consortium delivery