Remarkable Lives Leadership Series with Major Chris Hunter | Thursday 23rd September

Learning from, and being shaped by your experiences

On Thursday 23^rd September, FWB Park Brown hosted Major Chris Hunter for the third session of their Remarkable Lives leadership series. Chris is one of the most experienced counter-terrorist bomb disposal specialists in the British Army and was awarded the Queen’s Gallantry Medal by HM Queen Elizabeth II for his actions during his Iraq tour. The audience comprised of industry leaders from a variety of sectors who came together to learn from Chris’ lessons of strong, reliable leadership under extremely challenging circumstances. Chris’ candid and honest portrayal of his story gripped attendees from the outset.

Having joined the British Army at sixteen years old after being commissioned from Sandhurst, Chris developed a strong moral purpose through learning in such an intense and high-pressure environment. This aided his development in advance of his deployments overseas, where, as Chris put it, he left as a boy and returned as a man. During his career Chris was deployed to several operational theatres including Northern Ireland, Colombia, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Chris’ epiphany came after watching a car bomb explode in Northern Ireland, after which he pursued a move into the high threat bomb disposal unit. The ethos that Chris follows is not to simply learn the tricks of the trade, but to learn the trade itself and remain humble. There will always be someone who knows better that you can learn from.

Chris was deployed to Iraq in 2004 and even with his wealth of experience, this was a different world from anything he had previously experienced. Roadside bombs and rocket attacks from insurgents were a fact of daily life, and Chris became so successful at disabling insurgent bombs the bombers placed a price on his head, designing bombs specifically for him. In Chris’ opinion, “Men make wars, and wars make men”, and spending a lifetime in conflict zones shapes a person. Every decision Chris made in Iraq could have been his last, and his gruelling journey illustrates strength, bravery and leadership skills.

Chris emphasised that its vital in life to find a role which you feel you can make a difference in, with a “just cause” which unifies everyone. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs sets out that motivation increases as needs are met, and this highlights why humans intrinsically partake in behavioural motivation.

The next in FWB Park Brown’s Remarkable Lives series will take place on Monday 25^th October. We will be hearing from Marc Priestley, who spent almost a decade at the front line of the McLaren Formula One team’s operations, as a race mechanic and a member of the pitstop crew. Today, Marc covers the F1 for Sky Sports, presents digital coverage of FIA Formula E Championship, and works with Roborace.

If you are interested in hearing more about this series or similar events please see a link to the brochure: Remarkable Lives Leadership Series brochure.

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FWB Park Brown
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