Mark Squirrell
From Arafat to Everest, being motivated at work
Profile
From car bombings to meeting Yasser Arafat and making it to the summit of Mount Everest, Mark ‘Squiz’ Squirrell has experienced more than many can dream about. When he headed to the East Timor Crisis in 1999 he was setting out on the adventure of a lifetime. It was a journey that would see him navigate some of the globe’s most brutal war zones to deliver emergency aid and conquer the world’s tallest mountain.
Squiz uses real life anecdotes and presents real time scenarios that demand lateral thinking to deliver relevant and practical tips for those working in today’s complex and fluid global market. The real time conundrums are presented via authentic video, Virtual Reality goggles and photos that have the audience embroiled in the critical decision making that lead to his eventual success.
In addition to this, Squiz has taken the concept of being motivated at work to an all new level. He was inspired by his organisation, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and the impoverished people that it feeds, to climb to the top of the world and help raise awareness of the global hunger crisis. After a gruelling six week ordeal, Squiz raised the WFP flag on the summit of Mount Everest. The inspiring and thrilling recount across glaciers and up exposed cliffs reveals the motivation, habits and adversity skills that facilitated his success.
Current work
Now based out of Melbourne, Squiz provides keynotes, workshops and team building activities to develop workplace performance. Unique footage played through Virtual Reality goggles guarantee that your staff will have a life-like, high impact and unforgettable experience!
Previous experience
Green Beret: Squiz was awarded the coveted “Green Beret” whilst serving with the Australian Commandos. His tenure with the military provided him with the skills and courage to succeed in the face of adversity and turmoil. It was the perfect grounding for a career as an International Aid Worker.
Negotiations: Squiz escorted food convoys through the Gaza Strip, negotiated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamel Eelam (Tamil Tigers) and brokered deals with Somali Clansmen to ensure the safe delivery of United Nations food aid. In doing so, he has mastered the challenges of performing under pressure, communicating effectively and building relationships.
Education:Squiz has a Bachelor of Business (HRM) and has published a memoire titled From Arafat to Everest. In 2019 Squiz was recognised in the Australia Day Honours List with an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for “service to the international community through humanitarian aid”. He continues to deploy on short term assignments to emergency zones, such as the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa and 2015 Nepal Earthquake.
Media
Feedback
“....it was a pleasure to have you take us all on a journey to some places far removed from our daily work lives, but none the less relevant. The scenario exercise in particular provided our staff with a great opportunity to problem solve using some basic tools that operate at a very human level, something I know the team valued and made for great discussion the next day as we continued to work with these principles
“All delegates at the Forum were impressed with his story and the relevance to what we as an industry are trying to achieve. Squiz’s story and the way he presented it uplifted all of us to new heights.”
“The executive team at Indigo was very energized by your presentation to the group. Hearing your stories about working as a team in times of adversity, allowed us to draw some terrific parallels to how we can work closely together as a cohesive unit under difficult circumstances.”
“Oh my goodness! He was amazing. You were absolutely right….he was inspiring, funny and truly had the audience captivated! I actually have one of our franchisees in Melbourne thinking about booking him for another event!”
"Squiz was fantastic! A really strong, engaging presentation and Q&A that was truly inspirational and landed the key messages for the team to take away really succinctly. He delivered very strongly against the theme / messages brief I provided prior to the session. He has an amazing story to tell which inspired the team to think bigger
We are in the midst of a post conference survey and Squiz presentation has received a 4.8 out of 5 across all participant responses - Definitely one of the highlights of the conference!
I personally will be recommending Squiz to others - not only a great guest speaker, but a bloody good guy!"
