Sessions
Keynote 3 - Brian Knowler - No Leader is an Island
11:15 AM - 12:15 PM Tue
Brian is a veteran police officer, retired lawyer, speaker, and author who has been involved in the justice system since 1994. In 2004 he was the lead investigator in a motor vehicle crash involving the death of a close friend, causing his life to spiral into depression, alcohol, and thoughts of suicide. He was finally diagnosed with, and began therapy for, job-related PTSD in 2012.
Brian has spoken to first responder and public safety personnel around the world on issues related to trauma, mental health, workplace safety, and leadership. He is the creator the CAPITAL L Leadership training program and facilitates ongoing Mastermind groups and training sessions exploring the CAPITAL L Leadership concepts for modern professionals. Brian's CAPITAL L Leadership program received the 2019 Corporate Livewire Award for Excellence in Mental Health Support.
Brian has been an Incident Commander for dozens of critical incidents, many of which have taken a toll on he and the teams he has led. The creation of the CAPITAL-L Leadership material was in part due to the impact of these critical incidents on Brian and both his home and work families.
Brian has published two books about his experiences with trauma and leadership: 'On the Other Side of Broken – One Cop's Battle With the Demons of PTSD', 2016, and 'Career Suicide is Overrated', 2021. He is also a freelance writer for outlets including Vocal and WhatCulture.
Brian is a graduate of the Queen's University Workplace Mental Health Leadership Certificate program, a certified leadership coach, a mindfulness coach, a critical incident stress responder, and a member of the International Institute for Mental Health Leadership."