Rachael Robertson (writer)

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Rachael Robertson
Rachael presenting.jpg
Born (1969-07-07) 7 July 1969 (age 54)
Geelong, Victoria,
Australia
NationalityAustralian
Occupation(s) Keynote speaker
Author
Mentor
Years active2006–present
Known forAntarctic expedition leader (2005)
Leading in extreme environments
Website http://www.rachaelrobertson.com
http://leadingontheedge.com

Rachael Robertson is an Australian author and keynote speaker. She is an authority on leading in extreme environments. [1] Robertson is a former Antarctic Expedition Leader, [2] who led the 58th Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE) to Davis Station in 2005. [3] She based her work of speaking, writing and mentoring [4] on the leadership lessons she learned in Antarctica. [5]

Contents

Personal life

Robertson was born in Geelong, Victoria, Australia to Sharon and Lawrence Robertson and grew up as the oldest child with a younger brother and sister[ who? ]. She spent the majority of her pre-adult life living in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne. [5] Robertson now resides in Melbourne with her husband and child[ who? ]. [6]

Early career

Robertson graduated from Deakin University with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Public Relations and commenced a career in Public Relations with Melbourne Parks and Waterways. She moved out of PR and into the operational role of Park Ranger – Customer Services with the newly created Parks Victoria. Over 14 years[ clarification needed ], Robertson successively moved into more senior roles. At the time of leaving for Antarctica she was Chief Ranger of Victoria's South West Region. [5]

She holds an MBA from Melbourne Business School. [7]

Antarctica

Robertson became Australia's youngest and second-ever female Antarctic mission leader. [8] Robertson led the 120 scientists and tradespeople in Davis station over the Antarctic summer (December 2004 to February 2005). [9] She then led and managed the 17 other people who remained behind at Davis Station to maintain the operation until the scientists and tradespeople returned in November 2005. In "Leading on the Edge", she recounts the wide disparity between Antarctic life in summer, and Antarctic life in winter. [10]

Robertson quoted, "the repetitive monotony of the day-to-day work and the same old faces at breakfast, lunch and dinner create a nine-month-long 'groundhog day' experience". [5] :192

Robertson's leadership ideas

Robertson earned an MBA when she returned from Antarctica. She developed leadership frameworks based on her Antarctic experience. These frameworks include:

Works

As of September 2017, Robertson has delivered more than 1000 keynote sessions to organisations and associations across the US, Australia, New Zealand and Asia. [16] The clients she works with range from large global organisations, such as Randstad, [17] to local fundraising events such as Day of Inspiration. [18]

Charitable work

Rachael is an Australia Day ambassador [19] and is a media-spokesperson for RUOK? Day. [6]

Sponsorships

In 2019, Rachael was sponsored by outdoor clothing company Yarra Trail [20] as one of their three "Trailblazers" for the Autumn fashion season. [21]

Notes

  1. Sharwood, Anthony (20 October 2013). "10 essential lessons for leaders from Rachael Robertson". news.com.au. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  2. Jager, Chris (28 October 2013). "How Bad Bacon Can Erode Business Leadership". Lifehacker.com.au. Retrieved 7 November 2013.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casey Station</span> Antarctic base in Australian Antarctic Territory

Casey Station, commonly called Casey, is one of three permanent stations and research outposts in Antarctica managed by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). Casey lies on the northern side of the Bailey Peninsula overlooking Vincennes Bay on the Budd Coast of Wilkes Land in the Australian Antarctic Territory, a territory claimed by Australia. Casey is 3,880 kilometres (2,410 mi) due south of Perth, Western Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davis Station</span> Antarctic base in Australian Antarctic Territory

Davis Station, commonly called Davis, is one of three permanent bases and research outposts in Antarctica managed by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). Davis is situated on the coast of Cooperation Sea in Princess Elizabeth Land, Ingrid Christensen Coast in the Australian Antarctic Territory, a territory claimed by Australia. Davis lies in an Antarctic oasis, a mostly ice-free area known as the Vestfold Hills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Jarvis</span> Environmental scientist, explorer, film-maker and author

Timothy John Jarvis is an Australian explorer, climber, author, environmental activist, and documentary filmmaker. He is best known for his numerous Antarctic expeditions, particularly his attempted Antarctic crossing in 1999 and the period recreations of historical treks by Sir Douglas Mawson and Sir Ernest Shackleton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition</span> Research expedition

The British Australian (and) New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE) was a research expedition into Antarctica between 1929 and 1931, involving two voyages over consecutive Austral summers. It was a British Commonwealth initiative, driven more by geopolitics than science, and funded by the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mac. Robertson Land</span> Australian antarctic claim

Mac. Robertson Land is the portion of Antarctica lying southward of the coast between William Scoresby Bay and Cape Darnley. It is located at 70°00′S65°00′E. In the east, Mac. Robertson Land includes the Prince Charles Mountains. It was named by the British Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE) (1929–1931), under Sir Douglas Mawson, after Sir Macpherson Robertson of Melbourne, a patron of the expedition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Research stations in Antarctica</span>

Multiple governments have set up permanent research stations in Antarctica and these bases are widely distributed. Unlike the drifting ice stations set up in the Arctic, the research stations of the Antarctic are constructed either on rocks or on ice that are fixed in place.

Phillip Garth Law, AC, CBE, FAA, FTSE was an Australian scientist and explorer who served as director of Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) from 1949 to 1966.

The Australian Antarctic Territory, claimed by Australia on 1 December 1959, has used a postal system as its main point of contact since its establishment, due to its isolation. The territory covers over 5.8 million kilometres squared and currently has 5 stations, after Wilkes Station closed down in 1969. Each of the bases has their own post office that are run by Australia Post, who also controls stamp issues according to recent or important events within the territory. The history of the postage system dates back to the original post office within the territory, which first opened in 1955, which was in conjunction with a stamp release. The current system now combines new technologies with aged systems to create more efficiency, with recent stamp releases commending the history of the Australian Antarctic Territory and the Arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Swan</span> British adventurer

Robert Charles Swan, OBE, FRGS is the first person to walk to both poles.

Hazel Edwards is an Australian author of children's literature, including There's a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake (1980).

John Mayston Béchervaise OAM, MBE was an Australian writer, photographer, artist, historian and explorer. He is especially notable for his work and achievements in Antarctica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John King Davis</span> English-born Australian explorer and navigator (1884–1967)

John King Davis was an English-born Australian explorer and navigator notable for his work captaining exploration ships in Antarctic waters as well as for establishing meteorological stations on Macquarie Island in the subantarctic and on Willis Island in the Coral Sea.

Caroline Mikkelsen was a Danish-Norwegian explorer who on 20 February 1935 was the first woman to set foot on Antarctica, although whether this was on the mainland or an island is a matter of dispute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Pole</span> Southernmost point on Earth

The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole, Terrestrial South Pole or 90th Parallel South, is the southernmost point on Earth and lies antipodally on the opposite side of Earth from the North Pole, at a distance of 20,004 km in all directions. It is one of the two points where Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patricia Margaret Selkirk</span> Australian plant biologist and ecologist

Patricia Margaret Selkirk, is an Australian plant biologist and ecologist. Her career has focused on Antarctic and subantarctic terrestrial ecosystems and she is recognized as being a pioneering female Australian Antarctic scientist.

Samantha Gash is an Australian professional endurance athlete, social entrepreneur, motivational speaker. As an endurance athlete, Gash focuses on long distance expedition runs and adventure races. She is an ambassador to numerous organizations and events including World Vision, Lululemon Athletica, Run Melbourne and Travel Play Live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Wienecke</span> Australian Antarctic ecologist

Barbara Wienecke is a senior research scientist with the Australian Antarctic Division. She is a seabird ecologist who uses satellite tracking to investigate seabird population dynamics and ecology. Wienecke has played a key role in enhancing the quality of, and overseeing the implementation of, a number of Antarctic Specially Protected Area management plans for wildlife concentrations in East Antarctica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Antarctica</span> Women in Antarctica

There may have been women in Antarctica and exploring the regions around Antarctica for many centuries. The most celebrated "first" for women was in 1935 when Caroline Mikkelsen became the first woman to set foot on one of Antarctica's islands. Early male explorers, such as Richard Byrd, named areas of Antarctica after wives and female heads of state. As Antarctica moved from a place of exploration and conquest to a scientific frontier, women worked to be included in the sciences. The first countries to have female scientists working in Antarctica were the Soviet Union, South Africa and Argentina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of women in Antarctica</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midwinter Day</span> Celebration of winter solstice in Antarctica

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References

  1. "Rachael Robertson in Asia in November 2013". Speakers Connect. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  2. "Expedition Team in Antarctica". global.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  3. "Antarctic station leaders announced for 2005". Australian Antarctic Division. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  4. "Robertson's Website" . Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Robertson, Rachael (2013). Leading on the Edge (First ed.). Melbourne: Wiley. pp. 3–10. ISBN   9780730305491.
  6. 1 2 Doutr, Tim (9 September 2013). "R U OK? Day: "A conversation can change a life"". The Weekly Review – Stonnington. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  7. "Rachael Robertson's Speaker Profile on National Speakers Association Website". Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  8. Gilchrist, Karen (16 July 2020). "Three leadership skills that Antarctic explorers are tested on". CNBC. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  9. Wiley, Melissa. "A woman who spent 14 months in Antarctica says she went through sensory overload upon returning home — and a tactic she picked up during isolation helped her cope with the change". Business Insider. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  10. Marcus, Stacy; Nov. 08 (22 June 2020). "Isolated For a Year in Antarctica". Reader's Digest. Retrieved 23 February 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. Robertson, Rachael. "The Four Things I Learned About Leadership in the Harshest Work Environment on Earth – Antarctica". Business Insider. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  12. "Rachael Robertson: An Extraordinary Leadership Adventure". Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  13. Robin, Myriam. "A plane crash, four people stranded: Rachael Robertson's lessons from leading an expedition to Antarctica". Smart Company. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  14. Clennett, Ross. "Want a high performance team? Then don't aspire to team harmony" . Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  15. Connor, Ange. "Leaders don't need manager titles" . Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  16. Ryan, Gary. "Make the decision" . Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  17. "Shaping the world of Work – Video Series". Randstad Global. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  18. "One of Australia's most inspiring events". Day of Inspiration. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  19. "An Australia Day special with Melbourne author Alice Pung as co-host, Bart Willoughby performing live, Jessie Lloyd chatting about her work with Songlines Aboriginal Corporation and the Share the Spirit festival, and to cap it all off Australia Day Ambassador Rachael Robertson chats about her time at Davis Station in the Antarctic". 774 ABC Melbourne. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  20. "Yarra Trail – About Us" . Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  21. "Autumn 2019 Trailblazers – First Ladies" . Retrieved 1 May 2019.