Speakers Profile - Allan Sparkes CV, OAM, VA


Inspirational Speaker & Best Selling Author










Travels From:
Sydney

Fee Range: C


Allan Sparkes is a professional keynote speaker, trainer and facilitator. For the past 14 years has been addressing Corporate, Private, Government and First Responder audiences across Australia and in Europe. He is an internationally qualified trainer and his work has and continues to receive critical acclaim. Allan's individual presentation is titled, 'Endurance - Staying in the game' He also co-presents with eminent psychologist, Dr David Said in their highly successful mental health program - Operational Readiness. Both of these programs are based on a proactive approach to assist in the reduction of mental ill health, particularly chronic stress. They are designed to give people practical skills, knowledge and abilities to help them combat the ever increasing rates of chronic stress (burnout). Burnout is now included in the world health organisation international classification of diseases and sadly, a disease which Australia ranks as having the highest rates of in the western world.

Allan is also one of Australia�s most highly decorated citizens. One of just 5 Australians in the past 49 years to be awarded the Cross of Valour (CV) Australia�s highest bravery decoration and Australia's highest civil award. Allan is also the only Australian to be awarded a subsequent National Bravery decoration, the Commendation for Brave Conduct. in 2017 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to mental health support organisations and the community. He is one of only 10 Australians to be awarded the Queen�s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Queens Platinum Jubilee Medal and the Kings Coronation Medal. In 2022, Allan was invited by St James Palace to travel to London to attend and participate in the Civil and Gallantry procession at the funeral of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Having a lived experience of trauma related mental illnesses and recovery, Allan is a passionate advocate for proactive approaches and greater education to assist in decreasing the level of psychological ill-health evident across the world today. His astonishingly inspiring life story, as outlined in his autobiography, 'The Cost of Bravery' has made him a best selling author with Penguin Random House Australia.

Allan is a former Deputy Commissioner with the Mental Health Commission of New South Wales, Chairman of the National Police Bravery Award Committee, Patron of the Heart2Heart walk, Vice Patron of the Australian Bravery Association, Patron of the Australian Police O/35's Rugby Team, Member of the McKillop Foundation National Advisory Committee, Advisory Board Member of the StreetKind Foundation, Member of the NSW Police Mental Health Intervention Team, a Member of the NSW Mental Health Commission Suicide Prevention Group, a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW, the Foundation Patron of the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation, and an Ambassador for Australia Day and Kookaburra Kids. He is a former Ambassador of beyondblue and Soldier On and a former Board Member of the Gidget Foundation of Australia.