Michael Willing

Mick is the CEO of Fortem Australia, the founder of The Peelian Group, and a former NSW Police Force Deputy Police Commissioner.

With well over three decades of policing, national security and private sector leadership experience, Michael Willing APM (‘Mick’) is one of the nation’s most experienced specialist executive advisors.

He ​served for over 31 years, during which time he led Area Commands and was the state’s longest-serving ​Homicide Squad Commander. As an Assistant Commissioner, he led both the Counter Terrorism and ​Special Tactics Command and the Central Metropolitan Region before assuming the role of Deputy ​Commissioner of Regional NSW Field Operations, leading a workforce of over 5,800 personnel.

He also led the NSW recovery efforts from the 2019/2022 bushfire disaster as the 'State Recovery ​Coordinator', overseeing a joint 'whole of government' and Australian Defence Force taskforce as the ​head of the then NSW Disaster Recovery Office.

Most recently, Mick successfully transitioned into the private sector, where he spent two years leading ​a multi-skilled, diverse team leveraging and expanding digital technology and human capability to ​defend, protect, and promote the security of our nation across organisational boundaries of ​intelligence, policing, and borders as Accenture ANZ Managing Director—National Security and Public ​Safety.​

Mick's deep-seated commitment to "paying it forward" is demonstrated through his mentorship and ​coaching of established and emerging executive leaders, as well as his support for first responders in ​transitioning to meaningful lives and careers beyond public service.

​Having served as a 'Community Ambassador", Mick is the current Advisory Board Chair for 'Fortem ​Australia,' a not-for-profit organisation focused on providing help and support to first responders, ​national security personnel, and their families.

​His tertiary qualifications include.

  • Australian Company Directors Course (Graduate)

  • Executive Master of Public Administration (Syd/ANZSOG) – awarded the ‘Urbis Prize’.

  • High Potentials Leadership Program - Harvard Business School

  • Master of Business Administration (MBA) (CSU),

  • Graduate Diploma in Criminology (Syd) - awarded the ‘J.H.McLemens Memorial Prize in Criminology,

  • Graduate Diploma in Executive Leadership (AIPM)

  • Graduate Certificate in Applied Management (AIPM)

  • Bachelor of Policing (Investigations) (CSU) and

  • Associate Diploma of Policing (CSU).