Book IWD Speaker: Dr Desiree Beekharry

International expert in fear, human behaviour & psychosocial hazards helping leaders perform decisively under pressure & uncertainty

● International expert on fear, risk and human behaviour in high-pressure environments
● Over 30 years’ experience across international airlines, VIP government services, UN emergency mobilisation and disaster response
● Doctor of Project Management specialising in Disaster Management
● Certified behavioural profiler
● Facilitates workshops and leadership training across conflict, communication, emotional intelligence, crisis leadership and organisational culture
● Worked across Australia, Europe and the United States

Part of what shapes Dr Desiree Beekharry’s perspective is lived experience. She has  experienced racial abuse in the workplace, spoken up and faced the consequences of doing so. Sha has also witnessed the quieter, more normalised forms of workplace harm: leadership misuse of power, gender bias, toxic team dynamics and the fear many employees carry about speaking honestly at work.

What Desiree is seeing right now is that many organisations are investing heavily in leadership frameworks, wellbeing initiatives and culture strategies, while still avoiding the harder conversations around fear, power, silence and trust. Employees often stay silent not because they do not care, but because they fear retaliation, exclusion, damage to their careers and the psychosocial consequences.

Topics that resonate strongly with audiences include:
● The Cost of Silence: Fear, conflict and the modern workplace
● Why employees stay silent at work and how that silence drives poor decision making
● The hidden role of fear: the price organisations are willing to pay
● Speaking up under pressure: leadership, conflict and psychological safety in high-stakes environments

Audience takeaways include:
● Understanding the hidden organisational cost of silence and avoidance
● Practical ways leaders can create safer, more honest workplace communication
● Early warning signs of cultural dysfunction and conflict escalation
● Tools to navigate difficult conversations more constructively

---