It’s time to rise.
Perth Agility Circle 2023
THE EVENT
The 2023 PAC event called on leaders to rise - to block out the noise, face adversity head-on, and lead with focus, presence and personal accountability.
We heard from Evan Leybourn, co-founder of the Business Agility Institute, who shared global insights on how truly agile organisations navigate complexity by building cultures of continuous value, adaptability, and trust. Ben Pronk, former SAS commander and now Managing Director at Mettle Global, brought a compelling perspective on resilience, drawn from leadership in high-stakes environments. His message was clear: when things don’t go to plan, what matters is how we respond - with courage, clarity and commitment.
The event was a powerful reminder that while we can't always control what happens, we can choose how we lead through it.
Speakers
Evan Leybourn
Co-founder, Business Agility Institute
BIO
Evan is the co-founder of the Business Agility Institute; a fiercely independent research and advocacy body to both champion and support the next-generation of organisations. Companies that are agile, innovative and dynamic - perfectly designed to thrive in today’s unpredictable markets. As well as leading the Business Agility Institute, Evan is also the author of Directing the Agile Organisation (2012) and #noprojects; a culture of continuous value (2018).
Ben Pronk
Managing Director, Mettle Group
BIO
Ben is the Managing Partner of Mettle Global, a premium corporate advisory firm specialising in establishing and developing organisational resilience and preparing companies for the volatility and uncertainty of the contemporary world.
Ben has deep leadership experience, as a student, teacher and practitioner. His first career was in the Australian Army, where he served for 24 years. The majority of this time was spent in the Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment, where he finished as the Commanding Officer. Ben’s operational experience with the SAS includes multiple deployments to Timor Leste, Iraq and Afghanistan, where his exemplary leadership skills were recognised with his being awarded a distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for leadership in combat. Ben was also awarded a Special Operations Commander’s commendation for excellence in command, leadership and management.
Ben is currently adjunct faculty at the University of New South Wales’s Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM), where he has designed, developed and currently teaches number of leadership programs within Australia’s top-ranked MBA program. Ben has also previously served as the Chief Instructor at the Royal Military College, Duntroon. In this role, he was responsible for oversight of the development and delivery of the entire Australian Army All-Corps Officer Training Continuum.
Ben has significant experience in the design and conduct of training for Leadership, Crisis, Emergency and Business Continuity Management, and has delivered this training for a wide variety of clients across sectors including mining and resources, aviation, government and not-for-profit.
Ben is a highly regarded thought leader and sought-after public speaker on the reduction of risk and leadership in high pressure situations. He is well travelled through the South Pacific, Asia, the Middle East and Europe and has served on exchanges in the United States and the United Kingdom. He is also co-author of the book The Resilience Shield and co-host of the Unforgiving60 podcast.
Ben holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Master in Defence Studies (with Distinction) from Kings College, London and a Master of Business Administration (with Distinction, dux of his class) from the University of Western Australia. He is also a graduate of the AICD Company Directors Course and a Patron of the Military Arts Program Australia.
