Kerrie Hicks: On a path to more peace in the world
On September 11, 2001, Kerrie was a recruit in the Victoria Police Academy when the 9/11 terrorist attack against the USA occurred. This catastrophic event had a profound impact on her determination to ensuring the community not only are safe, but that they feel safe. Two decades later, whilst working for the UN in Iraq, Kerrie watched the coverage from neighbouring Afghanistan as Taliban leaders declared victory, bringing an end to America’s longest war and a new era of security challenges. It provoked an awakening in Kerrie to explore where she could best be of service on the peace spectrum.
Kerrie’s introduction to Rotary was in 2015 when she was a mentee in the Victoria Police Rotary Leadership Mentoring Program, matched with RCM mentor Stella Avramopoulos. Rotary’s motto of Service Above Self resonated strongly, aligning with Kerrie’s values and dedication to community safety.
Kerrie will share some stories from her path to peace, including the influence of Rotary, and will introduce the profound opportunity of the coaching dialogue in peace building.
Kerrie had a successful career in Victoria Police, serving the community and evolving her leadership style over time to one of Leader as Coach. Her policing career included various senior leadership roles eventually leading to the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team. The combination of community engagement, investigation, and emergency management experience led to the opportunity to work for the United Nations, leading an international criminal investigation into atrocity crimes committed by ISIL/Daesh against the Iraqi Christian community.
Inspired by the grit and resilience of the communities Kerrie had served in various roles and her passion for developing human potential, she established ‘Gritential Coaching’ in May 2022. She works with emerging and executive leaders and their teams in organisations to be even better humans and leaders by empowering them to harness their grit, realise their potential and live their lives well. Kerrie’s coaching counterparts describe her as “Safe. Gentle and strong. Impactful”. Kerrie finds joy in serving the community with her vision for building peace in the world, one coaching dialogue at a time.