Nick Kaldas

Managing Director of Kaldas Associates

Leadership in tough times

Nick Kaldas held two of the most senior roles in the New South Wales Police Force executive (Sydney, NSW), serving as Deputy Commissioner for almost a decade, and prior to that, Assistant Commissioner (Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics).

He relieved as Commissioner of Police extensively. His career as a NSW Police Officer spanned almost 35 years, with a focus on major and organised crime investigations, and counter-terrorism, with over a decade in Homicide investigations. NSW Police is the largest in Australasia, and one of the biggest in the English-speaking world, more than 20,000 staff, and a budget of over $3 billion. He also serviced in numerous senior roles within the United Nations system, outlined below.

In 2021, Nick was appointed by the Federal Government to head up the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicides. Nick is also currently Managing Director of a consulting firm, Kaldas & Associates in Sydney, Australia, providing high level security, investigative, crisis management and governance advice and services internationally.

He was a member of the Australian National Counter Terrorism Committee for 8 years, the peak policy body dealing with Counter Terrorism in Australia. He held Top Secret Clearance, and Charlie and Delta level briefings. He is currently a Senior Fellow with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), in Canberra, one of the largest think-tanks in Australia.

He holds Adjunct Professorships with Western Sydney University (WSU) and Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Australia, and has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by WSU. He currently lectures intermittently on the National Security College of the Australian National University.

He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Police Bank, and a member of the Advisory Board of Multicultural New South Wales, the Government department dealing with all multicultural issues.

Key takeaways

  1. There is a difference between being in charge and taking charge
  2. As leaders, we have a duty to prepare ourselves, our people and our organisation for a crisis: Hope is not a plan
  3. Courage and enthusiasm are catching – including the lack thereof.