E6 - Reflection, Reframing and Bravery with Geoff Stewart

E6: Interview with Geoff Stewart

Geoff is the District Superintendent of the Bunbury (Western Australia) Police Department and Founder of the South West Leaders Program. Geoff has developed a mentorship program that allows people across the South West to receive and give mentorship to people within a range of different industries.

In this interview with Geoff we explore so many amazing leadership concepts around mindset, reflection and reframing. We discussed how confronting true reflection can be, but how it is an essential element in assisting us to serve those around us at the highest level.

Geoff talks about his own journey of reflection and reframing and he shares how important it is to not only align the team to the organisational values, but also the importance of developing key values of the group that everyone can align to.

Geoff Stewart Contact Details:

Geoff Stewart LinkedIn Profile

Western Australian Police Website

Geoff Stewart Bio:

Geoff has a strong leadership background in remote and regional policing environments addressing issues of national significance, including alcohol, violence, protests, emergency management and other issues affecting the safety, security and health of communities and police. He is known for leading others to find and implement innovative solutions that best converts strategic intent into operational outcomes in a frontline policing environment.

Joining WA Police Force in 1978 as a cadet and graduating from the Academy in 1981, he has enjoyed a diverse range of roles in the metropolitan and regional areas including traffic, general duties, forensic (Ballistics), weapons and tactics training, counter terrorism, close personal protection, marine and land search and rescue, officer-in-charge (OIC) at remote, regional and metropolitan police stations ranging from two personnel to over two hundred and district management in a senior role.

He has been recognised for successfully leading the district response to organised crime and Outlaw Motor Cycle Gangs in the South West District in 2014 – 2015. He has received Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards for planning police and community responses to large scale events, received commendation from the WA Police Force Executive for his role as the Close Personal Protection Deployment Commander for CHOGM in 2011 and his role as the Police Forward Commander in one of the largest bushfires in Western Australia's history during 2015.

Geoff was a Visiting Fellow at the Australian Institute of Police Management, New South Wales in 2016 and delivered leadership programs to multi-agency and jurisdictional organisations in Australia and South East Asia. In 2017 he was an Assistant Divisional Officer at Professional Development Division, WA Police Academy managing the coordination, development and delivery of professional development programs to employees.

He was promoted to Superintendent in 2018 to lead the new State Custody Coordination & Transformation Division in the Operations Support Portfolio and in September 2019 returned to Regional WA as the District Superintendent for the South West District. In addition to this role, he continues to be extremely active in the leadership learning arena and is called on regularly to speak or facilitate on learning programs and events around leading self and others, creating growth mindsets amongst individuals and teams.

Geoff has a Diploma of Policing, Advanced Diploma of Business Management and Graduate Certificate in Applied Management. He has been awarded the Western Australia Police Service Medal, National Police Service Medal, National Medal, Australian Defence Medal, Commissioner's Medal for Excellence and was awarded the Australian Police Medal in the Australia Day Honours List in 1999.

Geoff is passionate about the welfare of the police family, has been a Board Member of WA Police Legacy since 2008 and is married to Helen with four kids and passionately follows the West Coast Eagles AFL team.