David Owens

David Owens

Managing Director Risk-e Business Consultants

David retired as Deputy Commissioner of the NSW Police Force after over 30 years of service. The NSW Police Force is Australia’s oldest and largest policing organisation and one of the biggest in the English-speaking world. As the Deputy Commissioner, David was responsible for the leadership and management of nearly 13,000 police and 1200 public servants, with responsibility and accountability of a budget of $3 billion. After retiring, David established Risk-e Business Consultants, an Executive Level Management Consultancy.

David has worked with all levels of Government (Federal and State) along with private organisations and volunteer groups. , including the Federal Bureau of Investigations, The Vatican, The Olympics, Ministers of Parliament (Federal & State) and Boards of Companies/ Emergency Services. In 2007, he was appointed to the legislative role of State Emergency Operations Controller (SEOCON) and performed this position for some four years, making him the longest serving officer in this role. As SEOCON, he was responsible for overall emergency management responses within the New South Wales. A sample of some of the Operations that he conducted are: Sydney 2000 Olympics, Venue Commander, Sailing; Equine Influenza (2007) with Department of Primary Industries; Pasha Bulka and North Coast Floods (2007); Black Saturday Bushfires Victoria (2009) 150 staff deployed; Emergency Management for World Youth Day and APEC Leaders Week; Christchurch New Zealand Earthquake 2011; Japanese Tsunami (2011) Urban Search & Rescue Deployment and United Nations Urban Search & Rescue accreditation Turkey (2011).

David has also consulted to private industry on a range of issues in the security and emergency management arenas, such as: Regional Recovery Coordinator for the Central Western floods; NSW Health Influenza Pandemic Exercise and ANSTO Health Supply Workshop; State Emergency Management Committee Catastrophic Flood Exercise Hawkesbury Nepean; Co-Lead NSW Independent Bushfire Inquiry (76 Recommendations accepted by NSW Govt); and rewrote the Hawkesbury Nepean Valley Flood Emergency Sub Plan (highest insurance risk in Australia).

He holds two Masters in Emergency Management (2013) and Leadership and Management (2011); Diploma in Criminology (1998); Graduate Certificate in Management (1999) and attended the National Executive Institute Session XXXIV, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 2009. Certificate IV in Training & Assessment (2015); Diploma of Security & Risk Management (2017); Master Licence (Security Industry Act) and Master License (Commercial Agents and Private Inquiry Agents Act). Mental Health First Aid Australia (2017).