Honorary Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre,
Coral Bell School of Asia-Pacific Affairs,
Australian National University
Co-Founder, PTSD Australia New Zealand and FearLess Outreach
Chris worked on strategic leadership issues over the last three decades. Admiral Chris Barrie also commanded all arms of the Australian Defence Force (1998-2002) as its Chief. Afterwards as consultant, teacher and mentor, he has worked through Oxford University’s Strategic Leadership and Stimulus Forum Programs (2002-2011); and as Distinguished Visiting Professor at the National Defense University in Washington DC (2004-2010).
He is a co-founder and the chair of PTSD-Australia New Zealand, whose subsidiary “FearLess Outreach” is able to assist about 6 million people in Australia and New Zealand who live with post-traumatic stress disorder. In August 2019 “FearLess” was the inspiration behind a prize- winning national conversation on PTSD held in Caloundra, Queensland. A second national conversation took place in 2021, as a virtual event.
At the Australian National University, Chris is an Honorary Professor. He has worked in the Tuckwell Foundation for ten years, and is currently Patron of the Australian Crisis Simulation Summit, a student led national one-week event for aspiring national security policy makers. He teaches occasionally on campus and conducts simulations to complement course work.
He is an outspoken commentator on Climate Change and Security to raise awareness of the potential costs of inaction. He is an executive member of the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group (ASLCG) and represents Australia on the Global Military Advisory Council on Climate Change (GMACCC).
