Jeremy (Jay) Rundle

Risk lives where the paperwork ends.

Behavioural Risk Professional. Keynote Speaker. 20 years across oil and gas, mining, and construction in 17 countries.

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20 Years in high-consequence environments
17 Countries across oil and gas, mining, and construction
IRMSA Annual Conference keynote speaker

About

Field-tested. Boardroom-fluent.

Twenty years across oil and gas, mining, and construction. Seventeen countries. Environments where the margin for error is measured in lives. Most risk failures are not technical. They are behavioural. My work is grounded in Applied Behaviour Analysis, the science of why people do what they do under pressure, and how to build systems that account for it. I help executives, risk leaders, and operational teams close the gap between documented procedure and actual behaviour.

Jeremy Rundle

Operational Risk & Controls

Translating field reality into risk frameworks that hold up under pressure.

Behavioural Systems

Applying ABA and the ABC model to the behaviours that actually drive outcomes.

Decision Science Under Pressure

How leaders decide when the data is incomplete and the consequences are real.

Speaking

Book Jay to speak.

Field experience. Behavioural science. No generic keynotes. Every engagement is built around your industry and your people.

Audiences

Risk professionals, executive leadership, operational teams, conference delegates.

Formats

Keynote, workshop, board briefing, panel.

Length

30 to 90 minutes. Half day and full day available for workshops.

Fees

On enquiry. Tailored to scope and audience.

Keynote topics

  • From the Field to the Boardroom

    Why behavioural drift happens, how bias accelerates it, and what leaders can do differently. The keynote delivered at the IRMSA Annual Conference, drawing on 20 years of field experience translating frontline behaviour into board level risk language.

  • Why Risk Systems Fail When It Matters Most

    The gap between documented procedure and actual behaviour. Why the moments your risk system needs to work hardest are the moments it stops working, and what to build instead.

  • The ABC of Organisational Risk

    Applied Behaviour Analysis in practice. How antecedents, behaviours, and consequences shape the risk culture you actually have, not the one your reports show you.

  • Leadership Sets the Thermostat

    What you accept today becomes tomorrow standard. The behavioural role of leadership in high consequence environments, and how silent approval shapes everything that follows.

  • Most Green Dashboards Lie

    Why GRC systems miss the behaviours that matter, and what to measure instead. A practical session for executives and risk leaders who suspect the numbers are telling them what they want to hear.

Request availability Download speaker brief

Field Cases

Risk in practice.

Anonymised composites drawn from engagements across high-consequence sectors. Each case follows the same structure: problem, behavioural mechanism, intervention, result.

Offshore Drilling, Asia Pacific

Closing the Gap Between Procedure and Practice

Problem
A top tier offshore drilling operation was experiencing repeat near miss incidents during routine handling. Robust procedures existed. Awareness campaigns had been run. Performance dashboards remained green. Incidents continued.
Behavioural Mechanism
Frontline crews had quietly normalised shortcuts that saved time during routine tasks. Supervisors reinforced the shortcuts through what they did not stop. Antecedent: schedule pressure. Behaviour: deviation from procedure. Consequence: approval through silence.
Intervention
Restructured the consequence environment. Supervisors were trained to intervene visibly and predictably on small deviations, not just major ones. Leadership KPIs were re-weighted to include observation quality over observation count.
Result
Repeat near miss frequency in the target work scope reduced significantly over the following operational cycle. Supervisors reported clearer authority to challenge routine deviation. Crews reported greater consistency from leadership.

Underground Mining, Africa

Rebuilding the Shift Handover as a Leadership Behaviour

Problem
Leadership disengagement at shift change was causing risk information to be lost between crews. Standard handover protocols existed but were treated as administrative paperwork.
Behavioural Mechanism
Antecedent: production pressure at shift end. Behaviour: bypass of the handover process. Consequence: no observable penalty for a fast handover and no observable reward for a thorough one. The system was making the wrong behaviour easier and cheaper than the right one.
Intervention
The handover was redesigned as a leadership behaviour, not a paperwork exercise. Supervisors were required to physically walk the workface with the incoming crew leader and verbally confirm three pre-set risk points. Observable, time-bound, and reinforced by management presence.
Result
Critical information transfer at handover became consistent across shifts. Leaders reported the new format took less time than the old paperwork ritual. Crews reported feeling better prepared at shift start.

Major Project Construction

Making Organisational Drift Visible in Real Time

Problem
A complex construction project was running behind schedule. Leadership was approving deviations to recover time. Each deviation looked low risk in isolation. The accumulated effect was a project substantially different from the one assessed at sanction.
Behavioural Mechanism
Antecedent: schedule slippage. Behaviour: sequential approval of deviations. Consequence: short term relief and no immediate negative feedback. Each decision was rational in isolation. The pattern was not.
Intervention
A behavioural risk review was inserted into the change management process. Any cumulative deviation above a defined threshold triggered a re-baseline of the original risk picture, not just an assessment of the latest change. Drift was made visible to decision makers in real time.
Result
Leadership identified that the project profile had moved materially from sanction. Two planned deviations were withdrawn. The change management process now functions as a drift early warning system, not just a change approval gate.

Credentials

Academic foundation. Field-tested application.

  • 2025

    University of Cape Town

    Business Risk Management. Enterprise risk, governance, and decision making under uncertainty. Endorsed by IRMSA and AIFMRM.

  • 2024

    University of Cumbria

    MBA. Strategic management, organisational behaviour, financial decision making, and ethical leadership in complex environments.

  • 2018

    University of Adelaide

    Project Risk Management. Risk identification, assessment, and control in complex projects. Decision making under pressure and uncertainty.

  • 2022 - 2023

    OPEC College

    Graduate Diplomas in strategic leadership, financial strategy, applied research, and organisational transformation.

  • 2007 - 2013

    Field Foundations

    NEBOSH qualifications and Diploma in Work Health and Safety. The on-site grounding behind 20 years of high consequence operations.

Professional Affiliations

  • Member Institute of Risk Management South Africa (IRMSA)
  • Member Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP)
  • Member Institute of Directors of Southern Africa (IoDSA)

Testimonials

Trusted where performance matters.

Jeremy brought deep, practical insight into operating practices within a top quartile oil and gas environment. He worked effectively across both local and expat teams, with a clear understanding of cultural dynamics and expectations. His approach was direct, hands on, and grounded in leading by example and proven best practice. I would not hesitate to work with Jeremy again in any high consequence environment.

Graham Cunningham Shorebase Manager, Lukoil

I worked with Jeremy for nearly a year on a Hess drilling project in Indonesia. He is a highly capable professional with the right behaviour and a clear commitment to improving operational performance. Jeremy works well within teams, shows strong respect for local culture, and maintains a high level of attention to detail. He was a valuable contributor to the project, and a strong asset to any organisation he works with.

Togap Sinaga HSES Manager, Tately N.V.

Jeremy provided high quality supervision and support to the offshore drilling campaign in Indonesia. He worked effectively across multiple organisations and was well respected by both the drilling contractor and the operator. His involvement in emergency response training and exercises was critical to their successful execution. Strong technical expertise, subject matter knowledge, and practical interpersonal skills make him a well rounded and highly capable specialist in high consequence environments.

Andrew Proud ER, CM and BC Professional, Hess Drilling Campaign

During his assignment onboard the drilling unit, Jeremy demonstrated a high level of professionalism and strong knowledge of international operating standards. His experience and practical approach were instrumental in transforming a high risk workplace into a more controlled and efficient operation. Without his expertise, achieving this improvement would have been significantly more difficult. I would confidently recommend Jeremy as a valuable asset to any operation.

Mads Tarp Offshore Installation Manager, Semi-Submersible Drilling Unit

Jeremy brought a consistent and professional approach to improving operational performance and culture onboard the rig. His openness and honesty made collaboration straightforward and effective. He was proactive in seeking clarification when needed and receptive to guidance. I would readily work with Jeremy again in the future.

John Frewin Regional HSE Manager, APAC

Writing

Recent thinking.

Contact

For keynote enquiries, advisory engagements, or board-level briefings.

Contact Jay directly.

Email jeremy@jeremyrundle.co.za Phone +27 82 664 2660

Or send a brief

Tell Jay what you need.

Direct to Jay. Personal reply, typically within two business days.

Format