General Rick Hillier
Former Chief of the Defence Staff for Canadian Forces
Since becoming Canada's top soldier in February 2005, General Rick Hillier (Retired) fought two battles, each with his trademark passion and urgency. The first was on the ground in Afghanistan, as Canada's traditional peacekeeping role segued dramatically into a heavy combat mission in the scorching hills of Kandahar. The second battle was for the hearts and minds of Canadians. A tireless military advocate, General Hillier raised the profile of Canada's armed forces which endeared him to troops and gave Canada an important card to play at the NATO table. On stage, General Hillier inspires others to lead with passion and involvment. General Hillier was recently named to The Order of Canada, 2011.
Born in Newfoundland and Labrador, General Rick Hillier joined the Canadian Forces as soon as he could. Having enrolled in the Canadian Forces in 1973 through the Regular Officer Training Plan program, he graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science Degree. After completing his armour officer classification training, he joined his first regiment, the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) in Petawawa, Ontario. Subsequently, he served with, and later commanded, the Royal Canadian Dragoons in Canada and Germany.
Throughout his career, General Hillier has had the privilege and pleasure of commanding troops from the platoon to multi-national formation level within Canada, Europe, Asia and the United States. He has worked as a staff officer in several headquarters, first at the Army level in Montreal and later at the strategic level in Ottawa.
In 1998 General Hillier was appointed as the first Canadian Deputy Commanding General of III Corps, US Army in Fort Hood, Texas. In 2000, he took command of NATO's Stabilization Force's (SFOR) Multinational Division (Southwest) in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In May 2003, General Hillier was appointed as Commander of the Army and subsequently, in October 2003, he was selected as the Commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul, Afghanistan.
General Hillier was promoted to his present rank and assumed duties as the Chief of the Defence Staff on 4 February 2005. He retired from the Canadian Forces in July 2008. General Hillier's first bestselling book, A Soldier First, recounts his role and experiences within the Canadian military, and his latest bestseller, Leadership Matters, emphasizes the importance role a great leader can play in the lives of others.
General Hillier enjoys most recreational pursuits but, in particular, runs slowly, plays hockey poorly and golfs not well at all.
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2. Celebrity Appearances
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1. Leadership in Tough Times
A talk on leadership in tough times based on lessons learned from the school of hard knocks. Illustrating leadership lessons through the stories of the men and women who represent our country around the world, supported by their families, and doing the toughest jobs imaginable. Their leadership, proven and real, can serve to guide leaders in every part of our society, because they have absorbed that leadership is all about people.
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Warm, witty and wise, General Rick Hillier is an electric speaker who charges his audience with enthusiasm and is an ideal choice for any conference. After a long day of presentations and panel discussions as part of our International Transportation Summit, General Hillier stepped to the podium to deliver an address on Canada's military role in the world and the men and women who define that role. His personal anecdotes and slide presentation put a human touch on the Canadian Military and the families that support them. General Hillier engaged and charmed the crowd, with his fast-paced, information-packed and emotion-filled address. He moved grown men to tears. Need I say more?
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October 2010Leadership
For General Rick Hillier, leadership is all about people -- embracing those in your charge and winning over those you need to work with -- not about risk aversion or management fads. Leaders think long, and have a vision. Their actions speak, not their words, and they make their own luck. But leaders also act out of moral courage, accept failure, take advantage of crisis and are perpetually optimistic. Leadership is an inspirational, easy-to-read and, in true Hillier fashion, always entertaining collection of principles that will challenge the way you run your business, start a project or take that next step in life.
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October 2009A Soldier First: Bullets, Bureaucrats and the Politics of War
In Afghanistan, Canada faced its first combat losses since the Korean War, with every casualty becoming front-page news. A country formerly ambivalent, or even angry, about its role in the conflict suddenly became gripped by the drama unfolding not only in a war zone halfway around the world but in unfriendly conference rooms in Ottawa. There, as everywhere, Gen. Rick Hillier pulled no punches, demanding more funding, more troops and more appreciation for the women and men fighting a war on foreign soil. This hard-hitting, honest account of Hillier's role -- told in his own words -- will be one of the most important books published in Canada this decade.
