Dr Dan Pronk

Overview

Dr. Dan Pronk is a highly sought-after keynote speaker with a remarkable background as a former Special Forces doctor, bestselling author, and TV personality. With over 100 combat missions under his belt, including four tours in Afghanistan, Dr. Pronk draws on his deep experience in high-stress environments to deliver powerful talks on building resilience, leadership, and performance under pressure.

His keynote sessions are tailored for teams, corporate executives, and organisations seeking to enhance the mental toughness and resilience of their workforce. Dr. Pronk combines personal anecdotes from his military and medical career with actionable strategies, offering insights into thriving in complex and high-stakes situations. His resilience model, developed through his bestselling book The Resilience Shield, is grounded in both personal experience and academic research, providing practical tools for maintaining strength in the face of adversity.

Dr. Pronk’s ability to connect with audiences, regardless of their background, makes his talks engaging and impactful, ideal for leaders looking to inspire their teams to overcome challenges and excel in demanding environments.

Biography

Dan entered into the Australian Army in 2001 on a scholarship to study medicine. Upon graduation he completed his internship and first year residency in civilian hospitals before posting to his first Army unit and quickly moving into Special Operations following successful completion of the Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment selection course. Dan spent the last five years of his service working between the SAS and the 2nd Commando Regiment and saw operational service in Timor Leste and Afghanistan.

Dan was awarded the Commendation for Distinguished Service for his leadership in combat during his second of four operational tours of Afghanistan. Following leaving the army in 2014 Dan has held positions as a remote mine site doctor, a ship’s doctor, the Deputy Medical Superintendent of a regional hospital, and the Medical Director of the South Australian Prison Health Service. He co-owns and serves as the Medical Director for the private medical company TacMed Australia. He currently works part time in the Emergency Department of a regional hospital in between remote medical support tasks including support of reality TV shows including SAS Australia.

Dan holds a Bachelor of Exercise Science, A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, A Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, a Master of Business Administration, and an Associate Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of Medical Administrators. He is an instructor on the Royal Australian College of Surgeons’ Early Management of Severe Trauma course, a board member of the Australian Tactical Medical Association, and a former Independent Medical Advisor to the Department of Home Affairs. Dan regularly presents to corporate, medical, military, government, and other groups on leadership under adversity, resilience, and social psychological theory. He has co-authored a best-selling book on resilience titled The Resilience Shield, which uses the evidence base from both the scientific literature, as well as Resilience Shield’s own government grant supported research project, to present resilience as a multifactorial, dynamic, and modifiable construct. Other titles from Dan include his autobiography “The Combat Doctor”. He lives in Adelaide, is married to a very tolerant wife and is the proud father of three boys