Neryl Joyce

Mercenary Mum

Mercenary Mum

Many of us will seek out a career change at some time in our lives. Then you have Neryl Joyce, the single mum who went from working the checkout at Woolworths to putting her life on the line as a highly trained bodyguard in the Middle East. Her CV suddenly got really got interesting.

Not that scanning groceries wasn’t interesting it just wasn’t for her. Wanting to live a life of meaningful purpose, Neryl joined the Australian army as a Military Police Officer, then completed the highly sought after Close Personal Protection Course.

In late 2004, Neryl took up close protection work in Iraq with a private military company and soon learnt that money didn’t necessarily attract the best operators. The toxic culture eventually led to poor decision making, excessive risk taking and ultimately; the death of her colleagues.

Soon after the incident, Neryl took up a position with the infamous American company Blackwater Security Consulting, providing close personal protection to staff involved with the upcoming Iraqi Presidential election. Neryl then became Operations Manager at an Immigration Detention Centre on Christmas Island.

Neryl will take you on a journey where every decision has a risk and every action can have a devastating consequence. She balances her extreme experience with a thoughtful and observant mindset, making her a thoroughly entertaining storyteller.

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Key Points for Neryl Joyce

Neryl was a Military Police Officer in the Australian Army.
The first female Army officer to be qualified in Combat Close Personal Protection.
Worked as a Private Security Contractor in Iraq and was employed by US security company Blackwater.
Wrote Mercenary Mum, a biography detailing her journey from young mother to Baghdad Bodyguard.
Has appeared on such shows as Channel 10’s Studio 10, Channel 9’s A Current Affair and the Today Show, and Channel 7’s Today Tonight Program.
Has made numerous radio appearances including the ABC’s Conversations with Richard Fidler and 2 GB’s Drive with Ben Fordham.
Has signed a contract with a Hollywood heavyweight to have her life story adapted into a TV series or movie.

Topics for Neryl Joyce

Mercenary Mum
A gripping and tragic story referencing leadership, organisational culture and adversity in a challenging and high stakes environment. Neryl will take you on a journey where every decision has a risk and every action can have a devastating consequence. Follow her story as she takes you from training to be a Jedi warrior as a child, to protecting VIPs on the streets of war-torn Baghdad. Experience the raw emotion; but more importantly, discover something about yourself and the everyday superhero within.
Importance of ethical leadership
Importance of team training and preparing for unknown events
Women in leadership/ Women in male dominated industry/ Empowering women
Overcoming adversity and thriving
Organisational culture
Assessing risk in the workplace

Testimonials for Neryl Joyce

Neryl was an incredibly engaging presenter, who had everyone rapt from the minute she started speaking. Her keynote was funny, insightful, shocking and inspiring. We couldn't have asked for a better speaker. She was a delight to work with and very accommodating of our needs - modifying her presentation to fit our run sheets and taking part in a panel discussion with short notice. Thank you Neryl!
Therapy Focus

Neryl delivered a fabulous presentation with the right out of humour, sarcasm, wit and insight which had our audience full engrossed with a mixture of laughs, tears and awe.
Schneider Electric

Neryl was most pleasant and down to earth. She kept our audience captivated and her story was like a good novel - full of twists and turns. Fantastic presentation especially to a forum of ladies.
Landmark