Author, motivational Speaker, mental health advocate
Since leaving the NSW Police Force in 2012 Simon Gillard has worked as a professional speaker informing and inspiring audiences around Australia on the hugely important topics of mental health and wellness, PTSD and depression signs and symptoms, resilience, early intervention and suicide prevention. He has also acted as a mentor as part of the NSW Police Legacy initiative ‘BACKUP for Life‘ – a service for former NSW Police Officers and their families, and is a member of Blue Voices.
Simon is a mental health and addiction advisor to the Australian Primary Health Network, an accredited Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) and an Ambassador for Australian Rotary Health and RUOK? He is also a presenter for Beyond Blue, the Black Dog Institute and Suicide Prevention Australia and a member of the ANZ Mental Health Association.
His experience as a speaker ranges from keynote addresses at conferences for up to 5,000 people to presentations at corporate days, high schools and sports clubs to university guest lectures and workshops for Lifeline telephone crisis support teams throughout NSW. He has also participated in numerous academic studies on PTSD.
As a Detective Sergeant within the NSW Police Force Simon Gillard led investigations of major crimes across areas of homicide, suicide investigations, armed robbery, high profile sexual related crimes as well as major frauds, assaults, and drug operations. His ten-year police career ranged across emergency management and counter terrorism, training facilitation, crime scene preservation and analysis, community-based policing, plain clothes and surveillance operations, investigative interviews, and the crime prevention, anti-theft, break and enter squads. Simon was awarded with the National Service Medal (2011), National Police Service Medal, NSW Police Medal –Diligent and Ethical Service (2006) and NSW Police Commissioners Olympic Citation (2000).
In 2013 Simon appeared on Seven Network’s true-crime series ‘The Suspects: True Australian Thrillers’, season 1 Episode 2, where he detailed an investigation into the murder of Zoe Zou.
Simon has a Bachelor of Police Investigations, Advanced Diplomas in Public Safety and Justice, and Diplomas in Security & Risk Management, Business, Management, as well as Certificate IVs in Community Services, Supervision, Education and Training.