"The tunnel guy" and hero of the Silkyara rescue

Overview

Professor Arnold Dix is the Australian barrister, geologist and engineer who led the technical rescue of 41 workers trapped for 17 days inside the collapsed Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarakhand, India, in November 2023. President of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (the UN's peak advisory body on all matters underground), he is now one of the world's most in-demand keynote speakers on leadership, crisis communication and what's possible when good people unite.

Who is Professor Arnold Dix? Based in rural Victoria, Arnold is a qualified scientist (geologist), engineer and lawyer — a member of the Victorian Bar and visiting Professor of Engineering (tunnels) at Tokyo City University. He has been involved in major underground investigations including Ground Zero after 9/11, and the London and Madrid bombings. He holds a distinguished service award from the US National Fire Protection Association for his contributions to NFPA130 and NFPA502. In 2024 he was honoured as Australia's Local Hero in the Australian of the Year awards, and his memoir The Promise was published shortly after.

Career Highlights • Technical leader, Silkyara Tunnel rescue, India 2023 — all 41 workers rescued safely • President, International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association • Visiting Professor of Engineering (tunnels), Tokyo City University • Australian Local Hero, Australian of the Year Awards 2024 • Memoir, The Promise — bestselling 2024 release • Member of the Victorian Bar; founder, Underground Works Chambers

Key Speaking Themes • Leadership under pressure when lives depend on it • Crisis communication and keeping promises • Teamwork across cultures, agencies and continents • Decisive decision making and risk • Optimism, perseverance and "uniting and being nice"

What Your Audience Will Gain Arnold is warm, brilliant and refreshingly down-to-earth. Audiences leave inspired and moved — and with practical insight into communication, leadership and decision-making in genuinely high-consequence environments.

Ideal For • Leadership and CEO conferences • Crisis and risk management forums • Infrastructure, engineering and construction events • Sales kick-offs and corporate offsites • Awards nights and gala dinners

Frequently Asked Questions...

What does Professor Arnold Dix speak about? Leadership, crisis decision-making, teamwork, optimism and perseverance, drawn from a 30-year career in underground science and the Silkyara rescue.

What is the Silkyara rescue? The 17-day rescue of 41 workers trapped in a collapsed road tunnel in Uttarakhand, India, in November 2023 — led on the technical side by Professor Dix.

What organisations does Professor Dix lead? He is President of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA), the UN's peak advisory body on all matters underground.

What is The Promise? Professor Dix's 2024 memoir on the Silkyara rescue, leadership, and his life as a tunnels expert, lawyer and geologist.

What honours has Professor Dix received? Australian Local Hero (2024), recognition from the Australian and Indian Prime Ministers, and a US NFPA distinguished service award for road and rail tunnel safety.

Is Professor Arnold Dix available for keynotes in New Zealand? Yes. Arnold travels internationally as one of the world's most in-demand keynote speakers and is available for NZ corporate, leadership and infrastructure audiences.