INSPIRE | Interview

INSPIRING THE BUSINESS WORLD

INSPIRING THE BUSINESS WORLD

INSPIRINGINSPIRING THE BUSINESS THE WORLD BUSINESS WORLD The As featured in WORLD that The CEO Magazine BEZOS The extraordinary man behind one of the world's built For more info visit biggest brands

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Leading the vigilant sentinel guarding our far-ranging borders, Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg and his team work overtime to keep our country safe.

WORDS BONNIE GARDINER • IMAGES IRENE DOWDY

or the past five years, border various elements of the Australian Border protection has been a political Force (ABF) that are regularly overlooked. hot potato. Whoever and “In terms of actual operational whatever has attempted to opportunities, the ABF has a wide remit. cross ’s borders, and There is no other agency anywhere in the policies that govern this, the Commonwealth that has such a Fare all closely scrutinised by government diverse and rich array of responsibilities,” officials, the public and the media, whether says ABF Commissioner Roman it be scrupulous border controls, new Quaedvlieg. “Of course, there’s a lot of counter-terrorism measures, controversy attention given to the people-smuggling surrounding the government’s refugee operations, but it’s also the force that policy – even entire television series deals with stopping the inflow of drugs, depicting border force officers riffling firearms, asbestos, child pornography, through flustered people’s baggage in the intellectual property fraud, corruption, name of border security. Yet despite so as well as running maritime operations many eyes on its operations, there are as a coastguard function.” »

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Roman himself has served in numerous where he spent eight years working merged organisation, and senior roles for the Australian Federal undercover to bring down serious in return we’re investing in Police, Australian Crime Commission, and organised crime groups. “I had an affinity uplifting the workforce, the Queensland Police Service, even being for it. I really enjoyed the intellectual expanding capabilities, and awarded an Australian Police Medal in challenge of investigating and prosecuting,” improving the tools that 2011 for his investigations into drug he says. “It’s always rewarding when, after they get,” says Roman. trafficking, people smuggling and child these long, complex investigations that New technologies are sex tourism. take a lot of effort and creativity, you take being implemented to Growing up in a blue-collar suburb down those big high-end syndicates.” improve intelligence in north Brisbane, he was given the After a brief stint in security for the gathering and sharing, data opportunity to make a steady income private sector, Roman returned to the analytics, and to develop through the Queensland Police, and took federal policing domain and undertook advanced automated to it like a duck to water. Within 18 a three-year appointment with the newly passenger processing to months, Roman went into detective work, formed Australian Crime Commission in better deal with the and later moved into covert operations, an executive role. In 2005, he joined the growing volumes of people, Australian Federal Police (AFP), where activities and threats facing he spent two years heading up financial Australia’s borders. investigations such as money laundering “Everything we do is WHEN YOUR NUMBER’S UP and large-scale fraud. In 2007, Roman tied to volumes – greater The Australian Border Force’s was promoted to assistant commissioner, passengers, greater air and 2015-16 performance stats: responsible for border operations, and sea cargo, greater numbers national manager, and later also served of visa applications, greater Processed 40.68 million as AFP chief of staff, then chief police numbers of tourists visiting, “I caution people who want to join international air and officer at ACT Policing – the community and so on. If we don’t get sea travellers policing arm of the AFP. ahead of that game by using the force ... it’s not all milk and honey. Roman joined the Australian Customs artificial intelligence, we’re You see the dark side of humanity.” Processed 35,527 ship arrivals and Border Protection Service in May going to suffer.” and departures from 2013, and was CEO by October 2014. With the growing number Australian ports “We really lifted the ante of the game and complexity of threats, focus there, on the back of what was a very on the human element of the Refused 3,258 immigration difficult time for Customs,” explains Border Force operations can’t be lost, You see the dark side of humanity, and if clearances at airports Roman. “They’d gone through a bit of with a key element of Roman’s leadership you’re not careful, you can become quite and seaports a crisis when they discovered a corrupt to tackle the potential for his staff to cynical.” These mechanisms also come in Inspected 96,637 cell of officers working out of Sydney suffer blows to their mental health due handy when Border Force officers face sea cargo containers Airport. During the recovery from that, to negativity they can be regularly criticism for controversial government I was poached across by the then minister, exposed to in the line of duty. Welfare policy directing their operations. “We’re Inspected 1.96 million Jason Clare, who wanted a law mechanisms like counselling and conscious that some of our directives are air cargo consignments enforcement influence at a senior level, preventative treatments are put in place not popular. But our people execute that so I was involved in some anti-corruption to help ABF officers develop resilience policy to the best of their professional Inspected 57.3 million work within Customs.” and coping mechanisms. “We need to experience and skill, and if done with international mail items When the border control and constantly provide support and messaging good diligence and values, I will back investigative functions of the Department from the upper levels,” says Roman. my officers 100 per cent,” says Roman. Detected 37,936 illicit of Immigration and Border Protection While serving as chief police officer As a leader, he finds happiness in drug imports and the Australian Customs and Border for ACT Policing, Roman also broke new watching his people develop and succeed. Protection Service were integrated in ground by introducing compulsory mental “I draw positives now from seeing the Surveilled 150 million square 2015 to form the Australian Border Force, health training for frontline police officers, passion and the commitment that is often nautical miles of ocean Roman was naturally the best fit to be putting clinicians into the field to assist evident in our younger officers, and the commissioner. “We’re in a period of staff in need. “I caution people who want satisfaction when they have good results,” Collected more than significant consolidation now. We’ve been to join the force. I say to them, ‘It’s a he says. “When I see that pride, it’s $20 billion in revenue lucky to have had the backing and the great career, it’s very rewarding, but just something from which I draw a lot confidence of government to invest in the be prepared.’ It’s not all milk and honey. of comfort and satisfaction.”

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