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Andy led one of the world's largest emergency services through critical reform following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, transforming an organisation in special measures into the most significantly improved fire service in the country. He explores driving transformation under pressure, building high-performance teams, risk, and values-led leadership in complex, high-stakes environments.
Andy Roe is a former Commissioner of London Fire Brigade, and Chair of the Building Safety Regulator. He served as Commissioner of the LFB for five years, leading one of the world's largest emergency services through critical reform following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Tasked with transforming an organisation in special measures, he delivered a comprehensive leadership, communication and cultural strategy. His work helped the LFB go from crisis to being cited as the most significantly improved fire service in the UK within five years.
Drawing on his experience leading over 6,300 staff across 103 fire stations with an annual budget of over £510 million, as well as his background as a former Army Captain, Andy explores the challenges of driving transformation in organisations and teams resistant to change. Through personal, sometimes moving, sometimes amusing stories, Andy recounts how he learned, often the hard way, what true leadership means. He considers the trauma and the courage, the toxicity and the inspiration he’s witnessed leading both on the frontline and in the office. He examines how leaders can devise practical plans for change that all stakeholders buy into. He considers why strategies fail to overcome internal and external resistance or succumb to conflicting priorities or scrutiny. He addresses the vital importance of resilience, clear communication, and balanced approaches to reward and accountability in building and sustaining high-performance teams in complex, high-pressure environments.
Alongside leadership and change, Andy also examines risk through the lens of real-world outcomes, having commanded at some of the UK's most high-profile major incidents. He reflects on how organisations can better anticipate failure, respond effectively under pressure, and build systems that avoid future crises. He addresses why technology can never entirely remove the need for human judgement, adaptability and leadership. His insights emphasise values-led leadership, recognising that people don't want heroic leaders but human ones, and that effective leadership means serving the people who drive organisational activity and success.
