My Story

Rick Keir is the Director of Stirling Advisory and has over 35 years of experience in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Australian Defence Force (ADF), Department of Defence, and the National Intelligence Community (NIC); rising to be the first Air Force Intelligence Officer to reach the rank of Air Commodore (Brigadier General equivalent) and hence reaching the peak of his military profession.

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Since leaving the regular Air Force in 2019, he has undertaken strategic advisory and consulting work on a range of intelligence, space, defence, and national security matters.  This includes provision of strategic advice to companies that specialise in space-based ISR and earth observation, ISR, targeting, intelligence, open-source intelligence, artificial intelligence, maritime domain awareness, strategic consulting, information technology, and integrated technology and engineering solutions.  He has also conducted capability studies and developed key strategies for the Department of Defence, the Royal Australian Navy, and the Royal Australian Air Force on intelligence, ISR, and targeting.

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Rick remains active in the Australian Defence Force though the Air Force Reserves.

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Rick is a highly trusted executive and advisor, and a proven strategist, leader, critical thinker, and risk manager with an established reputation for achieving difficult and complex missions with integrity and energy. Rick is both collaborative and collegiate while also being an active change agent who conceptualises, designs, builds, innovates, and leads organisations to transform them and increase their value.

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Rick is an acknowledged expert and pre-eminent advisor in all aspects of:

• Intelligence

• Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)

• Space based earth observation and geospatial intelligence

• Targeting and effects.

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Rick’s last senior military appointment was as Director General Intelligence (J2) at Headquarters Joint Operations Command where he was responsible for intelligence support for all ADF force elements on operations and joint exercises during a period of heightened tempo, significant complexity, and global presence.  Key operations included Operations OKRA, AUGURY, INDO-PACIFIC ENDEAVOR, and ARGOS.

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His other senior appointments included being the Director Joint Target Intelligence (J2T), the Director of the Air Power Development Centre, the Commanding Officer of No. 87 Squadron, and the Director Intelligence (A2) and Chief of the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division (CISRD) at the ADF’s Air and Space Operations Centre.

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Prior to this, in 2002 Rick was seconded to the ADF’s Iraq Planning Team at US Central Command and Ninth Air Force and then deployed to the Coalition Air and Space Operations Centre in the Middle East for Operation FALCONER in 2003 and Air Force’s first strike operations since the Vietnam War in 1973 – as the Australian Chief of Joint Targeting and Air Intelligence.

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In 2003, Rick was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for exceptional service in the fields of air intelligence and joint targeting during the planning and conduct of Operation FALCONER.  In 2009 Rick was also awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC) for outstanding achievement as No. 87 Squadron’s inaugural Commanding Officer.

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Rick is a graduate of the Canadian Forces College Command and Staff Course (CSC) in Toronto, and the war college level Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies’ (CDSS) Defence and Strategic Studies Course (DSSC) in Canberra, Australia.

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Rick holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from ANU, an Executive Master of Public Administration (MPA) from ANU and the Australian and New Zealand School of Government, and a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies (MA) from Deakin University and the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies. He is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Cranlana, the Harvard Kennedy School, and the Australian Graduate School of Management.