#50 | Nicole Blackwell, Strengthening resilience through connectivity

Disasters are changing and so must the way we prepare, respond, recover, and lead. In this episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, host Renae Hanvin speaks with Nicole Blackwell, an experienced emergency management leader working at NBN Co, helping strengthen preparedness, response and resilience across complex systems and critical infrastructure, and we’re talking about strengthening resilience through connectivity. With deep expertise in emergency management, stakeholder collaboration and cross-sector coordination, Nicole sits at the intersection of technology, connectivity, and community resilience – working to ensure critical services and partnerships are ready when disruption strikes. She also contributes to the broader emergency management community through her involvement with organisations such as Red Cross and Safe Australasia. If you’re passionate about emergency preparedness, disaster recovery, community resilience, business continuity, or resilience leadership, this show is for you. Subscribe now and join us as we explore smarter, stronger, and more connected ways to prepare for the future. About Nicole Blackwell Nicole Blackwell is a senior emergency management leader with 25+ years’ experience supporting people, organisations and communities through high‑pressure, high‑consequence environments. Her career began in Information Technology and database administration, grounding her in systems thinking, analytical clarity and the importance of good data in decision‑making. That technical foundation continues to shape how she leads – with clarity, evidence and a focus on what helps people perform well when it matters most. Over time, her work evolved into national emergency management and organisational resilience. She led and supported responses to major, all‑hazards events – including Black Summer, COVID, floods and cyclones – working across emergency services, government and critical infrastructure partners. In her current role as National Emergency Integration Manager at NBN, she’s trusted to hold the operational and executive layers together during system‑wide emergencies. She translates complex, multi‑agency and technical issues into clear, actionable information that enables calm, confident decision‑making under pressure. She’s a people‑centred leader who deeply values culture, capability and relationships. She designs and delivers training, exercises and development programs that build confidence before it’s needed, and she coach leaders to show up with presence, clarity and care during uncertainty. Connect with Nicole LinkedIn -   / nicole-blackwell-emergencymgr   Website - https://www.nbnco.com.au/emergency Website - https://safeaustralasia.org/ Connect with Renae Hanvin: Website - https://resilientready.org/ Podcast - https://resilientready.org/podcasts/ LinkedIn -   / resilient-ready   Instagram -   / resilient_ready   Facebook -   / resilientready.org   Business Ready Together - https://resilientready.org/solutions/... Microtools - https://resilientready.org/solutions/... #doingdisastersdifferently #disasterresilience #emergencymanagement #disasterpreparedness #communityresilience #businesscontinuity #climateadaptation #leadership #renaehanvin #corporate2community #preparedness #resilience