Jas Hawker

Jas Hawker is a former Leader of the Red Arrows, senior Royal Air Force officer and high performance speaker with decades of experience leading teams in environments where trust, precision and rapid decision making are critical. From flying fast jets at more than 800 mph to leading multinational aviation programmes, Jas has built his career around delivering exceptional results when the stakes are high. Today, he translates those experiences into practical lessons that help organisations build trust, navigate change and sustain high performance. His understanding of how elite teams prepare, communicate and learn makes him a compelling speaker for leaders operating in complex and demanding environments.

Jas began his RAF career at a remarkably young age, becoming a commissioned officer and earning his fighter pilot wings by 19. He went on to become the youngest pilot to join a frontline RAF Tornado Squadron, gaining operational experience around the world before progressing to Deputy Squadron Commander. After serving as a Red Arrows wingman, Jas returned to the team as Commanding Officer and Leader in 2006. Leading eight fellow display pilots demanded extraordinary levels of trust, preparation and accountability, with every performance conducted publicly and with no margin for complacency. The Red Arrows regularly integrate new pilots while maintaining the same exacting standards, giving Jas firsthand experience of building cultures where people must learn quickly and perform immediately.

Jas later completed advanced command and leadership studies in Australia before serving in Afghanistan within a multinational headquarters as Senior Air Advisor. He subsequently became Chief of Air Operations, taking responsibility for complex aviation activity across the Middle East, and worked within the Ministry of Defence on strategic planning, security challenges and capability development. His career has also encompassed business development and advanced flying instruction, before becoming Head of Fixed Wing Flying Training for the RAF in 2021. More recently, Jas has served in senior operational leadership and as Branch Chief for NATO Flight Training Europe, advising governments and industry on the future of military aviation training capability.

Jas is hired as a speaker because his lessons in high performance have been tested where hesitation, weak communication and poor preparation carry serious consequences. Drawing on aviation, military leadership and multinational operations, he demonstrates how organisations can create trust before it is needed, simplify decision making under pressure and develop teams that learn rapidly without lowering standards. His approach gives leaders practical methods for navigating change, strengthening accountability and sustaining performance when conditions become uncertain. For organisations seeking more than leadership theory, Jas provides proven principles shaped by decades of delivering results in some of the world’s most demanding environments.