Niall Downey is no stranger to high-stress environments, having performed at the top level in two seemingly unconnected industries – aviation and medicine. After training as a cardio-thoracic surgeon, he then became a commercial airline pilot where he noticed that, although both sectors are safety-critical, only one had a safety-management system in play. Niall’s book Oops! Why Things Go Wrong argues that if the health sector adopted the aviation industry’s tools and techniques to mitigate risk, it would reduce financial waste while improving patient and staff satisfaction.... Read more
Niall Downey, Showreel 2025
A New Approach to Error in Healthcare – But Will It Fly? | Niall Downey | TEDxStormontWomen
Niall Downey - Patient Safety 5th September 2023
Niall Downey, Radio Foyle Interview | London Speaker Bureau
Human error is inevitable, especially in today’s fast-changing, high-tech world. Exploring the neuroscience of decision-making and cognitive overload
The tech revolution has opened up a gulf between the work environment and the human mind. How to achieve psychological safety, adaptability and system resilience when your brain is still running on Caveman OS
The traffic-light system keeping the aviation industry safe.
This is your captain speaking: how the culture of the cockpit can help you fly high in the boardroom. Decision making, executive leadership, control, delegation, checklists, ego management and feedback loops are all cleared for takeoff
Humans are built to fail, but not to accept failure. Embracing systems-level thinking and error management to build organisations that learn and improve. Don’t fail fast, fail safely and effectively
Niall Downey is an Irish entrepreneur and author whose two very disparate high-stress careers have made him an expert in error management. He began his professional life as a cardio-thoracic surgeon before retraining as a commercial airline pilot, and believes that the tools and techniques he learnt in the cockpit are transferrable to the health sector.
Niall’s knowledge of cognitive overload, decision making, accountability, high performance and system blindness will resonate with tech teams, executives and innovators, or any organisation seeking high performance and low error. Niall is an advocate for systemic change in other industries all over the world besides healthcare. His book Oops! Why Things Go Wrong, written during the Pandemic, examines the issue of error in both industry and society generally.
Both aviation and healthcare are safety-critical industries, with their managers – the pilots and surgeons – navigating a high-tech environment. The human brain, on the other hand, weighs 3% of the body’s weight and burns 25% of its energy. As a result of many millennia of evolution, it has learned to conserve energy by taking shortcuts, which necessitate a margin of error – human error. As Niall puts its, our brains running “caveman software” in a 21st-century environment.”
This margin of error lies outside the margin of safety in our high-speed world, meaning that accidents – at great emotional and financial cost – do happen.
For this reason, Niall Downey believes that the error management system used to fly planes should be adapted for hospitals and clinics. Healthcare outcomes will improve if error management is implemented in the healthcare system, cutting costs and making patients and staff happier. And Niall believes that other industries will benefit from the wisdom of the aviation industry.
Niall has already applied the same principles to businesses in the construction, finance and sporting worlds, and has expanded these theories to other industries in Oops! Why Things Go Wrong. His experience blends mental health, systems thinking and real-world consequences, and should be a priority for governments, organisations and institutions worldwide.
Niall Downey is a keen cyclist and competed on a National and International Pro-Am level for many years, and acted as Race Doctor at many international events for six years.
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You can book Niall Downey through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Niall's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
Niall Downey's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Niall tailored to your event.
Niall Downey speaks on Authors, Behaviour, Business & Management, Emotional Intelligence, Health. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Niall to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book Niall Downey for events worldwide, subject to Niall's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Niall Downey is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Niall can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief Niall Downey on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Niall can offer.
Niall Downey delivers keynotes in English. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
Niall Downey's areas of expertise include Authors, Behaviour, Business & Management, Emotional Intelligence, Health. To get a clear sense of Niall's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
Niall Downey can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in Authors, Behaviour, Business & Management, Emotional Intelligence, Health is relevant. Details of Niall's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Niall Downey is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Niall Downey, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Niall's current availability for your dates.