Ph.D. educator and ex-paratrooper delivering practical, fear-free strategies to reduce critical errors in high-risk work.
5.00 of 5
Top rated!5 of 5
"...Even our most senior and experienced experts were impressed!... Several attendees told me that they've already begun applying these practical skills to improve safety and human reliability in our field teams around the world.”
J.T. Lee
Senior HSE Advisor, Organizational Learning, Chevron
Prevent costly, career-defining mistakes before they happen. Jake Mazulewicz combines 15+ years of experience with 250+ high-risk teams, a Ph.D. in adult education, and frontline roles as a firefighter, EMT, and military paratrooper. He’s led Human Performance for 3,600+ technical experts in a major electric utility and created safety models adopted by Chevron, Fermilab, and the U.S. Department of Energy. In every keynote, Jake delivers practical, research-backed strategies that reduce errors, build trust, and drive safety, without fear, blame, or silence.
Keynote Speaker Jake Mazulewicz is widely recognized for his groundbreaking work in human error prevention, high-reliability team performance, and organizational safety culture. With over 15 years of hands-on experience and a Ph.D. in Education, Jake brings a rare combination of academic rigor, instructional expertise, and real-world operational insight to every keynote he delivers.
Jake is known for helping technical organizations answer a critical question: Why do good people make bad decisions, even when procedures exist? Drawing on deep expertise in Human Performance (HOP), Safety II, Human Factors Engineering, and Resilience Engineering, Jake helps organizations move beyond outdated “zero tolerance” mindsets to create environments where learning, adaptability, and accountability thrive.
As the former Human Performance Lead for a large electric utility serving over 1 million customers, Jake developed and implemented training for 3,600+ lineworkers, engineers, system operators, and executives. He’s analyzed over 300 safety-related incidents and has worked directly with 250+ high-hazard teams, including the U.S. Department of Energy, Chevron, Fermilab, and Energy Safety Canada.
Through dynamic, story-driven keynotes, Jake introduces tools like the Scan & Focus model of situational awareness, the Four Levels of Decision Making, and practical frameworks for reducing errors, improving communication, and building trust across all organizational levels.
Jake's presentations are fast-paced, actionable, and grounded in real-world relevance. Whether you're in energy, manufacturing, logistics, or any high-stakes industry, his insights are tailored to the challenges your teams face every day.
Book Jake Mazulewicz for your event to empower your people with the tools they need to think clearly, act safely, and perform reliably, under pressure and in real time.
5 of 5
"...Even our most senior and experienced experts were impressed!... Several attendees told me that they've already begun applying these practical skills to improve safety and human reliability in our field teams around the world.”
J.T. Lee Senior HSE Advisor, Organizational Learning, Chevron
5 of 5
“Your investigation and analysis was the most thorough and well-documented of any we have had to date... the interviews and investigation were not threatening in any way… we have already implemented some changes to our processes.”
Manager of Electric Transmission System Operations in an electric power utility serving 1+ million customers
5 of 5
"Jake has played an integral role in re-shaping culture & behaviorsaround safety and work planning...The use of fail-safes, adaptive thinking, and peer checks are becoming part of the way we do things.”
Work Planning & Control (WPC) Manager at a national scientific laboratory
5 of 5
"We got more practical ideas from Jake than from any other keynote we can remember. After dinner, we talked about Jake's presentation for more than TWO HOURS! That led to REAL change when we returned to the plant.”
Maintenance & Reliability Leader at Xcelerate 2019
5 of 5
"This was the first session of my ASSP conference, and it was the most impactful session for me. The information presented was amazing and relatable to any situation, in my opinion. Jake kept the audience actively listening and fully engaged for the duration of his presentation. I cant wait to attend another session led by Jake in the future!"
Marcus Fitzgerald Global QEHS Director at CETCO Energy
5 of 5
'We engaged Jake as a keynote speaker for our company-wide safety conference. Our leaders, from field foreman through executives, were unanimously impressed. Since Jake's presentation, our project managers and field foreman have told me that they are starting to experiment with many of the practical ideas that Jake taught us"
Fred Barlow Vice President & Chief Safety Offcer, Reliance Electric, Inc.
Keynote by Jake Mazulewicz:
What if one simple mistake could cost your company millions or someone their life?
In high-risk industries, errors aren’t just inconvenient, they’re catastrophic. Keynote speaker Jake Mazulewicz delivers a compelling, fast-paced keynote that shows how your team can prevent costly surprises and build a culture of safety, trust, and reliability.
Through gripping stories and real-world insights, Jake introduces seven practical steps used by elite teams. like firefighters, pilots, and system operators, that your team can start applying right away. From building psychological safety to leading effective After Action Reviews and strengthening system resilience, these proven methods don’t just reduce errors, they transform organizational performance.
Audience takeaways
Learn seven proven steps to strengthen safety, trust, and reliability in technical teams.
Discover how elite teams prevent errors using practical, high-impact tools.
Build psychological safety that encourages learning and open communication.
Transform investigations and reviews into drivers of continuous improvement.
Apply resilience-building techniques to reduce risk and improve system performance.
Keynote by Jake Mazulewicz:
Keynote by Jake Mazulewicz:
Keynote by Jake Mazulewicz :
Keynote by Jake Mazulewicz:
Why do smart, capable people still make poor decisions, even when procedures exist?
In fast-paced, high-risk environments, rigid rules often fall short. When complexity rises and conditions shift, teams need more than checklists, they need adaptive decision-making skills. This keynote delivers exactly that.
In Practical Decision Making: Four Levels from Novice to Expert, your team will learn how world-class performers, from air traffic controllers to utility operators, navigate uncertainty with confidence. This engaging, story-driven session introduces a proven framework of four decision levels: from explicit procedures to the intuitive expertise that only experience can build.
Attendees walk away with practical tools to close the gap between Work-as-Imagined and Work-as-Done, improve everyday performance, and foster smarter, faster decision-making at every level of your organization.
Book Jake Mazulewicz for your event and equip your team to think clearly, act confidently, and lead decisively under pressure.
Watch Jake Mazulewicz in action!
Watch Jake Mazulewicz in action!
