Non-binding request for Rasmus Dahlberg
Rasmus Dahlberg
Rasmus Dahlberg explores crises, risk and human behaviour to reveal how people and organisations can become more resilient.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 347 223 5128
5.00 of 5
Top rated!
Why you should book Rasmus Dahlberg for your next event
- Gain fascinating insights into catastrophic mistakes throughout history and discover what they reveal about decisions under pressure.
- Understand complexity, uncertainty and the pitfalls of prediction when plans meet the unpredictable realities of a crisis.
- Explore human vulnerabilities and system resilience with perspectives grounded in disaster research and real-world field experience.
Non-binding request for Rasmus Dahlberg
Disaster researcher and historian on crisis, risk, leadership and resilience
What happens when reality overtakes the plan? Rasmus Dahlberg challenges familiar ideas about predictability and control through engaging talks on crisis, risk, leadership and emergency preparedness. As a historian and disaster researcher, he combines academic research with field experience – from incident command vehicles and rescue helicopters to inspection vessels along the coast of Northeast Greenland. Rasmus makes complex dynamics accessible, showing what emergencies, historical mistakes and human behaviour can teach us about uncertainty, decision-making and resilience.
Rasmus Dahlberg on crises and human behaviour
Rasmus Dahlberg uses disasters as a prism for understanding how societies, organisations and people really function under pressure. His talks challenge the belief that sufficient analysis and planning can make the world entirely predictable. Instead, he explores what happens when assumptions fail, uncertainty increases and decisions have to be made before all the answers are available.
A crisis is rarely defined by one dramatic moment. It develops through numerous decisions made before, during and after an event. By examining historical and modern disasters, Rasmus identifies recurring patterns and shows why some systems prove vulnerable while others remain resilient.
His approach is curious, analytical and accessible. Complex dynamics become understandable without losing their professional and academic depth, giving audiences a fresh perspective on their own organisations, decisions and assumptions.
When reality overtakes the plan
With a background as a historian and disaster researcher, Rasmus Dahlberg has studied subjects ranging from shipwrecks to modern emergency response. His research focuses on how people navigate chaos and what happens to systems when conditions develop differently from what was expected.
This knowledge is strengthened by close cooperation with emergency response organisations and extensive experience in the field. Rasmus has observed operations from the passenger seat of incident command vehicles, experienced Icelandic rescue helicopters at close range and joined inspection vessels operating along the coast of Northeast Greenland.
These experiences provide an unusual perspective on what actually happens when reality overtakes procedures and plans. Rasmus demonstrates how easily we can overestimate our ability to predict and control events, and how seemingly minor misunderstandings, assumptions and decisions can contribute to catastrophic outcomes.
Audiences gain insights into:
- Catastrophic mistakes throughout history and what can be learned from them
- Complexity and the dangers of believing that everything can be predicted
- Human weaknesses, decision-making and behaviour under pressure
- The resilience of systems, organisations and societies
- Risk and preparedness as essential elements of strategic thinking
Research meets field experience
Born in 1977, Rasmus Dahlberg was educated at the University of Southern Denmark. He wrote his PhD on emergency preparedness and disaster science in collaboration with the Danish Emergency Management Agency and is affiliated with Copenhagen Center for Disaster Research at the University of Copenhagen and Copenhagen Business School.
As head of the Center for Societal Security, he works to strengthen knowledge about risk, prevention and societal vulnerability. His academic background is complemented by a persistent fascination with uncertainty and with the ways people and organisations respond when familiar structures are placed under pressure.
Rasmus is also an experienced communicator and has written a number of books and articles about disasters, historical mistakes and society's response to extreme events. His talks combine this academic foundation with practical observations and vivid examples. The result is a grounded approach to subjects that can otherwise seem abstract, technical or distant from everyday organisational life.
Risk, leadership and preparedness
A central theme in Rasmus Dahlberg's talks is the tension between our desire for control and the reality of unpredictability. Modern organisations depend on plans, forecasts and assumptions about stability, but those assumptions can become vulnerabilities when circumstances suddenly change.
Rasmus offers new ways to think about risk and uncertainty. He explores how organisations can make better decisions when information is incomplete, recognise their blind spots and build systems capable of responding when the unexpected occurs.
This makes his talks relevant to both public and private organisations. Preparedness, in his perspective, should be an integrated part of strategic work rather than an afterthought reserved for the moment something goes wrong. Understanding vulnerabilities before a crisis can strengthen leadership, cooperation and the organisation's ability to adapt when conditions change.
His presentations are direct, engaging and thought-provoking. Rather than promising simple answers to complex problems, Rasmus gives audiences perspectives they can use to examine their own practices and question assumptions that may otherwise remain invisible.
Book Rasmus Dahlberg for your event
Book speaker Rasmus Dahlberg for an engaging exploration of crises, disasters, risk and human behaviour. Drawing on historical research, disaster science and first-hand field experience, he brings audiences closer to the mechanisms that shape decisions and outcomes when people and systems come under pressure.
A talk with Rasmus Dahlberg provides a deeper understanding of unpredictability and the limitations of control, while offering useful perspectives on leadership, cooperation, preparedness and organisational resilience. Audiences leave with knowledge that can be translated into action and a sharper awareness of how small decisions, human weaknesses and systemic assumptions can influence what happens when the unexpected becomes reality.
Customer Reviews
5 of 5
“We had the pleasure of hearing Rasmus Dahlberg speak at our preparedness theme day. He turned it into one of the best theme days I have attended. Very inspiring. Many thanks from us.”
Anne-Mette RehderAkutafdelingen SUH
5 of 5
“Rasmus was incredibly good at capturing the audience’s attention and keeping them engaged. His presentation was full of excitement, and he used humour very effectively to emphasise his key points.”
Jonas LichtSeahealth
5 of 5
“I have attended several of Rasmus’ keynotes before, as well as after the one we booked, and it is always a great experience. His presentations are very coherent, and he is excellent at communicating the content. Afterwards, I received plenty of feedback, all of it positive. I also know of at least two audience members who have since talked about booking Rasmus for a keynote themselves.”
Rasmus BjerringBeredskabsforbundet Region Midtjylland
5 of 5
“Rasmus delivered a really strong and engaging keynote. We are extremely satisfied. He also received a great deal of praise from our participants and achieved an excellent evaluation.”
Anne-Mette O. Kuijpersit-forum
5 of 5
“With his grounding in history and real-life crises and events, Rasmus delivered a lively and entertaining keynote that challenged familiar ways of thinking. We live in an increasingly complex world where the connections we used to rely on are no longer always present. We are facing a more unpredictable reality. A refreshing and thought-provoking presentation.”
Rasmus DynkelRadius Elnet A/S
Rated 5.00/5 based on 5 customer reviews
Keynotes
Keynote by Rasmus Dahlberg:
Is Your Company Ready for War and Crises?
Politicians are urging people in Denmark to be better prepared for war and major societal crises. But what does this mean when you lead or work in a company where operational shutdowns, infrastructure failures or supply chain disruptions can have serious consequences?
Power outages, disruptions to the water supply or loss of internet access are not just challenges for private households – they are events that can bring even well-prepared organisations to a standstill. But how likely are these scenarios, how could they affect businesses, and what should companies actually do to be better prepared?
In this keynote, disaster and war researcher Rasmus Dahlberg, who has worked with emergency preparedness and societal security for more than two decades, provides a clear and realistic overview of what companies should prepare for. Drawing on his book “OBS: Oplysningerne til Borgerne om Samfundssikkerhed” and the latest research, he explores:
- Which crisis and conflict scenarios could realistically affect Denmark
- What these scenarios could mean for critical business functions
- How organisations can work systematically with emergency preparedness
- How much preparation – and what kind – provides the greatest value
- How to build a culture that strengthens resilience and the ability to act
The keynote gives leaders and employees a solid foundation for assessing their organisation’s vulnerabilities and taking the first practical steps towards stronger business preparedness.
Keynote by Rasmus Dahlberg:
Are You Ready for War and Crisis?
Politicians have urged the public to be prepared in the event of war or major disasters. People should ideally be able to manage for three days without some – or even all – of the necessities of modern society, such as electricity, running water or internet access.
But how much canned food and pasta should you actually keep at home? Should you invest in an emergency generator, water purification tablets and an emergency radio? And what is the actual risk of war reaching Denmark, or of a crisis that leaves us dependent on emergency power and stored drinking water? Which scenarios should we prepare for, and how should we respond to them?
The best place to start is with knowledge.
Rasmus Dahlberg has researched war and disasters for two decades and has written several books on the subject, including “OBS: Oplysningerne til Borgerne om Samfundssikkerhed”. In this keynote on “prepping” – or preparedness, as you might prefer to call it – Rasmus Dahlberg offers his perspective on how prepared people living in Denmark should be, what they should prepare for and how to get started.
Keynote by Rasmus Dahlberg:
How Bad Do We Really Have It?
Do your colleagues complain constantly? Has someone once again taken the last cup of coffee without brewing a fresh pot? Has the printer run out of toner again? We all know the feeling... but someone has definitely had it worse than you.
The subject may be serious, but Rasmus Dahlberg keeps the delivery light and engaging. With a twinkle in his eye, he explores humanity’s tragicomic and seemingly endless ability to press the wrong button at exactly the wrong time.
This entertaining and uplifting keynote with Denmark’s leading – and only – disaster historian takes you through a Top Ten of disasters, featuring everything from rocket explosions and shipwrecks to a tsunami of syrup.
Keynote by Rasmus Dahlberg:
The Human Factor
How is it possible that we surround ourselves with increasingly advanced technology, yet accidents and disasters still happen because people make mistakes?
Drawing on systems theory and examples from the history of technology, Rasmus Dahlberg presents a number of fundamental human “deadly sins”, such as curiosity, impatience and arrogance, which seem to follow us everywhere – in the cockpit, behind the wheel and on the bridge.
The keynote is based on more than 15 years of experience from field studies and consultancy work in high-risk industries. It is relevant both for professionals working with safety in practice and for leaders and organisational developers who will recognise a familiar challenge: we humans seem to make the same mistakes again and again, even though we claim to learn from them.
Keynote by Rasmus Dahlberg:
Presidents – From Washington to Trump
The President of the United States holds one of the world’s most important offices. The decisions made in the White House affect people across the globe. Taking on such a powerful position requires unwavering confidence and strong convictions, and after four unpredictable years with Donald Trump in the White House, the importance of a president’s personality became clearer than ever. But was Trump really the first great wildcard at the very pinnacle of power?
Historians Rasmus Dahlberg and Philip Chr. Ulrich offer an introduction to American politics and history through portraits of the first 44 men to occupy the White House, from George Washington to Donald Trump. Based on their book, the keynote explores the presidents, their politics, personalities and the marks they left on the Oval Office, while also tracing the broader developments that have shaped American history.
Along the way, the audience is introduced to historical events and influential figures that are essential to understanding US political history, from the abolition of slavery and Benjamin Franklin to the Iraq War and the September 11 attacks.
