Andrew Dingee: Aviation Safety Secrets— Transforming Corporate Culture

Episode 025 of the Badass Leaders Podcast

How a fighter pilot helped BP slash safety incidents by 70%—Andrew Dingee on systems, leadership, and learning from failure.

Andrew Dingee, former fighter pilot and BP executive, joins Angela Gill Nelms to share how aviation safety principles—like checklists, debriefs, and human factors thinking—can transform corporate culture. They discuss building systems that learn from mistakes, the role of leadership in psychological safety, and what it takes to drive lasting change in high-risk industries.

Learn more about Andrew at:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-d-23812115/
• Website: https://www.systemsafety4u.com/
• Book: https://www.amazon.ca/Delivering-Right-Stuff-Operational-Excellence/dp/148348713X

Mentioned in this Episode:

• The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe: https://buff.ly/R48YGSR 
• Kofi Smith’s episode: https://youtu.be/5CKPG7nfwww?si=TA65aKABYBf6aN7Q 
• Basketball Gorilla Experiment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo 
• Angela’s Iron Man races: https://www.angelagillnelms.com/my-triathlon-days/ 
• Hawthorne Effect: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/hawthorne-effect.asp 
• Angela’s book list: https://www.angelagillnelms.com/angelas-ultimate-business-booklist-for-growth-leadership/ 
• Jacob Karnes’s (Chick-fil-a) episode: https://youtu.be/C3mpwikZWXw?si=Wgx86IISi-PdZ6kS 
• Scott Wozniak’s  (Chick-fil-a)  episode: https://youtu.be/YJ05Ewazics?si=p1NUy9n9FUKEvMYq  

About Angela:
Angela Gill Nelms is a trailblazer in the creation of exceptional companies and teams. She serves as the Director of Biolocity and is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of both The AGN Group and the Recovery Advocate Network. Previously, she held the position of Chief Operations Officer at Aetos Imaging, RenovoRx, and Florence Healthcare. With a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Tech, Angela has a proven track record of successfully navigating the FDA, leading diverse teams, prioritizing the needs of customers and patients, and building exceptional companies.

Angela shares her lessons learned around the country in keynote speeches, coaching, and team-building workshops. Learn more about Angela at www.AngelaGillNelms.com. 

About The AGN Group:
At The AGN Group, we believe every individual, team, and company can unlock their inner badass, one brave step at a time. We offer keynote and panel speaking, leadership and team-building workshops, fractional and management consulting, brand and storytelling services. Email us at hello@TheAGNGroup.com to connect. Learn more at www.TheAGNGroup.com.

Social Media Channels:

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Want to be a Podcast Guest?

If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, email brave@angelagillnelms.com. 

Learn more about the podcast at www.BadassLeadersPodcast.com.

Listen on Spotify or Apple, or watch below: