Aviation Lessons for High-Risk Industries: From Jet Engines to Oil Rigs | Andrew Dingee
Download MP3How 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
Produced by: The AGN Group, Host: Angela Gill Nelms, Producer: Katie Hart
Tagline: Be Brave. Be Badass.
Websites: www.theagngroup.com and 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. www.TheAGNGroup.com.
Social Media Channels:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badassleaderspodcast/
Twitter: https://x.com/BALeadersPod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@baleaderspod
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/badass-leaders-podcast2
Want to be a Podcast Guest?
If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, email brave@badassleaderspodcast.com
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
Produced by: The AGN Group, Host: Angela Gill Nelms, Producer: Katie Hart
Tagline: Be Brave. Be Badass.
Websites: www.theagngroup.com and 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. www.TheAGNGroup.com.
Social Media Channels:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badassleaderspodcast/
Twitter: https://x.com/BALeadersPod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@baleaderspod
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/badass-leaders-podcast2
Want to be a Podcast Guest?
If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, email brave@badassleaderspodcast.com
Creators and Guests
Host
Angela Gill Nelms
Angela Gill Nelms is a founder, board leader, podcaster, and award-winning entrepreneur with a career spanning SaaS, medical devices, biotech, and clinical research. She builds high-impact teams and organizations rooted in culture, resilience, and strategic execution—helping innovators move ideas from lab to market and leaders grow with intention. She hosts three podcasts that reflect her mission to elevate leadership and accelerate biomedical innovation: Badass Leaders Podcast, Holy Shift! Biomedical Breakthroughs Shaping Tomorrow, and Recovery Advocate Network: Coffee & Conversation. Across each show, Angela creates space for honest conversations that drive impact, reduce stigma, and shape the future of leadership and health. A Georgia Tech Academy of Distinguished Alumni honoree and INC 500 award recipient, Angela serves on multiple boards across innovation and mental health ecosystems. Outside of work, she’s beekeeping, blacksmithing, turning wood, or training—6× IRONMAN and lifelong advocate for humans being human.
Producer
Katie Hart
Katie Hart is the Senior Client Relations Manager and Executive Podcast Producer at The AGN Group, where she leads podcast production, brand strategy, and client experience from concept to launch. Equal parts creative and operational powerhouse, she guides clients through branding, recording, and distribution while ensuring every detail runs seamlessly. Known as a customer experience magician, Katie is passionate about making every client and guest feel seen, supported, and celebrated—delivering a five-star experience that amplifies bold stories and builds meaningful impact.
