Major Dan Fussell, an artillery officer, joined the Army in 2006, following in his brother Michael’s footsteps. Tragically, Lieutenant Michael Fussell was later killed in Afghanistan in 2008.
Strengthening a family legacy
Dan completed two tours of Afghanistan, experiences that would go on to shape his leadership and training philosophy. The first was in 2011 as part of a small Australian detachment serving with the British Artillery in Helmand Province, followed by a second deployment in 2012 in Uruzgan with the 3 RAR Task Group.
Those operational experiences informed his enduring belief in developing people through challenge, preparation and shared adversity.
‘I was the second in command of the Army’s Adventurous Training Wing in 2016, and then the Officer Commanding from 2017 to 2018,’ Dan says. ‘Developing people through purposeful challenge has always been something I’ve been deeply passionate about.’
Dan transitioned out of the Army in 2019 and in 2021 began establishing Keltus with a clear intent to deliver high-quality resilience and leadership training beyond Defence, initially focused on corporates and elite performers.
When Defence later closed its Adventurous Training Wing and moved towards outsourcing elements of adventurous training, this aligned naturally with Keltus’ existing capability and philosophy.
‘That shift created an opportunity to continue supporting soldiers in a different way,’ Dan says. ‘It allowed me to keep giving back, while expanding Keltus’ service offering in a way that stayed true to its original purpose.’
Today, Keltus delivers experiential resilience and leadership training through activities such as abseiling, climbing, canyoning, sea kayaking and white-water disciplines, working across Defence, corporate organisations, sporting teams, emergency services and government agencies.
Transitioning from Army life
Dan’s transition from Army life wasn’t immediate.
‘I left the Army wanting to pursue this, but I probably didn’t have the confidence or the headspace to just start my own business,’ he says.
After leaving Defence, he took time to reset.
‘I took a five-month break, headed overseas, did a bunch of mountaineering, went to Greece, Cambodia and Laos – just had a great time.’
When he returned, he built experience in the corporate sector, including at Downer Professional Services and later Penten, where he rose to Head of Business Development.
‘That gave me exposure not just to business development and sales, but also finance, marketing, communications and leadership. I wasn’t an expert in anything, but I understood the different components I needed to bring together to give business a good crack.’
That combination of operational discipline and corporate insight gave Dan the confidence to launch Keltus – a venture that merges the best of both worlds.
Learning to perform under pressure
Dan’s belief in experiential learning runs deep – forged in moments of real danger. During his second tour to Afghanistan, he witnessed firsthand how soldiers respond to stress and fear under fire.
‘I was sitting in a lecture theatre in Townsville, learning the theory of stress management,’ he says. ‘But the next time we were expected to use it was when we got shot at. That’s a really big leap.’
Weeks later, in Afghanistan, theory met reality.
‘The patrol I was on got shot at pretty effectively – rounds landing within about three metres of the guys’ feet. Everyone froze for a bit. Not permanently, but long enough to see how people react under stress.’
It was an experience that shaped what has become his lifelong mission.
‘It’s negligent to send soldiers on operations without knowing their response to fear and stress. The more you practice stress management, the quicker your response cycle gets. That’s what I wanted to influence in the Army – to close that gap and give people practice before the real thing.’
Taking lessons beyond Defence
Today, Keltus uses experiential training to help people across different industries understand their responses to pressure.
‘Novel training that puts people out of their comfort zone – like abseiling, climbing, being upside down in white water – gives them the chance to practice managing stress.’
The outcomes go far beyond the immediate challenge.
‘We can design activities to build and measure leadership and resilience. With our Director of Research and Evaluation, Dr Emily Chapman, we actually collect data – participant surveys, instructor observations, questionnaires – so we can show a tangible return on investment.’
Dan believes that being able to prove impact is key.
‘It’s not just about running an activity and hoping for the best. For people to invest in this, I wanted to show what they got for it – improved retention, leadership, job satisfaction, and teamwork.’
Building teams that thrive in tough times
Keltus now works with Defence, government agencies and private organisations across the country.
‘We’re doing more in the character assessment space – helping organisations understand what people do under pressure. Do they put the team before self when they’re uncomfortable, tired or cold?
‘Emergency services get put under huge pressure. Athletes do too – like Courtney Vine taking that penalty kick in the Women’s World Cup. Everyone faces high-stakes moments where they need to compose themselves. What we do is help people prepare for that.’
A new chapter of service
Dan still leads from the front – often literally, on the side of a cliff.
‘I’m an abseiling, climbing and canyoning specialist,’ he says. ‘I still get out there, but my intent is to build myself out of the business over time so I’m not critical to any component.’
Keltus continues to grow, with Dan focused on scaling sustainably.
‘I’m looking ahead to 2026 and 2027, integrating automation and systems to make us more efficient. It’s busy – but it’s the best kind of busy.’
For Dan, the mission hasn’t changed since his days in uniform. It’s still about preparing people to perform – and to endure – when it matters most.
‘I believe in enabling everyone to pursue their potential,’ he says. ‘Whatever you do in life, you’ll face challenges – and the tools you’re equipped with determine how well you face them.’
🎧Listen to Episode 9 of Soldier On’s podcast, Saluting Their Service – Voices of Contemporary Bravery, available on Spotify and YouTube.
