Sabrina Cohen-Hatton

Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton is one of the world's most senior woman fire officers. After leaving home at 15 and school at 16, she overcame extreme personal adversity and a period of homelessness and began her career as a firefighter. At night school, she studied for a 1st Class Honours degree in Psychology, a Master's in International Fire Service Development, and a PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience. 

Dr Sabrina is now recognised as a leading international expert on risk-critical decision-making in crises and is an Honorary Research Fellow at Cardiff University. She has presented her work worldwide and used her research to change deeply ingrained national policy. Dr Sabrina has won international acclaim for this prize-winning work. She has attained the highest rank in the UK as a Chief Fire Officer. Her operational experience includes leading the fire service response to major incidents such as the London Bridge terror attack, the Finsbury Park terror attack, and the aftermath of Grenfell. 

Dr Sabrina examines the fundamentals of decision-making, behaviour, and cognition as a researcher. As a fire officer, she brings first-hand experience of how these traits operate in real, emotionally charged, stressful, and uncertain situations. She also explores how the brain interprets information and how events become associated with psychological and social responses in the long term.

In her best-selling book The Heat of The Moment, Dr Sabrina recounts her early formative experiences, life on the frontline, and the extraordinary insights it has brought. From judging when and how to evacuate a building to which of her colleagues should be sent into a blaze, she takes an honest, human look at the highs and lows of one of the riskiest and most challenging occupations. While many of these stories seem unique to fire and rescue work, her insights and lessons apply to everyone in life and business.

In Gender Bias: The Barriers That Hold Women Back, And How To Break Them, Dr Sabrina analyses studies and data to unpick why women are judged differently, examines why that matters, and offers practical solutions to tackle our biases and overcome sustained systems.

Dr Sabrina is a strong advocate for social mobility and is an ambassador for The Big Issue and Street Vet. She was named one of The Big Issue’s top 100 change-makers, a Marie Clare Future Shaper, and featured in Cosmopolitan’s Millennial Power List.

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Decision-Making Workshop for Leaders

Explore Dr Sabrina's new workshop, Decision-Making: From Analysis to Action, exclusively at PepTalk. In this 90-minute workshop led by Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton and supported by an experienced PepTalk facilitator, your leadership teams will learn how to master the art of decision-making and make better business decisions.