Top Mental Health Speakers – 2022

Felicity Aston, MBE, is a polar explorer, scientist and author. She has broken numerous world records; the first woman to journey across Antartica’s landmass alone, and the only person to have done so using muscle power. During these extreme expeditions, Aston pushes herself both mentally and physically, noting that “the psychological journey is often more interesting than the physical journey itself”.

Aston has spoken about the profound loneliness she experienced traversing Antarctica. For 59 days, Felicity saw no one: not even another life form. Following the pandemic, her tactics for dealing with this isolation, and her insights on reintegrating with society have resonated with many. Her motto ‘just get out the tent,’ encapsulates her personal battle in Antarctica to face, every morning, the -50°C climate outside her tent, and the perseverance we must all call upon in moments of adversity.

In her latest book, “Life Lessons from Explorers”, Aston investigates how 15 famous explorers have shaped the world of leadership and adaptability. By drawing from their experiences, she is able to offer rare insights into the “explorer’s mindset” and why this concept can benefit everyone, both personally and professionally.

After eight years as Twitter’s European Vice President, Bruce has become a leading voice on happiness in the workplace and blends actionable insight with neuroscientific wisdom. His book on improving work culture, ‘The Joy of Work’, was the Sunday Times number one business bestseller in spring 2019 as well as runner-up in the CMI Management Book of the Year Awards.

His second book ‘Eat Sleep, Work Repeat’, is a manifesto for an era overwhelmed with work pressures and was written as a follow-up to his chart-topping, Apple number one, business podcast where he interviews psychologists, neuroscientists and workplace experts to understand how we can improve our jobs.

Bruce Daisley’s scientifically based approach, challenges the culture of many workplaces and serves to make work better for everyone.

Malene Rydahl is the best-selling author who harnessed the secrets of Denmark, the world’s happiest nation and translated them into business strategies.

After 18 years in the corporate world, including as EMEA Director of Corporate Communication for Hyatt, Malene discovered 87% of employees are disengaged with what they do. She left her executive position and became the world’s leading expert on corporate well-being.

Her books show that happiness improves engagement, innovation and workplace performance. Her first, ‘Happy as a Dane,’ won France’s 2014 Most Optimistic Book award and explores why Danish employees excel. Her second, ‘Le Bonheur sans illusions,’ addresses overcoming disillusionment, and her latest, ‘Je te réponds…moi non plus,’ tackles communication in the digital era.

Ruby Wax is both an established comedian and a qualified cognitive therapy expert. Expertly blending neuroscience, mindfulness and comedy, she has authored 3 best-selling books: Sane New World, A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled, and How to be Human.

Ruby built her comedy career first as an actress with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and then as a writer, interviewer and comedian with the BBC, working on scripts for cult classics such as Absolutely Fabulous.

Driven by her own struggle with bipolar, Ruby attained her Master’s degree in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy from Oxford University in 2013, later gaining an MA in Psychotherapy and Counselling, and becoming a Visiting Professor in the School of Mental Health Nursing at the University of Surrey. Ruby Wax has been awarded an OBE for the work she has done in mental health.

Hugh Montgomery is Professor of Intensive Care Medicine and Director for Human Health and Performance, at University College London (UCL).

He is dedicated to finding ways of directly improving people’s mental wellbeing. During his 22-years in the medical field, he has published over 500 scientific papers, co-reported the first genes for evolutionary selection in response to high altitude, identified a genetic element which quintuples chances of surviving a critical illness and holds patents for new metabolic therapies.

Montgomery merges his solid foundation in science with his interest in artificial intelligence, to achieve the goal of improving health and well-being. He has worked with Google Deepmind and Google Health.

Susie Wolff is the CEO and Managing Partner of ROKiT Venturi Racing. In November 2021, she was promoted to the role of Chief Executive Officer of Monaco’s only racing team.

Throughout her career, Susie Wolff has pushed the boundaries of women in motor-sports, both on and off the track. Amongst many career highlights, Wolff made history at the 2014 British Grand Prix by becoming the first woman to take part in a Formula One race weekend in 22 years. She is the Founder of Dare To Be Different, an organisation dedicated to increasing the intake of women in motorsports. Wolff is also an ambassador for “She’s Mercedes”, a networking platform dedicated to connecting and empowering women to fulfil their potential.

After working in such a high-performance industry for decades, Wolff has come face-to-face with the pressure to perform. She is able to offer valuable insights on motivation, mental health and forging your own path.

Marla Maples is an actress, musical artist and philanthropist whose career has seen many accomplishments and milestones, including; 15 film roles, numerous TV appearances, Broadway shows, and dozens of magazine covers.

She may be widely known for her involvement in pop culture, yet her humanitarian efforts are significant and play a large role in her life. She has suffered with Lyme disease, and was honoured for her work with the Global Lyme Alliance while supporting many NGO’s including AWARENYC.org and The Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine.

Marla Maples inspires audiences with her impactful insights on personal transformation, happiness and combatting fear. She merges well-being, spirituality and purpose in a way that positively motivates people globally. Through her brilliant story-telling, Maples shares lessons on finding peace in our world that seemingly never sleeps.

Chris Lemons, a deep sea saturation diver, is featured in the Netflix documentary “Last Breath”. This highly specialised form of diving involves living in the claustrophobic confines of a decompression chamber for up to 28 days at a time, commuting daily to the sea-bed in a diving bell, and working at depths of up to 900 feet for 6 hours at a time.

This raw and emotive film uses a substantial amount of original footage from the accident, that occurred in 2012. The dynamic positioning system of the vessel Lemons was working under failed, he was left on the sea-bed, 300 feet below the surface, with no oxygen, for 40 minutes. To this day, his survival story baffles experts, while Lemons continues to dive.

His first-hand experiences have created a deep understanding of complex topics such as survival, motivation, performance and mental well-being.

Eloise Skinner has founded an organisation dedicated to helping students discover their first careers through a digital platform, One Typical Day. Skinner is also the founder of The Purpose Workshop, a social impact business with a singular focus… to help individuals redesign their life.

After studying law at Cambridge University and training at Oxford University Business School, Skinner followed her passion and ventured into existential psychotherapy. She is passionate about spirituality, meaning, purpose and social impact – which she explores on her podcast, “About Wisdom”.

Above all, Eloise is driven by the idea of integration – the power of bringing together all aspects of work and life; to live fully, with intention, integrity and purpose.

She holds both a PhD and MBA, resulting in a combined approach to workplaces, a mixture of business and clinical expertise. Therefore, she is able to translate psychology research into strategies that professionals, leaders and teams can understand and effectively implement.

Marie Helene Pelletier has worked with a Global 500 company and is on the boards of the Canadian Psychological Association and the International Association of Applied Psychology.

Before dedicating his time to becoming a monk, he graduated university with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Sivaya Subramuniyaswami – one of Hinduism’s most prominent spiritual leaders in the modern world – guided Dandapani through this journey. This decade long experience involved learning serious personal discipline and training at his guru’s cloistered monastery in Hawaii.

When his vows expired, Dandapani decided to take on New York City with a strong sense of purpose; to help people live a life of joy and purpose. He achieves this by employing tools and teachings Hindu monks have used for centuries.

He has worked with global organisations and has proved to meaningfully motivate audiences, evidently shown in the millions of people who engage with his content.

Alvine Tremoulet’s background is firmly routed in communication, she is a leading authority on global environmental, social and corporate governance issues. She analyses the current role and scope of influence between corporate communication actors and top executives, on social issues.

Her expertise on inclusion and performance in the workplace is sought-after. Which aligns with her passion for empowering women in business. She has chaired the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association and advocates that a leader should constantly question and learn from others. Alvine Tremoulet strives to help individuals realise their optimal potential… and fulfil it.

Azran Osman-Rani is the founder of a digital health technology company – Naluri Hidup – providing a cost-effective digital solution to mental health and wellness support.

This essentially aims to help individuals make healthier lifestyle and behaviour choices – resulting in long-term change.