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Keynote SpeakerChris Hadfield

Astronaut, Business Leader, Tech Entrepreneur, Bestselling Author

Colonel Chris Hadfield is an astronaut, business leader, hi-tech entrepreneur, five-time bestselling author, and global speaker on leadership, change, and managing life. Having commanded the International Space Station and directed companies, he has deep experience with best practices and tactics on guiding teams through extreme circumstances of complexity and change,... Read more

Topics

Popular Talks

Extreme Leadership
Preparing for the Unexpected: How to Manage Through Complexity and Change
The Business of Space
Stories Behind "The Apollo Murders"
STEM

More talks

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Biography

Formerly NASA’s Director of Operations in Russia, Hadfield spent more than three decades serving the military, NASA, and the Canadian Space Agency. Throughout his distinguished career, he been a fighter/test pilot, flown three space missions, built two space stations, performed two spacewalks, crewed the Shuttle and Soyuz, and commanded the International Space Station. His many awards include the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Cross (twice), and the Order of Canada.

Today, Hadfield serves as a director and advisor to multiple tech companies, including SpaceX and Virgin Galactic. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Waterloo, chair of the Open Lunar Foundation, and is assisting King Charles III with space business practices for the Sustainable Markets Initiative. Hadfield also co-founded the Space Stream at the Creative Destruction Lab tech incubator, which has created $1.6B of new business equity value in the past five years.

Hadfield’s keynote presentations have been called “an astonishing display of visual storytelling” by Harvard Business Review, and his TED talk, “What I Learned from Going Blind in Space”, has been viewed over 20 million times. He is frequently featured on national and global media outlets, has taught a MasterClass, and is the co-creator and host of the internationally acclaimed BBC series, Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes? as well as co-host of National Geographic’s One Strange Rock documentary series.

Hadfield is the author of five internationally bestselling books: two non-fiction, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth and You Are Here; a children’s book, The Darkest Dark, which has been adapted as an award-winning stage play for young audiences; and two fiction books, The Defector and The Apollo Murders, now under contract to become a television series. A musician, Hadfield has also released an album called Space Sessions: Songs from a Tin Can. It is the first album to be recorded in space and includes the video version of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” that has been seen over 50 million times.

"The event was outstanding and your help with organizing Chris Hadfield’s speaking engagement was professional and very appreciated. It was the best event we have ever held. Chris and Evan helped to make the event stress-free, being so calm, kind, and friendly, open and attentive to us, our students and guests both before and after the event. They were a pleasure. It goes without saying that Chris’ presentation was beyond wonderful. Inspiring, humorous, insightful, surprising. What a shining example of leadership he is for all of us. We were thrilled to have him in London!" Ivey Business School At Western University

"Col Hadfield was a smashing success on every level. He was approachable and engaging and went out of his way to accommodate people. The performance was outstanding and we are hearing nothing short of rave reviews. We are ecstatic." Victoria Symphony

"The presentation by Chris Hadfield at SickKids was extremely well received by everyone. We had really hoped that his talk would celebrate our trainees and inspire them to think big and get excited about their work and there is no doubt that he accomplished this in spades! His comments about dealing with failure and defining what success means to you really hit home for many people. It’s a week later and people are still talking about it. I would have to say that this was an amazing success and we are very grateful that Chris took the time to come to SickKids and really relate to our audience." Sickkids

"‘Thank you’ seems too meager words for the impact that Colonel Hadfield’s address had on our staff on March 6th. Colonel Hadfield inspired each and every staff member. The way he was able to draw in the audience and intricately weave his experiences into what we are living as an organization was impeccable. There was a palpable buzz around the office on Friday and even today. What a wonderful experience for all of us." Canadian Insurance Industry

"Chris — on behalf of Kubota Canada Ltd., its employees and its dealers across the country, we are honoured and thrilled that you were able to be part of Kubota’s 40th Anniversary celebration at our National Dealer Meeting last week in Atlanta. Thanks for your multiple messages of inspiration. Many people mentioned to me that your strategy of “planning to fail” gave them a new way to look at how they might build their business strategies. On a personal note, thanks for tailoring your presentation to our Kubota group and connecting on a familiar level, equipment. As mentioned above, the message was received!" Kubota Canada Ltd.

"Chris’s participation at the reception and his keynote address was exceptional. The event organizers were so impressed with how Chris worked with them and engaged them in conversation. He received a standing ovation from the delegates. The feedback continues to be very positive. Thank Chris again for making this a memorable event." Omicron

"The event went very well last Thursday and the true highlight of the evening was Chris’s speech. He did such a wonderful job of connecting his own personal experiences to C-DAAP and their goal of being able to support dressage athletes and help them realize their dreams." Bassett Events Inc.

"Our annual Safety & Quality Summit includes a Gala Dinner at which he have been privileged to have many well-known and highly entertaining guests; this year, we were honoured to have Chris Hadfield as our special guest and I have to say he excelled all of our expectations, and more. An enthralling story, masterfully delivered with style and humour, and supported with breathtaking images. Chris’s commitment to provide a once in a lifetime opportunity for all of our guests was truly selfless and much appreciated by all who benefited from what was a fantastic evening." CHC Helicopter & Safety Summit

Popular Talks by Chris Hadfield

Extreme Leadership
Commanding a spaceship takes superb leadership. The vehicle is complex, the team is international, the crew is on their own, and the stakes are at their highest — huge financial consequences and perpetual life or death situations. Only one Canadian has ever held that command — Colonel Chris Hadfield. Through...

Commanding a spaceship takes superb leadership. The vehicle is complex, the team is international, the crew is on their own, and the stakes are at their highest — huge financial consequences and perpetual life or death situations.

Only one Canadian has ever held that command — Colonel Chris Hadfield. Through his 25 years spent in the Royal Canadian Air Force and 21 years with the Canadian Space Agency and NASA, he has developed and honed leadership theories and practices that have taken him to the very top.

A uniquely experienced leader, Hadfield will help your team lead more effectively. He combines fundamental leadership theories and original insights with examples from his own experiences as a US Navy top test pilot, NASA’s Director of Operations in Russia, NASA Astronaut Chief of Space Station Operations, and as a Commander of the International Space Station.
Preparing for the Unexpected: How to Manage Through Complexity and Change
Being a commander of a spaceship means facing the highest of stakes — human lives, irreplaceable and expensive equipment, and worldwide scrutiny. Colonel Chris Hadfield commanded the International Space Station for six months off planet, and is experienced in managing people, complexity, and change under extreme circumstances. Surrounded by life-threatening...

Being a commander of a spaceship means facing the highest of stakes — human lives, irreplaceable and expensive equipment, and worldwide scrutiny.

Colonel Chris Hadfield commanded the International Space Station for six months off planet, and is experienced in managing people, complexity, and change under extreme circumstances. Surrounded by life-threatening risk, his daily routine was to prepare for and solve worst-case scenarios, from both a team and leadership perspective, while cultivating an optimistic and positive work environment.

Hadfield draws from his experiences and lessons learned during his 21 years in the astronaut corps to share the best strategies and tactics to help individuals, teams, and leaders prepare for and meet the challenges of our rapidly changing world.

Key topics include:
– Learning how to be comfortable with ambiguity and approach it with curiosity and possibility.
– How to best manage stress and lead under pressure.
– How to build resilient teams and encourage collaboration amongst diverse teams.
The Business of Space
In the past 10 years, there has been $264 billion invested into 1,750 different space companies and, as technology continues to improve, this is only going to accelerate. With governments enabling commercial space stations and tourist spaceflights, a global demand for Earth observation and high-speed telecommunication, and private companies landing...

In the past 10 years, there has been $264 billion invested into 1,750 different space companies and, as technology continues to improve, this is only going to accelerate. With governments enabling commercial space stations and tourist spaceflights, a global demand for Earth observation and high-speed telecommunication, and private companies landing on the Moon, space business opportunities have never been greater.

Colonel Chris Hadfield has not only piloted and commanded spaceships, he is also a leader and innovator in the business of space. He is a director of public and private companies; an advisor to SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, Astrolab, and Planet; chair of the Open Lunar Foundation; and leader of the Creative Destruction Lab-Space international tech incubator.

In an age where the global space market is expected to reach $750 billion within the decade, Hadfield provides audiences with an insider’s look at this growing industry. He explores the factors that have contributed to its growth and provides an analytical look at the opportunities ahead as more and more businesses and nations come to rely on space assets and commerce.
Stories Behind "The Apollo Murders"
Colonel Chris Hadfield’s The Apollo Murders is a bestselling Cold War thriller set in 1973, that explores the dark heart of the space race. While it was Hadfield’s first fiction title, the inspiration behind the book is based on true stories that only an insider could ever know. Hadfield takes...

Colonel Chris Hadfield’s The Apollo Murders is a bestselling Cold War thriller set in 1973, that explores the dark heart of the space race. While it was Hadfield’s first fiction title, the inspiration behind the book is based on true stories that only an insider could ever know.

Hadfield takes audiences on a journey through the fascinating, technical, and thrilling stories behind the space race that he discovered while researching the fiction series. Hadfield combines these with his own personal stories of launching into space, living six months off-planet in the darkest dark, and hanging on to the outside of a spacecraft while orbiting the Earth at 17,000 miles per hour, to give audiences a perspective of what it’s really like to be an astronaut.

Starting from the beginning — when landing on the moon was a dream and an international competition — and ending in today’s landscape of international cooperation, Hadfield shows what is possible and what might have been.
STEM
Colonel Chris Hadfield has worked with countless students and teachers, from pre-school to post-doctoral, for decades. Speaking in schools and at education conferences throughout his 35-year-career as an engineer, pilot, and astronaut, his rare mixture of personal experience, memorable ideas, and a warm, fun, interactive style has influenced a generation....

Colonel Chris Hadfield has worked with countless students and teachers, from pre-school to post-doctoral, for decades. Speaking in schools and at education conferences throughout his 35-year-career as an engineer, pilot, and astronaut, his rare mixture of personal experience, memorable ideas, and a warm, fun, interactive style has influenced a generation. His extensive teachings from Earth orbit, recorded on-board the International Space Station, continue to be seen by millions via YouTube.

Hadfield strongly believes in the necessity to give every student the tools and the inspiration to succeed. His face and accomplishments are in Canadian science textbooks as both a role model and clear example of where STEM education can lead. Using real-world examples from his unique experiences, he enables audiences to see beyond their normal horizons, and helps give them the tools and ideas for personal growth and achievement in learning.
A Musical Evening with Chris Hadfield
Colonel Chris Hadfield shares a selection of stories, images, songs, and ideas in a musical presentation that delights audiences of all ages. Performing songs like his evocative “Beyond the Terra”, which looks away from the land to the skies, Hadfield ties his presentation together with incredible tales from over the...

Colonel Chris Hadfield shares a selection of stories, images, songs, and ideas in a musical presentation that delights audiences of all ages.

Performing songs like his evocative “Beyond the Terra”, which looks away from the land to the skies, Hadfield ties his presentation together with incredible tales from over the course of his career, including his experience as the ISS commander.

Suitable for audiences big, small, and in-between, Hadfield customizes his performance to his audience.