Ken Hames – Keynote Speaker

Ken is a real life action man. He has 25 years of military experience under his belt and is most unique in having served in The Parachute Brigade, the Royal Marines, and the Special Air Service. Ken’s operational experience is vast, ranging from guarding Nazi war criminal Rudolph Hesse, in Spandau Prison to the liberation of Port Stanley in the Falklands. Following an impressive military career, Ken Hames has brought a unique slant to the many documentaries that he has created and presented for television. The documentaries have proved Ken’s extraordinary ability to inspire and motivate even the most unlikely candidates. Ken is passionate about empowering people to transform their lives for the better.

His first documentary was a television series, called ‘The Trek’. In 1994, with the help of Diana, Princess of Wales, Ken was able to take twelve disadvantaged youngsters to the heart of Africa on a 500 mile trek over desert and mountainous terrain; the process transformed their lives and Ken still keeps in contact, many years on.

Ken has created and presented series such as, ‘Mission Africa’ – a 15 part series for primetime BBC1 where Ken took a group of young apprentice builders from the UK to Kenya to build the first eco lodge and game reserve to protect the endangered species that live there, working closely with the Born Free Foundation. This was then handed over to the local Samburu tribe as a sustainable business that also protects the wildlife.

Ken created and is the expedition leader on the groundbreaking ‘Beyond Boundaries’ series for BBC TV. This is now a successful brand with its own live event, bringing disabled people from all over the world together with their friends and families, motivating them to achieve seemingly impossible expeditions. He trains and inspired them into a team and the end result is life changing.

His first series for Channel 4 was the award winning, ‘Jungle Janes’, where Ken’s challenge was to turn a group of British women, non of whom had any expedition experience, into a cohesive team fit enough to take on the grueling jungles of Bourneo. It was enjoyed by millions who found this journey an inspiration. ‘Desert Darlings’ was broadcast on Channel 4 in spring 2003. Ken took couples across the Namib desert, placing their sometimes fragile relationships under the extreme pressures of an expedition.

Ken has also presented the highly praised series, ‘Greatest SAS Missions’ for Five in 2004, CBBC’s ‘Bring it On’, ‘Hero Factor’ for the Discovery Channel in 2002, ‘Battle Stripes’ for Sky in 2000, ‘Future Fighting Machines’ for the US in 2003, Channel 4’s ‘Shattered’ and ITV’s ‘Celebrity Fit Club’. Ken was also involved from the earliest stages in the design and development of ITV’s ‘I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here’.

Ken is an accomplished Mountain Guide skier and represented Great Britain in cross-country skiing. He played rugby for the Combined Services, is an expert in the great outdoors in all survival disciplines and is a keen amateur opera singer.