Adventure has been in Tom Avery’s blood all his life. A pioneering polar adventurer, ski mountaineer and climber with many notable first ascents and ski descents to his name, Tom is one of the UK’s foremost explorers. He has organised and led expeditions to all seven continents, but it is... Read more
Adventure has been in Tom Avery’s blood all his life. A pioneering polar adventurer, ski mountaineer and climber with many notable first ascents and ski descents to his name, Tom is one of the UK’s foremost explorers. He has organised and led expeditions to all seven continents, but it is for his record-breaking polar journeys that he is best known.
Tom’s passion for adventure began when he first read about the exploits of Captain Scott as a seven-year-old boy. He soon took up climbing, first on rock in the British Isles, before moving on to snow, ice and higher altitude terrain. Tom has since organised and lead countless expeditions to the world’s Greater Ranges, from first ascents in the Himalayas to an attempt to become the first Brit to ski down an 8,000-metre peak. A fascination with volcanoes has taken him to the highest peaks of the Andes, the African Rift Valley and the Pacific Ring of Fire – sometimes mid-eruption.
After a lifelong fascination about the adventures of Captain Scott, in 2002 Tom achieved his childhood dream and completed the perilous journey to the South Pole. As leader of the Commonwealth Antarctic Centenary Expedition, Tom’s team manhauled their sledge and kite-skied more than 700 miles from the Antarctic coast to the South Pole in 45 days. In the process, Tom also became the youngest Briton to reach the South Pole.
In 2005 Tom and his five-strong team electrified the exploration world by recreating Peary and Henson’s controversial 1909 expedition to the North Pole, travelling with teams of Eskimo dogs and replica wooden sledges. Tom’s ambitious aim was to prove the sceptics wrong and match Peary’s 37-day journey to the Pole. After an epic dash across the most unforgiving environment on the planet, Tom’s exhausted team rewrote the history books by making it to the Pole with only four hours to spare. More than a decade on, they remain the fastest team in history to reach the North Pole.
A further Guinness World Record followed in 2015, when Tom led the fastest coast-to-coast crossing of Greenland, a challenge often referred to as the Third Pole. Using kites and pulling two sledges each, Tom and his three team mates smashed the previous record by more than a week, completing the crossing in just 9 days and 19 hours, with barely any sleep. During one night, the team kited an incredible 180 miles in 16 hours.
Tom is a passionate environmentalist, having witnessed first-hand the melting of our frozen world. He graduated from Bristol University with a degree in Geography and Geology, where he specialised in the retreating Antarctic Ice Sheet and Andean glaciers. His highly acclaimed first book, Pole Dance, was released in 2003 and his second, To the End of the Earth, in 2009. Tom was an official ambassador for the London 2012 Olympic Games and his expeditions have raised more than £100,000 for charity, primarily The Prince’s Trust, for who he is an official ambassador. Tom is also an ambassador for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a Member of the Explorers Club in New York.
Tom is the co-founder and co-owner of Ski Verbier Exclusive which specialises in ski holidays to some of the most spectacular chalets in the Swiss Alps. He lives in the Cotswolds with his wife Mary and their three daughters Maud, Olive and Nell.
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You can book Tom Avery through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Tom's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
Tom Avery's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Tom tailored to your event.
Tom Avery speaks on Leadership, Leadership & Motivation, Motivation, Teamwork. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Tom to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book Tom Avery for events worldwide, subject to Tom's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Tom Avery is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Tom can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief Tom Avery on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Tom can offer.
Tom Avery delivers keynotes in English. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
Tom Avery's areas of expertise include Leadership, Leadership & Motivation, Motivation, Teamwork. To get a clear sense of Tom's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
Tom Avery can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in Leadership, Leadership & Motivation, Motivation, Teamwork is relevant. Details of Tom's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Tom Avery is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Tom Avery, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Tom's current availability for your dates.