Top Resilience Speakers

Ronan Harrington is a leading expert on building resilience and overcoming adversity, who advises global companies on how to create healthy, high performance cultures. His keynotes uncover the drivers of burnout and how outdated ways of working put us on a trajectory that hampers both health and revenue. Audiences are introduced to a new way of working, grounded in the neuroscience of resilience, with practical tools to operate at peak performance without compromising our health. He teaches the secret formula that winning teams use to perform at peak levels without burning out and losing morale. With rare vulnerability, Ronan Harrington shares how he went from leading a global movement of the 21st century to being diagnosed with a debilitating chronic illness. Clients often describe being deeply moved by Ronan’s story of burnout and credit him with inspiring a deeper commitment to change how they work.

Christopher Lemons is a highly specialised deep sea saturation diver – which involves living in a decompression chamber for up to 28 days at a time, travelling daily to the sea-bed in a diving bell, and working 900 feet below the surface for up to 6 hours. With over a decade of working in high-pressure environments, requiring both individual and team performance, Lemons has continually demonstrated remarkable resilience in many scenarios.  A pinnacle moment of resilience occurred in September of 2012,  when the vessel he was working under failed, leaving him on the sea-bed, 300 feet under water, with no oxygen, light or heat for over 40 minutes. His miraculous survival story has baffled doctors ever since. The popular Netflix/BBC documentary, “Last Breath”, uses the raw footage from this accident, moving audiences globally.  Chris –  who lives to tell the tale – inspires others through his valuable insights… while continuing to dive. 

Watch our exclusive interview with Christopher.

Dr. Marie-Helene Pelletier is an award-winning workplace mental health expert, psychologist, advisor and speaker. She’s one of only a handful of work psychologists holding both a PHD and MBA. Marie-Helene brings a signature mix of business and clinical expertise to the groups she works with. She translates psychology research (about health, resiliency, and overcoming challenges) into strategies professionals, business leaders and their teams need to thrive. Her keynotes cover; resilience and change: harnessing the opportunity of the moment, mental agility: preventing and managing compassion fatigue and burnout, the creative power of resilience for leaders and managers, and creating your growth mindset. Watch our exclusive interview with Marie-Helene.

Lewis Pugh pioneers swims in the most vulnerable ecosystems on Earth to call for their protection. Over the past three decades, he has undertaken more swims around famous landmarks than any other swimmer in history. He was the first person to complete a long distance swim in every ocean of the world. He was also the first to swim across the North Pole, and the first to swim the length of the English Channel. The mental strength and resilience required to create and complete these ventures is palpable. The captivating storyteller inspires and motivates audiences with his insights on performance, resilience and more. Lewis has been instrumental in protecting over 2 million km2 of vulnerable ocean. His dream is to help protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.

Montell Douglas was the first British woman to compete at both a Summer and Winter Olympics. The highly resilient sportswoman has experienced many injuries during her career - resulting in her building and demonstrating incredible resilience and determination. She is passionate about empowering the youth, by helping them realise that we can all build resilience, as well as achieve whatever we set our minds on. Throughout her career, Montell has proven that anything is possible with the right mindset. She now shows others how they can create this within themselves.

Bruce Daisley's international bestseller, Fortitude, tackles the subject of resilience and reveals the secrets to inner-strength. Based on extensive research, Daisley sets out a "practical path to greater self-confidence and courage for us all." The Financial Times has declared Fortitude the best business book of the year. Bruce is an expert on the transformations that modern work is undergoing in the era of hybrid jobs – acting as a consultant for a wide range of companies – from the hottest new technology sensations to centuries-old manufacturing firms. Whether addressing governmental bodies or banking organisations Bruce has been praised for sharing an inspiring vision of the future work and leaving audiences with actionable insights into their own companies. Watch our exclusive interview with Bruce.  

Kylie Moore-Gilbert is the author of the remarkable memoir The Uncaged Sky, which details the 804 days she spent as a political prisoner in Iran. An expert in Middle East history and politics, Kylie travelled to Iran to take part in an academic conference, only to face arrest at the airport on her way home to Australia. Kylie was ultimately convicted of espionage in a shadowy trial presided over by the country’s most notorious judge, and received a ten year prison sentence. Held for a year in solitary confinement, she was pushed to her limits by extreme physical and psychological deprivation. Multiple hunger strikes, co-ordinated protests and a daring escape attempt led to her transfer to an isolated desert prison called Qarchak to live among convicted criminals. On 25 November 2020, after more than two years of struggle, Kylie was finally released in a high-stakes three-nation prisoner-swap deal, laying bare the complex game of global politics in which she had become a valuable pawn. Since her release, Kylie is a passionate human-rights activist. She inspires people with her resilience and courage, shared with the world through her keynotes, and action orientated approach and outlook. Watch our exclusive interview with Kylie.

At just 26, Alex Staniforth is no stranger to overcoming challenges, having survived the two biggest disasters in Mount Everest history as a teenager. His biggest challenges have been much closer to home however, suffering with epilepsy, stammering, bullying and mental ill health since childhood. Alex is a now a record-breaking adventurer, published author, charity founder and motivational keynote speaker in the UK and internationally – despite a lifelong stammer. He shares a relatable vulnerability in the world of extreme adventure and ultra endurance, to help individuals connect with their own challenges and enable positive conversations about mental health.

What makes the difference between the ones who succeed and those who fail? Why do some choose to quit whilst others come back even stronger when facing adversity? Why are some more resilient than others? Karina Hollekim was one of the world’s best extreme sports athletes. In 2006 she miraculously cheated death in a near fatal accident. She was told she would spend the rest of her life in wheelchair, yet overcame this and returned a winner. By raising awareness of our choices she challenges our willingness to change. Karina shows the importance of coming out of your comfort zone to achieve your goals.

Dr. William Tan is the personification of both passion and compassion. He contracted polio at the age of two and is paralysed from the waist down. Notwithstanding his disability, he has shown outstanding strength in overcoming adversities. Upon graduation from the National University of Singapore and joining the Civil Service, he ventured abroad for postgraduate studies, with dreams of becoming a scientist and medical doctor. He graduated from Harvard University with a First Class Honours in Physiology, and trained at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic. Tan is also an accomplished sportsman. An Asian-Pacific Games triple gold medalist, he has also competed in the 1988 Seoul Paralympics, the World Games as well as the Commonwealth Games. He holds six endurance marathon world records including the “Fastest time to complete Three marathons in Three Consecutive Days in Three countries”.