Inspirational Speakers

Will's leadership skills were tested to the full when his yacht was hit by a freak wave of the coast of Australia, nearly killing two of the crew. What happened next is a tale of sheer determination and team effort and was reported in the press as "One of the truly outstanding achievements of this leg". It is an inspirational example of teamwork and leadership at its most effective.

Will uses anecdotes supported by powerful DVD footage from his experiences to reinforce his key message that strong cultures are created "where an awareness of individual qualities, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, is encouraged". Cultures where diversity is seen as an asset - cultures that seasoned and experienced leaders would be envious of.

Competition is fierce, but the teams and technology on paper are often almost equal - so how do you go about setting yourself up for gaining competitive advantage? Legs take months to complete, so how do you keep a team performing at the highest level over these extended periods? The environment is constantly changing, frequently hostile, and inevitably there are good times and bad so how do you react and recover in these situations? In a 10 month race, a team experiences probably every leadership and teamwork situation in the book.

Mountaineering has given Rhys physical and mental strength and nature has taught him humility. A charismatic, motivational speaker, Rhys uses the Seven Summits Challenge experience to deliver a powerful, inspirational message that is guaranteed to light a fire of ambition in all who hear of his adventures. Rhys will reinforce the key messages of team work, vision, determination and goal setting that are so vital to business and personal ambition.

GRA is proud to be the Official Learning and Development Supplier to Skandia Team GBR, the British Sailing Team in the Olympic and Paralympic Classes. As a result, we have access to many of the medal winning sailors and a team of dieticians, sports psychologists, and coaches, who can provide unique and inspiring insights into how Skandia Team GBR became the most successful sailing team in the world.

How did she do it? 'I wanted to climb these mountains more than anything else in the world, and that was half the battle won. A burning desire meant I just pushed that much harder to acquire the requisite skills and make sure it happened.'

Rebecca believes that everyone has 'their Everest', something they badly want to do. The secret is to have the self-awareness to listen to your inner voice and follow a path that is true for you. With a passionate belief that every individual can achieve goals far beyond their wildest dreams, Rebecca lectures to corporate audiences and schools around the world. She has written three books: 'On Top of the World', recounting her ascent of Everest; 'Everest', a Dorling Kindersley children's book; and most recently 'The Seven Summits of Success', co-written with business guru Robert Heller.

David is a truly inspiring speaker who challenges individuals and teams to achieve higher goals. He is a world class sports coach who believes that amazing results are possible when people think and act beyond perceived limits.

In 'Dream it. Believe it. Achieve it.', David talks about his breakthrough work with British Paralympic Basketball's World Class Performance Programme and uses some dramatic and at times emotional film clips to vividly underscore his 'no limits' message. David is a passionate and effective creator of elite teams. He rebuilt the failing national team programme and coached GB to Bronze, Silver and Gold medals at the world level.

He stresses that effective leaders recognise teams are made up of individuals and that moving commitment "from the head to the heart" is a key to unlocking high performance in sport or business. David's engaging presentation provides important insights into how we can achieve more; it's about world class leadership, team building and, crucially, the mindset of success.

Ann is one of the world's leading female polar explorers. She has returned from the Catlin Artic Survey, a 3 month pioneering expedition to help determine the lifespan of the Artic Ocean's sea ice cover. As navigator, pathfinder and head of ice operations she led the ice team from the front for 74 days, making difficult decisions in the most extreme environment on earth. There has been significant global coverage of the expedition, the results of which were taken to the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009.

Previous to this Ann was part of the first all women's relay to the North Pole, walked across the most inhospitable continent in the world to reach the South Pole and in 2002 put together the most daring and extraordinary expedition to walk from Canada, across the Artic Ocean to the North Pole. Despite the most appalling conditions, 3 major storms, carbon monoxide poisoning, frostbite and wet gangrene, Ann and her fellow team mate beat the odds and reached the North Pole to become the first women's team ever to reach both poles on foot. She also leads adventure travellers on last degree expeditions to the North Pole.

Ann is a leader of men and women at the ends of the world and gives presentations on leadership, teamwork, motivation and environmental issues, tailoring every speech to her audience by bringing out the key elements that are important to the event.

The original inspiration for the trip was a talk by Will Carnegie (above) that Andy heard at a GRA event. GRA also sponsored Andy's trip.

It took Andy and his team 10 months to complete the 35,000 mile course in some of the most hostile seas imaginable. During this time he learnt as much about management and leadership as he had in his previous 35 years with Local Government.

Team Finland hit the national news on several occasions during the race. On one occasion they co-ordinated the search and rescue of another race boat in the South China Sea and later they lost their own mast in 50 foot swells and had to find their own way to shore using only those resources that were readily available. Using stills and dramatic video footage, Andy illustrates how the crew - all amateurs apart from the skipper - had to dig deep not just to survive but to maintain a healthy competitive spirit when the odds were very much against them.