Speaking
Are your team ready for the challenges and opportunities ahead?
Challenges are inevitable: being defeated is optional.
Alex Staniforth is an inspirational keynote speaker on resilience, overcoming adversity and mental health.
Trusted by global companies including Rolls-Royce, Samsung, FedEx and Bank of America, he inspires business teams, leaders and students to overcome setbacks, embrace change and achieve against the odds.
By 19 years old Alex had already overcome and achieved more than many will in a lifetime. As a teenager he survived the two most significant disasters in Mount Everest history, in two consecutive years. However, his biggest mountains have been much closer to home: epilepsy, bullying, mental ill health and a stammer since childhood.
However, this is not your typical success story of reaching the summit. Alex takes his audiences on an emotional journey of resilience, courage, teamwork, ownership and triumph over adversity. Sharing lessons from extreme adventure and ultra-endurance, he brings a unique perspective on success and failure, with practical strategies that anyone can translate to their own challenges at work and home.
With humility and vulnerability, Alex shares his own personal challenges to open conversations and challenge stigma, when positive well-being is critical to achieving high performance. Resilience is more than simply ‘bouncing back’: it’s how we recharge and move forwards.
"The universal feedback from all delegates was that the session was inspirational, stunning, awesome and engaging delivered by a stand-out speaker" - SASCAL Conference
Resilience through Adversity
How to embrace the unexpected
Challenges are inevitable; being defeated is optional. However, resilience isn’t simply about bouncing back or pushing to breaking point: it’s how we recharge, prepare and move forward through the challenges ahead.
Drawing lessons and insight from his extreme adventures and ultra-endurance, Alex will share the tools in his ‘Resilience Rucksack’ for anyone to thrive and achieve when faced by setbacks, failure, change and pressure – and when the whole team depends on it.
Achieving our Everest
Why staying at Base Camp kills our potential
We all have our own ‘Everest’ to climb. However, fear of failure often prevents us from taking the first step and achieving our full potential – and staying at Base Camp might be the biggest risk of all.
In this keynote, Alex reveals how not achieving our goals first time can teach us even more, and how obstacles are an opportunity to win.
Through his account of two disasters on Everest, Alex will re-define our idea of failure and success, sharing the key components of motivation, purpose and ownership to raise the bar even higher. Why settle for Base Camp?
Mental Health & Well-being
Why resilience is about recharging; not enduring
High performance isn’t sustainable without maintaining our well-being too. With a refreshing vulnerability, Alex openly shares his own mental health journey as a young man to challenge the stigma that takes thousands of lives each year. As leaders, we can empower others by putting our hand up first.
Drawing from his ultra-endurance challenges, Alex shares resilience tools to proactively manage our well-being, manage stress and avoid burnout. By learning the warning signs and how to support our team, we can create a positive multiplier effect and open the conversation – one small step at a time.
Alex delivers keynote talks, or 2-3 hour workshops in person, virtually or hybrid. These are tried and tested, but always tailored to your outcomes and audience.
His specialist topics include:
- Resilience through Adversity – building the tools to thrive during setbacks, change and high pressure
- Achieving Potential – embracing failure to re-define success and achieve the extraordinary
- Mental Health – proactively managing well-being to avoid burnout
- Managing Change – maintain focus and performance when the goalposts are shifting
What goals and challenges are you facing?
Let Alex help you take the first step: why not book a free 15-minute call to explore the fit with your event?
His ability to quickly grasp the messages specific to our team and then weave this into his delivery was impressive. His authentic and humble articulation enabled there to be something in the messaging for everyone”
– Jonathan Ford, Off Trade Director, Heineken UK
You were “pitch perfect” today and delivered a sincere and compelling story of inspiration.”
– Chief People Officer, Randstad Sourceright
Thanks so much for coming down to talk with the team. You absolutely hit the brief – everyone has been talking about it ever since”
– Gas Contract Manager, National Grid
It was an absolute pleasure co-ordinating and speaking with Alex. From our first online meeting to regular email communication we knew Alex would be the perfect fit for our students. His presentation was inspiring and the students were mesmerized.
— Clare Dixon-Clarke, Intercommunity School, Zurich
Your presentation was riveting, engaging and inspirational. We have received such overwhelming feedback on how your story resonated with the team and how it was what they needed at such an appropriate time”
– Seema Hallon, Head of Office Dubai, DERIV
I was particularly impressed with the preparation and tailoring Alex was able to do to make the message even more pertinent to our business – it was a truly inspirational session summed up by one comment “I can’t believe you just paid us to listen to that!”
– Robert Neale, GM Core Manufacture, Rolls-Royce Submarines
Your session was fantastic and the content still buzzing around the room today, and I have to admit I re-quoted a few key messages in my closing remarks too. Lasting memory and something I will take back to practice ‘just think what we can achieve if we pull in the same direction’ – inspired!”
— National Chair, HEFMA Leadership Forum
Your story-telling skills are second to none and I believe you have had an incredible impact on a lot of people by being vulnerable, sharing your struggles and letting us into your world”
– Alix Wright, Internet Fusion Group
International Compliance Association enjoyed a hugely inspirational and thought-provoking talk from Alex Staniforth yesterday. The distillation of his own personal challenges and incredible experiences into practical, helpful advice makes for a highly compelling session.”
– Rob Phillipson, International Compliance Association
Sometimes the approach to mental health within organisations as big and cumbersome as ours can feel a bit of a tick box exercise, but your sessions felt very different, very humble, very real and very authentic.”
– Chris Mead, Chief Superintendent, Cambridgeshire Constabulary
Global companies trust Alex
What challenges are you facing?
Alex would love to help you take that first step.