• Home
• Speakers
• Robert Swan

Robert Swan

Polar explorer, environmental leader, adventurer and professional speaker

Robert Swan is a polar explorer, environmental leader and the first man ever to walk to both the North and South poles. He is an exceptionally gifted communicator and is regarded as one of the world’s top motivational speakers.

The unique insights and lessons he has learned enable Robert Swan to educate and stimulate his audiences

Robert speaks all over the world on leadership, teamwork and inspiration. He compares his icy experiences to boardroom maneuvers and his inspirational addresses have received the acclaim of discerning audiences worldwide. His contribution to education and the environment have been recognized through his appointment as UN Goodwill Ambassador for Youth, a Visiting Professorship of the School of Environment at Leeds University and in 1994 he became Special Envoy to the Director General of UNESCO. He was awarded the OBE in 1995.

In 2003 and 2004 Robert and his company 2041 delivered the first ever corporate Antarctic Expeditions on Teamwork and Leadership through positive participation and real missions.

Robert Swan has an extraordinary ability to move people and motivate audiences. Robert’s presentations are thrilling, uplifting and stimulating. Robert Swans achievements include:

• Annually leading a team of successful business executives to Antarctica to focus on leadership training, environmental clean-up and education initiatives.

• Successfully removed and recycled over 1500 tonnes of waste from the Antarctic Peninsula, an undertaking that took five years to plan, fund and execute.

• Keynote speaker at the very first Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and returned in 2002 to address the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

• Led One Step Beyond Expedition to the Antarctica and brought together 35 young explorers from 25 nations to raise international awareness of environmental threats to the region.

• To raise international awareness on aids in Africa, “2041,” led the ‘Earthship Mission Possible’ overland expedition 12,000 km across South Africa.

• Established the first education base in Antarctica.


Inspiration
Robert accepts that great feats are rarely achieved by individuals in isolation: more often it is a team effort. A team which understands its strengths and weaknesses and pulls together to face the challenge will achieve the seemingly impossible.

Leadership
Robert witnessed firsthand the damage to the most delicate of the world’s environments, the Polar Regions. Traveling under the hole in the ozone layer in Antarctica and seeing the Arctic ice melt earlier than predicted – both results of global warming.

Communication
We live in an age of complex communication technology, yet many people find little time to communicate effectively. In a hostile environment like the Arctic you need to explain your thoughts, feelings and actions, just to survive. Effective communications in business is equally vital.

Environmental Leadership
A leader must make decisions, sometimes tough ones, and have the courage to stick to them. In the Antarctic there is no desk to hide behind.

Teamwork
Robert Swan has shown through his expeditions to both Poles that we have the power to overcome obstacles and achieve our goals through perseverance, determination and commitment.


Travels from USA

Related speakers