Robert Swan OBE
Strategist, visionary, polar explorer, environmental leader and one of the world’s top motivational speakers
Reasons to book Robert Swan
- His contribution to education and the environment has been recognized on an international scale, seen through his appointment as United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Youth and Special Envoy to the Director General of UNESCO. He was awarded the high distinction of OBE, Officer of the Order of the British Empire, as well as the Polar Medal by Her Majesty the Queen.
- Swan’s real-life discussion of leadership, trust and working together never ceases to thrill, uplift and stimulate crowds, drawing standing ovations throughout the globe.
Regarded by many as one of the world’s top motivational speakers, keynote speaker Robert Swan's experiences from the past 25 years have evolved into an exceptional and dramatic story of success, failure, the ability to learn from one’s mistakes and ultimately, inspiring others to pursue their dreams. In his talks, Robert Swan emphasizes the importance of inspiration, leadership and teamwork.
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Keynotes
Robert Swan OBE keynote: Speaker Robert Swan Keynote Topics
Robert speaks on various of topics such as:
Humor:
Audiences laugh as Swan describes some of the “wrong” decisions he made as a leader, and they will cheer as he demonstrates the power of humor in tense situations.
Diversity:
Robert explores the subtleties of selecting a powerful team and reveals why diversity is vital in team selection.
Communication:
In hostile environments, clear communication is not a luxury; it is a method of survival. Robert considers how effective leaders encourage open and honest communication within their teams.
Teamwork:
Great feats are rarely achieved by a single individual. Robert shows how a team which understands its strengths and weaknesses can pull together to achieve the seemingly impossible.
Inspiring Leadership:
Robert shares his experiences on what makes a truly great leader, and how to gain those skills from life, not a text book.
Humor:
Audiences laugh as Swan describes some of the “wrong” decisions he made as a leader, and they will cheer as he demonstrates the power of humor in tense situations.
Diversity:
Robert explores the subtleties of selecting a powerful team and reveals why diversity is vital in team selection.
Communication:
In hostile environments, clear communication is not a luxury; it is a method of survival. Robert considers how effective leaders encourage open and honest communication within their teams.
Teamwork:
Great feats are rarely achieved by a single individual. Robert shows how a team which understands its strengths and weaknesses can pull together to achieve the seemingly impossible.
Inspiring Leadership:
Robert shares his experiences on what makes a truly great leader, and how to gain those skills from life, not a text book.
Robert Swan OBE
Visionary insights on turning mistakes into success
By age 33, Robert Swan, OBE became the first person to walk to both the North and South Poles, earning his place in history alongside the great explorers and adventurers. His 900 mile journey to the South Pole, ‘In the Footsteps of Scott’, stands as the longest unassisted walk ever made on earth.
During his expeditions, Swan experienced firsthand the effects of global warming at both Poles. In Antarctica, his eyes forever changed color after prolonged exposure under the hole in the ozone layer. In the Arctic, his team survived near-death encounters in a melting ocean, prematurely caused by global warming.
These powerful experiences only helped to shape and focus Swan’s lifetime goal: working towards the preservation of Antarctica as the last great wilderness on earth.
In 1992, Robert was the Keynote Speaker at the first ‘World Summit for Sustainable Development’, where he addressed world leaders and was charged with undertaking a 10 year global and local environmental mission which would involve industry, business and young people.
Ten years later in 2002, Swan reported back to world leaders at the second World Summit. He had successfully completed all of his promised missions, including numerous international, youth-driven clean-up projects in Antarctica and Africa. A true visionary at heart, Swan committed to a third 10 year mission, this time to inspire youth to become sustainable leaders and promote the use of renewable energy throughout the planet.
Since 2003, Swan has led annual expeditions to Antarctica with students and business executives to focus on leadership training, environmental clean-up and education initiatives. The ‘Inspire Antarctic Expedition’ teams helped design and build the world’s first renewable energy Education Station in Antarctica, called the E-Base.
In March 2008, Robert Swan, OBE made Antarctic history again by living solely on renewable energy at the E-Base for over two weeks. Successful in the world’s harshest climate, the positive message Swan sent to the world was “This is possible in Antarctica, and surely it is possible in the ‘real world’!”
Robert Swan, OBE is an exceptionally gifted communicator and has an uncanny ability to motivate those around him into action. His unique insights and life experiences inspire and educate business leaders and young people around the world, and he clearly translates his icy experiences at the Poles to delicate maneuvers in the boardroom.
During his expeditions, Swan experienced firsthand the effects of global warming at both Poles. In Antarctica, his eyes forever changed color after prolonged exposure under the hole in the ozone layer. In the Arctic, his team survived near-death encounters in a melting ocean, prematurely caused by global warming.
These powerful experiences only helped to shape and focus Swan’s lifetime goal: working towards the preservation of Antarctica as the last great wilderness on earth.
In 1992, Robert was the Keynote Speaker at the first ‘World Summit for Sustainable Development’, where he addressed world leaders and was charged with undertaking a 10 year global and local environmental mission which would involve industry, business and young people.
Ten years later in 2002, Swan reported back to world leaders at the second World Summit. He had successfully completed all of his promised missions, including numerous international, youth-driven clean-up projects in Antarctica and Africa. A true visionary at heart, Swan committed to a third 10 year mission, this time to inspire youth to become sustainable leaders and promote the use of renewable energy throughout the planet.
Since 2003, Swan has led annual expeditions to Antarctica with students and business executives to focus on leadership training, environmental clean-up and education initiatives. The ‘Inspire Antarctic Expedition’ teams helped design and build the world’s first renewable energy Education Station in Antarctica, called the E-Base.
In March 2008, Robert Swan, OBE made Antarctic history again by living solely on renewable energy at the E-Base for over two weeks. Successful in the world’s harshest climate, the positive message Swan sent to the world was “This is possible in Antarctica, and surely it is possible in the ‘real world’!”
Robert Swan, OBE is an exceptionally gifted communicator and has an uncanny ability to motivate those around him into action. His unique insights and life experiences inspire and educate business leaders and young people around the world, and he clearly translates his icy experiences at the Poles to delicate maneuvers in the boardroom.
Robert Swan OBE speaks about these topics
Robert Swan - 2022 Speaker's Reel
Watch speaker Robert Swan in action!
Leadership on the edge: Robert Swan at TEDxUNPlaza
Watch speaker Robert Swan in action!
