Are you looking for someone to help motivate and encourage your team? I have 20 years of executive level experience in Fortune 50 companies. Using mountaineering as a metaphor, I will help get your teams excited about the challenges ahead.
It was imperative that we start the year off right – with a new management team focused on the customer. Vanessa’s presentation demonstrated how different people can come together to make the impossible happen, as long as they stay focused on the goal and avoid behavioural traits that undermine team dynamics. As we seek to reach our own summit (or marketing vision), focusing on what one can control vs what one cannot was a poignant message for the team, especially in light of rapidly changing internal and external environments.
– Tyrrell Schmidt, Chief Marketing Officer, TD Bank, US
April 5, 2022
Thank you so much for presenting at our virtual fiscal year meeting to our 1,500+ colleagues from around the world. Your presentation was very motivational and contained great examples of how a crisis, just like an expedition, does not happen in normal times. However, through leadership, truthfulness and decision making, an organization can ensure success rather than failure.
Konica Minolta
April 1, 2022
“It was imperative that we start the year off right – with a new management team focused on the customer. Vanessa’s presentation demonstrated how different people can come together to make the impossible happen, as long as they stay focused on the goal and avoid behavioural traits that undermine team dynamics. As we seek to reach our own summit (or marketing vision), focusing on what one can control vs what one cannot was a poignant message for the team, especially in light of rapidly changing internal and external environments.”
— Tyrrell Schmidt, Chief Marketing Officer, TD Bank, US
April 5, 2022
“Thank you so much for presenting at our virtual fiscal year meeting to our 1,500+ colleagues from around the world. Your presentation was very motivational and contained great examples of how a crisis, just like an expedition, does not happen in normal times. However, through leadership, truthfulness and decision making, an organization can ensure success rather than failure.”
— Silke Ehmann-Cotichini, Team Manager Brand Positioning, International Marketing Division
Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH
April 1, 2022
Links: Website
“Using Zoom, Vanessa O’Brien charmed our audience and engaged us with a story fuelled with determination and wit about how she left a successful career in finance for the adversity of the highest mountains on the planet. During her numerous expeditions, she skilfully weaves in personal reflections from her life – triggered by events on the journey. It is a testament to her character, that she reveals one of the subtitles of her book is, “Finding Humility”. Vanessa’s electrifying story of endurance, perseverance, athleticism, and courage is both inspiring and riveting.”
— Matthew F. Culen, VP Slovak-American Cultural Center
“Using her wit and relatable examples, Vanessa recounted her personal experiences traveling to Pakistan over three years starting with the misconceptions of Pakistan which she compared to being upgraded from economy to first-class on a long-haul flight. She spoke of the authenticity of the Pakistani people and how after eight weeks on an expedition one could truly see the character of every man and Pakistan’s moral character stayed true and high. Finally, having seen Pakistan’s stock market rally to a historical high over 52,000 just as she summited K2, she described her own experience in Pakistan as symbolic of PABA’s initiatives Building Trust Through Trade.”
— James Witte, Board Member PABA
“Women in Sport: A conversation with Vanessa O’Brien” took place at the United Nations HQ. Vanessa shared her fascinating story of courage, tenacity and leadership and left the audience with a tool kit for success. We were also reminded that mountaineers and explorers have a responsibility towards the planet to become activists for The Climate Agenda.”
— Zarina Varukatty-Gafoor, Women’s International Forum
— Andrea Mlynarova, UN Delegation Women’s Club
Women’s International Forum
September 12, 2019
Links: Social Media | Press
“Thank you for such an inspiring presentation. I have received many comments already — how motivating your story and accomplishments are for folks to hear. I thought it was very effective and powerful how you dovetailed our strategic imperatives to high camps and used misaligned behaviors as proverbial avalanches to be aware of.”
— Nicholas G. Quil, Chief Executive Officer
Chicago
February 11, 2019
Links: Website
“Vanessa O’Brien’s mountaineering achievements are astonishing. The combination of her down-to-earth commentary and stunning visuals captivated our audience, allowing them to experience both the excitement and danger of these rarefied peaks. An extraordinary presentation!”
— Chair, The Union Club of Boston
“The girl on stage quite suddenly metamorphoses into a formidably able planner, climber and leader. In both cases, lecture hall and iced mountain crag, it is her wit and tough ability to conjure up and deal with the moment that wins hearts. Vanessa is just as forceful and effective during Q&A as her ability to take decisive decisions on those bleak iced rocks. Her terrifying and pioneering achievements are made all the more extraordinary by contrast with her years of a business life, which we can so easily relate to.”
— Sir Humphry Wakefield, FRGS
“Vanessa has twice given members of the Scientific Exploration Society a compelling account of her extraordinary journey to the summit of K2. She has educated, enthralled and entertained her audiences on both occasions. She is a true modern day explorer who inspires others to take action.”
— Neil Laughton, Chairman of the Scientific Exploration Society
“Vanessa simply stole the show at the Conference that attracted more than 100 top CEOs from the leading corporate organisations from Pakistan. She spoke about her unforgettable experience as the first British or American woman to conquer K2. She shared how leadership is often a risky, lonely role, but how successful CEOs, like Expedition Leaders, succeed by recognizing and surviving the dangers that challenge them as they take themselves and their teams to higher levels. Vanessa’s examples tested under the most brutal conditions on the most difficult summits, was an eye-opener and her talk remained the most discussed keynote of this high-profile event.”
— Arif Anis Malik, Presenter, Author and Attendee
“It was a pleasure interviewing Vanessa O’Brien at The Explorers Club as part of my “Exploring Legends” series. She follows in a line of other great guests including Sen. John Glenn, Jim Whittaker, Buzz Aldrin and James Cameron. Vanessa really had to think on her feet as this series is just one-on-one Q&A between myself and the guest (no visual props) in front of some of the world’s more hard-core adventurers. She was dynamic, and both funny and dead serious when discussing her challenges at the Poles and on the Seven Summits. The audience clearly was engaged as she graciously answered several more questions afterward, publicly and privately. I highly recommend her as a speaker at any kind of event.”
— Jim Clash, The Explorers Club Director and “Exploring Legends” Moderator
“Vanessa O’Brien has been a guest lecturer and a presenter for us at the Boston College’s MBA program at the Carroll School of Management on two occasions. Her orientation and experience as both an adventurer and business leader make her an exceptional speaker on topics at the intersection of leadership, strategy, execution, and teamwork. Vanessa recently brought to life the story of the catastrophic events that took place in 1996 on Mt. Everest (HBR) and K2: The Brotherhood of The Rope (Darden) for a class of graduate students in our High Performing Teams course. With both a sense of history, and also through her first-hand perspective of climbing Everest and K2, Vanessa expertly connected her audience with the magnitude of the accomplishment. She effectively wove together the elements of leadership, teamwork, motivation, and incredible commitment to tell the story of each of these expeditions.”
— Scott F. McDermott, Director of Boston College MBA Consulting Service
NYS American Alpine Club
November 11, 2017 & June 1, 2013
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Pakistan Embassy, D.C.
October 10, 2017
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Nepali Student Association
April 9, 2017
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Pakistani Student Association
February 18, 2017
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Boston College Club
September 20, 2016
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November 8, 2012
New York University
April 16, 2016
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Arc’Teryx & The Lady Alliance
July 18, 2019
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US Nepal Climbers
June 4, 2019
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The Pakistan Society
November 20, 2018
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Exploration Club
October 29, 2018
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Arc’Teryx & Discover Outdoors
June 13, 2018
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Fjällräven
February 28, 2018
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Beer and Gear
January 24, 2018
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French Consulate NY
January 11, 2018
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Lahore Gymkhana Club
December 14, 2017
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Boston College Club
September 20, 2016
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November 8, 2012
NYC
April 16, 2016
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Ilkley Grammar School
September 18, 2015
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Sponsored by the U.S. State Departments & Pakistan (U.S. Alumni Network)
August 7, 2015
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Tiffany Circle
June 9, 2015
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Capital One
June 4, 2015
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Alaska Women’s Summit
October 17, 2014
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Ted Baker
August 21, 2014
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Cape Henry
January 16, 2014
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A Small World
November 20, 2013
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The 3RDOOR
October 9, 2012
Visit Website
Exploration Club
October 29, 2018
Source
Arc’Teryx and Discover Outdoors
June 13, 2018
Source
Fjällräven
February 28, 2018
Source
French Consulate NY
January 11, 2018
Source
Lahore Gymkhana Club
December 14, 2017
Source
Boston College Club
September 20, 2016
Source
November 8, 2012
NYC
April 16, 2016
Source
Ilkley Grammar School
September 18, 2015
Source
Sponsored by the U.S. State Departments & Pakistan (U.S. Alumni Network)
August 7, 2015
Source
Tiffany Circle
June 9, 2015
Visit Website
Capital One
June 4, 2015
Source
Alaska Women’s Summit
October 17, 2014
Source
Ted Baker
August 21, 2014
Visit Website
Cape Henry
January 16, 2014
Visit Website
A Small World
November 20, 2013
Visit Website
The 3RDOOR
October 9, 2012
Visit Website
Slovak-American Culture Center 2021 Webinar Series
PABA Trade Show & Conference
Union Club of Boston
Royal Geographic Society
The Scientific Exploration Society
CEO Club Pakistan’s 16th CEO Summit
The Explorers Club
Boston College Carroll School of Management
