Alan Chambers MBE - Explorer

As a former Royal Marine, Alan Chambers MBE boasts 16 years of service and began developing the skills and resilience that would later assist in his career as a celebrated Polar explorer. In 1995 he was part of the first winter expedition to traverse Iceland by ski, sledging across Greenland, Canada North West Territories, Norway and Iceland. In 2000, Alan led the first successful British unsupported expedition from Canada to the Geographic North Pole. Walking over 672 nautical miles, dragging a heavy sledge and in temperatures as low as -65°C, this gruelling 70 days on the ice ended on 16th May 2000. In the same year and at the age of 32 Alan Chambers was awarded an MBE by HM The Queen for ‘determination and leadership in constant adversity’. Following this expedition, Alan subsequently led over a dozen North Pole expeditions, largely with high-profile business leaders and corporate chief executives, helping them to reflect and reassess their own leadership tactics in the corporate world.

In 2006, he led a team to complete the intense Yukon Arctic Ultra Challenge, in 2008 he crossed Greenland as part of an initiative designed to inspire children with the spirit of adventure and care for the environment and in 2009 he led a team of senior executives to the South Pole.

Alan incorporates his numerous adventures and leadership tactics into his motivational and keynote speaking roles. In the lead-up to the Rugby World Cup in 2003, he was invited to speak to the England squad on topics such as project focus, maintaining direction in adversity and adapting to change. The team went on to win the World Cup. Alan has also worked with the England cricket team in preparation for the Ashes, focusing on the mental endurance and the winning belief they would need to achieve their goals.