Jo Bradshaw

Jo Bradshaw is an Everest and Seven summiteer, keynote and leadership speaker, expedition leader and leadership coach who helps organisations navigate uncertainty and change, build resilient teams and perform under pressure.

Before stepping into the world of extreme environments, Jo built her career in business, working in commercial roles including account management, partnership development and SME business advisory. Supporting organisations to grow and navigate change gave her an early understanding of leadership, decision-making and team dynamics that now underpins her work with senior leaders and organisations.

At the age of 38, Jo made a decision that changed the trajectory of her life. Stepping outside her comfort zone led her into the world of high-altitude mountaineering and ultimately to the summit of Mount Everest in 2016. She has since completed the Seven Summits, climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents.

Along the way she survived the devastating 2015 Nepal earthquake at Everest Camp 1, an experience that profoundly shaped her understanding of leadership under pressure, decision-making in uncertainty and the power of trust within teams.

Today Jo leads expeditions around the world and, over the last 2 decades, has guided thousands of people through some of the most challenging environments on the planet. From oxygen-deprived Himalayan peaks to the remote landscapes of Antarctica, these environments act as powerful laboratories for leadership.

Alongside her expedition leadership, Jo facilitates leadership development programmes for organisations internationally, working with leaders from emerging talent through to board level. Her work focuses on helping individuals and teams navigate uncertainty, build trust, manage fear and perform when the stakes are high.

Through her keynotes, Jo takes lessons from leadership in business and extreme environments, translating them into practical insights for business and exploring themes including:

• Leading through uncertainty and change
• Building resilience before you need it
• Why the 1%s matter
• Channelling fear into forward motion
• How purpose underpins perspective, patience and perseverance

Jo’s talks combine powerful storytelling with practical leadership insights, showing audiences that the principles required to summit mountains are the same ones required to lead organisations through challenge and change.

Alongside her climbing and expeditions, Jo is currently studying for her BSc (Honours) Psychology and raises funds and awareness for the UK children’s mental health charity Place2Be.

Keynote topics

Leading Through Uncertainty

What extreme environments teach us about decision-making, trust and leadership when the path ahead is unclear. Drawing on experiences from Everest, Antarctica and remote expeditions, Jo explores how leaders can stay calm, adaptable and decisive when the stakes are high and conditions constantly change.

Resilience Is Built Before You Need It

Why resilience is not forged in crisis, but in the small decisions made every day. Through powerful storytelling from high-altitude expeditions and life-changing moments on Everest, Jo shows how individuals and teams build the habits, mindset and trust that allow them to navigate challenge before it arrives.

Why 1%s Matter

High performance rarely comes from dramatic breakthroughs. Instead, it is built through consistent marginal gains. Jo explores how small, intentional actions compound over time to create resilience, confidence and lasting progress for individuals and teams.

From Fear to Forward Motion

Reframing fear, imposter syndrome and self-doubt as tools for growth. Jo shares how stepping outside our comfort zone, whether on a mountain or in the workplace, helps individuals and teams unlock potential they didn’t know they had.

The Menopause: Who Am I Now?

An honest and empowering leadership conversation about navigating menopause, from brain fog and shifting confidence to redefining identity, resilience and leadership in midlife. Jo explores how this stage of life can become a powerful catalyst for self-leadership and growth.