Lewis Pugh

As an ocean advocate, pioneer swimmer and explorer, Lewis puts his hard-learned lessons into the context of a corporate environment. He shares the visualisation that enabled him to undertake the first swim across the sub-zero waters of the North Pole, and become the only person to have completed a long distance swim in every ocean of the world.  In 2007, he became the first person to undertake a swim across the icy waters of the North Pole. In fact, he has pioneered more swims around famous landmarks than any other swimmer in history. Each of these seemingly impossible feats were done to raise awareness about the vulnerability of water and its importance to humanity. And he won’t stop there.  He continually redefines his own impossible, in the same way that any company must, in an ever-changing world.

Lewis’s ability to make his story matter has made him one of the world’s leading inspirational speakers, receiving widespread acclaim. His speech on leadership at the BIF Conference in Rhode Island was voted as one of the “7 Most Inspiring Videos on the Web”.  His speeches at TEDGlobal have been viewed by over 2.5 million people, and he has received a number of awards including France and South Africa’s highest honours and the Freedom of the City of London. In 2010, the World Economic Forum named him a Young Global Leader for his “potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world through inspiring leadership” and in 2013 the United Nations Environment Programme appointed him “Patron of the Oceans.”

Lewis’s accomplishments have received extensive media coverage by the BBC, Good Morning America, CNN, Jon Stewart, National Geographic, Sky News, Al Jazeera, Jay Leno and many more.