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Speaker - Jim McNeill
Business Speakers, Adventurers and Explorers, After Dinner Speakers
- Leadership
- Motivation
- Environment
- Teamwork
- Training and Performance
- Climate Change
- Survival
- Logistics
- Risk Management
- Environmental Change
- Team Building
With more than 2 decades of Arctic travelling, Jim McNeill is an accomplished polar explorer, presenter and keynote speaker. In January 2001 he conceived the idea of combining his professional rescue expertise with his polar expeditioning into a long term vision known as the Ice Warrior Project.
Jim has worked in the environmental science sector, trained army personnel to use mountains safely and has 12 years of blue-chip marketing communications experience at consultancy level. In 2006 he resigned his fire and rescue operations for the Royal Household, to engage in “professional exploring”.
Throughout his career Jim has selected, trained and led teams in key business situations, where the reputation and share value of corporations is won and lost on strategic and tactical media relations; to critical lifesaving situations, where effective leadership and hands on teamwork are key to preserving the lives of car crash victims; through to longer term life-threatening situations in extreme climatic situations with multiple risks over long periods of time. Jim thrives on challenge and change. He has a passion for leadership and getting the very best performance out of individuals and teams, at any level. He has written for numerous publications, scientific papers and is currently writing his first book.
ITV News’ own “Ice Warrior” and in 2006 reported directly from some 200 miles into the Arctic Ocean on the actual effects of global warming on the Arctic ice cap - bringing the reality of global climate change to audiences around the globe.
The story will continue next year as he attempts to be the first person in history to reach the Northern Pole of Inaccessibility at the very centre of the Arctic Ocean. He is leading a group of novices from the northern shores of Canada to the centre of the ocean; a treacherous journey of 800 miles and 80 days duration. At the same time he and his team will gather crucial climate data for the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NASA supported work). He will also be writing a weekly diary piece about his expedition for BBC Online and a national newspaper.
For the past two years Jim spent most of the summer on Ellesmere Island in the Arctic as guide and safety advisor for the BBC’s Natural History Unit. Jim has located the elusive Arctic Wolf for the BBC and has written two diaries about the wolves and their environment for BBC Online. Jim has worked on numerous shoots looking after the safety and logistics of film crews in extreme environments and providing cold weather training before filming begins.
As well as significant involvement in polar exploration Jim has a wealth of qualifications, skills and experience.
- Graduate of The Institution of Fire Engineers - GIFireE
- Associate Member International Emergency Technical Rescue Institute
- Associate Member of the British Association for Immediate Care Scheme – BASICS
- Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Certificate – PHEC November 1996
- Emergency/Rescue Personnel Member of the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
- Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service – Brigade instructor first-aid training
- Rescue Emergency Care Advanced First Aid for the Arctic
- Fellow of The Royal Geographic Society – FRGS
As a person, Jim believes that consideration for others, an enthusiasm for life and broad-based experience makes for a balanced soul and says his greatest attributes are empathy, initiative, a good measure of common sense - and the ability to communicate and motivate.
Expert Areas:
- Extreme Environment Society
- Leadership
- Training and Performance
- Team building and motivation
- Team Training
- Expeditions
- Survival
- Logistics
- Climate change in the Polar Regions
- Emergency Planning
- Risk Management
For further information about Ice Warrior 
click the link below:
http://www.ice-warrior.com/index.htm
See Jim being interviewed by Sky TV:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLfujThWLps&feature=youtu.be
Jim in the press:
"Learning to travel the hard way is only only the best way, but it's also the most memorable. I greatly admire all of you for having a go - believe me you won't forget the experience. Good luck" Michael Palin
"What Jim McNeill and his team are doing is pioneering of the most advanced kind..what he is planning pushes man beyond the boundaries and will take him to the most inaccessible places on Earth." Lord Robert Winston
"Ice Warrior represents the best of British. It repreents the great eccentrric adventurous spirit. It also represents pioneering endeavours and the struggle of triumph over adversity." Donal McIntyre - Broadcaster and Reporter
"Jim McNeill offers his audience an entertaining and fascinating insight into his truly remarkable adventures. His courage, unyielding determination and dedication to achieving the seemingly impossible left all those in the room feeling humbled and inspired. Any business serious about success should hear his message." MD, TV
"The children thought that you were brilliant - the best yet - and there has been some tough competition! I always think that even if you only change one persons life for the better and set them on the right path, then it is worthwhile." Head Teacher
"The tales of Jim’s many Arctic expeditions are unique and thrilling. They are relevant to everyone that has undertaken a personal challenge, the fear of failure or the sacrifice for success each connect very powerfully with the audience. There are some powerful learning’s for the commercial world." Chairman
“Jim McNeill was our guest speaker for our aptly entitled ‘Ice Warrior Seminar’. Our aim was to headline the seminar with leading figurehead, advocate and spokesperson Jim McNeill, accomplished Arctic traveller, presenter, speaker and ITN Ice Warrior."
"We talked to Jim about addressing the effects of global warming on the Arctic ice cap and bringing the reality of global climate change to our audience of invited VIP guests - comprising our most valued city firms, whose CSR policies were starting to become more specific in addressing their efforts to reduce their carbon footprints. From the moment he took centre stage, he connected with the audience when he started at the very beginning, many years ago - an essential part of getting their attention and impacting upon them later with key messages. I suspect this made him even more credible and authentic.
He cleverly conveyed what he had to say with real passion, honesty and sincerity; his speech was motivational and inspirational, serving to educate, entertain and enrapt our audience. He also cleverly weaved humour into a speech which, ordinarily, dealt with a very serious subject matter – climate change. I believe this all helped to create a bond between him and his audience, which made what he had to say all the more authentic and impactful. It goes to show how thought-provoking someone can be, when every one of their audience of invited guests takes the time to express their gratitude and thanks for having been invited. Thanks Jim!” Elior UK
“Thank you so much for a really interesting and entertaining evening last night. I thoroughly enjoyed myself - and, although not quite the last to leave, I was very nearly the last! I thought Jim McNeill's talk was fascinating.
“Thank you for hosting the event last night; a truly inspirational presentation that really makes you sit up and think. Please pass on my thanks to your team."
"The Ice Warrior talk was fascinating. The points Jim made about climate change were well made. It was quite a positive note at the end as long as we continue to work on reducing our emissions. Can you please pass on my thanks to your team."
“Jim was a very entertaining speaker, I didn't know about him previously and was impressed with his endeavours. The photos were great, I'm glad I saw his talk.”
“Thank you very much for such an interesting and worthwhile event”
“Jim’s presentation was fascinating – just the right length and enough time for questions, he is a very engaging speaker .”
“The background information as to how Jim McNeill became an explorer and why he does it. This gave the presentation some context and made sense of the scientific elements.”
“Thanks for the tour and presentation.”
- Leadership
- Motivation
- Environment
- Teamwork
- Training and Performance
- Climate Change
- Survival
- Logistics
- Risk Management
- Environmental Change
- Team Building
One to watch on BBC One - The Last Explorers http://bbc.in/sRwZoh - Jim had the pleasure of leading this expedition.
Jim McNeill spent 9 weeks on Ellesmere Isalnd, Arctic Canada working on the incredible documentary 'Frozen Planet' sequel to 'Planet Earth' with David Attenborough, this is currently being shown on BBC1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00mfl7n
Watch out for Jim being interviewed during a documentary about Predators, this is to be shown on Channel 4 between Christmas and New Year.
Jim has also been involved in a documentary about a team of six led by Jock Wishart on an expedition to row across the Canadian Arctic, from Resolute Bay to the 1996 position of the Magnetic North Pole on Ellef Ringnes Island - 'Rowing the Arctic' to be shown soon on BBC http://www
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