Mandy Hickson is a ground breaking trailblazer in every sense of the word. With a career in aviation spanning over thirty years, and with three tours of duty and 45 missions over Iraq under her belt, she confidently secured her place with the RAF’s most experienced pilots. Breaking through gender barriers, she became the UK’s first female fast-jet pilot to fly the Tornado GR4; a multi-million pound jet fighter, in combat. Mandy also serves as an Aviation Ambassador for the Department for Transport, a Trustee for the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, continuing to champion the next generation’s involvement in STEM and aviation. Her adventurous spirit remains undimmed, evidenced by her recent expeditions to Kilimanjaro’s summit and Everest Base Camp.
Mandy’s journey and achievements, were immortalised in her book, An Officer Not A Gentleman, where she lays bare the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of her illustrious career. This bestselling book, released in 2020, showcases her incredible journey as a fighter pilot — years of ambition, specialised training, and steadfast commitment—all of which made her dream job a reality and paved the way for countless others.Her depth of experience adds genuine authority to her talks. When she speaks, you are not simply hearing anecdotes, you’re absorbing the lessons learned from a lifetime of complex decision-making and leadership of the highest stakes.
Mandy Hickson leaves an indelible mark on her audience, offering a unique toolkit for success honed in high-stakes environments. Her insights ignite a transformational shift, empowering individuals to challenge their own boundaries and providing a concrete roadmap for overcoming any obstacle.
Topics
Why we need cognitive diversity in our teams
Maintaining a Resilient Mindset ‘Under Fire’
Decision Making under pressure
Challenging process to achieve different results.
Leadership from the front line
Quotes
The mantra that has not just kept me alive at 30,000ft, but sane on the ground ever since…Control the controllables, and if you can’t, let it go!
Be unapologetically You. The world does not need more people who blend in, it needs people who radiate, who shine.
When change comes we all have a choice in how we respond. You can either fight it and say, ’thats the way it’s always been done,’ or embrace it and lean in towards it. Thats when the real growth happens.
I wanted my legacy to be one of genuine change, that the ladder that we all fought so hard to climb is not just down but its welded, to ensure others can follow us with so much more ease.
“I just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you again for your session yesterday, what a way to end the event!! Feedback has been glowing from everyone I have been speaking to – hugely inspirational and many have said that it was great that they were able to take away so many practical points that they can apply to their own roles. I hope many more people get to hear your story. Your book is on it’s way from Amazon” – Barclays Bank
“You were an absolute pleasure to work with and we have had absolutely phenomenal feedback from delegates with many saying that you are the best guest speaker they have ever heard. You literally had the room spellbound.” – Airbus
“Would you mind relaying to Mandy that I never want to follow her speaking at an event ever again please?! She was so inspiring, amazing, brilliant, honest and open about her experiences that she captured the attention of all of our audience to a level I just couldn't hope to maintain!! She was undoubtedly the star of the show and a really amazing speaker and inspiration.” – NewDay Credit
