Available to book
Colin Maclachlan
Colin Maclachlan helps organisations build resilience, leadership, and team performance under pressure. A former SAS soldier and star of Channel Four's SAS: Who Dares Wins, he speaks to leadership and risk, drawing on frontline hostage rescue and negotiation experience.
Colin MacLachlan is a former 22 SAS operator with more than 30 years of security, risk, and leadership experience across military and civilian environments. His career includes hostage rescue, negotiation, counter-terrorism, and surviving captivity in Iraq.
Colin joined the British Army in 1989 and served with the Royal Scots before passing SAS selection at 23. He has participated in numerous high-profile missions, including Operation Certain Death, where he played a crucial role in rescuing British soldiers held hostage by a guerrilla gang in Sierra Leone. He was the first sniper on the scene of a hijacked Afghan flight during the longest hostage siege on UK soil, and endured a mock execution while held captive in Iraq.
After leaving the SAS, Colin completed exchange programmes with Delta Force and SEAL Team Six and advised the Saudi Royal Family, A-list celebrities, and US media networks on security. He later earned a First Class MA in History from Edinburgh University and an MLitt in Terrorism from St Andrews University.
Colin is the author of the bestselling autobiography The Pilgrim, which sold out within three weeks of publication. He also stars in Channel Four's SAS: Who Dares Wins and Channel 5's Secrets of the SAS, and is the founder of the charity Who Dares Cares, supporting veterans and mental health charities.
Drawing on his diverse experience, Colin helps audiences understand how to perform under extreme pressure, make decisions with incomplete information, and lead teams through uncertainty and change. Audiences leave his sessions with practical tools for building resilience, resolving conflict, and staying composed when stakes are high.
Book Colin to bring a rare, first-hand perspective on leadership, resilience, and performance under pressure to your event.
Topics, sessions and talks
In his talk, Colin Maclachlan recounts his journey from a challenging upbringing to selection for the UK Special Forces (22 SAS). He shares thrilling and humorous stories of his missions while reflecting on key lessons everyone can take into their professional and personal lives. Colin also addresses themes of mental resilience, navigating change, and overcoming adversity, leaving attendees with valuable insights on resilience and adaptability.
In his engaging talk, Colin Maclachlan examines the impact of artificial intelligence and cyber on modern warfare and in elite Special Forces. He argues that human expertise and adaptability remain essential in high-stakes operations. Through real-world examples, Colin illustrates how A.I. enhances battlefield intelligence, giving attendees fascinating insights into the future of A.I. in both the Special Forces and normal working life.
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
To book Colin Maclachlan, email colin.maclachlan@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Colin's availability and speaking fee. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and about your audience.
No. PepTalk adds no booking fee, so you pay the speaker's fee and nothing beyond it. The service, from shortlist through to contracts and event-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, PepTalk can agree preferential rates with your procurement team.
Share your event date, audience, format, objectives and budget, and PepTalk sends a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours. Each suggestion comes with a profile, a fee and a recommendation on the strongest fit. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, travel and logistics through to event day.
The typical fee range is the speaker's standard in-person fee in their home market, shown in their local currency. It moves with format, location, date and session length: virtual sessions and shorter slots usually cost less, while international travel and peak dates cost more. Send your brief to PepTalk and the team will confirm the exact fee in your currency.
Not all of them, and it makes no difference to your booking. PepTalk's network of 15,000+ speakers covers talent the team works with directly alongside speakers represented by agents and agencies worldwide. PepTalk approaches the speaker, negotiates the fee and handles contracting either way.
Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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