Available to book
Transform adversity into achievement with Mark Pollock, speaker, resilience and human potential expert. Mark empowers organisations to exceed expectations through leadership during crisis and collaborative innovation, recognised as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.
Mark Pollock specialises in helping individuals exceed their expectations. He understands that achieving world-class performance is difficult and cannot be left to chance. By serving as a high-impact catalyst, Mark empowers people to act boldly and realise their aspirations.
Despite losing sight in 1998, Mark became an adventure athlete, competing in gruelling endurance races across challenging terrains such as deserts, mountains, and polar ice caps. He even became the first blind person to race to the South Pole. Mark's remarkable achievements include winning silver and bronze medals for rowing at the Commonwealth Games and establishing a successful motivational speaking business.
However, in 2010, a tragic accident left him paralysed after falling from a second-story window and breaking his back. Undeterred, Mark embarked on a new journey as the Co-Founder of the global running series called Run in the Dark. His resilience and determination have earned him recognition as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and a former Global Futures Council on Human Enhancement member. Mark is also a UBS Global Visionary, a Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation board member, and a Wings for Life Ambassador. Moreover, he has been featured in acclaimed documentaries like "Blind Man Walking" and "Unbreakable – The Mark Pollock Story." As a speaker, Mark covers a range of topics, including overcoming adversity, maintaining resilience under pressure, leadership and motivation during crises, challenging expectations to enhance performance, fostering collaboration and teamwork across disciplines and geographies, and exploring the intersection of human potential and technology during the 4th Industrial Revolution.
Topics, sessions and talks
Uncertainty and change typify a crisis and it’s difficult to lead in such circumstances. By providing leaders and their teams with insights into the resilience, attitude and decisions of others facing extreme circumstances Mark helps people to develop the intrinsic motivation to move forward.
Sometimes we choose our challenges, sometimes our challenges choose us. What we decide to do about them is what counts. Deciding to be a competitor, a realist, and a collaborator offers your people a chance of maintaining a resilient mindset under pressure.
Mark's unparalleled journey of overcoming adversity and achieving world-class performance despite significant challenges will inspire your team to transcend their limitations. His insights on resilience, leadership, and harnessing technology for human potential are invaluable for businesses aiming to thrive in the 4th Industrial Revolution. Booking Mark as a speaker will not only motivate your team but also equip them with practical strategies to navigate crises and collaborate effectively across disciplines.
Testimonials
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
To book Mark Pollock, email mark.pollock@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 Mark'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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