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Rebecca Stephens

It wasn't until the age of 27 that she discovered a passion that was to change her life. As a journalist, she accompanied an Anglo-American expedition on Everest's North East Ridge and got bitten by the mountaineering bug. She decided she wanted to climb. Not only that, she wanted to climb the highest mountain in the world. Four years on she fulfilled this ambition and has subsequently continued to break records and barriers. But how did she do it?

With a passionate belief that every individual can achieve goals far beyond their wildest dreams, Rebecca lectures to corporate audiences and schools around the world. She also contributes articles to a number of national newspapers and has regularly appeared on television, most notably on Tomorrow's World. She has written a compelling account of her ascent of Everest, 'On Top of the World', a Dorling Kindersley book on mountains, entitled 'Everest', and most recently 'The Seven Summits of Success', co-written with management guru Robert Heller. She's also been a judge on the Man Booker award for contemporary literature.

Not surprisingly, Rebecca continues to adventure at every opportunity. She has sailed the Southern Seas to the South Magnetic Pole and Antarctica, competed in an eight-day Eco-Challenge with polar explorers Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Dr Mike Stroud, running, biking and canoeing across the Canadian Rockies. Most recently, she has crossed the island of South Georgia in the footsteps of Sir Ernest Shackleton.

She is a trustee for the Sir Edmund Hillary's Himalayan Trust, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, member of the Alpine Club, and has been closely involved with The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme and the Outward Bound Trust.

She lives in London with her partner and young daughter, Anna.

The Seven Summits Speech
Not satisfied with only climbing Everest, Rebecca went on to climb the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each of the world's seven continents. By her own admission, it was an extremely steep learning curve. She had to acquire the requisite mountaineering skills, but also the transferable skills of leadership - both of oneself, and others - to ensure success. They are presented as follows:

1. Kilimanjaro (Africa) - The First Step
2. Denali (N.America) - Training, planning and preparation
3. Everest (Asia) - Communication and effective teamwork
4. Elbrus (Europe) - Coaching and leadership
5. Cartstensz Pyramid (Australasia) - Recruiting the best people
6. Aconcagua (S.America) - Positive thinking
7. Vinson (Antarctica) - Tenacity to the last

Together the Seven Summits provide a unique opportunity to look at the seven principles of leadership in a dramatic and memorable way.

On each mountain, Rebecca learned what it takes to succeed in extreme and often dangerous conditions. By bringing back this learning to the training arena, she uses the mountains to explore the peak principles of success that unleash the power within all of us to create winning teams today.

"You received the highest marks ever - 8 x 10 and 2 x 9 (and one delegate never gives 10 on principle!) Congratulations, this is a brilliant and true reflection of your ability to share your extraordinary story in such a business-focused way." The Academy of Chief Executives