Record Holding Polar Explorer – Leadership, Teamwork & Goal Setting
Europe
United Kingdom
Ann Daniels started as a mother of young triplets without any outdoor experience; pure hard work and belief led her to be selected from over 200 more experienced women to participate in her first North Pole expedition. From these humble beginnings, she went on to conquer the South Pole and, in 2002, along with her teammate Caroline Hamilton, became the first and only woman in history to ski to the North and South Poles as part of an all-women team. Experiencing temperatures as low as -50C and dealing with various encounters with Polar bears, she has sledge-hauled over 2000 miles in the most inhospitable environments in the world, completing over ten polar expeditions and surviving over 400 days on the ice. She understands the importance of good planning, hard work and a positive attitude in difficult circumstances.
In 2009, Pen Hadow asked Ann to head ice operations for the ground-breaking. As a Polar guide and ice leader of the high-profile scientific Catlin Arctic surveys, she is living proof that good leadership, teamwork and believing in yourself make a difference. She has worked with NASA, The European Space Agency and many scientific institutions globally, tracking and measuring ice and collecting data at the extreme ends of the planet to help understand humans’ environmental impact on the world.
As described by the Times as “living proof that humans really can reach new peaks, ” Ann’s initial experience of the polar world was a vital member of a relay expedition to the North Pole in 1997. She was selected from hundreds of applicants to join the first team, tasked with crossing the most challenging sections of ice in the coldest weather that any of the five relay groups experienced. Fired by her experiences in temperatures cold enough to freeze skin instantly, Ann and four colleagues from the relay went on to organise and accomplish a 700-mile expedition across Antarctica to the South Pole.
“A wonderful example of determination and true British grit” – Prince Charles, HRH The Prince of Wales
Ann tailors every speech to her audience and illustrates the importance of solid leadership, teamwork, the correct attitude, setting goals, managing change, overcoming the odds and the importance of persistence. Undoubtedly, she is an ordinary woman who has achieved the extraordinary. Her next expedition, “The Last Ice Sentinels”, is planned for early 2025, where Ann will once again lead an expedition on the Arctic Ocean. The aim will be work with high profile scientific institutions to find and document the last of the multi year ice on the Arctic Ocean, before it disappears forever..
Ann’s speaking topics of choice and experience are leadership, teamwork, motivation and global warming/environmental change.
“Her energy, belief and determination are inspiring. She is living proof that humans really can reach new peaks” – The Times.
"Ann was truly inspirational and I was so pleased that I had both the opportunity to meet with and to listen to her story - which is pretty amazing. We had great comments re Ann following her talk and the fact that she bothered to wander around and connect with the delegates was so appreciated. Ann received a standing ovation from the audience and Gary Calveley was bowled over. Once the conference had wrapped up, several people asked if she was still there to talk to her (by which time she had left the hotel) but I gave them further detail so they could google her and find her, making contact etc. Jonathan - you did such a great job in recommending Ann and it was our pure good luck that she was available and happy to do a gig for us; Thanks again - you are a star and you have some pretty spectacular planets in your solar system."
"Dear Jonathan, Many thanks for your note. Ann was overwhelming! I talked to many participants of the conference and everyone was deeply impressed by her story and very much enjoyed her entertaining talk. I talked to Geoff right after the conference and we both agreed that it was amazing how well prepared she was and how seamless she fit into our own business agenda and messaging of our two-day conference. We much enjoyed how she picked up comments from the presentations that preceded her as well as from the material that we shared with our conference participants and included it in her talk. This way her presentation nailed it and was extremely relevant to us and our audience at the conference. Ann’s speech was a much-applauded highlight of our two-day conference and we were very happy to have her join us on that day. Thanks again for your kind support in organizing this and please also extend my best wishes to Ann. I must say that during my vacation I became very sensitive to plastic bags and never before noted how extensive they are used – virtually everywhere! I made a point of being more careful here and often refused taking a bag, a straw, a cup… by Ann’s doing."
“What can we say other than you are a true inspiration and made an educational leadership conference have a sense of excitement and uniqueness because of your after-dinner contribution. It is no mean feat to engage such a large group of individuals, where a pin could be heard to drop, with such finesse, passion and charm. When you arrived, it was to a group of strangers and when you left, it was from a group of friends with great admiration and respect for your immense determination, spirit and achievements. The standing ovation was a reflection of that.”
“Ann Daniels presentation was superb with lots of personal experience and an excellent collection of photographs. She was an inspiration and the hit of the conference.”
“You were a magnificent speaker. A wonderful example of what can be achieved with precise planning, determination and a will to succeed. “
"Your talk and contribution to the day was a great inspiration to us all. We were fascinated by your achievements and you brought a new dimension to the event."
“A wonderful example of determination and true British grit.”
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