Keynote SpeakerCathy O'Dowd

The first woman in the world to climb Mount Everest

Cathy O’Dowd is the first woman in the world to climb the world’s highest mountain from both its north and south sides. Her first ascent of Everest happened in the midst of the chaotic events that form of the basis of the ‘true story’ behind the Hollywood movie Everest. Cathy,... Read more

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Watch Cathy O'Dowd in action

Cathy O'Dowd: Think Like An Explorer - going where no one has gone before
Cathy O'Dowd: teamwork & leadership from the slopes of Everest
Cathy O'Dowd I Motivational speaker I Showreel

Popular Talks by Cathy O'Dowd

Think Like An Explorer

A dramatic story of managing uncertainty while navigating a new route in the high Himalaya. Cathy has turned this extraordinary experience into a case-study of the challenges of being a pioneer, and she takes the audience with her in this interactive presentation. Your people will be on the team, experiencing…

A dramatic story of managing uncertainty while navigating a new route in the high Himalaya. Cathy has turned this extraordinary experience into a case-study of the challenges of being a pioneer, and she takes the audience with her in this interactive presentation.
Your people will be on the team, experiencing the uncertainty, participating in the key decisions and living with the consequences. An adventure keynote experience unlike anything you have seen before.
Join the expedition with an interactive adventure. The climbing team is confronted with a series of crucial choices. Facing the intense uncertainty of pioneering a new route, they need to take decisions under pressure, with limited information and many unknowns. What should they do? What would the audience do? Cathy challenges them to join in at these key decision moments.
Reaching New Heights

Teamwork and leadership from the slopes of Mount Everest. The place where mountains and business meet is with people: ambitious people tackling overwhelming challenges in high-risk, high-stress environments – high achievers whose natural ambition drives them to competition rather than cooperation, yet who need to collaborate effectively in high-performing teams.…

Teamwork and leadership from the slopes of Mount Everest.
The place where mountains and business meet is with people: ambitious people tackling overwhelming challenges in high-risk, high-stress environments – high achievers whose natural ambition drives them to competition rather than cooperation, yet who need to collaborate effectively in high-performing teams.
With honesty and humour, Cathy shares the ways in which we create our own disasters and shows how we can overcome our mistakes, refocusing teams to push upwards to summit success.
A real-world case-study of the reasons for failure on projects, and the keys to success for peak performing teams. In mountains, as in business, there is much about the external environment that cannot be controlled. The place where we can most easily and quickly improve our effectiveness is in the attitude of our people – how focused, motivated and efficient our teams are.

More talks

Adventure
Leadership
Teamwork
Risk Management
Project Management
Women in a man’s world
Overcoming obstacles
Achieving goals

Biography

Cathy, who grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, has climbed ever since leaving school, both rock-climbing and alpinism. `Her first expeditions were to central Africa and the Andes, followed by a year exploring the Alps.

She was completing her Masters degree in Journalism, while working as university lecturer, when she saw a newspaper advert for a place on the 1st South African Everest Expedition. Six months later she became the first South African to summit Everest.

Three years on she became the first woman in the world to climb the mountain from both sides. She made one last expedition to Everest to try a new route on the Kangshung face. She has written a book about her Everest experiences, Just For The Love Of It.

The years she spent in the Himalaya were for her a degree ‘in living’. The insights she discovered about herself, and about individuals and teams under intense stress in the face of overwhelming challenge, are ones she has been sharing with her corporate audiences ever since.

Her stories touch on themes of importance to anyone trying to run successful projects and get the best out of people.

Surf ski in South AfricaCathy canyoning in SpainCathy climbing in SpainCathy ski mountaineering in CanadaCathy O’Dowd jumping into the Ordiso canyon in SpainCathy on Nanga ParbatCathy trail running in AndorraCathy O’Dowd on a sea kayak trip in the Finnish archipeligoCathy on the summit of Everest

Cathy has been a professional speaker for 27 years and has presented her message to companies in 46 countries on six continents. She is a Fellow of the Professional Speaking Association of UK/Ireland, who have given her their highest award, the Professional Speaking Award of Excellence.

Cathy’s most challenging Himalayan epic was as part of a team attempting a new route on an 8000 metre peak. Although Cathy herself did not reach the summit, two of her teammates did, doing the first ascent of Nanga Parbat via the Mazeno ridge, and winning the prestigious Piolet d’Or for their achievement.

She has turned this experience into a fascinating interactive case-study of successful project execution of truly innovative goals.

Cathy lives in Andorra, in the Pyrenees mountains, from where she pursues her speaking career, and explores the mountains of Europe. In her free time she does technical rock-climbing, ski-mountaineering, canyoning and sea kayaking.

In 2023 Cathy is focused on canyoning and sea kayaking adventures, with trips to places including Morocco, Madeira, Utah and Crete. Through the summer she is travelling through Scandinavia with her sea kayak.

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What clients say about Cathy O'Dowd

“A fully interactive, audience-engaging experience that offers the opportunity to adventure along with Cathy and her expedition team. That provides an exceptional framework for the event to follow within which business concepts like risk, decision-making, and strategy can be explored in context.” David Mayer, Leadership Partner, Gartner

“I cannot remember the last time I was so impressed by a speaker who had such strong, relevant and inspiring messages.” David McNeill, Enterprise Holdings

“Very professional in her preparation and engaging the audience with interactive tools, we discovered how the “climbing world” has changed. With the support of great images, she made us live her unique and extraordinary story. Her motivational speech was highly praised as the situational examples she used were also relevant to business.” Patricia Lhopital, Head of Events at Roche Diagnostics

“I have hired hundreds of guest speakers and I found that Cathy is one of the few that is able to tie her amazing climbing experiences tangibly back to business management and strategy.” Sara Mueller, WBR

“Cathy was the key note speaker at our annual convention and she was outstanding…. she has a rare talent of associating her achievements with one’s own business challenges.” James Foice, Chief Executive, ASAP

How to book Cathy O'Dowd as a keynote speaker

How do I book Cathy O'Dowd for a keynote speech?

You can book Cathy O'Dowd through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Cathy's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.

What are Cathy O'Dowd's speaking fees?

Cathy O'Dowd's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Cathy tailored to your event.

What topics does Cathy O'Dowd speak about?

Cathy O'Dowd speaks on Diversity, Inspirational Women, Leadership, Leadership & Motivation, Motivation. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Cathy to align the content with your delegates and goals.

Is Cathy O'Dowd available for international events?

London Speaker Bureau can book Cathy O'Dowd for events worldwide, subject to Cathy's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.

Does Cathy O'Dowd deliver virtual or online keynotes?

Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Cathy O'Dowd is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).

How long is a typical keynote by Cathy O'Dowd?

Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Cathy can accommodate.

Can Cathy O'Dowd tailor the keynote to our industry and audience?

London Speaker Bureau will brief Cathy O'Dowd on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Cathy can offer.

What languages does Cathy O'Dowd present in?

Cathy O'Dowd delivers keynotes in English, Spanish. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.

What makes Cathy O'Dowd a strong fit as a keynote speaker?

Cathy O'Dowd's areas of expertise include Diversity, Inspirational Women, Leadership, Leadership & Motivation, Motivation. To get a clear sense of Cathy's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.

What kind of events can Cathy O'Dowd speak at?

Cathy O'Dowd can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in Diversity, Inspirational Women, Leadership, Leadership & Motivation, Motivation is relevant. Details of Cathy's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.

Does Cathy O'Dowd offer workshops, panels or fireside chats in addition to keynotes?

Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Cathy O'Dowd is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.

How far in advance should we book Cathy O'Dowd?

We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Cathy O'Dowd, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Cathy's current availability for your dates.