LAI Exclusive
Ben Saunders
World Record Polar Explorer Turned Tech CEO, TED Master Storyteller
- Holds the unbroken world record for the longest polar journey in history and the third person in history to ski solo to both the North and South poles
- TED “Master Storyteller” with three main-stage talks viewed 5+ million times
- Founder & CEO translating 23 years of Arctic operational experience into actionable insights that inspire audiences to achieve the impossible
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About Ben Saunders
Download ProfileAs a record-breaking polar explorer, Ben Saunders learned early that success in the world’s most unforgiving environments has less to do with heroics and more to do with leadership, preparation, and trust. Those hard-earned lessons—facing fear, self-doubt, and relentless adversity while pursuing goals few believe are possible—are what define him today as Founder & CEO of Arctic Research and Development, where he continues to lead teams through uncertainty. On stage, Ben draws directly from these experiences, connecting polar expeditions to the real challenges faced by leaders and organizations around the world.
Ben’s achievements as a polar explorer sit at the outer limits of human endeavor: he holds the unbroken world record for the longest human-powered polar journey in history, a 108-day, 1,800-mile return journey to the South Pole (69 consecutive marathons, dragging 200kg/440lbs of supplies). He’s the youngest person to ski solo to the North Pole, spending 72 days alone on the Arctic Ocean in the worst conditions in 25 years, and the third person in history to ski solo to both poles.
Despite these extremes, Ben describes his record journey as “a tough camping trip,” reflecting the understated humor and honesty that define his leadership style and make him an exceptional speaker. He often notes that he “spent more time in spreadsheets than on skis for twenty years,” meticulously planning for trips. That discipline prepared him for his next frontier: building and leading a fast-growing, venture-backed technology company. Today, as CEO, Ben applies the same expedition-tested principles of controlling the controllables, learning through failure, and taking risks.
Labeled a “Master Storyteller” by TED, his three main-stage talks have been viewed over five million times. Through stunning visuals and real-time journal entries, he takes audiences into the unknown — and shows them surprising parallels to their own challenges. His combination of achievement and authenticity helps organizations of all sizes unlock their own potential. Ben is exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau.
Speech Topics
Download TopicsIn 2004, Ben skied solo from Russia to the North Pole—600 miles across floating Arctic ice. No one has repeated this journey since, largely because the Arctic lost nearly 10 billion tons of ice in the following years. After spending more time in polar regions than many career scientists, Ben now applies this expertise as Founder & CEO of a venture-backed technology company building systems for Arctic operations, serving defense, government, and commercial clients.
Drawing on 23 years at the edge of human capability and now leading operations in one of the world’s most strategically important regions, Ben delivers unique insights on innovation under constraint, leading in extreme conditions, and the intersection of exploration and emerging technology.
Stress, exhaustion, and life-or-death decisions—Ben Saunders faced all of this on his record-breaking Antarctic expeditions. As he reveals in this keynote, these challenges mirror what we face in today’s high-pressure work environments. Drawing on his experiences in nature’s most unforgiving conditions, Saunders examines the line between productive stress and harmful strain. He shares powerful strategies for turning stress into grit, reframing obstacles into opportunities, and channeling courage to focus on what’s within your control.
When Ben Saunders looks back on the scariest, hardest, and bravest challenges he and his teammates have faced on daring expeditions to the world’s most unforgiving environments, he thinks about how communication has been the key to overcoming the obstacles in front of them. In this talk, Saunders offers business leaders and their people tangible examples for how to remove the barriers to open communication, streamline collaborative effectiveness, and create a culture in which asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, but rather a vital hallmark of a high-performing team.
Ben Saunders takes audiences on a journey from uncertainty, fear, and self-doubt to raising the bar in one of the most demanding fields imaginable. His life gives evidence to the belief that “impossible is just someone else’s opinion.” Through captivating visuals and raw storytelling, he delivers insights on perseverance and making the best use of the traits and potential we all possess but rarely employ to the fullest.
This story of self-belief is fused with practical lessons on getting difficult things done in difficult environments, building teams, preparing meticulously, knowing when to pivot, and fulfilling potential—no matter how steep the odds.
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