Leo Marston · Mountaineer & keynote speaker

Seven summits, one broken leg and a very long way back. Leo turns the hardest climbs on Earth into lessons your team will use on Monday.

Check availability →
Keynote speaker · Author · Expedition leader

Every summit starts at the bottom.

Leo helps leaders and teams climb through pressure, uncertainty and change, with stories from 8,848 metres and tools that work at sea level.

Book Leo for your event →
Meet Leo

He fell 40 feet. Then he climbed Everest.

In 2014 a fall in the Alps shattered Leo's leg and doctors told him he might never climb again. Six years later he stood on the summit of Everest, and went on to complete the Seven Summits.

Today he speaks to leadership teams, sales kickoffs and conferences about resilience, risk and the quiet daily habits that get people to the top. No ego. No hype. Just what works when the air gets thin.

7Summits climbed
41Expeditions led
900+Keynotes given
1Rule: come home
27°59′N · 86°55′E
6 yearsfrom the fall to the summit
Chapter 00 / 05
The climb

Five chapters. One mountain.

The story at the heart of every keynote, told the way it happened, from base camp to the top of the world.

Chapter 015,364 m

Base camp

Six weeks of waiting, training and acclimatising. The summit is won or lost here, long before anyone starts to climb.

LessonPreparation is the performance.
Chapter 026,400 m

The rope team

Five strangers clipped to one line. When one person slips, everyone feels it. Trust becomes the most important piece of kit.

LessonYou climb as fast as your team trusts you.
Chapter 037,162 m

The storm

Winds of 100 km/h and a choice: push on or turn back. Leo turned back, and it saved two lives.

LessonTurning around is also leadership.
Chapter 047,950 m

The night push

Midnight, minus 35 degrees, headlamps in a line. Twelve hours of putting one foot in front of the other.

LessonBig goals are won in small steps.
Chapter 058,848 m

The summit

Fifteen minutes on top of the world, and the hardest part still ahead: getting everyone home safe.

LessonThe summit is halfway.
The Ascent Method

Five camps. Five habits.

The framework Leo built on the mountain and now teaches to leaders: a clear way to climb through any big, uncertain goal.

8,800 M7,800 M6,800 M5,800 M Base camp5,364 M Camp I6,065 M Camp II6,400 M Camp III7,162 M Summit8,848 M
Base camp

Prepare

Know the mountain, the team and the risks before you take a step.

Camp I

Acclimatise

Grow capacity in steady stages, so pressure stops feeling like panic.

Camp II

Rope up

Build trust so strong that people catch each other without being asked.

Camp III

Decide

Set your turn-around time in advance and honour it when it counts.

Summit

Return

Celebrate, then bring everyone home. Success is a team that can climb again.

Keynotes

Talks with altitude.

Tailored to your audience and theme, with stunning expedition film and practical tools people use the next day.

Keynote 0160 min

The Rope Team

Trust, accountability and high performance in teams that can't afford to fall.

  • Build trust fast
  • Speak up before it's too late
  • Win as one team
Bring this keynote → Keynote 0245–60 min

Thin Air

Clear decisions under pressure, uncertainty and change, and when to turn around.

  • Set your turn-around time
  • Stay calm when it's chaos
  • Lead change with courage
Bring this keynote → Keynote 0345 min · virtual

Back From the Fall

Resilience after setbacks, and the step-by-step comeback that got Leo to the top.

  • Recover from setbacks
  • Break goals into camps
  • Keep going when it hurts
Bring this keynote →
The mountain doesn't carehow you feel.Show up anyway.
Leo Marston
Results

What audiences take home.

Event hosts rebook Leo because his talks change how teams work, long after the standing ovation.

“The highest-rated keynote in our 20-year history. Teams still say 'set your turn-around time' in meetings.”
RRachel OwensVP Events, Northwind
“Breathtaking film, honest stories and a framework our managers actually use. Worth every penny.”
DDaniel KrugerCHRO, Halcyon Bank
“He held 4,000 people in total silence, then had them on their feet. Our sales kickoff has never felt like this.”
PPriya ShahCRO, Meridian Group
NorthwindhalcyonMeridianOrbitalkestrel airSummitwise
The documentary

Thin Air

The award-winning film that followed Leo from hospital bed to the summit. Screenings available with any keynote.

BestAdventure FilmOfficialSelectionAudienceAward
Book Leo

Plan your ascent.

Tell us about your event and audience. We reply within one business day with availability, fees and a call with Leo.

  • Step 01A short call to learn your goals, theme and audience.
  • Step 02Leo tailors the story and tools to your people.
  • Step 03Optional workshop, film screening and team challenge.

Check availability

Takes about a minute.

We reply within one business day.

✓

Request received

Thanks! Leo's team will be in touch within one business day.