Oli France
- Member of the Scientific Exploration Society,
- Winter Mountain Leader with a Degree in Outdoor Leadership
Oli France Speaker Biography
Oli France guides teams through the world’s wildest places. From Iraq to Syria, Congo to Yemen, Somalia to Siberia, Oli has learned what it takes to assemble, motivate and lead high-performing teams towards world-class goals in the harshest environments.
As a speaker, Oli illuminates how we can lead elite teams with purpose and vision, unlock true self-confidence, develop our resilience, and shift our perspectives on what we think is possible.
For over fifteen years, Oli’s adventures have taken him through deserts, jungles, mountains, and war-torn regions across 75 countries. He has faced spies, interrogators, minefields and arrest, along with avalanches, earthquakes, meningitis and severe dehydration. Oli has learned, however, that in some of the darkest places and the bleakest situations, we can encounter untold beauty and unshakable strength, if we allow ourselves to find it.
In May 2024, Oli became the first person this century to complete a fully human-powered journey from Death Valley to Denali. A 64-day 3,588-mile expedition from the lowest point in North America to the highest. The expedition generated global media coverage from outlets including the BBC, The Times, Nat Geo and Red Bull magazine. This expedition is part of Oli’s major world-first ‘Ultimate Seven’ project, in which he aims to become the first person to journey entirely by human power from the lowest point in each continent to the highest.
His other expeditions have included a solo winter 8,000-mile mountaineering journey from Hong Kong to Istanbul, a 400-mile solo winter crossing of Lake Baikal, Siberia, a 1,634-mile human-powered journey from Lac Assal, Djibouti, to Kilimanjaro, plus climbing the highest mountain in Iraq, volcanoes in the Congo, and other notable summits across dozens of countries.
Oli is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, a Member of the Scientific Exploration Society and a Winter Mountain Leader with a Degree in Outdoor Leadership. He is supported by a number of global brands.
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SUMMIT VISION (NEW!)
What does it take to achieve the boldest world-class goals? Oli France draws on his extraordinary experiences leading elite teams through the most challenging environments on Earth. In Summit Vision, Oli shares the crucial elements that drive success: precise planning, unwavering commitment, exceptional trust and teamwork, zero complacency and relentless focus on a shared vision. Through captivating stories and practical lessons, Oli illustrates the importance of leading with clarity and purpose, fostering an elite team culture, and maintaining absolute focus to achieve ambitious objectives.
FINDING LIGHT IN THE DARKEST PLACES
Oli has faced countless bleak situations while operating in high-risk environments across the globe. He has learned though that we each hold the power to uncover the light in even the darkest places. Oli’s message is that everything is a matter of perspective, and we can learn to control it. Audiences will feel empowered to not only cope with difficult situations, but to see them as an opportunity to thrive and grow.
THE CONFIDENCE WITHIN
So often we look at those who are successful as ‘Happy, Confident People.’ It’s true that our self-confidence can sometimes be the limiting factor in achieving our goals. Having guided people from all walks of life on intrepid journeys across the globe, Oli knows that we all possess a deep-rooted confidence, even if we feel unsure where to find it. Oli shares what we can do to unlock our confidence, leaving the audience filled with a newfound sense of positivity and self-belief with which to approach our boldest ambitions.
LEADERSHIP ON THE EDGE
Oli has guided teams through countless high-risk situations across the globe, from the highest mountain in Iraq, to the militia-filled jungles of the Congo, to the backstreets of Aleppo, Syria. The pressures and perils of expedition life mean that quickly developing high-functioning teams is vital. Oli shares his leadership lessons from these demanding environments, where calm decision-making, intensive planning, open communication and understanding the human factor within our teams is critical. Leaders and teams alike will leave the talk with new methods for building the resilient, caring and high-performing teams needed to achieve success.
