After-Dinner and Motivational Speakers
Tori James - Speaker and Adventurer
Tori James is the youngest British female as well as the first ever Welsh woman to climb Mount Everest. The BBC documentary ‘On Top of the World' was produced using the video footage which Tori shot and directed whilst climbing Everest.
Tori began work with the British Schools Exploring Society (BSES Expeditions), based at the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) in London. It was during her time there that she became part of a team that was determined to make the record books. In May 2005 The Pink Lady PoleCats became the first ever all-female team to complete The Polar Challenge, a grueling 360 mile race to the Magnetic North Pole. The team finished in 6th position out of 16 teams, having raced through polar bear territory in temperatures as low as -40°C.
Two years later, on 24th May 2007, Tori climbed to the summit of Mount Everest (8,850 metres/29, 035 feet). In doing so, she became the youngest British female (at 25) and the first ever Welsh woman to reach the summit.
Tori currently works as the Challenge & Club Manager for Make Your Mark, a national campaign aiming to unlock the UK's enterprise potential. She manages the annual Make Your Mark Challenge, the UK's largest one-day enterprise competition for young people. Tori loves to share her experiences and is an accomplished motivational speaker.
Testimonials
"Tori speaks of her own courage, joie de vivre, and sheer grit and determination in a way that is inspiring, and utterly compelling to listen to. She presents with a sincerity that can only come from a huge sense of personal achievement, and her passionate delivery taps into something in all of us"
Laura Greene, Senior Training and Development Officer- Breakthrough Breast Cancer
"Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed last night - great talk and refreshing to hear you deliver it with humility and realism!"
Nigel Godbolt, Arctic Racer and European HR Director for Ryder Ltd, May 2008
Hugh Hutchinson - Speaker and Adventurer
Hugh is one of Britain's most successful mogul skiers making the semi finals at the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympic Games. He competed on the World Cup circuit for five years making ten top 25 results. He won the British senior title four times and has three Commonwealth titles. After retiring from skiing he served four years on the British Olympic Executive representing all winter sports and was Athletes Director at the British Ski and Snowboard Federation.
Hugh has twelve years of commercial experience, which includes working for Reebok's International Marketing Department in Boston USA. Five years as Commercial Director and Head of Client Servicing at ‘Fast Track', a London based international sports marketing agency. For the last two years he has built up a brand and sports marketing company called '9 Yards' working with clients including: Red Bull, Fosroc, Uplands Racing, Essilor, Linde Werdelin, Nordica.
Hugh also did a short service in the Army, with the Royal Engineers achieving the rank of Captain and serving in the UK, Germany, Cyprus and Ascention Island. His career included managing NATO inner German boarder patrols during the German unifiction and the boarder opening.
With this unique background Hugh is ideally positioned to offer audiences insights into what it takes to reach the top and achieve peak performance on a personal and professional level. He is also ideally qualified to advise clients about opportunites in sports marketing and branding.
Hugh's second sport is golf and he has a handicap of 14 and plays on the Golden Golf Celebrity Tour (on Sky TV). He also does corporate golf days for clients linked to this.
Angela Gidden MBE - Motivational Speaker
Angela Gidden is one of Wales' leading designers, and is also owner and Director of two companies, Attic 2 Design Studio and Nomad & Nest eco-lifestyle brand with UK and international clients including Liberty, The Conran Shop and Heals.
Former Welsh Woman of the Year, Angela was awarded an MBE for services to business in 2007. She has established herself as a key advocator for the creative industries in the UK and in her work as an entrepreneur role model is committed to inspiring and motivating individuals, companies and organisations.
She is a passionate believer of the power of creative thinking in everyday life and is known for her dynamic and unique style of presentation. Having developed a collection of intriguing and interactive motivational talks with titles including ‘Romance & Risk', ‘The Box' and ‘The Crazy One's', Angela aims to ‘squeeze' the potential out of each and every idea, individual and audience.
Design presenter/host; after-dinner speaker; motivational speaker for business events, corporate, education, charity; TV and Radio.