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Vanessa O’Brien

Vanessa O’Brien

Mountaineer & Business Leader

Vanessa O’Brien is a world record-holding British-American climber..

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Bio

Full Bio

Vanessa O’Brien is a world record-holding British-American climber and arctic explorer whose extensive international business experience affords her a unique take on the world. Having moved to live on her own at the age of 16, O’Brien developed a sense of responsibility early on. Determined to rise to the top, she worked extra hard “climbing” the corporate ladder, not knowing that the worst recession in living memory would lead her to face her biggest challenge yet: climbing Mt. Everest.

Despite having no mountaineering experience at all, and after only two years of training, O’Brien went on to set the women’s speed record for completing the “Explorer’s Grand Slam”—reaching the geographic North and South poles, as well as reaching the top of the highest peak on each continent—in eleven months. In March 2013, she became the fastest woman to climb the seven summits, doing so in only ten months and being one of only 54 women in the world to accomplish such a feat.

O’Brien’s focus, enthusiasm, energy, commitment, and persistence were critical to her success in the business world. She became the first person ever sponsored by GE for an executive MBA after she won their prestigious Pinnacle Award for outstanding achievement. This led to senior executive roles in finance, strategic planning, and business development in some of the world’s leading institutions including Morgan Stanley, Barclays, Bank of America, and GE Capital.

Using the metaphor of climbing, Vanessa O’Brien takes audiences on an audio and visual tour of some of the most challenging and remote places on the planet. In her customized presentations, she explores the importance of overcoming adversity by having a purpose through short-term goals. She illustrates how preparation, teamwork, staying focused to avoid risks, and applying a success-oriented mindset differentiate the winners from the losers—not just on the mountain but in business and in life.

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Topics

Topics

Teamwork

Overcoming Adversity

Leadership

Motivation

Videos

Videos

Vanessa O'Brien: Preparing for the Grand Slam
Vanessa O'Brien: Shattering Records on Wake Up with Al

Books

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