As an explorer Pen Hadow has been a pioneering figure in the North Pole region since 1989 through his expedition guide service, record-breaking feats, international research programmes, and now his conservation mission to protect the region’s biodiversity through an international agreement.
His iconic solo trek from Canada to the North Pole has never been repeated, and his US$10 million programme of non-governmental scientific research on the Arctic Ocean (Catlin Arctic Surveys 2008-12) is without equal.
He has spent over 10,000 hours on the Arctic Ocean, and decades of work behind-the-scenes preparing for those hours on the sea ice. He has become one of Britain’s quintessential explorers, now committed to protecting our planet’s biodiversity and its life-supporting services for future generations through the ocean conservation charity, 90 North Foundation.
Pen Hadow believes exploration and conservation of the natural world has been never more urgent or important, given the continued existence of humankind is becoming ever more dependent on improving the understanding and management of our impacts on, and relationship with, the natural world’s resources, processes and systems.
90 North Foundation is exclusively dedicated to protecting the biodiversity of the world’s northernmost ocean waters, as its sea-ice habitat disappears and increasing vessel activity introduces additional stressors and risks.
The Foundation undertakes research projects, public education programmes and conservation advocacy with the objective of catalysing the policy-making community to secure, through an international legal instrument, the promotion of biodiversity conservation, scientific endeavour, and peaceful international co-operation which results in a North Pole Marine Reserve for the high seas of the Central Arctic Ocean.
Personal Performance, Motivation and Resilience
It's hard to imagine someone whose story better illustrates these topics. Pen Hadow is still the only person in history to have made a successful trek to the North Pole - solo, with no resupplies and by the toughest route.To succeed in this supremely demanding challenge, Pen developed his own ways to improve his performance in many different fields, as performance coaches for polar explorers don’t exist! His examples are jaw-droppingly bold and innovative.
Maintaining his motivation over the 15 years it took, including two unsuccessful attempts, is another subject he covers. It turns out such ‘failures’ offered the essential keys to unlocking the secrets to eventual success.And to be resilient throughout the many trials he faced, while alone for 75 days in one of the world's most extreme environments, was no accident. He reveals how his resilience was fortified by the specific psychological techniques he learnt to be able to control unhelpful emotions like recurring dejection, occasional fear, and even outright panic.
By way of recommendation, Pen has spoken to audiences of up to 5,000 around the world on behalf of international corporations including Shell, Novartis, British Airways and Anglo-American; UK-based businesses like Lloyds Bank, Marks & Spencer, BT and Savills; and sports performance groups like the British Olympic Association (sailing squad) and the Rugby Football Union’s coaching team.
… And On Global Sustainability, Corporate Responsibility/ESG and Global Biodiversity
Few scientists or conservationists can talk as compellingly on these increasingly sought-after topics. And none have 'walked the walk’ like Pen who made the only trek in history to the North Pole, solo and by the toughest route.His increasingly public-facing international leadership for this work ensures his talks are grounded in reality, well-informed and, most importantly, inspiring for audiences.
By way of recommendation, Pen was a frequent speaker for HRH Prince Charles’ charities on sustainability, has been a keynote speaker for Lloyds of London in an onstage double-act with NATO's Secretary-General in London and New York, and received a rare ovation at a United Nations plenary session, the ovation led by the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). He addresses the UN IMO Assembly again on 2 December 2025 on biodiversity protection for the North Pole region.
TOPICS - Personal Performance, Motivation and Resilience … and Sustainability, Corporate Responsibility/ESG and Global Biodiversity
Hadow’s affinity with the polar regions and its wildlife began through his extraordinary childhood connection with the dying words of Captain Robert Falcon Scott (‘Scott of the Antarctic’) and his son, the world-renown naturalist and WWF founder, Sir Peter Scott
"Everyone really enjoyed listening to him - Pen was so interesting" Absolute Corporate Events
"Pen Hadow's speech was a genuinely inspirational and motivating one. Having launched Marks and Spencer's Plan A initiative on the need to tackle the enormous challenge of climate change, it was fantastic to hear from someone who has witnessed global warming at first hand."
Lord Stuart Rose, former CEO Marks and Spencer - Pen spoke at the launch of their Plan A Initiative
"Our major clients were blown away by his achievements, it was a great lunch and real pleasure to meet Pen."
Coutts Private Banking
"I would like to thank you for the excellent contribution you made to the J8 Summit. Without your outstanding and truly inspirational talk, the event would not have been the great success that it was."
Cazenove Capital Management
"... the more he described the outrageously challenging conditions and situations he has overcome, the more I and the others around me found ourselves wanting to go on a polar expedition ourselves, so engaging is his style ¦ He's a charismatic personality who can shift people's perception of what is achievable."
Mark Taylor - Commercial Director, Unigate Dairies