Contact Us

Home » Speakers » Mark Pollock

Mark Pollock

Mark Pollock is a renowned keynote speaker and explorer dedicated to inspiring leaders and their teams to build resilience and collaborate effectively. Overcoming the challenges of blindness since 1998, Mark has transformed adversity into a source of strength, competing in extreme endurance races and founding a successful motivational speaking business. His compelling journey and innovative work at the intersection of human capability and technology make him an influential voice in the pursuit of curing paralysis.

Enquire
Photography by http://adrianlangtry.com

About Mark Pollock

Despite losing his sight, Mark embarked on a series of extraordinary adventures, becoming the first blind person to race to the South Pole and earning silver and bronze medals in rowing at the Commonwealth Games. His achievements in ultra-endurance events across deserts, mountains, and polar ice caps demonstrate his unyielding spirit.

In 2010, a devastating fall left Mark paralysed, but he turned this life-altering event into a new mission: exploring how technology can cure paralysis. As Chairman of Collaborative Cures and founder of the global running series Run in the Dark, Mark has driven collaborations worth over $100 million towards this goal. His leadership has been recognised globally, including his selection as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and his roles on the Global Futures Council on Human Enhancement and the Advisory Board of Cybathlon.

Mark’s story has been featured in acclaimed documentaries such as “Blind Man Walking” and “Unbreakable – The Mark Pollock Story.” He is the author of “Making It Happen” and has received honorary doctorates from The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Queens University Belfast. His academic credentials include a diploma in Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century from Harvard University, and degrees from Trinity College Dublin and UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School.

As a speaker, Mark delves into human enhancement, providing insights into the transformative potential of technology, including robotics, neuro-modulation, brain-machine interfaces, and AI, in the quest to cure paralysis. His inspiring narrative and visionary work continue to motivate and guide leaders and teams worldwide.

To book Motivational Speaker Mark Pollock, contact The Speakers Agency on +44(0)1332 810481 or email enquiries@thespeakersagency.com

Speech Topics

Mark’s speech topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Adversity and Challenges

Sometimes we choose our challenges, sometimes our challenges choose us. What we decide to do about them is what counts. Deciding to be a competitor, a realist and a collaborator offers leaders and their teams a chance of maintaining a resilient mindset under pressure.

Mark’s keynote on adversity and challenges uses the power of active decision making to deal with challenges, regardless of where they come from, to help leaders and their teams become more resilient.

  • Leadership and Motivation

Uncertainty and change typify a crisis and it’s difficult to lead in such circumstances. By providing leaders and their teams with insights into the resilience, attitude and decisions of others facing extreme circumstances Mark helps people to develop the intrinsic motivation to move forward.

Mark’s keynote on leadership and motivation delivers deep insights for leaders to navigate through the crucible moments they face and inspire others to achieve more.

  • Mindset and Performance

It is tough to deliver world class performance. Leaders and their teams won’t do it by chance. With a high-impact catalyst they have a chance of building the courage to make it happen.

Mark’s keynote on mindset and performance is that catalyst – it challenges leaders and their teams to examine expectations of themselves and others to perform at a higher level.

  • Collaboration and Teamwork

Galvanising a disparate group of people around a common goal is not easy. Yet when it happens, when we collaborate, that is when major breakthroughs happen.

Mark’s keynote on collaboration and teamwork provides leaders and their teams with insight into how high-performance teams get things done when others can’t.

  • Human Enhancement

Exploring the intersection where humans and technology collide is essential for organisations to maintain their competitive edge. By raising the consciousness of their teams to next generation technologies, leaders will empower and encourage innovation at the edge.

Mark’s keynote on human enhancement provides leaders and their teams with insight into the transformative intersection of technology and humankind as he explores a cure for paralysis using robotics, neuro-modulation, brain machine interfaces and AI.

Booking Information

Videos

Testimonials

"Mark's ability to link his personal story to people's everyday life and work challenges was excellent. The session was not just about listening to an incredible story, it was a chance for everyone to really think about themselves. There is something in this talk for everyone."

Twitter

"As Mark will tell you, there are two types of people, those who make it happen and those who make excuses. Thanks to his talk, I and all of us are now in the right camp of making things happen."

Merrill Lynch

"Mark held a room of over 400 people and you could not hear a pin drop – his messages on continuously reinventing yourself and using challenges to define your future was done in an engaging, perceptive, inquisitive and humorous way."

Bayer

"Mark used his story to encourage us to think differently about how we decide to respond to challenges, regardless of where they come from."

Facebook

"Mark's message of resilience, leadership and collaboration really resonated with our dynamic, international team. And, his ability to balance both the darker and lighter sides of his life experiences prompted us to think about how we approach our challenges."

Google

"I was honored to meet with Mark Pollock in Ireland this year, Mark is a brilliant example of the fact that we can always achieve more than what we think is possible."

CEO, Microsoft

You may also like

Jesse Dufton

Blind elite rock climber

Amar Latif

Blind traveller, entrepreneur and TV presenter

Samantha Payne MBE

Co-Founder and COO of Open Bionics featured in Forbes '30 Under 30'

Jamie MacDonald

Blind Scottish comedian, writer and voice over artist

Aj Ahmed

Captain of the first Team GB blind football team at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics

Simon Wheatcroft

Blind Tech pioneer, endurance runner and award-winning educator

Miles Hilton-Barber

Blind adventurer who has climbed Mont Blanc and ran across the Gobi Desert

We would love to hear from you

Enquire here

Please don't hesitate to get in touch today and one of our experienced agents will get back to you.

Contact Form [CTA]

The Speakers Agency
Steven Bartlett, entrepreneur and keynote speaker
Browse By

Name

Helen Lederer, comedian, awards host and actress who is best known for starring in Ab Fab.
Browse By

Annual Events

Simon Reeve, adventurer and after dinner speaker
Browse By

Category

Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, diversity campaigner, keynote speaker and human rights activist
Browse By

Topic

Proudly Supporting
An image of the logo of Child Bereavement UK, the chosen charity supported by The Speakers Agency
Read More About Our Support

Child Bereavement UK supports families and educates professionals when a baby or child dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement.

Our former Managing Director Sylvia Tidy-Harris is one of their national Ambassadors and we are proud to support this great charity.

Stay In Touch

To stay up to date with the latest news and developments at The Speakers Agency please subscribe with your email below.