Before becoming an explorer, Vanessa was involved in the world of business. She initially studied and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and an Executive MBA in Finance. After her studies, Vanessa established in-depth business and finance knowledge as Director of Finance and Business Development at the Bank of America, Barclays Bank and Morgan Stanley. Vanessa gained a reputation as an enthusiastic leader and established a track record of delivering savvy business results.
A prominent example that success can be obtained despite it being out of your expertise, Vanessa then decided to venture into the world of exploring. Before long she was completing exploring and mountaineering firsts and forging a reputation as an incredible explorer. Some of her greatest feats include becoming the first American woman to climb K2, the first British woman to climb K2 (she holds dual nationality) and a Guinness World Record for climbing the highest peak of every continent in just 295 days. Her most notable achievement is becoming the first woman to conquer both the highest and lowest points of Earth, taking her Guinness World Record tally to two after she climbed Mount Everest and dived in Challenger Deep.
Vanessa has also made a successful attempt of the Explorers Grand Slam. Setting the challenge of reaching the seven summits, both the North and South Pole and completing the Three Pole Challenge, Vanessa impressively completed the Explorers Grand Slam in just 11 months. This was another great achievement for Vanessa, as she became the first woman to complete the Explorers Grand Slam in a calendar year. She has also dedicated her time to diving expeditions too, having previously surveyed pools of the Challenger Deep as part of the Caladan Oceanic Ring of Fire expedition.
A keen lover of adventure, Vanessa has participated in other sports outside of mountaineering and exploring. In a bid to raise money for the American Red Cross, Vanessa completed the Boston Marathon and raised an incredible $512,000 for the charity. Her dedication to exploration has also landed her many positions on high-profile boards. She acts as an Honorary Advisory Board Member of the Scientific Exploration Society and an Honorary Ambassador of the US Nepal Climbers Association, as well as previously acting as a board member of The Explorers Club and Thomson Safaris. Vanessa has also received awards for her dedication, winning the 2018 Explorer of the Year award and the 2019 Fearless Girl Award.
As a speaker, Vanessa is able to draw upon her knowledge of both business and exploration to provide an insightful and engaging talk. From leadership and teamwork to inspiration, overcoming adversity and motivation, there is little that Vanessa can’t cover. Courageous and highly motivating, Vanessa is the perfect choice to inspire corporate audiences to challenge themselves and break expectations.
