Mark Agnew
Change management keynote speaker
Adventure keynote drives resilience through corporate change
A polar bear tried to get into Mark Agnew's tent. Now he builds resilient teams for organisations navigating change.
The change your team is facing
A change management keynote for the moments that test teams
Bookers bring Mark in when change is coming and they want to build resilient teams that see the opportunities in the challenge.
- Restructures and reorganisations
- AI and new technology
- Mergers and acquisitions
- New leadership or strategy
- Rapid growth
- Uncertain markets
Whatever the change, the message is the same: if you can reframe change as an exciting challenge you'll enjoy it, and if you enjoy it you'll outperform everyone who only sees an obstacle to endure.
The moment that changed everything
The moment a polar bear tried to get into Mark's tent changed everything. If your staff can find their polar bear, they'll be energised to take on change.
For conferences and offsites
The Find Your Polar Bear keynote is perfect for conferences and offsites, if you want resilient staff who embrace change and don't fear it.
A trainable skill
When teams face constant disruption, from restructuring to adopting AI, resilience isn't a mood. It's a trainable skill.
The change management keynote
Not a burst of energy, but a way of thinking
The Find Your Polar Bear keynote gives teams a practical framework rooted in psychology, not abstract encouragement, so people know what to do differently on a hard week rather than just feeling inspired for an afternoon.
That's what a good resilience keynote should leave behind: a way of thinking teams can return to months later.
From adventure to leadership development
Your staff don't have to fear change. They can view it as an exciting challenge. That's the gap the Find Your Polar Bear keynote is built to fill: a change management talk grounded in a real expedition rather than a management theory, delivered by someone trusted with exactly this brief by organisations including Google, the NHS and John Lewis.
"Rather than being threatened by adopting new technology, we are now talking about going on this journey together and being an early adopter."
Emma-Louise Reynolds, Partner and Customer Care, John Lewis
"We left with a shared language, real tools we can use, and a renewed appetite for the challenges ahead."
Kit Gammell, Co-founder, Surreal
An adventurer's mindset
Why an expedition story works for change
Storytelling
For company offsites and conferences, storytelling does something a slide deck can't: it puts people inside the mindset, not just a lesson.
Judgement under pressure
A speaker who has made real split-second calls in genuinely hostile conditions can use that experience as a live case study in judgement.
Lasting impact
The keynote is practical: what did the team do when the plan fell apart, and what does that mean for the team in the room today?
"The way he engaged the team and made us think about the way our team works going forward was really inspiring."
Calum Rankine, Senior Data Analyst, Heineken
"He kept everyone on the edge of their seats and seamlessly linked his experiences to themes and values relevant to National Grid."
Meg Barrows, Development Programmes Lead, National Grid
Showreel
See the keynote
