Keynote SpeakersWho is Mandy Hickson?
Mandy Hickson is a trailblazing former Royal Air Force (RAF) fast-jet pilot and motivational speaker, renowned for breaking barriers in aviation and leadership.
As one of the first women to fly the Tornado GR4 on the front line, Hickson has played a pivotal role in challenging gender norms within the military, patrolling high-risk zones such as the ‘No Fly‘ zone over Iraq.
With over 30 years of aviation experience, she has become a recognised authority on decision-making under pressure, resilience, and high-performance leadership.
After retiring from active service, Hickson transitioned into a career as a facilitator, coach, and speaker, helping organisations and individuals excel in dynamic environments.
She draws upon her risk-taking, team collaboration, and leadership expertise to offer powerful insights to the corporate sector.
An Aviation Ambassador for the Department for Transport and a Trustee for the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, Hickson is deeply committed to inspiring future generations.
Her bestselling memoir, An Officer, Not a Gentleman, chronicles her remarkable journey from a young woman with a dream to becoming a pioneering fighter pilot and continues to inspire readers globally.
Through her adventurous spirit, including summits of Mount Kilimanjaro and Everest Base Camp, Hickson exemplifies courage, perseverance, and excellence.
As a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a sought-after speaker, she remains dedicated to empowering others to push boundaries and achieve greatness.
“Mandy Hickson was brilliant. We hung on every word.”
Taylor Wimpey
Mandy Hickson Motivational Speaker
Mandy discusses the skills and strategies she used to succeed in her challenging environment with frankness and humour.
Coupled with boundless energy and an overriding purpose of the end goal, Mandy believes that anyone can achieve their ambitions with hard work, determination, and self-belief.
As a motivational speaker, fighter pilot Mandy Hickson invests tremendous energy, creativity, and passion into her work. Working with clients individually enables her to create unique and memorable events.
She brings a wealth of anecdotes and insights from her years of serving on the operational front line, where a good sense of humour has been the key to her success and survival.
Speaking Topics
- Critical success Factors – learning from the extremes of a career as a fast jet pilot
- Selecting a career against the grain
- Overcoming barriers
- Motivation
- Conquering the Fear of Failure
- Goal Setting
- Self-Belief and the Power of Positive Thinking
- Teamwork
- Planning
- Threat/Threat analysis
- Risk-Taking
- Decision-Making Under Intense Pressure
- Empowerment of junior team members
- Leadership
- Trust in your Team
- Debriefing and the need to be open to learning
How to Book Mandy Hickson
To book Mandy Hickson as the speaker at your event, please get in touch with Mandy’s agent at the Gordon Poole Agency on 01275 463222 or email us at agents@gordonpoole.com
Alternatively, please complete this enquiry form for Mandy, and one of our agents will contact you shortly.
