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Originally from County Down in Northern Ireland, Liz McConaghy joined the RAF on her nineteenth birthday and went on to become the longest serving female crewman on the RAF Chinook Fleet.
Over a remarkable seventeen year career she achieved more than 3000 flying hours. At just twenty one she became the youngest aircrew member to deploy to Iraq and spent four years as the only female crewman on the Chinook wing.
Her operational experience is exceptional. Liz completed two deployments to Iraq and ten to Helmand Province in Afghanistan. The intensity and pace of service life eventually caught up with her and in 2020 she reached crisis point, attempting to take her own life after a long battle with PTSD.
Liz survived and slowly rebuilt her life. She went on to write her bestselling autobiography, Chinook Crew Chick, a candid and often humorous account of the highs and lows of her time in the air. Her story charts how her experiences shaped her into the woman she is today.
With a significant social media presence, Liz has become a recognised ambassador for mental health, PTSD and trauma awareness. Her message is a powerful one. PTSD does not need to define you. It can be one chapter of your life that leads to growth, strength and renewed resilience.
Now working internationally as a motivational speaker and event host, Liz delivers talks that balance gravity with warmth and honesty. She creates a safe reflective space for audiences to consider their own challenges and what they can learn from them. Her sessions leave people with practical tools to build inner resilience, as well as valuable lessons in leadership, teamwork and personal growth.
In 2023 Liz was awarded Defence Woman of the Year and was nominated for UK Woman of the Year. In 2024 she took on the role of Combat Stress Mental Health Ambassador and became the face of the UK Veterans Awards. She continues to receive recognition for both her writing and her charitable work.
Speaking topics
• The true meaning of resilience
• Turning failures into success
• Strength in diversity
• The dangers of personal and professional mission creep
• Mental health, suicide awareness and PTSD
• Inspirational woman
• Highs and lows of the battlefield
This keynote explores what resilience really looks like in practice rather than theory. Liz shows that resilience is not about being unshakeable but about finding the courage to bend without breaking. Through personal stories and practical tools, audiences learn how to face setbacks with clarity, rebuild after challenge and create habits that support long term emotional strength.
Liz reframes failure as an essential part of progress. Drawing on her lived experiences in high pressure environments, she guides audiences through the mindset shift needed to turn mistakes or disappointments into fuel for growth. The session offers simple strategies that help individuals and teams view challenges as catalysts for improvement.
Liz highlights the power of difference within teams and communities. With examples from her years as the only female crewman on the Chinook wing, she shows how diverse perspectives drive better decision making, stronger relationships and improved performance. This talk inspires audiences to recognise and celebrate what makes each person unique.
Liz approaches this sensitive topic with honesty, warmth and clarity. Using her own journey through crisis and recovery, she helps audiences understand the realities of trauma, the warning signs that can often be missed and why early intervention matters. This talk encourages open conversations around mental wellbeing and equips people with the confidence to support themselves and others.
This keynote celebrates courage, perseverance and the unexpected paths that shape us. Liz shares the milestones of her career and the lessons learned along the way, offering inspiration to anyone striving to lead with purpose and authenticity. Audiences leave with renewed motivation and belief in their own potential.
Drawing on her operational experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, Liz delivers a vivid, grounded and human account of life on the frontline. She combines moments of humour with powerful reflections on leadership, teamwork and the emotional demands of conflict. This talk gives audiences a deeper understanding of the realities of service and the qualities required to navigate extreme situations.
We invited Liz McConaghy to deliver a talk this week to our colleagues for International Woman’s Day. We’d like to say a massive thank you to Liz for sharing her story about her career in the Armed Forces and journey after. Many of our colleagues thought her story was truly inspirational and by sharing her mental health journey so openly and honestly will encourage others to do the same, and reach out for help if they need it. ‘Put your own oxygen mask on first’ is a great piece of advice.
Liz’s speaking slot was excellent. I’ve been in the presence of what feels like half of the “SAS off the TV” squad, comedians and other more publicly visible characters and her session landed the hardest blows, in a good way. Liz had us in stitches of laughter and her sense of humour (I guess partly from spending so long in a largely male environment) absolutely hit the mark, and that was quite often followed up very rapidly with welling up and holding back the sniffles when she opened up about some of her life events.
