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Mandy Hickson is a former Royal Air Force fast jet pilot and one of the first female pilots to fly on a front line Tornado GR4 squadron.
Operating multi million pound aircraft in high pressure environments, she developed an exceptional skill set that she now translates into valuable, real world workplace tools.
Her flying career took her from early setbacks to history defining moments, shaping a deep understanding of leadership, risk management and human factors that is directly transferable to organisational life. Drawing on her extensive front line experience, Mandy offers a rare insight into what it really takes to perform at an elite level, remain calm under pressure and lead from the front.
With over a decade on the speaking circuit, Mandy has delivered over 1,000 keynote talks to audiences around the world, including 75% of FTSE 100 companies. Her clients range from global banks and tech giants to healthcare and education leaders, and her front line RAF experience brings authenticity, energy and relevance to every stage she steps onto.
As a keynote speaker, Mandy combines fast paced stories from the skies with real world application, helping audiences understand how lessons from the cockpit can be applied directly to business and organisational life. Her talks are rich in authenticity, energy and humour, making them both memorable and highly relevant.
Mandy works closely with clients to tailor every presentation, ensuring each event feels personal, engaging and impactful. Her ability to connect with audiences and translate complex ideas into clear, actionable tools makes her a standout speaker who consistently delivers lasting value.
Drawing on her experience as a front line fast jet pilot, Mandy explores what it really means to lead under pressure and empower a team to perform at its best. She shares practical insights into building trust, setting clear expectations and creating an environment where individuals feel confident to take responsibility. Audiences gain a grounded understanding of how strong leadership enables teams to remain focused, adaptable and effective even in high stakes situations.
Mandy’s journey from early setbacks to operational front line pilot offers powerful lessons in resilience and determination. She demonstrates how discipline, mindset and personal accountability play a crucial role in achieving demanding goals. Through real life examples from her flying career, Mandy shows how determination, combined with clear objectives and consistency of effort, can drive sustained performance and long term success.
Operating fast jets in complex and time critical environments requires rapid decision making where the consequences matter. In this keynote, Mandy examines how we perceive risk, how pressure affects judgement and why human factors play a vital role in decision making. She translates lessons from the cockpit into practical tools that help individuals and teams make clearer, more confident decisions when it matters most.
Motivation is not about constant positivity, but about maintaining focus, perspective and momentum in challenging situations. Mandy shares how mindset, self awareness and team influence impact motivation in high pressure environments. Using relatable stories from her RAF career, she offers practical strategies to help audiences stay engaged, optimistic and productive, even when facing uncertainty or change.
Great work today Mandy and a thoroughly professional and memorable presentation – highly polished and pitched perfectly.
Mandy Hickson was absolute brilliant, I would highly recommend Mandy for any event We hung on every word and still wanted more after two & half hours. I personally came out on a massive high.
