Debra Searle MVO MBE

Debra is a professional adventurer and serial entrepreneur. Her expeditions have taken her across the Atlantic, around Antarctica, up to the Arctic Circle and everywhere in between. She has also launched five companies, is a published author, has presented over 40 programme for the BBC and is a trusted corporate speaker. The movie of Debra’s story of rowing solo across the Atlantic after her husband was rescued is currently in development in Hollywood.

Debra first hit the headlines when she set out to row across the Atlantic with her husband. Unfortunately, he had to be rescued so Debra, a novice rower, continued alone without a support boat and rowed 3000 miles from Tenerife to Barbados. It should have taken them six weeks, but Debra ended up spending 3 ½ months at sea alone, encountering 30' waves, sharks, and force 8 squalls in her 23-foot plywood boat. Since returning from this adventure, Debra has undertaken solo & team expeditions across the globe. She has also represented Great Britain at European and World Championship level in Dragon Boat Racing winning bronze, silver and gold medals.

Yet Debra is more than your usual sports speaker. Debra has founded 5 companies including MIX Diversity Developers, a D&I consultancy and training company. She has presented 40 programmes for the BBC and had 3 books published, most recently The Choose Your Attitude Journal. Her spirit of adventure gained her an MBE from Her Majesty The Queen and she was delighted to be appointed a Trustee of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, spending a decade working alongside His Royal Highness Prince Philip and His Royal Highness Prince Edward. Debra has been appointed a Member of the Victorian Order (MVO) for her services to the Royal Family.

In 2022 Debra was ranked no.3 in the World’s Top 30 Motivational Speakers, after Simon Sinek at no.1 and Tony Robbins at no.2, making her the highest ranking female motivational speaker in the world. The movie of Debra’s solo Atlantic row is currently in development in Hollywood.

Highly Tailored Speeches
Debra is renowned for her ability to tailor her speeches to clients’ needs. Having been trained by the BBC and spoken across every major industry including banking, consultancy, direct sales, healthcare and retail, she has the expertise to understand the specifics of your industry and to craft her speech accordingly. Debra combines the strategies she has used at sea and in her own businesses with the latest neuroscience and positive psychology research to demonstrate in a highly practical way how to profit from a positive attitude. Debra powerfully illustrates her mindset and motivational tools with slides and stunning video footage, leaving her audience in no doubt of their own ability to achieve the extraordinary.

Speaking Topics

• 'Choose Your Attitude' - It's not magic, it's mindset
• Practical tools to stay motivated and build resilience
• Wellbeing techniques for dealing with ever changing circumstances
• How to keep going when the journey only seems to be getting harder
• Virtual Teamwork - working effectively together, even when miles apart
• Finding a way to thrive and innovate when we are pushed outside of our comfort zones
• How to first lead ourselves so that we can lead others better.

Debra is one of the UK’s most notable global speakers, delivering her inspiring speech to audiences around the world.  If you are interested in Debra speaking at your Conference, Dinner or Event, please contact a Prime Performers Booking Agent on 020 3500 3331 to discuss your requirements.