post2 “There are so many parallels to Cathy’s talk that resonate with the world of business – risk assessment, decision making, leadership, initiative…just to name a few.”
– Brett Elzinga, Vice President at CWT

post2 “There are so many parallels to Cathy’s talk that resonate with the world of business – risk assessment, decision making, leadership, initiative…just to name a few.”
– Brett Elzinga, Vice President at CWT

Go where no one has gone before

A dramatic story of managing uncertainty while navigating a new route
 in the high Himalaya. Cathy has turned this extraordinary experience into a case-study of the challenges of being a pioneer, and she takes the audience with her in this interactive presentation.

Your people will be on the team, experiencing the uncertainty, participating in the key decisions and living with the consequences.  An adventure keynote experience unlike anything you have seen before.

Available as an interactive webinar
Cathy O'Dowd presents on stage or online

Go where no one has gone before

A dramatic story of managing uncertainty while navigating a new route
 in the high Himalaya. Cathy has turned this extraordinary experience into a case-study of the challenges of being a pioneer, and she takes the audience with her in this interactive presentation.

Your people will be on the team, experiencing the uncertainty, participating in the key decisions and living with the consequences.  An adventure keynote experience unlike anything you have seen before.

Available as an interactive webinar
Cathy O'Dowd presents on stage or online

Join the expedition

with an interactive adventure

The climbing team is confronted with a series of crucial choices. Facing the intense uncertainty of pioneering a new route, they need to take decisions under pressure, with limited information and many unknowns. What should they do? What would the audience do? Cathy challenges them to join in at these key decision moments.

Voting options appear on the smartphones of the audience. The results appear immediately on the screen. The audience then discovers what the expedition members chose and how it worked out – for better or for worse. Rather than simply listening, the audience become active participants. Each key choice reveals one of the unconscious biases that underlie our attempts at objective decision-making.

The set-up is very simple, the venue needs stable wifi and the audience need their smartphones. Cathy normally does the polling on Mentimeter, but the presentation can be integrated with other voting platforms if the client prefers.

Mentimeter voting in a smartphone

Join the expedition

with an interactive adventure

The climbing team is confronted with a series of crucial choices. Facing the intense uncertainty of pioneering a new route, they need to take decisions under pressure, with limited information and many unknowns. What should they do? What would the audience do? Cathy challenges them to join in at these key decision moments.

Voting options appear on the smartphones of the audience. The results appear immediately on the screen. The audience then discovers what the expedition members chose and how it worked out – for better or for worse. Rather than simply listening, the audience become active participants. Each key choice reveals one of the unconscious biases that underlie our attempts at objective decision-making.

The set-up is very simple, the venue needs stable wifi and the audience need their smartphones. Cathy normally does the polling on Mentimeter, but the presentation can be integrated with other voting platforms if the client prefers.

Mentimeter voting in a smartphone

post2 “Cathy suggested an interactive presentation where delegates could vote on a course of action as they climbed a mountain with her. The audience listened with rapt attention as with humour and humility she took them on her adventure. There was none of the usual coming and going from the theatre room. This was the place to be! ”
– Kim Ashmore, Global Partnerships Manager at ASAP

post2 a fully interactive, audience-engaging experience that offers the opportunity to adventure along with Cathy and her expedition team.
That provides an exceptional framework for the event to follow within which business concepts like risk, decision-making, and strategy can be explored in context.”
– David Mayer, Leadership Partner, Gartner

Move beyond Everest to true innovation: doing what has never been done before

Move beyond Everest to true innovation
doing what has never been done before

Themes
  • Embracing innovation

  • Managing uncertainty

  • Effective decision-making

  • Diverse teams

  • Project management

  • Risk management

  • VUCA strategies

The talk is illustrated with spectacular images from the expedition.

With Everest, the world’s highest mountain, reduced to a queue of commercial clients clipped into a fixed handrail from base camp to the summit put in place by Sherpas, it’s time for real climbers to step out of the line and tackle the unknown.

The Mazeno Ridge on Nanga Parbat was one of the last great problems in the Himalaya, the longest unclimbed ridge on any 8000 metre peak. With a small group climbing alpine-style (fast, light and unsupported), the team of six came within inches of disaster before finally getting two members to the top – who then, with neither food nor water left, had to get down again. The summit pair would win a Piolet d’Or (the mountaineering equivalent of an Oscar) for their performance.

Cathy’s analysis of how the team planned for the challenge, what went wrong in the execution and how they adapted, regrouped and eventually triumphed makes for a rollercoaster ride. She looks at the challenges and rewards of bringing together a diverse team, and digs deep into decisions and consequences, looking at how to manage flexible planning in uncertain circumstances, while staying focused on the goal.

Whether you are interested in innovation and pioneering, in managing uncertainty, in building diverse teams, or in effective decision-making, you will find value and insight in this presentation.

With Everest, the world’s highest mountain, reduced to a queue of commercial clients clipped into a fixed handrail from base camp to the summit put in place by Sherpas, it’s time for real climbers to step out of the line and tackle the unknown.

The Mazeno Ridge on Nanga Parbat was one of the last great problems in the Himalaya, the longest unclimbed ridge on any 8000 metre peak. With a small group climbing alpine-style (fast, light and unsupported), the team of six came within inches of disaster before finally getting two members to the top – who then, with neither food nor water left, had to get down again. The summit pair would win a Piolet d’Or (the mountaineering equivalent of an Oscar) for their performance.

Cathy’s analysis of how the team planned for the challenge, what went wrong in the execution and how they adapted, regrouped and eventually triumphed makes for a rollercoaster ride. She looks at the challenges and rewards of bringing together a diverse team, and digs deep into decisions and consequences, looking at how to manage flexible planning in uncertain circumstances, while staying focused on the goal.

Whether you are interested in innovation and pioneering, in managing uncertainty, in building diverse teams, or in effective decision-making, you will find value and insight in this presentation.

Themes
  • Embracing innovation

  • Managing uncertainty

  • Effective decision-making

  • Diverse teams

  • Project management

  • Risk management

  • VUCA strategies

The talk is illustrated with spectacular images from the expedition.

Cathy O'Dowd presenting for Intersystems

Cathy’s other popular presentation: Reaching New Heights. Particularly apt for any company interested in team dynamics or women in business.

Just For The Love Of It book covers

Cathy’s book about her Everest expeditions is a popular event gift. Books can be customized with text and logos to commemorate your event. Bulk discounts are available.

Cathy O'Dowd presenting for Intersystems

Cathy’s other popular presentation: Reaching New Heights. Particularly apt for any company interested in team dynamics or women in business.

Just For The Love Of It book covers

Cathy’s book about her Everest expeditions is a popular event gift. Books can be customized with text and logos to commemorate your event. Bulk discounts are available.

post2 “Cathy is an incredible speaker. Her presentation delivers messages that are relevant to any business environment: team work, strategic thinking, leadership, learning from mistakes etc.”
– Julie Rey-Gore, Content Director at Questex

post2 “Cathy is an incredible speaker. Her presentation delivers messages that are relevant to any business environment: team work, strategic thinking, leadership, learning from mistakes etc.”
– Julie Rey-Gore, Content Director at Questex