John Nichol
“John Nichol has made a big impression. He exceeded our expectations and has become a talking point within the organization. His presentation was very thought provoking: no one can fail to be motivated.” – Vice President sales, Nortel Networks
John Nichol is a regular speaker at conferences, training courses and after-dinner venues. Describing himself as an ‘ordinary guy who just happened to find himself in extraordinary circumstances’, John’s presentation is tailored to the occasion and is electrifying, humorous, and captivating.
The first the world saw of RAF navigator Flight Lieutenant John Nichol was as a tortured Gulf War British prisoner of war, beaten and humiliated by Iraqis. The famous television appearances which John and his fellow POW’s were forced to make were flashed around the world and became an enduring symbol of the first Gulf war. The daylight bombing raid over Southern Iraq upon which John had embarked had gone horrifically wrong. Hit by a surface to air missile, he had been forced to eject over the Iraq desert.
The traumatic weeks of capture which ensued, gave John a unique insight into the human capacity to deal with adversity and change. Partly as a result of his own outgoing personality, partly as a result of the experience itself, John Nichol is now able to present a fascinating insight into what happens when our innermost reserves are tested by external demands.
His account of what happened takes his audience from the highly organised training and teamwork of an RAF jet squadron to the isolation of being shot down and held in solitary confinement. His experiences qualify him to speak with unquestionable authority on not only surviving change and adversity, but also turning it to your advantage. Indeed his physical survival is due to immense reserves of personal strength, flexibility and the capacity to withstand upheaval and uncertainty.
After the Gulf War, John’s military career took him on active service to the Falkland Islands and to Bosnia as part of the UN peacekeeping mission. He left the RAF in 1996 to pursue a career as a broadcaster and writer. He has written for The Times, The Observer and The Mail On Sunday and has published 9 books including the best-seller, Tornado Down. He has been a consultant and reporter for Newsnight, Breakfast News, ITN, World In Action and Cutting Edge.
John’s message is one of optimism, inspiration and personal motivation. His personal triumph lies in having discovered his potential to cope with extremes and achieve goals way beyond his perceived horizons.
John leaves his audience in no doubt – that potential exists in all of us.
“In a conference hotel outside Birmingham the audience has worked itself into a lather of exhilaration, their minds worlds away from sales targets. The music surges as Mr. Nichol walks off stage and the crowd goes wild. A straw poll found the consensus among the audience feeling “uplifted” and “able to take on any challenge”. – The Economist
JOHN NICHOL – CLIENT TESTIMONIES
“I have seen a lot of “motivational” speakers and it is an understatement to say that you were a complete hit! To get that level of interaction and attention from our team after nine hours hard graft speaks for itself. Your talk was inspirational and very motivating, as well as incredibly humbling….it certainly framed the day superbly, and will definitely be talked about for many meetings to come!” – UK Sales Manager, B&Q
“Thank you for the excellent seminar on Leading Under Stress; we received excellent feedback from the delegates” – ICL
“Thank you for an excellent after dinner speech and for taking the time to speak with us afterwards. Apologies if we kept you talking so late – this was totally due to our enthusiasm and interest” – National Sales Manager, GE Capital
“It seems amazing that we have been working together for 4 years; I never fail to be impressed by what you say and always learn something new. The effect on the delegates is electrifying and for many you are the highlight of the programme; I still meet delegates who remember your presentations and who have taken many of the lessons back to the workplace and into their private lives as well.” – British Telecom Management Training
“Thank you for speaking to our sales force at this year’s conference. I think your presentation was inspirational and I know from the delegates, that they felt the same” – Scottish Mutual
“All who attended have said how much they enjoyed your speech and question and answer session. It was fascinating, humorous and very, very interesting.”- Shell UK
“The comments received after the event were most favourable…your speech was interesting and entertaining achieving the right balance of humour and interest and highlighting the links between your own experiences and the subject of the conference.” – Benefits Agency
“We wanted to say a big thank you. We were absolutely thrilled, particularly with the way your presentation fitted the brief” – Telecom New Zealand
“Thank you for providing a first class presentation … it fitted perfectly with the theme of change and delivered the message in an entertaining and forceful way” – Lloyds UDT
“Thank you for visiting us and presenting in such an excellent way; I have had nothing but praise for the interesting way you spoke” – MBNA International
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