Colin Maclachlan Keynote Speaker

Colin Maclachlan is a former SAS soldier, television personality and resilience expert whose extraordinary military career has taken him to some of the world’s most demanding operational environments. With extensive experience in leadership, high-pressure decision-making and human performance, he delivers powerful insights drawn from real-world situations where the consequences of failure were measured in lives rather than targets.

After joining the British Army and serving with the Royal Scots, Colin successfully passed the rigorous SAS selection process and joined Mountain Troop in 22 SAS. During his military career, he served on operations across Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone, including participation in Operation Barras, the renowned 2000 hostage rescue mission against the West Side Boys.

In 2005, Colin was one of two SAS soldiers captured in Basra, Iraq, and subjected to a series of mock executions before being rescued during a military assault on the compound where they were being held. This experience, alongside his background in hostage rescue and negotiation, provides a unique perspective on leadership, resilience and maintaining composure under extreme pressure.

Following his military career, Colin became known to wider audiences as an instructor on the first series of Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins and as a contributor to Channel 5’s Secrets of the SAS. He is also the author of The Pilgrim: SAS Who Dares Wins, a memoir chronicling his experiences in the Special Forces.

Beyond the stage, Colin is co-founder of the charity Who Dares Cares, which supports Armed Forces and Blue Light personnel affected by PTSD. Through this work, he has developed a deeper understanding of the long-term impact of stress, trauma and recovery, bringing authenticity and practical relevance to his presentations on resilience, wellbeing and leadership.