Mandy Hickson Keynote Speaker

Former Royal Air Force pilot
Human Factors facilitator
Expert on human beings in complex systems

Mandy Hickson's Biography

In today’s fast-paced, high-pressure business world, organisations can struggle to maintain peak performance, effective teamwork, and resilience under pressure. Leaders often grapple with decision-making in times of uncertainty, while teams can falter when communication and trust break down. Mandy Hickson brings unmatched expertise from one of the most critical environments imaginable, the cockpit of a fast jet. As one of the first female fighter pilots in the RAF, Mandy operated in a male-dominated world, making split-second decisions at supersonic speeds, leading teams under intense pressure, and delivering results when the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Her unique journey has been featured in her bestselling book ‘An Officer, Not a Gentleman’, and she has since inspired audiences worldwide as a professional speaker, working with organisations to translate lessons from the skies to the corporate world.

By booking Mandy Hickson as your keynote speaker, your organisation will gain invaluable insights into building high performing teams, making confident decisions under pressure, and fostering an environment of trust, communication, and resilience.

Mandy’s engaging storytelling, practical strategies, and ability to connect with audiences on a personal level will leave your team inspired and equipped to face challenges head-on. Whether it’s about leading with courage, adapting to change, or embracing diversity, Mandy delivers powerful messages that resonate long after the event.

Bring Mandy on board, and watch your team’s mindset and performance soar

She brings first-hand experience from frontline RAF fast-jet operations, translating the discipline of the Tornado GR4 cockpit into clear lessons on leadership and performance under pressure.
She draws on 45 operational missions over Iraq to show leaders how to make fast, high-consequence decisions with calm, clarity and accountability.
She uses the reality of being one of the first women to fly the Tornado GR4 on the front line to help organisations build trust, communication and cohesion in demanding, male-dominated environments.
She turns the core human factors of safe mission delivery into practical strategies that strengthen teamwork, reduce error and sustain performance when stakes and workloads rise.
She reinforces her message with the lived story behind her book An Officer, Not a Gentleman, leaving audiences more confident in how they lead, collaborate and respond to uncertainty.