Sophie Montagne & Sandy Hennis Keynote Speaker
- Members of the record-breaking Ice Maiden expedition, the first all-female team to cross Antarctica using only muscle power
- Former military leaders with experience building resilience, trust and teamwork in extreme environments
- Experts in high-performance teams, mental strength and leading through adversity
Sophie Montagne & Sandy Hennis's Biography
Sophie Montagne
As Head of Operations for the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, Sophie Montagne is responsible for selecting, training and managing the seasonal teams that run the “Penguin Post Office” and museum at Port Lockroy, on the Antarctic Peninsula. Stranded on a tiny island for 5 months with no running water and very limited communications, it is essential that the teams bond fast so that they can live and work harmoniously. Sophie draws on her Ice Maiden experience to bring diverse individuals together during just a few weeks’ training in the UK, to form effective, self-sufficient teams in highly challenging circumstances.
Prior to this, Sophie was Director of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Polar Regions. Based at the Houses of Parliament, her role involved informing MPs and Peers about issues affecting the Arctic and Antarctic. In 2019 she organised the inaugural Antarctic Parliamentarians Assembly, inviting MPs from 54 countries to discuss the issues of climate change, biodiversity and tourism on the White Continent.
Sophie had a background in journalism and luxury marketing before applying for the Ice Maiden expedition. She joined the Army Reserve in 2011, serving as a surveillance operator with the Honourable Artillery Company. A London-based desk-dweller that hates the cold, she was the least likely candidate for a record-breaking polar team. Her 100% dedication to the team and this epic challenge has been life changing and given her a new sense of confidence in her own ability.
Sandy Hennis
Sandy Hennis leads school expeditions around the world and had noticed a huge lack of self-belief in the girls that she led. Inspired to show them what women are capable of, she applied for Ice Maiden and her Antarctic dream began.
She served in the Regular Army for 14 years, joining as a soldier at the age of 17 and later commissioning from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an officer in the Royal Signals. Sandy completed an in-service degree resulting in a First in Electrical Engineering from Northumbria University. After deployments to several warzones, she left the Regular Army in 2014, but has continued to serve with the Royal Signals in the Army Reserve.
Drawing on her expedition and military experience Sandy found the motivation not only to train for Ice Maiden for two years, but to conquer illness, injury and the ravages of the cold when she got to Antarctica. Her mental strength underpins her story and she articulates throughout the coping strategies she drew upon when she hit rock bottom.
Sophie Montagne & Sandy Hennis's Speaking Topics
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Resilience, Imposter Syndrome & Overcoming Adversity
A powerful and honest keynote exploring the realities of performing under extreme pressure. Sandy and Sophie share personal experiences from their Antarctic expedition, including periods of poor mental health, exhaustion, self-doubt and imposter syndrome, and how the support of the team helped them keep moving forward. Through candid storytelling, the Ice Maidens explore resilience not as an individual trait, but as something strengthened through trust, vulnerability and collective support.
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Extreme Teamwork Under Pressure
What does effective teamwork really look like when failure is not an option? Using lessons from one of the toughest environments on earth, the Ice Maidens explore communication, trust, psychological safety, motivation and shared purpose within high-performing teams. Audiences gain practical insights into how teams can navigate challenge, conflict and pressure while staying united and focused on collective success.
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Thriving Through Change & Uncertainty
Antarctica is unpredictable, unforgiving and constantly changing — conditions that required the team to adapt quickly and remain focused despite setbacks and uncertainty. In this keynote, Sandy and Sophie share lessons in adaptability, mindset and maintaining momentum when plans change, helping organisations and individuals build confidence in navigating uncertain environments.
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High Performance & Human Endurance
The Ice Maidens were not elite athletes, Olympians or professional adventurers. They were ordinary women from very different backgrounds who came together to achieve something extraordinary, building a record-breaking team from scratch. In this keynote, Sandy and Sophie explore what they learned about sustaining high performance in one of the harshest environments on earth, despite fear, exhaustion, self-doubt and time pressure.
Through honest and relatable storytelling, they share practical lessons around mindset, preparation, discipline, adaptability and supporting others under pressure. Audiences leave with a fresh perspective on what high performance really looks like — not perfection or natural talent, but the small behaviours, habits and team dynamics that help ordinary people perform at their best when it matters most.
Why Book Sophie Montagne & Sandy Hennis as a speaker?
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They demonstrate how trust, resilience and teamwork enable people to thrive in the world’s most challenging environments, sharing powerful lessons from military service and record-breaking Antarctic expeditions.
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They translate their experiences of living and working in extreme isolation into practical strategies for building resilient teams, overcoming adversity and maintaining performance under sustained pressure.
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Combining leadership in the military, polar exploration and expedition management, they show how diverse individuals can quickly develop the trust, communication and adaptability needed to achieve extraordinary goals together.
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Their remarkable journeys, from leading and supporting pioneering Antarctic expeditions to operating in demanding military and remote environments, highlight the power of courage, preparation and shared purpose.
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Their keynotes equip leaders and teams with practical insights on resilience, collaboration, confidence and high performance, inspiring audiences to embrace challenges and achieve more than they believed possible.
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