Neal Petersen

Speaker Neal Petersen is an inspirational business speaker who shares his extraordinary life experiences. He delivers a powerful and timely message of adaptability and perseverance, drawing on how he overcame the formidable barriers of a childhood physical disability, poverty, and the humiliation of Apartheid in South Africa to compete in one of the most dangerous of all sports: solo yacht racing around the globe – 27,000 miles, nine months at sea – in a yacht he designed and built himself.

As a keynote speaker Neal Petersen turned barriers into solutions by never giving up. An award-winning author and the subject of a PBS documentary, Neal Petersen is a born storyteller – riveting, engaging, and captivating. He challenges audiences to find their treasures and use their experiences to navigate these difficult times to their advantage. Audience members are guaranteed to stay on the edge of their seats as he empowers them to excel in life, just as he has.

No Barriers, Only Solutions

Neal Petersen’s “No Barriers, Only Solutions” keynote addresses adversity, diversity, childhood physical handicap, poverty, and the need to excel with accountability and responsibility. A sought-after guest lecturer on macroeconomics at the College of Charleston’s International Business Program, Petersen is a well-traveled global investor who lives in various parts of the world and has experienced many cultures.

Petersen demonstrates how success is realized through innovation, balancing risk against return, and being flexible enough to adapt to constant shifting winds. He has “wowed” international audiences with his life story and his ability to relate and connect it to their challenges, resulting in rave reviews and rousing standing ovations. Petersen shares how his courage to dream, dedication to a plan, perseverance, and help from others have enabled him to reach his goals and provided the fuel for others to reach theirs. He is known for delivering thought-provoking messages that captivate and engage audiences and move people emotionally, inspiring them to make long-term, substantial changes in their personal and professional lives. His story of hope, resilience, and accomplishment is truly inspiring and reflects a powerful message that “in life there are no barriers, only solutions!”

Neal Petersen’s Shackleton Leadership Program

Based on the polar explorer, Ernest Shackleton, who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic and became a role model for leadership as one who, in extreme circumstances, kept his team together in a survival story described as “incredible”!

Neal challenges guests to ask themselves, “Why would someone follow you to the end of the world?”

This stimulating and thought-provoking leadership program will follow Neal Petersen’s “No Barriers, Only Solutions” keynote. The allotted time is customized to fit a client’s program, between 1- 6 hours and can be done as a two day program as well.