John is a former British Army and Royal Marines officer. He is a veteran of operations in Iraq where he served with the Desert Rats. Following that he was the British strategic planning advisor in Baghdad and was required to brief national leaders on strategic options for developing the country, including the initial concept for the drawdown of coalition forces.

He has worked in economic development and is now a team leader for the UK Stabilisation Unit. He has just completed a job as the UK Stabilisation Leader in a Helmand District in Afghanistan.

In 2008 he founded Decisive Operations.

John has an MDA from Cranfield University, is an NLP and SDI practitioner and was the first non-American to win the General Douglas McArthur Leadership Award in the US.

Martyn was awarded the MBE for his leadership in Afghanistan. In 2006 as a sergeant in the infantry he was sent for two days to secure a hill top, and was finally extracted 107 days later. Every day the hill was attacked by the Taliban.

He returned again to the country in 2007 and was very badly injured in the legs. It took over 12 hours to get him to the forward hospital and from there he was moved back to the UK and Selly Oak Hospital, where he underwent a series of surgeries to save his legs. Since then he has recovered although he will always need a walking stick.

As well as speaking on Afghanistan, Martyn brings to life, in absolute honesty, the challenge of leadership; what a team means; overcoming a massive setback in life; dealing with difficulties; and the need to have a vision and set long term objectives.

Simon is a true mountaineer. He has climbed six of the world's highest seven peaks, and intends on completing the last one in 2011. On each peak, including Mt. Everest he led the teams. In 2007 he was the only expedition leader to get his whole team to the top of Everest, using what he describes as an "unusually minimalist approach to conquering the top of the world".

On the way down he saved the life of another climber, leading them off the mountain and back to base camp. Simon also led the rescue of a number of servicemen in Low’s Gully in Eastern Malaya.

Simon is a Royal Marine officer and has run a 300 person business organisation. He now runs the military's Joint Services Mountain Training Centre.

Simon brings to life the world of leadership on the very edge of the world. He speaks with passion on leadership; the power of teams; change management; and the confidence to chase your dream.