International Leadership Summit

Susi O’Neill works at the intersection of emerging technologies and communications, helping forward-thinking leaders build trust so tech adoption works for people and business.

She delivers keynotes, podcasts and workshops for brands like Bank of America, Swift and Finastra. Recognized as one of the top 50 global women in content, she’s authored whitepapers on frontier tech, cybersecurity, digital twins and women in AI. She shares insights through her newsletter and podcast, Rethinking The Hype Cycle.

She brings clarity, humor and real-world perspective to help leaders move past the hype and lead with confidence.

As a record-breaking polar explorer, Ben Saunders learned early that success in the world’s most unforgiving environments has less to do with heroics and more to do with leadership, preparation, and trust. Those hard-earned lessons—facing fear, self-doubt, and relentless adversity while pursuing goals few believe are possible—are what define him today as Founder & CEO of Arctic Research and Development, where he continues to lead teams through uncertainty. On stage, Ben draws directly from these experiences, connecting polar expeditions to the real challenges faced by leaders and organizations around the world.

Ben’s achievements as a polar explorer sit at the outer limits of human endeavor: he holds the unbroken world record for the longest human-powered polar journey in history, a 108-day, 1,800-mile return journey to the South Pole (69 consecutive marathons, dragging 200kg/440lbs of supplies). He’s the youngest person to ski solo to the North Pole, spending 72 days alone on the Arctic Ocean in the worst conditions in 25 years, and the third person in history to ski solo to both poles.

Despite these extremes, Ben describes his record journey as “a tough camping trip,” reflecting the understated humor and honesty that define his leadership style and make him an exceptional speaker. He often notes that he “spent more time in spreadsheets than on skis for twenty years,” meticulously planning for trips. That discipline prepared him for his next frontier: building and leading a fast-growing, venture-backed technology company. Today, as CEO, Ben applies the same expedition-tested principles of controlling the controllables, learning through failure, and taking risks.

Labeled a “Master Storyteller” by TED, his three main-stage talks have been viewed over five million times. Through stunning visuals and real-time journal entries, he takes audiences into the unknown — and shows them surprising parallels to their own challenges. His combination of achievement and authenticity helps organizations of all sizes unlock their own potential.

China expert Fred Sengers (1968) is a publicist, speaker, and moderator. He is a frequent guest on radio and television when it comes to providing context and analysis of news from China. He publishes background articles, writes columns and opinion pieces, and gives guest lectures at universities and universities of applied sciences. In addition, he is a highly valued moderator and speaker at conferences and seminars. Last year, his book Journey Through China in 48 Days was published.