Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland
Mark helps leaders and their teams to build resilience, optimise performance and collaborate effectively so that they achieve more than they thought possible. Unbroken by blindness in 1998, mark became an adventure athlete competing in ultra-endurance races across deserts, mountains, and the polar ice caps including being the first blind person to race to the South Pole. He also won silver and bronze medals for rowing at the Commonwealth Games and set up a motivational speaking business (www.markpollock.com). In 2010 a fall from a second story window nearly killed him. Mark broke his back and the damage to his spinal cord left him paralysed. Now he is on a new expedition, this time to cure paralysis in our lifetime by exploring the intersection where humans and technology collide. As a speaker, Mark is best known for his 2018 TED Talk focused on resolving the tension between acceptance and hope (go.ted.com/markandsimone) delivered jointly with his fiancée, Simone George. It gathered over 2 million views and has been translated into over 17 languages. He has inspired millions of people in hundreds of organisations and is a Davos, World Economic Forum, Talks@Google, Web Summit, EG and Wired speaker. To book Mark to speak at your event go here: https://www.markpollock.com Or, email [email protected]
To book Mark to speak at your event go here: https://www.markpollock.com/contact/ Or, email [email protected] Keynote speaker topics: • Adversity & Challenges Maintaining a Resilient Mindset Under Pressure. • Leadership & Motivation Leading Through a Crisis and Developing Intrinsic Motivation to Move Forward. • Mindset & Performance Challenging Expectations to Perform at a Higher Level. • Collaboration & Teamwork Creating and Motivating Dispersed Teams Across Disciplines and Geographies. • Human Enhancement Exploring the Intersection Where Humans and Technology Collide During The 4th Industrial Revolution.Everything Mark does is focused on inspiring leaders and their teams to build resilience, optimise performance, and collaborate effectively so they achieve more than they thought possible. He draws on his lived experience and integrates insights from ancient philosophy, performance psychology, and leadership research to deliver keynote speeches and masterclasses that help global audiences deal with challenges and move beyond them.
Exploring the intersection where humans and technology collide, Mark is on a mission to help cure paralysis in our lifetime. Since 2011, he has been involved in catalysing collaborations that are now valued at over $100 million. These include co-creating international neuro-modulation and robotics research studies; building an exoskeleton rehabilitation programme; facilitating multi-stakeholder relationships towards the commercialisation of academic research; and working alongside Wings for Life Spinal Research Foundation and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Unbroken by blindness in 1998, Mark became an adventure athlete competing in ultra- endurance races across deserts, mountains, and the polar ice caps including being the first blind person to race to the South Pole. He also won silver and bronze medals rowing for Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games and competed with LEBC domestically and at Henley Royal Regatta.
As darkness swept around the globe in mid-November from 2011 to 2024, over 250,000 people in 50 cities worldwide got up from their armchairs, slipped on their red flashing armbands and pulled on their running shoes to complete a 5km or 10km. Together, from Sydney to San Francisco, this global movement lit up the night as they hit the road to Run in the Dark
Working as a Senior Business Analyst at Digital Channel Partners, a business and technology consultancy, Mark conducted research, writing reports, and analysing business cases to support strategic decision-making for clients. He applied analytical and communication skills to evaluate emerging digital trends and provide insight-driven recommendations in a fast-paced, innovation-focused environment.
As a Business Analyst at IAWS Group PLC, a leading Irish agrifood business spanning commodity trading to consumer food products, Mark supported strategic initiatives by conducting market research, organising client engagement events, and contributing to the company’s emerging e-commerce strategy.