Mark Agnew

2x World First Record Setter, Resilience & Team Cohesion Expert

Mark Agnew is a 2x World First Record Setter and a leading expert in resilience and team cohesion. He is a motivational adventure speaker and Arctic explorer who helps organizations build high-performing, resilient teams through powerful storytelling and actionable mindset tools. Using his Find Your Polar Bear framework, he teaches teams to reframe change as an exciting challenge rather than an obstacle.

Mark made history with his teammates as the first team to kayak the entire Northwest Passage—a feat recognized as one of the Top 10 Greatest Kayak Expeditions of the Century and earning him European Adventurer of the Year. His adventures have been featured on the BBC, ITV, Sky News, The Times, and over 200 other international media outlets.

Before his speaking career, Mark was the founding editor of the Adventure Sports section at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong and worked as a journalist for publications including The Compliance Insider and The Corporate Treasurer, covering both corporate and adventure topics. His unique blend of exploration, media experience, and resilience expertise inspires teams to achieve extraordinary results.


Discover the full speaker lineup of the HR World Summit — view all speakers