Pete Goss

Pete Goss is an outstanding yachtsman, inspirational adventurer, company director and author of the best-selling book Close to the Wind.

Pete has taken on numerous endeavours that share the same four principles; innovation, technology, challenge and adventure. He has competed in seven transatlantic and two round-the-world races and has sailed more than 300,000 nautical miles.

An acclaimed International Speaker, he draws on his experiences to offer leadership and management talks, team-building exercises and training sessions, inspiring individuals and groups to achieve beyond what they thought possible. He is a regular lecturer at business schools and an Associate Fellow of Said Business School Oxford University.

In today’s challenging business environment, Pete understands the need to deliver real performance; he achieves this through mentoring and empowering individuals, motivating teams and driving companies forward.

Pete Goss first captured global headlines whilst competing in the Vendee Globe single-handed non-stop round the world yacht race. Risking his own life in the midst of a fierce Southern Ocean hurricane Pete turned his yacht around to rescue French sailor Raphael Dinelli. Once Pete had dropped Raph off in Tasmania he completed the race, coming 5th. In recognition of his courage Pete was awarded the Legion d’Honneur and an MBE and voted World Sailor of the Year.

He trained and led the original set of amateur crews for the British Steel Challenge (generally regarded to be the toughest yacht race in the world).

Always keen to defy convention he attempted a world record with a revolutionary catamaran, Team Philips (which was sadly brought to a halt by a freak storm in the Atlantic). This was a five-year project where Pete headed up a workforce of more than 100 employees, brokered multi-million pound sponsorship deals and assisted with the creation of several new companies. Handling these complex and often conflicting pressures, gave Pete a unique insight into the challenges that face every organisation.

Whether Pete is taking on the next sailing challenge or heading expeditions to the North Pole he combines a competitive tenacity with a keen ‘will to win’. Pete talks positively and with passion about leading teams through exciting but often complex, difficult and dangerous situations. His stories create an interesting, motivating tapestry through which he weaves business lessons learned.

A natural, down-to-earth communicator with a dynamic but informal style, Pete has an ability to engage, entertain, inspire and motivate even the toughest of audiences.

Pete Goss talks about:

Innovation, Technology, Challenge, Adventure, Leadership, Teamwork, Responsibility, Vision, Values, Trust, Learning from your Mistakes, Risk, Peak Performance, Overcoming Adversity, Competitive Tenacity and a Will to Win.