Biography
From a council estate in north London to the ends of the Earth.
For over 40 years, Jim McNeill has braved the planet’s most unforgiving frontiers - ice-locked oceans, polar deserts, and places so remote they’re barely on the map. More importantly, he’s living proof that where you start doesn’t define where you can go.
If Jim can do it, what’s stopping you?
Jim's Story
Jim has spent over 40 years on the frontlines of polar exploration and environmental change. His passion was sparked at the young age of 16, living in a snowbound sanctuary on a winter Outward Bound course in the Lake District. From that moment on, there was no turning back.
Jim’s path has taken him from scientific research to elite military training, high-stakes business, life-or-death emergency response, and ultimately, to leading some of the toughest expeditions on Earth. Every chapter demanded performance, leadership, and teamwork.
Through his Ice Warrior Project, he’s transformed everyday people into polar pioneers, collecting vital data on climate change and putting it in the hands of the world.
His ability to turn raw, often brutal experiences into unforgettable stories, laced with insight, humour, and purpose, makes him a commanding voice on leadership, motivation, risk, and human potential.
Jim McNeill’s latest venture, Ocean Warrior, launched in January 2023, is an ambitious 11-year commitment to uncover the true state of our oceans.
Backed by decades of frontline exploration, Jim is now taking that same relentless spirit beneath the waves - exposing the unseen impacts of climate change in some of the most remote marine environments on Earth.
What sets Jim apart is how openly he shares the truths he’s learned about human performance under pressure. He speaks from experience, twice coming close to losing his life in the field, about what it takes to lead, adapt, and endure when conditions are anything but ideal.
Leadership, for Jim, means trust, clarity, and a deep sense of care, values he’s lived and led with on every high-risk expedition. His talks unpack these with refreshing honesty. Kindness and communication are just as vital as strategy and strength.
At the heart of his work is a tireless commitment to climate advocacy. Through his expeditions, Jim gathers vital scientific data to drive awareness of global environmental shifts, while also giving a platform to citizen science and public engagement.
Jim’s storytelling style is both gripping and unapologetically human. He turns complex data and extreme experiences into messages that land… authentic, inspiring, and impossible to forget.
Through Ocean Warrior, keynote speaking, and his unique Icons Interviewed series, Jim McNeill continues to shape how we think about leadership, purpose, and the urgent need to protect our world.
His passion is infectious - and his mission, more critical than ever.