Monika Sattler is a record-holding cyclist, keynote speaker, and expert in guiding organisations through periods of pressure and uncertainty. Drawing on twenty years of experience across two high-performance worlds, business and extreme endurance sport, she developed the CLIMB framework for building peak performance that holds up when circumstances don’t. Today, Monika teaches organisations how to make hard decisions, take ownership of the outcome, and sustain results long after the initial motivation fades.
After studying security sciences and nuclear weapons in the US, Monika began her career at the International Monetary Fund. She later held positions at the World Bank and also worked in management consulting in Switzerland and Australia. Alongside this, she pursued a career as a professional cyclist. In 2018, she rode every kilometre of the Vuelta a España route, a professional, male-only race covering more than 3,000km. Starting only hours ahead of the professional peloton, she became the first woman in history to do so. In 2022, she cycled all 124 Swiss mountain passes in just 26 days. In 2026, she took on the 30 Swiss Summit Challenge: 30 summits in 30 days, over 40,000 metres of elevation, with a fresh, unfamiliar team every single day.
Since 2022, Monika has been Managing Director of Sattler Consulting, offering keynote speaking, executive coaching and performance training built around her CLIMB framework. She encourages leaders and teams to face hard decisions head-on and sustain execution under pressure, putting ownership, not motivation, at the centre of peak performance. She has also delivered the TEDx Talk 'How To Pursue Those Goals That Scare Us', exploring how the fear of failure keeps people stuck and the mindset shifts needed to move past it. She expands on these ideas in her book 'Because Success Is Not What You Think It Is'. Perfect for a multitude of events, Monika connects with a variety of audiences, inspiring them to succeed despite uncertainty and find the drive to push through difficulties.
Books
Unleashing my RAD potential!: From corporate life to setting a world record
Abenteuer Gravel-Transalp: Von leicht bis heavy
Because Success Is Not What You Think It Is
Monika Sattler's official speaking topics are listed below:
The 124 Swiss Passes Challenge — How Ownership Leads to Peak Performance
In 2022, Monika cycled all 124 Swiss mountain passes in 26 days — 1,368 km, 56,380 metres of elevation, 110 hours in the saddle. No rest day. No stable conditions. No plan B. Monika shows what it takes to truly commit to a challenge, instead of waiting for perfect conditions — and what happens when the plan suddenly stops working: a construction site, right below the summit. Turn back, descend, find a new route — and climb again. In that moment, it isn't fitness that carries you through, but the decision to recommit: to the goal, not the plan.
● What it means to take ownership of a challenge, rather than waiting for perfect conditions.
● Why fitness isn't what carries you through the hardest moments — the decision to recommit is.
● How she led the five-person team that had to trust her from day one, and what that took.
The audience leaves with a concrete understanding of ownership-driven peak performance, ready to apply it the moment their own plan falls apart.
30 Swiss Summit Challenge — Leading a Heterogeneous Team
30 mountains, 30 days, 40,000 metres of elevation — and a completely new team every single day: people with different skills, different expectations, and personalities Monika was getting to know for the first time, under pressure. She talks about how she worked with these very different characters and draws out her CLIMB framework for leading heterogeneous teams from it — concretely applicable whether a team stays together for years or comes together for a single project.
● How to build trust and clarity fast, with people she'd often just met.
● Her CLIMB framework for leading heterogeneous teams, in practice.
● How to turn a group of near-strangers into a team that performs under pressure, immediately.
The audience leaves with a practical framework for leading heterogeneous or short-lived teams under real-time pressure.
The Courage to Fail — Why Failure Is Part of Success
Monika has failed often, and hard: she gave up her career at the World Bank to become a professional cyclist — and quickly had to admit that wasn't her path either. At 30, she had nothing but her bike, and was searching for her purpose. Today she is no longer afraid of failing, because she knows it's part of success. Monika shows why the fear of failure often does more damage than failure itself — and how teams build a culture of learning that turns setbacks into real progress, instead of avoiding risk altogether.
● Why she's no longer afraid of failure — because she knows it's part of success.
● Why the fear of failure often does more damage than failure itself.
● How teams build a learning culture that turns setbacks into progress, instead of avoiding risk.
The audience leaves with permission to fail productively, and a concrete approach to building a team culture where failure fuels progress instead of blocking it.
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
Feedback from In-Person Events:
"Monika Sattler has left a lasting impression not only on me, but also on our IT decision-makers. With a strong business acumen, academic background and extensive consulting experience, she combines a tireless drive to inspire others - shaped by her path as an extreme athlete - with a great passion for new challenges. As a speaker, Monika raised our customer event to a new level - her content and her captivating personality will be remembered. It was certainly not the last time we saw her on our stage!" - Madeleine, Chief Marketing Officer, Open Systems
"We were able to experience Monika as a keynote speaker at our HR orientation at the end of the year. Her energy carried us away from the very first minute. I admire her courage to pursue her purpose so consistently and to consciously leave her comfort zone to do so. With her authentic nature and strong connections to our daily business challenges, she inspired and impressed us. Monika's presentation was an enrichment - an inspiring energiser that noticeably enlivened our event." - Luana, Head of HR, Member of the Executive Board
"Monika was the keynote speaker at our last event. We brought our entire sales team together and wanted to inspire them with a story about perseverance and the courage to raise the bar. Thanks to the thorough preparation and discussions we had with Monika in the run-up to the session, she was able to seamlessly align her contribution with our central message and the content of the rest of the program. Monika's presentation starts with a personal touch, which ensures that you are immediately drawn into her story. At the end, she provides a helpful and clear structure on how to define and achieve personal goals. So you leave the keynote not only inspired, but also with some very specific tips. We highly recommend Monika Sattler as a speaker for organisations that are looking for a professional speaker who has an excellent understanding of the context and objectives of an event." - Christian, CEO, House of HR Germany
- 2026 - Took on the 30 Swiss Summit Challenge
- 2024 - Published 'Because Success Is Not What You Think It Is'
- 2023 - Published 'Abenteuer Gravel-Transalp: Von leicht bis heavy'
- 2022 - Managing Director, Sattler Consulting
- 2021 - Coach, Advance
- 2020 - Marketing Manager, DT Swiss
- 2019 - TEDx Talk
- 2018 - Published 'Unleashing my RAD potential!'
- 2018 - Completed a 300km cycle across Spain, becoming the first woman in history to do so
- 2014 - Senior Strategy/Digital Marketing Consultant, IBM Australia
- 2012 - Research Assistant, The University of Minnesota
- 2011 - Data Analyst, The World Bank
- 2010 - Staff Assistant to the Division Chief of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Turkmenistan, International Monetary Fund
How to hire Monika Sattler
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Monika Sattler for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
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