As a serial entrepreneur, adventurer, activist and World Rowing Championship gold medalist, Debra Searle is one of the most motivating role models in the after-dinner speaking circuit. Her expertise in a range of disciplines makes her an extremely versatile speaker, who can offer compelling stories from her adventures, tips on how to achieve peak performance in sports and advice on how to become a successful entrepreneur. With over a decade of experience as a speaker, she is one of the most sought-after female speakers on our roster and has proven to be highly effective in making revolutionary changes in her audiences.
As a serial entrepreneur, Debra has founded several successful businesses that capture her passion for sport, adventure and making a difference to society. She first launched Shoal Projects Limited in 2002, with the aim of completing more expeditions to inspire future books, television programmes and teach others the lessons learnt along the way. She regularly featured on the BBC, and has published Rowing It Alone and The Journey: How to Achieve Against the Odds, along with contributions to British Newspapers.
By 2014, Debra had launched another business. MIX Diversity Developers Ltd is a consultancy that aims to educate corporations on diversity, inclusion, unconscious bias and cultural change. As a keen advocate for diversity, Debra is also a founding member of The Business Women’s Network Forum based in Buckingham Palace, where she works with female leaders to set the standard for gender best practice in the workplace.
As a young girl, Debra participated in The Duke of Edinburgh Award and Ten Tors, an annual challenge to the teenagers of the South West of England, marking her early love of adventuring. She later achieved a First-Class Hons degree in Outdoor Adventure Education from De Montfort University, whilst representing England in tennis, netball and lacrosse. As a professional athlete, she was selected for the British Dragon Boat Racing team in the 1998 European Rowing Championships, before coming away from the 1999 Nottingham World Championships with three medals.
Taking her love of outdoor activities to the next level, Debra and her husband set out to compete in the Atlantic Rowing Race in 2001. Having already attracted the media’s attention as the first couple to attempt the challenge, Debra took centre stage when she completed 111 days at sea rowing solo, due to her husband being unable to complete the mission. She has since completed a whole host of adventures, including a traverse of Baffin Island in the Arctic Circle, taking part in the Yukon River Quest and sailing around Antarctica.
As the host of Expert Speaking Made Simple, Debra’s popular podcast is a testament to her talent as a speaker. She was awarded an MBE in the 2002 Birthday Honors, and later received an MVO in 2014 due to her efforts as the only female and youngest board member of The Duke of Edinburgh Award. One of the most inspiring women on our roster, Debra is a sure bet for a variety of events. As a leader in sports and the business world, she has the ability to cover a range of topics and is guaranteed to leave a lasting impact on your audience.
How to hire Debra Searle
Contact the Champions Speakers agency to book Debra Searle for your event today. Simply call a booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at agent@championsukplc.com for a free quote.
** We do not accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages, or any other non-commercial contact with our speakers or acts.
When she's at corporate events, Debra is known to cover the following topics:
- Choose your attitude! It’s not magic: it’s mindset
- Teamwork and positive relationships
- Strategies for not just coping but excelling during times of change
- Leading through change
"Debra not only has a great story to tell, but she uses her experiences to support real business situations and bring alive those everyday moments faced by leaders. She clearly understood our organisation and within an hour had totally transformed the mindset of some of the most ‘fixed’ people in this intimate audience.” - Anthony, TMF Group
"There are good speakers, there are great speakers and then there is Debra Searle. I've never seen an audience so engaged, inspired and in touch with the messages that she shared.” - Matt, Auto Trader UK.
“I thought she was fantastic and brought in some really useful tools to use when choosing your mindset and facing challenges. She has such an inspirational story, great to hear all the details first hand. We’ve been getting great feedback all day, she was very well received.” - Yee, Deloitte
"'I cannot thank you enough for the fantastic session you delivered at IFS today. You left me feeling incredibly empowered and motivated and you are an incredible role model for professional women (and men) across the globe. It was so refreshing to see a human presentation filled with compassion, honesty and humour.
You are an inspiration and your messages resonated with me loud and clear.
Thank you so much, I’m excited to tell my colleagues about you and share your message. - IFS, Institute for Fiscal Studies
"The way that Debra translates her experience into actionable day to day practices to change behaviour and get into a positive mindset is very powerful" - Dr Katja Buller, Biogen
"Our guests really enjoyed listening to Debra's story - it was brilliant to see them all so engaged in the journey" - Sarah Folley, Wolters Kluwer
"The way that Debra linked her story and her life lessons back to business helped to make the whole event feel very connected and so much more powerful." - Katie Patterson, Hitachi Insipre the Next
- Debra is the founder of five successful businesses.
- As a young adventurer, she completed the Duke of Edinburgh Award and Ten Tors.
- She was appointed MBE in 2002 and MVO in 2014.
- In 2002, Debra rowed across the Atlantic solo, an achievement immortalised via the film, Row Hard No Excuses.
- Debra hosts the podcast, Expert Speaking Made Simple, and supplies training for speakers.
- At the 1998 Rome European Championships and 1999 Nottingham World Championships, Debra secured bronze, silver and gold medals in the Dragon Boat race.
- She led the Women’s Arctic Challenge from Qikiqtarjuaq to Pangnirtung in the Arctic Circle in 2015.
- In 2017, she completed a cycling mission from Valencia to Barcelona.
- Debra was a trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh Award for a decade.
- She has written and published Rowing it Alone and The Journey: How to Achieve Against the Odds.
