Emma Henderson MBE MRAeS is an international keynote and TEDx speaker, a former airline captain, and the creator of the AV8 Decision Making Model and the AVIATE framework. She is best known as the Founder of Project Wingman and a respected voice on leadership under pressure, helping organisations build calm, confident decision-making when the stakes are high. With more than 30 years in aviation behind her, Emma brings rare credibility to the stage, blending real-world command experience with practical tools audiences can apply immediately. One of her biggest achievement is launching Project Wingman during the pandemic and being awarded an MBE for services to charity.
Emma’s path into leadership started early, driven by a lifelong fascination with flight and a determination to thrive in demanding environments. She studied at the University of Leeds, earning a BA (Hons) in History, then built hands-on capability through flight instruction roles that shaped her approach to teaching, feedback, and performance under scrutiny. Those formative years taught Emma how people learn under pressure, how confidence is built through structure, and why clear communication matters more than charisma. Over time, she carried these lessons into commercial aviation, a world where preparation, teamwork, and decision discipline are non-negotiable, and where a leader’s tone can set the emotional temperature for everyone around them.
Across her aviation career, Emma progressed to become an easyJet Captain, flying multi-million-pound passenger aircraft across Europe and leading crews through fast-changing operational realities. She also served as a Senior First Officer and Flight Ambassador, with responsibility for setting standards and modelling professional behaviours in a high-performance culture. In 2020, Emma co-founded Project Wingman, turning grounded airline colleagues into a national wellbeing force for frontline healthcare workers, and later served as Chief Executive Officer of Project Wingman Foundation. Alongside her corporate leadership, Emma has built a strong public profile as a TEDx speaker, with her talk 'How to Make Decisions When the World is on Fire'. In recognition of this work, she received an MBE in the 2021 New Year Honours, and her wider impact has been recognised through multiple industry awards, including Bookers’ Choice Award Winner 2025, plus honours such as Points of Light Award Winner, the Brabazon Cup Winner, and recognition for aviation achievement and regional business leadership. Emma is also a best-selling author of ‘Grounded’, bringing an honest, human perspective on resilience, setbacks, and rebuilding.
People hire Emma Henderson because she delivers more than inspiration, she gives leaders a repeatable way to stay steady when information is incomplete, opinions are loud, and consequences are real. Her most requested topics include leadership under pressure, decision-making in uncertainty, trust and psychological safety, communication in high-stakes moments, resilience, and leading in male-dominated spaces. Emma makes these themes practical by translating cockpit habits into workplace routines, for example using briefing and debrief techniques to help a leadership team recover after a difficult project and make cleaner decisions next time.
Emma Henderson's official speaking topics are listed below:
- Bomb-Proof Resilience: You Have Control - So Take It!
- Doing Less, Well: The Art of Effective Delegation
- From Airbus to Carebus: My Journey Through Aviation & Beyond
- How Big is Your Bucket?: Understanding Leadership Capacity
- Brave & Inspirational Leadership
- Overcoming Adversity: Reframing Challenges as Opportunities
- Performing Under Pressure - Leading with Composure at 30,000 Feet
- Teamwork: Making the Dream Work
- Split-Second Decisions: Mastering the Art of Rapid Decision-Making
- Understanding the Bigger Picture: Balancing Work & Wellbeing
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
"Your talk was engaging, encouraging, witty, and we were all delighted to leave with so much enthusiasm." - St Albans Chamber of Commerce
"Thank you for sharing your very inspiring story with us. I appreciated the level of self-disclosure you gave in highlighting the challenges you have faced in your personal & your professional life and your honesty in how you faced them. I loved the message that it is ok to fail and how this develops your perspective as a leader and keeps you grounded." - Arlene, Local Director, RBS
"Emma's story perfectly reflects the genuine and inspirational person that she is. Told in a refreshingly transparent and humorous way, from take-off to landing she captivated our global audience with a warmth and drive that clearly resonated with all. A special person who makes a big difference." - Darren, Managing Director - Global Aviation & Space, WTW
"I cannot recommend Emma enough for your speaking events. She has worked with me twice now and I have been massively impressed by her professionalism, calmness, clarity of thought, humility and gentle humour. She consistently goes well above and beyond the brief and the members of my audience love her to bits. If you are thinking of someone to delight your audience, you must speak to Emma Henderson." - LoveFly
"Emma is an incredibly talented leader and her natural storytelling ability is absolutely inspiring - mesmerising audiences she engages with. I could listen to Emma speak all day long. A wonderful talent." - Dr Noel, Associate Dean, TUBS
"Emma shared her experience and insights with us in an engaging and compelling manner. Thoughtful, yet also inspirational, she made a profound impact on all those she engaged with during her time with us at the University. I cannot recommend her highly enough." - Sir David, Sunderland VC & CE
"Emma is an incredibly talented leader and her natural storytelling ability is absolutely inspiring- mesmerising audiences she engages with. I could listen to Emma speak all day long. A wonderful talent!" - Dr Noel, Associate Dean, Teesside University Business School
"Emma was brilliant and the ladies loved her! And quite frankly of course they did! Thank you so much for your preparation and openness in answering the ladies' questions... thank you, thank you!" - Rachel, Royal College of Defence Studies Spouses
"Emma's incredible story provided a unique perspective into change-readiness and the importance of self-belief when dealing with adversity. Her contributions to our Women's History Month celebrations provided a challenging and inspirational message that anything is possible if you practise gratitude and care in all things, make time for yourself and always look to learn. A true leader in all she does, we are so grateful for her time to inspire our customers and colleagues and look forward to doing it again (and again!)" - Josh, Regional Enterprise Manager, NatWest Group
"Emma spoke to our Y13s at the start of the academic year and her message was spot on! At a time in their lives when they need to be resilient and to persevere is so crucial, her inspiring and moving life lessons truly struck a chord and left our students feeling motivated to face the challenges of their final year of school" - Melanie, Year 13 Coordinator, Gordonstoun School
- 2025 - Won the Bookers’ Choice Award at The Speaker Awards, London
- 2024 - Published 'Grounded'
- 2024 - Shortlisted for Best Newcomer and Best Storyteller at The Speaker Awards
- 2023 - Won the Aerotime Aviation Achievement Award
- 2023 - Won Moray Businesswoman of the Year
- 2021 - Appointed MBE in the New Year Honours for services to charity and for founding Project Wingman
- 2021 - Won the Brabazon Cup from the British Women’s Pilots Association
- 2021 - Finalist for Lorraine’s Women of the Year Kindness Award
- 2020 - Co-founded Project Wingman, supporting NHS wellbeing during Covid-19
- 2020 - Received the Points of Light Award for Project Wingman
- 2019 - Appeared in the ITV documentary Inside the Cockpit, becoming widely known as Captain Emma
- 2018 - Nominated for easyJet Captain of the Year
- 2016 - Appointed Captain at Gatwick Airport for easyJet
- 2015 - Senior First Officer and Flight Ambassador at Luton Airport for easyJet
- 2010 - Senior First Officer at Stansted Airport for easyJet
- 2009 - Appointed Deputy Chief Flying Instructor at Highland Aero Club
- 2008 - Flight Instructor at The Moray Flying Club
- 2007 - Flight Instructor at Wycombe Air Centre
How to hire Emma Henderson
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Emma Henderson 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.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
