Mandy Hickson is a former fast jet pilot and an inspirational keynote speaker known for her trailblazing role as one of the first female fighter pilots in the Royal Air Force. She flew Tornado GR4s on the front line and built a global speaking career by sharing her lessons on leadership, resilience and decision-making under pressure. Her bestselling book, ‘An Officer, Not a Gentleman’, brought her experiences to a wide audience and strengthened her reputation as a trusted voice on performance in demanding environments. Mandy brings clarity to complex ideas and connects with audiences through stories that reflect real moments from her time in the cockpit.
Mandy’s early journey into aviation began with determination. She gained an RAF flying scholarship at 17, which gave her valuable time in the air and confirmed her ambition to become a pilot. The path was far from smooth. She failed the RAF’s flying aptitude test twice, yet her instructors saw her capability and placed her into a test-case programme that allowed her to continue training. This marked a key turning point, and she went on to complete an intense sequence of flying courses that shaped her approach to teamwork and responsibility. During her early years she spent time with the Air Cadets, an experience that influenced her leadership style and later encouraged her to return as a Volunteer Reserve on the Air Experience Flight, where she supported young trainees taking their first flights. Her persistence during those early stages now forms one of the most powerful parts of her message, showing how setbacks can fuel long-term success.
Mandy’s operational career is defined by significant milestones. As only the second female pilot to fly the Tornado GR4 on the front line, she completed 45 combat missions over Iraq and served on three duty tours, often as the only woman on her squadron. She also served as Combat Survival and Rescue Officer, leading a cross-continent initiative during a period of intense military activity, a role that required strategic planning and clear communication under pressure. After leaving full-time service, Mandy broadened her impact in leadership education by becoming a Faculty Lecturer on the LBC2 Programme, where she guides senior professionals through personal and organisational development. Her determination remains evident in her personal achievements, including her trek to Everest Base Camp in 2023, an example she often uses to show the value of mental and physical resilience. Her contributions have been recognised through honours such as being a finalist for Inspiration of the Year at the Ex-Forces in Business Awards and receiving the Champion of Women Award at the Business Veterans Awards in 2025, reflecting her commitment to supporting and elevating women at all career stages.
Organisations choose Mandy because she offers insight that is grounded in real experience and relevant to fast-moving workplaces. She speaks on leadership under pressure, high performance, risk management, human factors and the power of effective teamwork, drawing on examples such as coordinating complex missions over Iraq or managing split-second decisions at high speed. These topics matter to teams facing rapid change, uncertainty or high stakes, and Mandy makes them practical by giving audiences clear actions they can apply immediately. Her sessions spark reflection and encourage people to communicate with purpose, build trust and stay composed in demanding situations.
At Champions Speakers, we take pride in being an official booking agent for Mandy Hickson. As we proudly represent Mandy Hickson as her booking agent, we had the opportunity to sit down with her and discuss her new book, working with an all-male squadron and what it's like to fly a fighter jet on the front line. Read our interview with Mandy or watch our exclusive Q&A with Mandy Hickson, conducted by our Senior Content Executive, Megan Lupton.
Most recently, Mandy Hickson was inducted into the Best International Women's Day Speakers to Hire, recognising her talent as an incredible female pilot.
Social Media
Books
An Officer, Not a Gentleman: The Inspirational Journey of a Pioneering Female Fighter Pilot
Reviews
Mandy Hickson received a 5 star rating across 15 events in 2023
Agent Recommendation
"Mandy Hickson is a truly inspiring motivational speaker whose pioneering career as a female pilot in the Royal Air Force exemplifies determination and leadership. Her remarkable experiences, including 45 missions over Iraq, offer invaluable insights into risk management and teamwork. Mandy’s dynamic talks are transformative, engaging audiences with fast-paced stories and practical workplace tools."
Mandy Hickson's official speaking topics are listed below:
- The Building & Empowerment of Effective Teams
- Inspired Goal Setting & Ultimate Focus
- Decision-Making Under Extreme Pressure
- Maintaining Momentum Despite Losing Top Talent
- Nurturing a Culture of Self-Confidence & Aspiration
- Maintaining Essential Work/Life Balance in a Demanding Environment
- Overcoming Innate Risk Avoidance Tendencies
- A Wavering of Confidence & Self-Belief
- Amazingly Still Having to Break Through the Glass Ceiling
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
Feedback from In-Person Events:
"I just wanted to let you know that Mandy was truly amazing yesterday. The feedback we have had was incredible and everyone agreed how inspiring she was and in awe of what she has achieved. I didn’t get to say goodbye to Mandy, but please pass on my thanks to her and it was a pleasure to meet her. I know we will all really enjoy reading her book." - Liz, Team PA, Quintain
"She was amazing, thank you! The perfect end to our conference. Everyone was really inspired and had a lot to say after her presentation. Thank you for your help in arranging" - Jennifer, Personal Assistant, Group Legal - Corporate, Commercial & Compliance, Vodafone
"Mandy is a fantastic public speaker. She is both inspirational and extremely well-prepared. Her ability to relate her own experience working under extreme pressure and in highly performing teams to everyday situations is most impressive. She tops it all with a wonderful sense of humour and great modesty. Listening to her talking about the many challenges that she has successfully overcome should be compulsory for all girls!" - Miriam, Partner, Dechert LLP
"Much like the fighter jets you flew, the noise (feedback) about your presentation can still be heard. The feedback has been fantastic with many saying “Mandy was the most inspirational speaker I have ever heard”. You are extraordinarily talented, hugely determined and beautifully funny with a great ability to connect with people - for such a high flier you are very grounded! Thank you for sharing, it was a great pleasure." - Peter, Managing Director, Old Mutual International
"Mandy, great to meet you. Your session was particularly well received. I am delighted I was able to stay to hear you talk. Your story is very inspirational and I recognised many of the challenges you have faced as a woman in a predominantly male world as these issues are industry-agnostic. I am sure we could spend hours sharing our war stories (literal and metaphorical !). I do all I can to help the next generation navigate these challenges and not experience the same difficulties as those who have gone before. You are clearly doing the same." - Sue, CEO, M&S Bank
"I just wanted to say thank you once again for a fabulous talk at our execs conference. They were buzzing afterwards, just as the partners were, and it really made the day. Funny, human and relevant with an appropriate dose of self-deprecation. You went down a storm! Thank you." - Jonathan, Managing Partner, Russell-Cooke International Law Firm
"I just wanted to say following yesterday that I have been approached by so many people, telling me that you were the best speaker we have ever had. Not only were you very motivational and inspiring, but you were also very amusing with it which brought a really nice atmosphere to the room. If I could have the same speaker each year, you would be top of my list!!" - Orbit Group
"Mandy was absolutely amazing. She was really able to connect her story to ours and left the audience with nuggets to take away as well as inspiration and motivation." - Quilter
"Also, just wanted to drop you a note saying thank you for recommending Mandy to us … she was fantastic, the audience soaked up everything she had to say … brilliant suggestion"- Greencore
"She was amazing, thank you! The perfect end to our conference. Everyone was really inspired and had a lot to say after her presentation. Thank you for your help in arranging." – Jennifer, Personal Assistant, Vodafone
"Mandy was perfect for our meeting, she has a great story that resonated with everyone in the room. As I said to her at the end, she didn’t need to ask for feedback on the day as I’m sure she could tell looking at the audience from the stage just how engaged they were! We also had similar feedback from those that watched the video afterwards (which we deleted after 2 weeks as agreed)." - Shell
"Mandy Hickson was incredible. I think most of the crowd was completely captivated by her talk. She also has an approachable personality/character, which can often not be the case with some speakers and is super interesting to talk to. She was very happy to share all her flying stories! She socialised with our guests and colleagues and the feedback was nothing short of exemplary. Her talk was fascinating and powerful and gave a great insight into what it was like for her to start a career in the Royal Air Force as a woman and her journey to now. She had the audience hooked from the first minute. It was insightful and engaging." - Quintain
"It all went off without a hitch last night. Mandy was fantastic." - Stepstone Group
- 2025 - Winner of the Champion of Women Award at the Business Veterans Awards
- 2024 – Inducted into Best International Women's Day Speakers to Hire
- 2023 – Completed trek to Everest Base Camp
- 2022 – Appointed Faculty Lecturer at the LBC2 Programme
- 2022 – Finalist in Inspiration of the Year at the Ex-Forces in Business Awards
- 2020 – Published book 'An Officer, Not a Gentleman'
- 1998 – Second female pilot to fly the Tornado GR4 on the front line
- 2000s – Flew 45 combat missions over Iraq and completed three duty tours
- 2000s – Squadron Combat Survival and Rescue Officer leading a cross-continent initiative
- 1990s – Selected as a test case by the RAF after failing the flying aptitude test twice
- 1990 – Awarded RAF Flying Scholarship at age 17
- Volunteer Reserve on the Air Experience Flight with the Air Cadets
How to hire Mandy Hickson
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Mandy Hickson 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.
