Mark Billingham

Esteemed star of SAS: Who Dares Wins, Mark “Billy” Billingham MBE, is no stranger to danger. He spent nearly 30 years in the Army, facing several life-threatening military missions like rescuing a hostage and capturing an enemy sniper – for which he was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery. Such an experience shaped Billy as a person, teaching him skills in mental resilience, peak performance and determination. Billy transfers these abilities to corporate audiences as a speaker, teaching them how to nurture a high-performance team. His anecdotes are utterly thrilling, keeping his audience’s hearts racing while bestowing valuable wisdom. From the perspective of a Paratrooper and former SAS officer, Billy discusses the importance of positive leadership for uniting a team, while his career as a bodyguard to the stars makes for an exciting speech.

Billy’s first military experience was with the Parachute Regiment in 1983. He served for eight years, rising through the ranks to Patrol Commander where Billy embarked on operational tours around the globe. Additional roles include the Regiment’s training instructor and military specialist, where he used his extensive knowledge to guide recruits. In 1991, Billy served as a Mountain Troop specialist with the SAS. While working with the prestigious force, he was responsible for strategic operations in some of the most challenging climates on Earth. Billy also trained to the highest standard, and completed several hostage rescue missions. When booked for events, he utilises the skills he learnt from first-hand combat to benefit his corporate audience.

It wasn’t in the army that Billy experienced his first brush with death, in fact, it was at the age of 15. When he put himself between two opposing gangs, Billy was stabbed in the back and left for dead. After crawling back to his house, he was rushed to hospital where he narrowly survived. Billy later worked at an electroplating factory, where he accidentally fell into a vat of caustic soda. The corrosive acid severely burnt Billy’s legs, but with his unwavering drive he managed to pull himself out of the substance. Before Billy even entered the military, he had racked up a staggering number of scars. Due to this, he was forced to work twice as hard to pass his medical exams, and be selected for the Paras only a year later, an experience that he reflects upon as a speaker.

Following his military career, Billy worked with a very different creed of team – celebrities. From Jude Law to Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie to Tom Cruise, he was a star-studded bodyguard for several years. He networked with a wealth of celebrities during this period, including Sean Penn, which resulted in a role in the hit film, The Gunman. However, it wasn’t long before the call of the military drew Billy back, in the form of the hit Channel 4 show, SAS: Who Dares Wins. With his thrilling stories and captivating personality, Billy is a greatly influential corporate speaker. Audiences are inspired by his victories, and driven to overcome the challenges in their own lives to emerge stronger, braver and self-assured.