Sailor, speaker and storyteller, Nikki Henderson is an award-winning yachtswoman who is proving age and gender play no role in success. The young skipper has already made history in her remarkable career and her achievements, be it round the world races or championing female empowerment, are a testament to her undeniable leadership. As the pioneering front woman in her boats, Nikki is responsible for team cohesion in order to deliver peak performance, a quality she instils in audiences of her captivating keynote talks.
The youngest ever team leader in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, in 2018 Nikki set the record aged only 25 and secured second place in the process. Having previously skippered her first transatlantic race aged 20, it’s no surprise Nikka has gone on to become one of the UK’s most influential names in sailing. From her initial childhood as a young Sea Cadet, to supporting climate activist and environment icon, Greta Thunberg on her voyage on La Vagabonde, Nikki is inspiring the next generation with her impressive career.
Driven, not only by her passion for adventure on the seas, but to empower young people, Nikki has ensured her career acts as an example to others. Promoting leadership in the next generation has led Nikki to front the Maiden Factor’s world tour, skipper the first all-female crew in in the Rolex Middle Sea race and led a youth team in the Fastnet race, in which they placed first. With the distinct ability to instil the qualities of effective leadership and coherent teamwork in to those she meets, Nikki is highly sought-after to replicate her success as a speaker.
As a role model in sports, Nikki has been named on the prestigious London Power list of the 100 Most Influential People in London 2020, and as one of Management Today’s 35 Under 35. Achieving the title of Yachtsman of the Year 2018, Nikki’s position in the industry is secured, and her influence extends beyond yachting to the young people, women and corporate clients she inspires. An expert story teller, Nikki infuses each keynote talk with anecdotes from her journeys on the seven seas and ensure audiences are engaged from start to finish, a truly gifted speaker.
How to hire Nikki Henderson
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Nikki 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.
“Nikki held her audience in the palm of her hand. Engaging, passionate, entertaining, with a real life story of exciting and challenging adventure to tell, she proved herself an outstanding speaker whom we would recommend to anyone. This was a talk aimed at an audience from age 11 to 80 and it hit the mark completely all round. Older audience members were uplifted and in awe; youngsters wanted her to come back again. Brilliant film clips and graphics etc. added to the fun. Not only is Nikki an outstanding sailor and leader/captain; she is a talented communicator, too.” - Alice, Girl School Association
"It is very rare to meet someone who has the ability to have an impact such as did you yesterday. You have a quiet authority together with a natural humanity and humility that is a very rare combination. You really did change attitudes." - Nigel, FSSA President
"British professional yachtswoman Nikki Henderson is an absolute inspiration to all ages. Her ‘Resilience: taking risks and learning from failure’ presentations at our school were truly incredible, pitched at exactly the right level for everyone she spoke to, including: students, parents, keen sailors and the local community. From interactive, sailing- themed activities with our primary students, all the way through to messages of resilience for our Sixth Form, such as: ‘when things don’t go exactly to plan, it’s not the end of the world, and could be the best thing that ever happens to you’. She knew exactly how to engage our students with dynamism, humour and a thought-provoking look at reality. An incredible motivator who I would wholeheartedly recommend and would invite back in a second." - Joanna, Monmouth School For Girls
"Thanks SO much, that was brilliant. Very impressive that you avoided the lazy trap of just reeling off a list of your achievements (fascinating in themselves of course) in favour of a more structured and thoughtful presentation which you’d tailored to the team." - Elizabeth, FTI Consulting
"For me it was a reminder that it is only by taking ourselves to the limits of our mental and physical resources that we really discover ourselves, and an inspirational talk for all young women who may still doubt that the way is open for them to do something amazing with their lives. I will reflect on, and be inspired by, the evening for a long time to come." - Andrew, Monmouth School For Girls
"On Thursday morning I met with a large group of Grade 11 parents. They were very happy about the Leadership day on Tuesday, they brought it up without me asking about the day. This means that the students have talked about it at home, something grade 11 students do not normally do. This is clear evidence that it was a very successful day and I know the grade 8 day was similarly successful. I was very impressed how you went about this – you managed to catch the 100 plus teenage audience from the first minute and kept them engaged for a full day. That is not easy. There was good pace and variation throughout the day and, most importantly, you certainly made students think in new ways." - Anders, Munich International School
- 2013 – Skippered her First Transatlantic Race Aged 20
- 2018 – Youngest Person to Skipper in the Clipper Round the World Race
- 2018 – Named Yachtsman of the Year
- 2019 – Supported Greta Thunberg aboard a Vagabonde
- 2020 – Named on London Power’s 100 List of Most Influential People in London
