Speaking

Mark Synnott has long been regarded as one of the best storytellers in the business.

He is highly sought after as a motivational speaker and has presented to hundreds of corporations, schools, non-profits and performing arts centers around the world, for clients like General Motors, the Bank of New York, the X Prize Foundation, the Explorers Club and the National Geographic Society.

Mark Synnott at The North Face Athlete Summit, photo by Clayton Boyd.

Speaking Inquiries

Mark is available for presentations and appearances at your next event. For inquiries, contact Deborah Benson at Changemaker Talent.

[email protected]

Testimonials

Most recently, Mark Synnott spent some time with us as the Chevy Avalanche product team closed its business and began transitioning to other assignments. Mark had dinner with many of our team members and delivered a great talk the next day on April 26, 2002. Mark truly captivated his audience with his stories and his reflections on his own personal growth and the importance of trust in your teammates. His references and parallels to our business were most appropriate and made the talk that much more meaningful to our team.

Tony Posawatz
Vehicle Line Executive, Full-size Trucks
General Motors Corporation

Thanks so much for coming to NC to talk to part of the VF team. You did an outstanding job.While I knew much about you, it was very enriching for me to hear your perspective on your passions, your adventures, and your family. All of us are pulled in many directions as we pursue our dreams. Balancing those "priorities" is never easy when you have passion for more than one thing. While it's easy to decide which passion comes first, it's very hard to relegate anything you're passionate about to the number two position. I think that balance starts with an honest, "eyes wide open" perspective. You clearly have that.

My very best,
Eric Wiseman
President, Vanity Fair Corporation

On behalf of the entire membership of the Harvard Traveller’s Club, I would like to extend to you my appreciation and thanks for the extraordinary presentation that you made to the Club last night. Your presentation was spectacular in many respects, from the truly superb slides taken from unique vantage points in the world to your honest and poignant emotions that you so willingly shared with your audience. Your presentation was extremely well received by the members of the Club. At the conclusion of your presentation, I heard many favorable comments. A number of people told me that yours was the best talk that they had ever heard at the Club. That is quite an accolade considering the caliber of speakers that we have had over the years….Again, many thanks for the outstanding presentation that you gave to us.

Very truly yours,
Louis Sgarzi
President, Harvard Travellers Club

Once again, thank you for delivering such a superb presentation last week at the National Geographic Society. You are a compelling and truly gifted storyteller, a fact supported by the many favorable comments I’m still hearing, from first-time attenders and regular patrons, to the highly critical audiovisual technicians.The National Geographic Society has been presenting lectures for 116 years and I’ve seen a number of programs in my time with this department. I can honestly say that you are one of the best, and I look forward to having the opportunity to work with you again.

Sincerely,
Greg McGruder
Director, Lectures and Public Programs
National Geographic Society

Featured Presentation

Life on the Vertical

From his early days as a pioneering big wall climber to his current work as a best selling author and master storyteller for National Geographic magazine, Mark Synnott has spent his career searching for the places where adventure and exploration collide with science, natural history, and culture. Beyond the Horizon is the story of how a renowned professional climber, searching for something greater than simply racking up another first ascent, set off on a quest to use his unique skill set to discover and illuminate the hidden wonders of our world. This inspiring and motivational tale will take you from the depths of the Earth in Uzbekistan’s Dark Star cave to high on the North Face of Everest; from harvesting “mad honey” with the Last Honey Hunter in Nepal to a trek deep into the Amazon jungle, where Mark and famed free soloist Alex Honnold helped an 80-year-old biologist find new frog species on the side of a remote tower.

As one of the most prolific explorers of his generation, Mark’s story is ultimately about how we can all achieve transcendence when we align our passions, skills and talents with work that strives to make a positive impact on our world.