Keynote SpeakersMaria Witchell is a Polar Adventurer, a Former Special Forces Officer, and a Former Kidnap & Ransom Negotiator.
Maria is a veteran of eight polar expeditions, including reaching the North and South Poles.
She was recently part of a team that successfully established a new polar route traversing the narrow plateaux of the Antarctic Peninsula in 2019.
Maria is also a trustee of the charities ‘Style for Soldiers’ and ‘LAW-G’.
Following university, Maria began her career as a British Army Officer after graduating from The Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. She quickly went on to complete Special Forces selection.
Special Forces and Kidnap & Ransom Negotiator
She became one of the few women to serve as an operative in the United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) conducting covert military operations.
As a covert operator in UKSF, she gained substantial experience operating in challenging, pressurised, intense, and dangerous environments. These included covert and counterterrorism operations of the most serious and sensitive nature.
Maria progressed to working for the British Government and became one of the first women to become a professional kidnap ransom negotiator operating worldwide. Her primary focus was Central and South America.
She negotiated the release of numerous high profile/high net worth individuals, leaders of global corporate entities and/or their close family members ‘in country’ negotiating with, amongst others, the FARC and ELN guerrilla groups or with the terrorist and criminal gangs involved.
After several years operating as a kidnap & ransom negotiator, Maria Witchell changed direction and attended the College of Law in London.
She qualified with a specialism in banking with a leading London city law firm.
After five years, she joined a major international investment bank and became Head of Equity Financing, legal in London.
Today, Maria Witchell is based in Hong Kong and is the head of corporate loans and derivatives legal for the Asia Pacific region.
Maria Witchell – Keynote Speaker
A unique inspirational speaker, Maria’s speaking topics include:
- Motivation
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Resilience
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Negotiation and Persuasion
