Mandy Hickson was the only female pilot on her Front Line Tornado Squadron, flying multimillion pound fast jets for the Royal Air Force. She has operated in hostile environments, including patrolling the ‘No Fly’ zone over Iraq. Carrying the latest weaponry she and her unit were ready to drop ordnance on any target in support of operations.
Her route to the top was tumultuous in every sense – awarded a RAF flying scholarship at 17, long before she even passed her driving test, she went on to win aerobatic competitions whilst still a student. However, despite her prowess in the skies, she failed the computer based tests, taken by all potential RAF pilots. Undeterred, her self-belief and dogged determination persuaded the RAF to take her on as a test case, thereby overcoming seemingly insurmountable hurdles.
Since retiring from the RAF, Mandy has pursued her career as a trained Human Factors facilitator with the Civil Aviation Authority.
Mandy has recently founded Inspiring Women for Work, tailor made events designed to help women to realise their full potential and regain confidence to return to work.
Her route to the top was tumultuous in every sense – awarded a RAF flying scholarship at 17, long before she even passed her driving test, she went on to win aerobatic competitions whilst still a student. However, despite her prowess in the skies, she failed the computer based tests, taken by all potential RAF pilots. Undeterred, her self-belief and dogged determination persuaded the RAF to take her on as a test case, thereby overcoming seemingly insurmountable hurdles.
Since retiring from the RAF, Mandy has pursued her career as a trained Human Factors facilitator with the Civil Aviation Authority.
Mandy has recently founded Inspiring Women for Work, tailor made events designed to help women to realise their full potential and regain confidence to return to work.
What the audience can expect
Mandy relates her experiences of working within an elite team of fast jet operators to business audiences with great clarity, outlining how the same values apply within any competitive environment. She demonstrates only too well the importance of remaining calm under pressure and leading, quite literally from the front, to get the best from herself and her team.
Mandy uses her in depth knowledge of human factors within aviation to transfer these lessons from the cockpit to the corporate boardroom.
Mandy uses her in depth knowledge of human factors within aviation to transfer these lessons from the cockpit to the corporate boardroom.
Presentation Approach
Mandy has a perfect balance of a captivating story with a wonderful sense of humour and a sackful of humility. Her natural style immediately puts the audience at ease, helping to capture the imagination, illustrating the art of what is possible with grit, determination, planning, teamwork, creativity and hard work. Mandy is both inspirational and extremely well prepared, she tailors every presentation to the requirements of each audience.
