103 days through the Arctic.
Mark travelled through the Arctic by kayak for 103 days, seeing geopolitical tensions first hand. He now combines his first hand experiences with political insights for the most amazing and unique keynote talk.
Expect exciting stories about polar bears, ice bergs and fascinating takes on risks and consequences f
103 days through the Arctic.
Mark travelled through the Arctic by kayak for 103 days, seeing geopolitical tensions first hand. He now combines his first hand experiences with political insights for the most amazing and unique keynote talk.
Expect exciting stories about polar bears, ice bergs and fascinating takes on risks and consequences for NATO, USA and Russia. A conference speaker like no other.
Adventure & Politics
No keynote speaker on earth can deliver a tale that is both exciting, funny and thrilling, while combining political discussions. Mark has delivered keynote talks across Europe, Asia and the USA.
Mark's experience as a record setting adventurer and political journalist make for a potent talk, which puts audiences on th
Adventure & Politics
No keynote speaker on earth can deliver a tale that is both exciting, funny and thrilling, while combining political discussions. Mark has delivered keynote talks across Europe, Asia and the USA.
Mark's experience as a record setting adventurer and political journalist make for a potent talk, which puts audiences on the edge of their seats. Conference speakers don't come better than this.
Adventurer
Mark Agnew and his teammates kayaked through the Northwest Passage. The adventure was hailed as the Top 10 Greatest Kayaking Expeditions of the Century and earned Mark the title European Adventurer of the Year. The four intrepid adventurers took 103 days. During that time, they were trapped in shifting ice, came face-to-face with polar bears, overcame fatigue and worked together to achieve two World Firsts - the first to kayak the Northwest Passage and the first to do it by human power.
They also saw surveillance planes, NATO fuel tanks, Canadian soft power and other cold war infrastructure.
The expedition was only possible because the ice is disappearing, and opening the Arctic to new routes, which are being used for commercial shipping and is the source of political tensions in the Arctic.
Journalist
Mark Agnew is a renowned journalist and author. He was an editor at the South China Morning Post.
He continues to write as a freelance. For example, his articleThe Battle For The Arctic in Alastair Campbell's New European explains in depth the rising tensions in the Artic, and potential outcomes in the region, ranging from awkward incidents like Military Chinese Ice Breakers near Alaska, to catastrophic miscalculations leading to a war between NATO and Russia.
Mark Agnew grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland. In his early 20s he moved to Hong Kong,. At just 26-years-old, he became an editor at the South China Morning Post. He combined his political degree in politics and sociology with his passion for adventure as the adventure sports editor. He moved back to the UK after Covid-19, and now works as a full time keynote speaker. He continues to work on the side as a journalist, covering topics politics and EU law.