Mark Jenkins

Explorer, Keynote Speaker & Foreign Correspondent — 9 Lessons in Leadership From a Life on the Edge

About Mark Jenkins

World-renowned explorer, sought-after keynote speaker, and critically acclaimed author — for three decades Mark Jenkins has been a foreign correspondent for National Geographic Magazine, Smithsonian, and Outside Magazine, among others. Taking on the most difficult and dangerous assignments, Jenkins will do "whatever it takes" to get the real story. He has been arrested in Afghanistan by the Tajik KGB and interrogated for a week; captured and held by the military junta in Burma; and taken prisoner by the murderous Hutu guerillas in eastern Congo.

His Nat Geo feature "Who Murdered The Mountain Gorillas" won the National Magazine Award; his Nat Geo feature "The Healing Fields," about landmines in Cambodia, won the Overseas Press Club Award. Jenkins climbed Everest the hard way, made the first exploration of the largest cave on earth in Vietnam, the first descent of the Niger River in West Africa, and is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the first crossing of Russia by bicycle.

As a keynote speaker, with humor and candor and using world-class National Geographic photography from his life-or-death experiences, Jenkins distills for audiences the hard-won lessons of successful leadership. From climbing Everest to being captured by Congolese rebels, from kayaking down the Niger River to crossing Afghanistan during the war, Mark takes audiences around the world to reveal nine universal lessons of leadership — lessons that are easily understood, free of jargon, and rooted in strength of character and humility. He has delivered over 300 presentations for corporations, conventions, universities, public organizations, and clients worldwide.

Speaking Topics

Leadership Under PressureAdventure & ExplorationCrisis Management & ResilienceCourage & Decision MakingTeamwork & Problem SolvingStorytelling & CommunicationForeign CorrespondenceCharacter & Humility in Leadership

Credentials & Experience

Three-decade foreign correspondent: National Geographic Magazine, Smithsonian, Outside Magazine
National Magazine Award winner — "Who Murdered The Mountain Gorillas" (Nat Geo)
Overseas Press Club Award winner — "The Healing Fields" (Nat Geo)
Guinness Book of World Records — first crossing of Russia by bicycle
First exploration of the largest cave on earth (Son Doong, Vietnam)
First descent of the Niger River in West Africa
Climbed Mount Everest
300+ keynote presentations for corporations, conventions, universities, and public organizations worldwide

Audiences Leave Inspired To

✔Walk away with 9 hard-won, universal leadership lessons drawn from life-or-death expeditions on every continent
✔Learn how to train yourself to stay calm, prepare for a mission, and lead with clarity under pressure
✔Understand how true leadership springs from strength of character and humility — not jargon or catch-phrases
✔See how crisis, capture, and extreme adversity reveal the timeless principles that define great leaders
✔Leave inspired by world-class National Geographic photography and stories few audiences will ever experience firsthand

Ideal For

✔Corporate Leadership & Annual Conferences
✔Executive Retreats & Leadership Development
✔Association & Industry Conventions
✔University & Campus Programs
✔Law Enforcement & Government Events
✔After-Dinner & Gala Keynotes
✔Adventure & Outdoor Industry Events
✔Military & Veterans Leadership Programs

Awards & Recognition

"Mark Jenkins is the real Indiana Jones. From the summit of Mt. Everest to the depths of the deepest cave on earth, from the wars in Afghanistan, the Congo and Burma, to the wastelands of the Arctic, Siberia, and the Sahara, Mark Jenkins brings back stories and lessons of life on the edge." — Laurie Nichols, former President of the University of Wyoming
"As a national industry advocate, I want my business leaders to see well beyond the rest. Mark Jenkins delivers that vision, pushing outer boundaries of adventure and shaping perspectives along the way. Few can do this better than Mark. His experience and passionate stories from parts of the world few will ever witness firsthand helps define how society can and should think differently." — Chris Spear, President & CEO, American Trucking Association
"Mark's fascinating experiences as an explorer and journalist under extreme conditions offered piercing insights into leadership and problem solving in the midst of crisis. Mark's lessons are not merely practical; they expose the timeless struggles that leaders face to accomplish missions and manage people. Employing his gift of story-telling, coupled with beautiful and poignant photography, Mark outlines nine universal lessons of leadership that are easily understood and free of needless jargon or catch-phrases. In the end, Mark illustrates that no matter the circumstances, true and effective leadership always springs best from strength of character and humility." — Ed Panetta, Federal Law Enforcement Officer