Volcanic eruption survivor whose youth programme has empowered nearly 40,000 young New Zealanders
William Pike is a New Zealand adventurer, innovator and relentless optimist who survived a volcanic eruption on Mt Ruapehu that nearly claimed his life. Rather than letting that night define him, he turned the experience into a platform for impact. He founded the William Pike Challenge, a school programme that has empowered nearly 40,000 young New Zealanders to step outside their comfort zones and build confidence for life, and he leads PRO ARMOUR®, a prosthetic limb protection device supporting amputees globally. His adventures since the eruption include conquering Mt Scott in Antarctica.
William's keynotes are gripping, humorous and deeply moving — but what distinguishes him is what he built after surviving. He is not simply a survivor with a story; he is a founder twice over, channelling adversity into a nationwide youth development programme and a product helping amputees around the world. His themes — be an explorer, be obsessed, be a daydreamer — give audiences a framework for embracing challenge and change, not just an account of one extraordinary night on a mountain.
Audiences consistently rate William among the best speakers they have seen. One event organiser who had run hundreds of speakers, including high-profile business founders, said many delegates named William their highlight — he received a standing ovation. Another client bought his book for all 80 staff as a Christmas gift. For conferences, leadership programmes, school events and after-dinner engagements, William Pike delivers the perfect mix of serious moments, big laughs and a strong message: you can achieve a great deal after a significant event, and it does not need to define the rest of your life.
William Pike is a keynote speaker based in New Zealand who speaks on change management, inspiration and leadership. Book through Executive Speakers Australia.
Having run events in Australia for over 5 years, I have literally seen hundreds of speakers, many the best of the best in their industry and when William Pike came and spoke for our audience, he was seriously phenomenal and up their with the best we have had. Our line-up, which included Mark Bouris (Chairman of Yellow Brick Road) and John Anderson (Founder of Contiki). I'm pleased to say that William did not disappoint, in fact many of our delegates said William was their highlight. He held the audience captive for his entire presentation and had the perfect mix of serious moments, big laughs and a strong message that everyone could relate too. His story is of course extraordinary but he delivered it in such a way that every attendee was on the edge of their seat and he received a standing ovation at the end which was well deserved. I would recommend William to any organisation that is looking for a dynamic speaker to wow their audience. We will definitely be having him back.General Manager, Business Blueprint
After hearing William speak I was so impressed with his story and his vision that I purchased one of his books for each of my 80 staff members as a Christmas gift. This was received better than most previous gifts and I personally received a great deal of praise about it. Immediately following the Christmas break William did a follow up talk to my team. I was delighted with the size of the turnout which reinforced my decision with his book. William's presentation is clear and to the point and keeps those listening engaged throughout. His ability to link his story to my business and give my team some take home thoughts was great... I thoroughly recommend William as a speaker for any organisation keen to inject some attitude into their teams and get them thinking about their vision in life.Principal, Harcourts BCRE Ltd.
I just wanted to thank you for William Pike – he was absolutely fantastic! All our staff raved about his story. He was such a good speaker, so engaging and his story and his pictures were so inspirational. He is also a nice guy which it was a pleasure to have him. He is definitely a speaker companies will love to have!AIA NZ
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