Turning Challenges into Opportunities with Mark Pollock

Session Kindly Sponsored by

Welcome Address to Summit

Percy Foster, National Bioeconomy Summit Founder

Turning Challenges into Opportunities – The Resilience Cycle with Mark Pollock

It is tough dealing with uncertainty and change. It doesn’t happen by chance, but with a high-impact catalyst we can start to make it happen. Mark Pollock is that catalyst and that’s why leaders worldwide have asked him to support their teams to remain resilient, adapt to change and collaborate with others for over 20 years.

For us, Mark will host a one-hour masterclass, with his colleague Paula Cunniffe, to share his insights in a session called “Turning Challenges into Opportunities – The Resilience Cycle”.

During this masterclass, Mark will explore how to:

• build resilience and maintain motivation
• adapt to change and unexpected challenges
• chart a path through uncertainty.

Members of this masterclass will participate in a live, interactive session with Mark Pollock and his co-host, Paula Cunniffe. Participants will also receive a follow-up email with key takeaways and suggested further reading, and bi-monthly inspirational emails from Mark.

VIRTUAL NETWORKING EVENT AFTER MARK POLLOCK MASTERCLASS

This is a virtual networking event allowing you to mix and mingle with others as you please, just like in real life. Using virtual conference room technology, you can move from table to table to meet people. If you wish to have a private conversation with someone, you can choose to move to a virtual sofa.

This event will provide an opportunity to catch up with old colleagues and meet new people.

About Mark

Over the last 20 years, Mark has studied how to build resilience and collaborate with others. Some of what he has discovered is showcased in a selection of talks, documentaries, media appearances and articles which are available on his website at: www.markpollock.com/media

Unbroken by blindness in 1998, Mark became an adventure athlete competing in ultra-endurance races across deserts, mountains, and the polar ice caps including being the first blind person to race to the South Pole. He also won silver and bronze medals for rowing at the Commonwealth Games and set up a motivational speaking business.

In 2010, a fall from a second story window nearly killed him. Mark broke his back and the damage to his spinal cord left him paralysed. Now he is on a new expedition, this time to cure paralysis in our lifetime by exploring the intersection where humans and technology collide.

Co-Founder of the global running series called Run in the Dark (www.runinthedark.org), Mark has been selected by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader and is a former member of the Global Futures Council on Human Enhancement. He is a UBS Global Visionary, is on the Board of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation (USA) and is a Wings for Life Ambassador (Europe).

Mark is the subject of the acclaimed documentaries ‘Blind Man Walking’ and ‘Unbreakable – The Mark Pollock Story’, and has been awarded honorary doctorates by The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and also from Queens University Belfast. He holds a diploma in Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century from Harvard University, degrees from Trinity College Dublin and UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School.

Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, described Mark as one of “the most inspiring people I met” after they discussed the ways in which technology is changing how people learn.

“Mark’s ability to link his personal story to people’s everyday life and work challenges was excellent. The session was not just about listening to an incredible story, it was a chance for everyone to really think about themselves. There is something in this talk for everyone.”

Senior Director EMEA, Twitter