Lessons on life and business from the WILD

Award-winning wildlife filmmaker and storyteller.

Drawing on decades of filming animals, leading teams under extreme pressure, and translating those lessons into business that sticks.

2x BAFTA winner
Emmy Award winner
30 years in the field

Work seen on

About James

Thirty years of telling the planet's greatest stories

James Brickell is a BAFTA and Emmy award-winning wildlife filmmaker who has spent his career in some of the most remote and demanding places on Earth.

From cave systems that have never seen daylight to the open ocean with hammerhead sharks, James has produced and directed landmark natural history series for the world’s biggest broadcasters, working alongside Sir David Attenborough, Steve Backshall and many more.

Today he brings those stories to stages across the UK and beyond, showing audiences what the natural world can teach us about leadership, teamwork and resilience.

About James

Speaking

Keynotes that take your audience into the wild

Gripping stories from behind the camera, each one turned into a practical lesson your team can use on Monday morning.

James tailors every talk to your audience and objectives, from an energising conference opener to an intimate leadership session or a school assembly.

Corporate keynotes
Conferences
Leadership offsites
Award dinners
Schools & colleges

Leading teams under extreme pressure

What a film crew stranded in a cave or a storm teaches us about trust, decision-making and keeping a team together when the plan falls apart.

Storytelling that sticks

The craft behind programmes watched by millions, and how to use it to make your own message land with customers, colleagues and investors.

Adapt or perish

Lessons in resilience and adaptability from the animals that thrive in the harshest places on the planet, and what they mean for business.

Testimonials

What people say about working with James

Steve Backshall

Presenter

“James is an exceptional public speaker, He is the best leader I’ve worked under, able to construct a weapons grade team, but also to make them all feel as if they going into battle together, all with a common aim rather than competing against each other. I know with his work ethic he’ll compose every event individually; bespoke, personal, perfect.”

Nick Ettery

Advanz Pharma

“I have been lucky to have had the opportunity for James to work with my teams on several occasions. … His interactive approach … makes for a super engaging interactive experience and his ability to make applicable the challenges of natural history filming into simple learning and actions for each individual’s approach to work and life has been highly appreciated by his audience. … Highly recommended!”

Monty Halls

Full Circle Expeditions

"James's talk was superb - he was informative, entertaining and his audio visual material was out of this world. He has some amazing stories from his time at the BBC NHU, but was able to engage on a personal level with all of our varied audience. We would happily recommend James to talk at any event - he was the highlight of our seminar and is a true professional."

Emma-Lou Goymer

Prior Park College

"The presentation James gave was thoroughly enjoyed by a mixed audience of students, lecturers and some children that attended the event. James is an excellent speaker and really connected with the audience, he was quick witted with comments that were thrown his way and very natural with the way he came across. James obviously has a passion for his subject and he is a real pleasure to listen to."

Alexandra Haydon

Millfield School

"An enormous thank you, for your amazing contribution to the Ultimate School trip. You were brilliant - hit exactly the right tone (particularly with the 'up the bum fish' at the start!) and the students absolutely loved it. We have had so many thank yous from schools across the UK. The coral reef section was the perfect blend of Biology and escapism and the perfect finish to our Australia trip."