After being encouraged to leave school at 15 years old without any qualifications, John Davidson was recruited by the British Army.
He served for over 16 years, working across two Special Forces units – including the SAS – and spending six years undercover working against several terrorist groups. No stranger to extreme pressure situations, John survived being shot down in a plane and a helicopter, as well as being a bodyguard under fire. This impressive work earned him a Gallantry Award.
After leaving the army, John worked in several war zones and hostile environments across the world, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of teams such as film crews from the BBC. This work prompted John to set up “hearts and minds” projects, delivering medical care to people in remote locations. This included everything from emergency first aid to small operations and delivering babies.
This unmatched experience led to John becoming one of the world’s most highly paid and sought-after bodyguards, protecting influential figures and families under threat from kidnapping. He also spent some time as a hostage negotiator; negotiating vessels held by pirates (yes, pirates) and supporting conflict resolution groups to end armed conflicts.
Over the last 20 years, John has worked in some of the most hostile environments around the world, providing guidance and leadership to a variety of organisations and governments.
With these skills, John has set up several companies working with children and adults to pass on his expertise. One of his companies, ORCA (Ocean Rowing Coastal Adventure), involves working with young people aged 13-17, rowing around the Scottish coast to help build their confidence, resilience, and teamwork skills.
ORCA was inspired by John’s achievement of rowing 3000 miles solo across the Atlantic Ocean, an incredible feat he undertook to raise money for Motor Neuron Disease Charity My Name’5 Doddie.
Another of John’s companies, Escape to Educate, works with children and adults teaching outdoor skills to help build communication skills, mental strength and resilience.
Using his remarkable experiences and skills, John inspires others to move out of their comfort zones and become the best they can be. His key talking themes and topics include:
- Resilience and self-belief
- The importance of integrity and values
- Decision-making experience under extreme pressure
- Imposter syndrome
- Leadership
- Achieving the impossible
- Entrepreneurship
- Celebrating the outdoors
