Flight Lieutenant John Nichol

Former RAF Tornado Pilot

The first the world saw of RAF navigator Flight Lieutenant John Nichol was as a tortured Gulf War British prisoner of war, beaten and humiliated by Iraqis. The famous television appearances which John and his fellow POW’s were forced to make were flashed around the world and became an enduring symbol of the first Gulf war.

"An ordinary guy who just happened to find himself in extraordinary circumstances".

Topics

Leadership
Teamwork
Crisis Management
Surviving Challenges, Change and Adversity
The Importance of Planning and Preparation

Languages

He presents in English.

How he presents

Equally at home at the conference, training course or after-dinner venue John’s presentations are tailored to the occasion and are electrifying, humorous, and captivating. John leaves his audience in no doubt that potential exists in all of us.

Publications

2015
Return of the Dambusters
2014
The Red Line
2012
Arnheim
2010
MEDIC
2008
Home Run
2008
Tail-end Charlies
2005
The Last Escape
2002
Tornado Down
2001
Decisive Measures

Talk to us about John Nichol

In Detail

After the Gulf War, John’s military career took him on active service to the Falkland Islands and to Bosnia as part of the UN peacekeeping mission. He left the RAF in 1996 to pursue a career as a broadcaster and writer. He has written for The Times, The Observer and The Mail On Sunday and published numerous books. He has been a consultant and reporter for Newsnight, Breakfast News, ITN, World in Action and Cutting Edge. He devised and presented 2 series of Survivors, interviewing newsmakers who have been through life changing experiences. He is a regular speaker and host at corporate conferences, management seminars, company training courses, and after-dinner events.

What he offers you

John’s message is one of optimism, inspiration and personal motivation. His personal triumph lies in having discovered his potential to cope with extremes and achieve goals way beyond his perceived horizons. John’s account of what happened takes his audience from the highly organised training and teamwork of an RAF jet squadron to the isolation of being shot down and held in solitary confinement. Partly as a result of his own outgoing personality, partly as a result of the experience itself, John is now able to present a fascinating insight into what happens when our innermost reserves are tested by external demands.