Neal Petersen Speaking Fee, Schedule, Bio & Contact Details

Neal Petersen

Extreme Adventurer, Award-Winning Author, History-Making Global Keynote Speaker

Neal Petersen

Biography

What do you do when the plan fails, the conditions change, and turning back is not an option?

Neal Petersen has lived that question.

In the 2 solo around the world yacht races, Neal raced 27,000 miles SOLO around the world in the smallest yacht in the fleet, a boat he designed and built himself. For nine months, he confronted extreme weather, including the notorious storms of Cape Horn, equipment failures, isolation, financial uncertainty, and life-or-death decisions made without a safety net.

Although Neal was a solo racer, he had a dedicated team of volunteers globally behind him—people who believed in the mission and supported him through every challenge.

The ocean taught Neal lessons that now define his work with leaders and organizations:

You cannot control the conditions. You can control how you respond.

Through stunning imagery captured during his race and his signature treasure chest filled with symbols representing the solutions he discovered along the way, Neal takes audiences onto the ocean with him. The result is a riveting immersive, visceral keynote experience that makes the realities of leadership, resilience, and decision-making impossible to forget.

No Barriers – Only Solutions

Neal's keynote goes beyond the familiar message of "overcoming adversity." His story challenges leaders to rethink what's possible when the original plan no longer works, conditions change, and the path forward isn't obvious.

Drawing on his extraordinary experiences, Neal delivers practical insights into resilience, decisive leadership, navigating uncertainty, adapting to change, and bringing people together around a mission that matters.

He demonstrates that resilience is not simply enduring difficult circumstances. It is the ability to adapt, make decisions, find solutions, and keep moving toward the destination.

Takeaways:

Audiences leave equipped to:

Cultivate resilience through adversity and keep moving when conditions change.

Make decisive choices under pressure when there is no perfect information.

Navigate uncertainty without losing sight of the destination.

Rethink what's possible when conventional solutions no longer work.

Turn barriers into solutions through creativity, adaptability, and action.

Unite people around a mission that matters and create the commitment to move forward together.

Neal's keynote is particularly powerful for leadership conferences, sales kickoffs, corporate meetings, associations, executive retreats, and organizations navigating significant change and transformation.

Neal is the award-winning author of Journey of a Hope Merchant and has delivered multiple keynotes for many of the world's leading organizations, including multiple international keynotes for IBM, Intel, AIG, Microsoft, Mastercard, Brandes Investment Partners, The Billionaires Summit, Associations, government agencies, and numerous financial and technology organizations.

"It is rare that I am asked by my senior management at IBM to immediately hire a keynote speaker when he is barely off the stage to give another keynote speech the following week - but that is in fact what happened with you Neal. Thank for the extraordinary presentation you gave in San Diego to 8,000, but for the follow up presentation you gave in Barcelona to another 5,000 with virtually no prep time as well. I truly was in awe of the spirit you drove into the audience and how you made your own journey so very relevant to every person in both locations. You were nothing short of a genius.

Neal, you generated some of the highest ratings and most positive feedback I have seen in many years of running WW events. You were nothing short of a genius." ~ IBM

The Impact

Neal ignites the belief that no matter how formidable the conditions, there is always a way forward. He leaves audiences ready to rethink what's possible, take action, and turn barriers into opportunities and then solutions!

I stepped into the General Session to listen to the featured speaker, Neal Petersen. Quickly, I was riveted to his dynamic delivery of inspiration, hope, and excitement. Neal is one of the most inspiring, dynamic and thought provoking speakers you will ever witness, he is mesmerizing

NACo

Neal delivered an inspiring keynote address for our leadership team that touched everyone deeply. Neal is so genuine in the delivery and style of his message, but even more importantly is how personal and moving his story is to those that have the opportunity to hear it. Neal is a true leader and his life experiences are relevant for ANY leadership group.

Microsoft Corporation

Neal Petersen's powerful presentation was the perfect keynote for our Global Inclusion Summit! His dramatic storytelling ignited and captivated our audience. With high energy and fully engaging presentation style, Neal captured the audience's attention and left us with a fresh perspective on turning disadvantages into advantages. Neal's inspirational "No Barriers" presentation brought our Summit theme to life!

MasterCard

Neal you have received our highest ratings ever for a keynote speaker and this covers hundreds of events over more than a decade. Neal has a powerful story in itself and he relates it to our industry - he ties it all into their challenges as he customized content for each event (32 events). He's inspiring, thought-provoking, the audience loves it when we start with a great story and a powerful message.

Government Technology

I have spent hours and hours reviewing motivational speaker options for my corporate clients. But this is the first time that I have felt so strongly about a speaker and the success that he will bring to your events, that I felt compelled to pass the information on to all of you. Neal Petersen's message is current and very significant in today's times. His energy is contagious. He is easy to work with and very affordable

Beckman Coulter

Neal - I just wanted to thank you for the great message you shared with our top producers and senior management team at the Leaders Summit. Your entire presentation was right on point with the goals of the meeting and was extremely well received and you were given a rare standing ovation

AIG Financial Advisors, Inc

Neal Petersen was an outstanding keynote speaker for us. His positive message of 'No Barriers, Only Solutions' was powerful, his preparation was impressive and showed that he knew his audience cold, his life story of hard work and success was riveting, his delivery was first-rate. Everyone was glued to their seats, and then at the end of his speech, 750 members rose up and gave him the rousing ovation he deserved. Neal was a huge hit!

Massachusetts Municipal Association

Neal delivered a keynote June 2022 at the Billionaires Leaders Summit for some of the biggest financial firms globally."Everyone loved Neal Petersen's presentation. He really captivated the audience and was so high energy (which is always needed for fear of the afternoon slump!). He was so kind and took time to really interact with attendees after his session and really challenged everyone to keep thinking about the questions he asked and lessons taught

It is rare that I am asked by my senior management at IBM to immediately hire a keynote speaker when he is barely off the stage to give another keynote speech the following week - but that is in fact what happened with you Neal. Thank for the extraordinary presentation you gave in San Diego to 8,000, but for the follow up presentation you gave in Barcelona to another 5,000 with virtually no prep time as well

IBM

Neal is so unique, he is so much more than a keynote, he is the 'best of the best'. Neal not only delivers a unique, captivating and memorable life-story, filled with valuable content, but he masterfully weaves in his audiences challenges and he does it seamlessly because he is PREPARED! He digs deeper and goes out of his way - to gain an in-depth understanding of where they are as a group, where they want to be and what it will take to get them there

Axis Capital Holding

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to some of the most common questions about booking Neal Petersen for your event.

How do I book Neal Petersen for my event?

Booking Neal Petersen with Premiere Speakers Bureau is a streamlined 4-step process:

Availability Check: Contact us with your event date and budget to verify if your desired speaker is available.
Hold Date: We place a temporary "hold" on the speaker's calendar while you finalize internal approval.
Contracting: We issue a contract outlining the fee, cancellation policy, and event expectations.
Logistics: Once signed, our event management team handles all travel booking, itinerary, and AV requirements.

Why should I partner with Premiere Speakers Bureau rather than contacting speakers directly?

Partnering with Premiere Speakers Bureau provides a comprehensive safety net for your event that direct booking cannot match. You get the same speaker for the same price, but with a dedicated team with over 30 years of event experience handling contracts, logistics, and are prepared for any emergency. We know what it takes to run an excellent event.

What makes Premiere Speakers Bureau unique compared to other agencies?

Premiere Speakers Bureau distinguishes itself by having over 30 years of experience while partnering with more than 35,000 events. PSB has also built a streamlined, fully online process that makes booking a speaker, handling travel and payments extremely easy for anyone looking to plan a speaker led event.

How does Premiere Speakers Bureau's 'Zero Cost Service' model work?

Premiere Speakers Bureau operates on a 'Zero Cost Service' model for event planners. Our services—including research, booking, and logistics—are always free to the client. The speaker covers our commission from their standard honorarium as payment for our role in marketing and managing their engagements.

How are speaker fees structured, and what is typically included?

A speaker's fee typically covers the keynote presentation, a pre-event planning call, and standard customization. Travel expenses are usually billed separately.

What are the standard policies for speaker travel and expenses?

Travel expenses are negotiated during contracting. We generally recommend a flat travel fee for simplicity, though we also offer line-by-line invoicing when preferred. PSB ensures these expenses adhere to professional standards, and our Event Portal allows for easy tracking and invoicing.

Neal Petersen

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