David Meerman Scott
Marketing & Sales Strategist | Inventor of Newsjacking | Bestselling Author of The New Rules of Marketing & PR and Fanocracy | Real-Time Business Advisor
Bertrand Piccard
Explorer & Psychiatrist | First Round-the-World Balloon & Solar Flight | Chairman, Solar Impulse Foundation | UN Champion of the Earth
Bertrand Piccard is the only person in history to have circumnavigated the globe twice by air using zero fossil fuel — first in a balloon, then in a solar-powered plane. Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation and UN Goodwill Ambassador for the Environment, he now leads Climate Impulse, a mission to fly nonstop around the world on green hydrogen by 2028. On stage, he reframes sustainability as the greatest economic opportunity of our time.
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Bertrand Piccard biography
Bertrand Piccard is the only person in history to have circumnavigated the globe twice by air using no fossil fuel. In 1999, together with Brian Jones, he completed the first nonstop balloon flight around the world in the Breitling Orbiter 3 — a 45,000-kilometer journey lasting nearly 20 days that set seven world records. Seventeen years later, he and André Borschberg piloted Solar Impulse 2 on the first round-the-world flight ever completed in a solar-powered aircraft, landing in Abu Dhabi after 17 legs and more than 40,000 kilometers traveled on nothing but sunlight.
Born into three generations of scientific exploration — his grandfather Auguste was the first man to reach the stratosphere by balloon, his father Jacques designed the bathyscaphe that dove to the deepest point of the ocean — Piccard carries a legacy of proving the impossible possible. He is also a trained psychiatrist and hypnotherapist, and draws on both identities in his work: the explorer who tests limits, and the doctor who understands the psychology of fear, change, and human potential.
As a sustainability speaker, Bertrand Piccard has developed one of the most distinctive and commercially persuasive arguments in the field: that clean technology is not a sacrifice but an economic opportunity, and that protecting the environment and generating profit are not in conflict. This reframing has made him a trusted voice with audiences that more conventional environmental messaging struggles to reach — corporate boards, heads of government, and industry leaders who respond to the language of growth and efficiency rather than obligation.
Solar Impulse Foundation and Climate Impulse
Piccard founded the Solar Impulse Foundation to translate the ethos of the solar flight into systemic change. The Foundation has identified and labeled more than 1,500 profitable clean technology solutions — verified by independent experts — and presents them to governments and corporations as a practical roadmap for decarbonization without economic sacrifice. He serves as a UN Goodwill Ambassador for the Environment and has addressed the European Commission, the World Economic Forum, and heads of state across five continents.
His current project, Climate Impulse, takes the mission further still. Together with explorer and engineer Raphaël Dinelli, Piccard is building a green hydrogen-powered aircraft designed to fly nonstop around the world in nine days — with zero CO₂ emissions. Aircraft assembly is underway in France, with test flights planned for 2026 and the circumnavigation targeted for 2028. The project is backed by Syensqo, UM6P, and OCP Group, and aims to demonstrate that zero-emission long-haul aviation is no longer science fiction.
As a speaker, Bertrand Piccard brings to the stage a combination that few can match: record-breaking physical feats, deep scientific credibility, and a psychiatrist’s understanding of what it takes for people and organizations to change. His keynotes challenge audiences to discard outdated thinking, embrace the economics of clean innovation, and act with the courage that exploration demands. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to book Bertrand Piccard for your next event.
Bertrand Piccard Speaking Videos
Bertrand Piccard - Around the World and Beyond
Bertrand Piccard's solar-powered adventure
Bertrand Piccard Keynote Topics
Drawing on the Breitling Orbiter balloon circumnavigation and the Solar Impulse solar flight, Piccard explores what it takes — psychologically, strategically, and technically — to pursue a goal that most experts initially call impossible. He examines the role of uncertainty, the management of failure across multiple attempts, and the mindset shifts required to persevere when the outcome is genuinely unknown. A keynote that resonates equally with audiences navigating organizational transformation, innovation stagnation, or the challenge of building commitment around a long-horizon vision.
Piccard's central argument to corporate and political audiences is that the clean energy transition is not a cost to be absorbed but an opportunity to be captured. Drawing from the Solar Impulse Foundation's database of more than 1,500 profitable, independently verified environmental solutions, he shows that the technologies needed to decarbonize the global economy already exist — and that the main barriers are not technical but psychological and regulatory. This keynote is especially effective for boards, C-suites, and policy audiences that have struggled to connect sustainability commitments with business performance.
Piccard's exploration background — balloon flights, solar aviation, deep-sea heritage, psychiatry — gives him an unusual lens on the relationship between exploration, fear, and high performance. He explores how the skills he used at 12,000 meters in a balloon gondola — managing uncertainty, staying present under pressure, using psychological tools to sustain focus over days without sleep — apply directly to leadership in volatile environments. Part adventure narrative, part practical psychology, this keynote leaves audiences with concrete tools for navigating the unexpected.
Piccard presents his latest frontier project — the construction of the world's first green hydrogen aircraft designed to fly nonstop around the globe by 2028 — as a lens for understanding where clean technology is headed and what it will take to get there. With test flights planned for 2026 and the full circumnavigation targeted for 2028, Climate Impulse is an ongoing, real-time demonstration of what determined innovation can achieve. This keynote works especially well for audiences in energy, aviation, manufacturing, and sustainable finance who want a forward-looking, evidence-based view of the clean economy.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Bertrand Piccard
Why Bertrand Piccard?
Booking Bertrand Piccard is a statement about the kind of event you want to create. He is not a theorist about sustainability — he is someone who has staked his life on it, twice, in aircraft that had no business succeeding. That credibility gives his message about clean technology and profitable ecology a weight that no slide deck or policy paper can replicate. He delivers in English, French, and German, speaks to corporate and government audiences with equal fluency, and has a rare gift for making complex environmental arguments feel urgent, achievable, and commercially sound. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to check Bertrand Piccard's availability and fees.
What are Bertrand Piccard's world records?
Piccard holds multiple aviation world records. In 1999, aboard the Breitling Orbiter 3 with copilot Brian Jones, he completed the first nonstop balloon circumnavigation of the globe — a 45,755-kilometer flight lasting 19 days, 21 hours, and 47 minutes that set seven world records simultaneously, including the longest flight by both duration and distance in aviation history at that time. In 2015–2016, with Solar Impulse partner André Borschberg, he completed the first round-the-world flight in a solar-powered aircraft, covering more than 40,000 kilometers across 17 legs without using a single drop of fuel.
What is the Solar Impulse Foundation?
The Solar Impulse Foundation is a nonprofit founded by Bertrand Piccard after the completion of the round-the-world solar flight. Its mission is to identify and promote clean technology solutions that are both environmentally protective and economically profitable. The Foundation has assembled and independently labeled more than 1,500 such solutions across sectors including energy, mobility, buildings, food, and industry, and presents them to governments and corporations as a verified roadmap for the clean transition. Piccard uses this portfolio to push decision-makers toward more ambitious environmental targets by demonstrating that the solutions already exist.
What topics does sustainability speaker Bertrand Piccard cover?
Bertrand Piccard speaks on sustainability and clean technology, the economics of the energy transition, exploration and resilience, pioneering mindset and innovation, and the psychology of change. He delivers in English, French, and German and has addressed audiences ranging from Fortune 500 boards and government summits to university commencements and TED stages. He is particularly effective with audiences that are skeptical of conventional environmental messaging, as his argument is grounded in profit and possibility rather than obligation. Aurum Speakers Bureau can advise on the ideal topic for your event and provide full details on Bertrand Piccard's speaking fees and availability.
How to book Bertrand Piccard as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Bertrand Piccard as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Bertrand Piccard's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Bertrand Piccard or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Bertrand Piccard speaking fee?
Bertrand Piccard speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Bertrand Piccard to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Bertrand Piccard.
How can I contact Bertrand Piccard?
We only work with Bertrand Piccard on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Bertrand Piccard and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Bertrand Piccard speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Bertrand Piccard for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Bertrand Piccard for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Bertrand Piccard is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Bertrand Piccard for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
