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Kevin Vallely, who spoke at the Civic Leadership Salon is an architect, extreme adventurer and author of the book "Wild Success." In 2020 Kevin spoke at a Civic Leadership Salon that encourages and supports people interested in serving on nonprofit boards, agencies, commissions as well as appointed or elected municipal government. These videos have been created as a resource to other participants of the POP or the Public Office Project and are made available to the general public to fulfil its mandate of public education. The Global Civic Policy Society is an independent, nonpartisan organization that is committed to supporting public education. The ideas expressed in these recordings are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those of the Society.

Kevin Vallely was named one of Canada's leading adventurers by the Globe and Mail. As a world class explorer, a successful architect and a happily-married father of two, Kevin Vallely embodies a clear balance in life. Kevin has organized and lead extreme expeditions around the world and has garnered a powerful understanding of leadership, resilience and perspective in unpredictable and fast changing environments. He has translated this knowledge into a business acumen that activates and amplifies leadership instincts. Kevin is a member of the esteemed Explorer’s Club and was an Explorer’s Club Flag recipient when attempting his first human powered traverse of the Northwest Passage in 2013. He has skied the length of Alaska’s 1180 mile Iditarod Trail in the dead of winter, has retraced the infamous Sandakan Death March through the jungles of Borneo for the first time since WWII and in 2009 broke the world record for the fastest unsupported trek from the edge of the Antarctic to the Geographic South Pole. After spending nearly twenty years testing the limits of human endurance in the most inhospitable environments on the planet, Kevin has developed a sixth sense, a ‘wild wisdom’, that allows him to succeed at everything he does. “There’s nothing special about me,” he says steadfastly when asked, “I don’t have some hidden talent or gift, I just know how to get things done.” He inspires audiences with his core belief that all of us are capable of acheiving big goals. Kevin’s unique background as an explorer and business professional allows him to engage the hearts and minds of any team, inspiring and motivating them to realize their full potential. He understands the critical importance of leadership, collaboration and how psychological trust is fundamental in order for a team to operate at their peak performance in the harshest environments of the planet as well as in the workplace. Kevin has proven why he thrives in adverse conditions and he has recognized that setbacks are simply opportunities for creative thinking and innovation. As an explorer, business professional and a father Kevin has evolved from being personally driven by goals to fully understanding and appreciating why he does what he does, why the purpose that drives his actions is key and drives the legacy he hopes to create. His clients among others include Hewlett Packard, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay Team and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commanding Officers Leadership conference. Please contact us for more information or to book Kevin Vallely for your event! https://keynotespeakerscanada.ca/request-help

In 2003 Kevin Vallely was named one of Canada's leading adventurers by the Globe and Mail. His adventuring resume is stacked with compelling expeditions to all parts of the world including skiing Alaska’s 1,860 kilometre Iditarod Trail; scampering over Vancouver Island’s West Coast Trail in record time (10 hours, 13 minutes); attempting to bike and climb the island of Java’s 13 -10,000-foot volcanoes (a trip cut short when post-9/11 Indonesia became too dangerous); competing on the only Canadian team to finish the last and most difficult Eco-Challenge adventure race held in Fiji in 2002; retracing a 2,000 kilometre Klondike-era ice-bike route through the dead of an Alaskan winter, and most recently, with teammates Ray Zahab and Richard Weber, breaking the world record for the fastest unsupported trek from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole. Kevin is a member of the esteemed Explorer’s Club and was an Explorer’s Club Flag Recipient for his attempted traverse of the Northwest Passage in 2013. His book Rowing the Northwest Passage: Adventure, Fear and Awe in a Rising Sea was published by Greystone Books in 2017. Kevin is a registered architect and runs his own company Vallely Architecture. He graduated from the McGill University School of Architecture in 1988 where he was awarded the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada medal as top graduating student. He’s a recipient of a Commonwealth Scholarship to Cambridge University.