Marie Gleeson is an inspirational figure in the realm of leadership, known for her remarkable ability to blend her extensive military experience with her insightful perspectives on resilience and decision-making. With over two decades of service in the Irish Navy, Marie’s journey from a young cadet in 1998 to the Commanding Officer of LE AOIFE, a prestigious position within the naval hierarchy, is a testament to her unwavering commitment and leadership capabilities.
Her experiences navigating the tumultuous waters of the Atlantic Ocean, where she faced high-stakes challenges such as international drug interdictions and the tragic loss of a colleague at sea, have equipped her with a unique understanding of leadership under pressure. Throughout her career, Marie has consistently shattered barriers as one of the first female officers in the Irish Navy, making her an authoritative voice on leadership in male-dominated industries. In her keynotes, Marie eloquently conveys the lessons learned from her military career, focusing on the importance of decision-making in high-pressure situations, the value of resilience in high performance arenas, and the necessity of support systems when facing adversity.
Her authenticity and engaging delivery make her a sought-after speaker for audiences seeking inspiration and practical leadership insights. Her work as a Leadership Consultant & Coach at NavMar Leadership also highlights her dedication to fostering leadership skills in others, particularly in areas of teamwork, diversity, and inclusion. She works with leaders and teams across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors delivering transformational results. Invited to speak at prestigious events like the Pendulum Summit, the Annual Conferences of organisations such as the Institute of Directors, the Northern trust, the NAPD and Kerry Group – Marie Gleeson is a compelling keynote speaker who resonates with diverse audiences. Her talks, often laced with humour and passion, are not just about leadership; they are about overcoming adversity, breaking through barriers, and leading with authenticity and integrity. For anyone seeking a keynote speaker who embodies resilience, leadership, and a deep understanding of the professional and personal challenges in military and corporate environments, Marie Gleeson stands out as an exceptional choice.
To book Former Irish Navy Captain & Motivational Speaker Marie for your event, contact Front Row Speakers on +353 1 485 3991 or email welcome@frontrowspeakers.com.
Building High Performing Teams in a changing world
In this session, Marie Gleeson discusses key insights from operating in high tempo, high risk environments where lives were on the line. She emphasises that high performance is built on systems, commitment, clarity and anchored in trust. To really operate at levels of excellence, teams have to be agile, especially when operating in a world where crisis is the new norm. Marie hones in on the concept of “Team” to ensure that attendees walk away with key insights to enhance their overall success.
The Leadership Journey to the Captain’s Chair
To lead effectively you have to know who you are. Sounds easy however developing the self-awareness needed to deliver for your team requires a depth of emotional intelligence that doesn’t always come easy. Marie discusses key lessons that she learned from leading at the highest level and how she learned the most from when she got it wrong. Authentic is not just a theory of leadership – it is the critical success factor when you get it right.
Overcoming Challenges and Surviving the Storm
Marie Gleeson faced and overcame many challenges and barriers as one of the first women in the Irish navy. Her resilience was built through tough training, deployments in the middle of the Atlantic and in the heat of the Chadian desert. But the worst storm she faced was the one that was not forecast. She had all the skills to survive at sea in a life raft – but when life put her in a place of “sink or swim” – she had to dig deep to survive. Her insights on resilience resonate with attendees long after this session finishes.
Commanding with Compassion
Military Leadership Training in the 1990s did not feature classes on feelings or emotions. Mindfulness and Wellbeing were not part of the syllabus. An Officer was always to be in control – of their ship and of themselves. Standards were high; life was tough. When you operate in high risk environments with life and limb on the line – you carry the load on the inside. Marie delivers key insights for attendees on how you can set high standards, make tough decisions and still lead with compassion.
“I would thoroughly recommend Marie as a keynote speaker. Her personal story and experience as a female leader in the Irish Naval Service is compelling with lessons on resilience, compassion and best practice in improving a culture where safety is a priority. As an event MC I hope our paths cross again soon.”
– Sarah Travers, Director Bespoke Communications. Former BBC journalist and Event MC.
“Marie listened to our brief very carefully and delivered a compelling and personal input on resilience, trust, empathy, mental toughness and the need to sustain yourself through your leadership journey. It’s rare that our audience responds with a standing ovation. Her message clearly resonated strongly with the 950+ principals present. Marie deserved every second of the applause and the accolades that followed.”
-Páiric Clerkin, CEO of the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN)
“Marie is one of the most inspirational and motivating speakers we’ve had join us on our IoD Women’s Leadership conference.
Marie’s captivating keynotes go beyond mere storytelling; they ignite action within the audience. The audience were captivated by her warmth and authentic delivery. Marie is an absolute joy to work with and I would highly recommend her as a corporate event speaker”.
– Kirsty McManus, National Director, Institute of Directors
“Marie Gleeson delivered an outstanding keynote at the NAPD conference 2024—truly engaging, thought-provoking, and inspiring. Her ability to connect with the audience, share impactful insights, and motivate everyone in the room was exceptional. She was the star of the show according to our post two-day conference survey with an incredible 8.89 average out of 10. I left feeling energized and ready to apply her ideas. I would highly recommend Marie to any organisation or event looking for a dynamic and memorable speaker. “
– Paul Crone, Director, National Association of Principals and Deputies (NAPD)
“Marie addressed our company (virtually) for the IWD 2021 and did an amazing job sharing her wisdom and insights into Leadership, high performance and authenticity. She is a compelling speaker and it was brilliantly well-received.”
– Niall Norton, CEO Opennet (An Amdocs Company)
“Marie was the main speaker at one of our recent (virtual) partner events and she was fantastic. She shared her journey in the Irish Navy with a lot of authenticity and humility and shared many valuable leadership learnings with the audience. Feedback has been great, thanks Marie!”
– Anthony Nakache, Managing Director, EMEA Partnerships at Google & Business Angel
“We had the pleasure of having Marie speak to our teams at Trigon Hotels as part of our Data Bites programme recently. Marie is uplifting, inspiring and motivational. She has a unique and powerful story and she tells that story in a way that captures an audience. Whilst the story is unique, it had the ability to resonate with a broad group of people in different ways. Marie’s experience in leadership and team engagement connected strongly with our own team while also having a very human side that gave a real sense of balance. I would highly recommend Marie as she has such an energetic and positive disposition and really is a pleasure to listen to.”
– Aaron Mansworth, Managing Director, Trigon Hotels
“Marie was amazing, the feedback has been super. She was so easy to deal with, such a lovely person and her talk was brilliant!”
– Eimear Michaels, Business Manager, Microsoft Ireland
“Marie addressed our company (virtually) for the IWD 2021 and did an amazing job sharing her wisdom and insights into Leadership, high performance and authenticity. She is a compelling speaker and it was brilliantly well received.”
– Niall Norton, CEO Opennet (An Amdocs Company)
“Marie Gleeson has provided a number of inputs to our diversity sessions in the health service. Feedback and the response to Marie was outstanding with Marie sharing her experience in leadership, staff engagement and motivation theory. Marie has a relaxed and engaging style always with requests for further inputs.”
– Rosarii Mannion, National Director of Human Resources, HSE
“Marie comes highly recommended as a leadership expert. She has a vast array of expertise to draw on and openly shares her knowledge. She reflects on her experiences in a most realistic and eloquent manner. Marie has the ability to capture the attention of an audience, through her story telling and evident compassion. There is no doubt that Marie is a gifted leader and puts people and team at the centre. Her core values, her own learning experiences and her ability to deliver a lecture make her a truly remarkable speaker.”
– Dr Sarah McCloskey, CEO, MaryMount Hospice
“Marie was fantastic! She had the room so engaged and her talk was definitely the highlight of the day for a lot of people. They found her story captivating and insightful, while also being so human.”
– Catherine O’Doherty, New Ireland Assurance
“It was fantastic, a very unique perspective. The team were very impressed and thought Marie was excellent. We were very happy with what she delivered.”
-Martin Healy, Franchise Manager, Boston Scientific
“Raw, personal and deeply honest, Marie is an exceptional storyteller. She connected with the audience in that rare way of making everyone in the room feel like she was speaking to them directly, taking them on her journey through the highs and lows of leadership, and life. Her story is a rollercoaster of emotions that reflects the true nature of leadership in all its forms, and will leave you feeling moved, inspired and uplifted.”
– Jennifer Welsh, Chief Executive Northern Health and Social Care Trust
Please note this form is intended for Corporate Speaking and Commercial enquiries only. Due to the volume of emails we receive on a daily basis, we regret that we are unable to respond to specific requests from charities, schools, clubs or individuals.
