Ian Thomas

African Wild Life Guide and Specialist in tracking lions - What we can learn from Nature

Fee Range: $20,000 to $39,999

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About This Speaker

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Absolutely captivating. Immensely gifted story-teller. Entertaining, engaging, funny. This man has it all!

Books

Profile

IAN THOMAS IS A RARE PERSON - a business graduate who has studied lions at close quarters during 20 years as a game ranger in Africa.

A DYNAMIC & INSPIRING PRESENTER, Ian believes people, and especially business people, can absorb and learn from the animal kingdom. Sound business sense is interlaced with humour and an ability to tell stories. The audience leave enthralled and repeat the stories to friends and colleagues resulting in immense "take home business value".

"THE STUDY OF LIONS IN THE WILD has involved me in far more than the gathering of biological data. Discussions with business men and women while viewing lions has made me aware of the social interaction, hunting techniques and defence strategies among individual lions with vastly different personalities, strengths and weaknesses."

Background

Ian Thomas has been a professional speaker for 14 years. He has traveled internationally, and spoken in more than 25 countries. After completing a Bachelors degree in Business, he followed his calling and worked as a wildlife guide in Southern Africa, specializing in tracking lions.

Ian attained the highest tracking and guiding qualification possible, that of "Scout", awarded to him by "The Field Guides Association of South Africa'. The award recognizes excellence in guiding in big game areas, weapon handling, and tracking. He was the first person to achieve this distinction.

During his time as a guide, Ian discovered that he had a talent for teaching and story telling, which led to a career in public speaking. One of his core beliefs is that people have a lot to learn from nature. Sound business sense is linked to a knowledgeable insight into how nature thrives. His presentations assault the senses, stunning photographs, thunderous roars, humour and an ability to tell and act out the story; all of which drive the messages home.

Areas of Expertise

Audiences leave enthralled and repeat the stories to friends and colleagues, which further entrenches the message and results in immense take home business value.

Ian has been a guest on radio and television, discussing subjects such as teamwork, goals and how to minimize risk. He is recognized internationally as one of the world's top motivators and keynote speakers with clients in Europe, Asia, USA and Africa.

Clients Comments

"I would like to thank you for the team building exercises you provided our group. The service you provided and your professional approach is greatly appreciated. Your program made a great impression on my colleagues and I received excellent feedback. We achieved all our objectives and I look forward to continuing our relationship." Pierre Tredoux - Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group

'You managed to combine the timing of a professional comedian with the skills of a professional mime artist. You obviously had a complete mastery of your subject matter, but what came over above all, was your passion for your subject combined with a desire to use that knowledge and passion to communicate to your audience. It was funny, riveting and inspirational all at the same time'. Clive Panto of Clive Panto Productions UK

Topics

THE POWER OF THE PRIDE - TEAMWORK

Based on his best-selling book – The Power of the Pride: How Lessons from a Pride of Lions can teach you to create powerful business teams, Ian Thomas presents a riveting and informative account of how lions, the only cats that hunt in teams, can be compared with how businesses operate as teams. Lions form teams in order to hunt the vast herds of antelope that evolved onto Africa's Savannah. The strategy of using teams to ambush these herds was extremely successful. Individual lions and lionesses benefited from this association and the prides became extremely powerful. The presentation is based around this point - that the success of the team is because of the individual and the success of the individual is because of the team.

THE SPOOR OF SUCCESS - STRATEGY

Ian Thomas, while working as a Game Ranger, discovered that his guests' predominant request was to see lions. In order to satisfy his customers, he set out on a strategy to find lions on a daily basis. The strategy conceived was both fun and a financial success. The reason for its success was that its whole thrust - that of competitive advantage - was seen from the customers' point of view.

ADAPTING TO CHANGE

The only real security that exists in an era of dynamic and rapid change, is the ability to read the change and devise a plan to thrive within it. Change can present itself either as a threat or an opportunity. Ian Thomas illustrates how lions successfully avoid the dramatic and dangerous threats that occur during their lives, while creating opportunities to thrive on. He believes that within these stories there are lessons that both businesses and individuals can learn about thriving in an era of dynamic change.