Ben Timberlake

Ben Timberlake is a former SAS soldier, security consultant and medic who specialises in high-risk decision-making, resilience and post-traumatic growth. His bestselling memoir, High Risk: A True Story of the SAS, Drugs and Other Bad Behaviour, chronicles his journey through conflict and personal transformation, whilst his work spans undercover operations, frontline medical support and archaeological projects countering the looting of cultural artefacts in Iraq and Syria. A contributor to The Financial Times, The Guardian and The Economist, he also produces documentaries for Channel 4 and the BBC. Through his speaking sessions, audiences gain practical tools for navigating pressure, understanding human behaviour under extreme conditions, and building genuine resilience rooted in neuroscience and real-world leadership experience.

After serving with the SAS and working undercover on operations targeting nuclear terrorism, trafficking and Far Right extremism, Ben Timberlake turned his lived experience of conflict and trauma into a powerful tool for understanding human behaviour under pressure. His bestselling memoir, High Risk: A True Story of the SAS, Drugs and Other Bad Behaviour, chronicles a remarkable journey through the extremes of military service, personal struggle and transformation, offering readers an unflinching account of resilience forged in the most demanding environments. Today, he combines security consultancy with frontline medical work and archaeological projects in Iraq and Syria, where he actively counters the looting and illegal trade of cultural artefacts, protecting heritage in some of the world's most dangerous regions.

Ben's professional credibility spans multiple disciplines, from his military background to his academic work studying prehistoric art and the origins of human creativity. His writing has been featured in The Financial Times, The Guardian and The Economist, whilst his documentary work for Channel 4 and the BBC has brought complex security and cultural issues to wider audiences. This diverse portfolio reflects a deep commitment to bridging theory and practice, whether through on-the-ground operations or through translating hard-won insights into accessible narratives. His current archaeological work in conflict zones represents a unique intersection of security expertise and cultural preservation, demonstrating how skills honed in high-stakes environments can serve broader humanitarian purposes.

As a speaker, Ben equips audiences with practical frameworks for decision-making under pressure, drawing on neuroscience, real-world leadership experience and the concept of post-traumatic growth. His sessions move beyond traditional resilience training to explore the science of risk, the drivers of human behaviour in extreme conditions, and the tangible strategies that enable individuals and teams to navigate uncertainty with clarity and confidence. Audiences leave with actionable tools rooted in lived experience rather than theory alone, gaining fresh perspectives on how to turn adversity into opportunity and how to lead effectively when the stakes are highest. His ability to connect personal narrative with evidence-based insight makes complex ideas immediately applicable, creating lasting impact for organisations facing their own forms of pressure and transformation.