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Neil Laughton

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NEIL LAUGHTON

Neil Adrian Denis Laughton (born 31 October 1963) is a former SAS Special Forces officer, entrepreneur, helicopter pilot, business coach, international conference speaker and record-breaking adventurer. He has completed the Explorers Grand Slam and was named by Business Leader Magazine as one of their top 30 inspiring UK entrepreneurs in April 2019[1].

Early Life and Education

Neil A D Laughton was born in Woolwich, London on 31st October 1963, the eldest son of Captain RFG Laughton (Royal Navy) and Gillian E Cocks. Laughton grew up in rural Somerset and went to boarding school in Sussex (Worth Abbey) where he struggled academically but excelled on the sports field despite being a patient at Great Ormond Street Hospital. He showed early entrepreneurial promise by running the school sweet shop. He left in 1982 as Head of House with an ambition of joining the Royal Marines.

Qualifications and Awards

He left school with eight O’levels and two A’levels (Geography & Biology). Deciding to travel the world instead of immediately going to University, he enrolled onto a Post-Graduate Management Studies Course at the University of Westminster graduating with a Diploma in 1993. The Royal Geographical Society selected Laughton for the Ness Award in 2005 for “Leadership of expeditions and encouragement of others”. After joining the Institute of Directors in 2007, he studied and was awarded the Institute’s Certificate of Company Direction in 2011. He was the Brighton & Hove Independent Business Awards “Personality of the Year” in 2016[2] and won “Entrepreneur of the Year” in the 2016 Sussex Business Awards. A keen amateur pilot, he has licenses to fly hang-gliders, para-gliders, powered parachutes (para-motors), para-trikes, fixed wing airplanes and helicopters.

Military Service

Neil Laughton completed his first parachute jumps before he was allowed to drive. He was commissioned into the Royal Marines at the age of 19 on 28th April 1983[3] and won the coveted Green Beret but resigned his commission in July 1984 after his father passed away from cancer. After a spell in the corporate world, Laughton volunteered for Selection into the 21st Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) (Reserve) in 1991 and was awarded his sandy coloured beret with famous winged dagger logo bearing the motto “Who Dares Wins”. He was awarded his parachute wings in 1992, completed the Explosives & Demolitions course at Hereford and was commissioned at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 6th August 1995[4]. He served in A Sqn, 21 SAS as a Troop Commander until 2003 before resigning his commission at the rank of Captain.

Employment

Survival Instructor for Colonel John Blashford-Snell CBE in the Scottish Highlands 1982 Schools Liaison Officer on P&O’s educational cruise ship ss Uganda 1982 Recce Officer (Far East) for Operation Raleigh / Raleigh International 1983 Royal Marines Officer, Commando Training Centre, Lympstone, Devon 1983 - 1984 Course Training Instructor for The Industrial Society 1984 - 1985 Sales Training Manager for City Stationers Ltd (CBM Group) 1985 - 1987 Business Development Manager for The Corporate Group 1987 - 1989 Sales & Marketing Manager for Stanhope Interior (Stanhope Properties Plc) 1989 - 1991 Self employed in the construction industry 1991 - 1994 Special Forces soldier and officer - 21 SAS (Artists) (Reserve) 1991 - 2003 Founder and Executive Chairman of Office Projects Ltd (OPL Group) 1994 - 2011[5] Chief Leader for the British Exploring Society 2011 - 2014 Non Executive Director of Berghind Joseph Ltd 2010 - 2012 Founder of the Business Leadership Academy 2011 - 2016 Co-Founder of Brighton City Airways (City Airways) 2016 - 2017 Founder & Event Director of the Great Sussex Bath Race 2013 - 2017 Founder & Event Director of the Crazy Rockinghorse Sportathon 2017 Captain of the England Penny Farthing Polo Team 2013 - current Founder and Managing Director of Laughton & Co Ltd 2016 - current Chairman of the Scientific Exploration Society (Charity no. 267410) 2018 - current Founder & Event Director of Speedee Boarding 2019 - current

Personal Life

Laughton married Caroline Reay-Jones in 2006, they live in Sussex with their three children. He is a member of the Special Forces Club, SAS Association, Royal Geographical Society, Royal Yachting Association, Alpine Club, Naval & Military Club, Institute of Directors[6][7], Marylebone Cricket Club, Artists Rifles Shooting Club, British Exploring Society, British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, and Cordon Rouge Club. He is Chairman[8] of the Scientific Exploration Society and Founder[9] and Club Secretary of The Penny Farthing Club.[10]

Expeditions

Laughton’s first expedition was a three day canoe journey in Somerset with a school friend aged thirteen. He has continued to organise and lead more than fifty adventurous journeys on seven continents, by land, sea and air. He has completed the Explorers Grand Slam

Adventure and expedition highlights

  • 1996 - Survives “worst storm in 100 years” whilst at 8,000m on Mt Everest during 9-11th May[11]
  • 1998 - Returns to Mt Everest lead a British team and summits Everest with youngest Briton - Bear Grylls[12]
  • 1999 - Skis Last Degree to the North Pole and raises money for the Starlight Children’s Charity
  • 2000 - First person to circumnavigate the UK on a jet-ski and raises funds for the RNLI[11]
  • 2001 - Completes 7 Summits (highest mountain on each continent) for Great Ormond Street Hospital[13]
  • 2001 - Leads Shackleton Memorial Expedition in Antarctica raising money for James Caird Trust[14]
  • 2003 - Helps a wheelchair-bound brittle bone disease sufferer to a 20,000ft world record in Tibet
  • 2004 - Completes the Awesome 8 Extreme Golf Challenge[15][16] raising funds for a Thai orphanage
  • 2005 - Leads an expedition in Greenland that achieves twelve first ascents & highest in the Arctic
  • 2006 - Joins Bear Grylls “Lost World” para-motoring expedition in the Amazon jungle in Venezuela
  • 2006 - First person to kayak across the English Channel to France and return by para-motor
  • 2007 - Team Leader of “Mission Everest” with Bear Grylls which raises £1m for Global Angels[17]
  • 2009 - Pilots the worlds first road legal flying car across the Sahara for charity Alive & Kicking[18][19][20]
  • 2010 - Completes 50th endurance event including an 80 mile ultra marathon for various charities
  • 2011 - Rides a 500cc Lee Enfield motorcycle 1000 miles across the Himalaya from India to Bhutan
  • 2012 - Skis Last Degree to the South Pole and organises the first official game of cricket at Pole
  • 2013 - Leads 40 disadvantaged kids on a trek across the Sinai Desert for British Exploring Society
  • 2014 - Completes trilogy of World War 2 Commando raid expeditions in France, Norway & Crete
  • 2014 - Leads military charity H4H on a para-trike flying expedition in Kenya for wounded soldiers
  • 2015 - Completes a two man paddle across the English Solent in a standard bathtub
  • 2015 - Leads his 5th expedition to Mt Everest and survives the earthquake at 21,000 ft in Tibet[21]
  • 2016 - Attempts but fails to cross Bering Strait in winter and is rescued by a USCG helicopter[22][23][24][25][26]
  • 2016 - Treks through jungles of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to climb Colombia’s highest peak
  • 2017 - Completes a circumnavigation of Ireland riding a jetski whilst raising money for the RNLI
  • 2017 - Leads a team of paddle-boarders in the first circumnavigation of Easter Island in the Pacific
  • 2018 - Helps Mark Beaumont set a new British one hour track record on a Penny Farthing bicycle[27][28][10]
  • 2018 - Helps organise the first mountain marathon in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan for 400 locals
  • 2018 - Hosts the World's highest black tie dinner party at 7,050m on Mount Everest raising £100k for Community Action Nepal[29][30][31][32][33]
  • 2019 - Organises a Penny Farthing World Record attempt and ride Lands End to John O’Groats

Mount Everest, Nepal

Laughton Grylls Everest
Neil Laughton and Bear Grylls on the summit of Mount Everest 16 May 1998
1996

Laughton's first Mt Everest expedition was in spring of 1996 where he was caught in the "worst storm in 100 year" whilst at an altitude of 8,000m 9-11 May 1996.[11]

1998

Laughton returns to Mt Everest leading an expedition team that includes Bear Grylls. They successfully reached the summit of Mt Everest on 16 May 1998, at which point Bear is the youngest Briton to achieve this.

2007

Team Leader of "Mission Everest" with Bear Grylls. This record-setting Parajet paramotor flight eventually reached 9,000 metres (29,500 ft) raises £1 million for the charity Global Angels[17][34]

2015

During an expedition to set the record for the World's Highest Dinner Party. Laugton and his team are on the north side of Everest during the devastating earthquake of 2015. The record attempt is abandoned as the team descend from high altitude to help with the rescue efforts.[21]

2018

Laughton returns and successfully host the World's Highest black tie dinner party on Mt Everest at an altitude of 7,050m. This expedition raised over £100,000 for the charity Community Action Nepal[29][30][31][33][32]

References

  1. ^ Jones, Joanna (26 April 2019). "TOP 30 INSPIRING UK ENTREPRENEURS". Business Leader. Retrieved 19 May 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  2. ^ "THE 28TH SUSSEX BUSINESS AWARDS 2016 WINNERS ANNOUNCED". Inside Sussex Magazine. 7 December 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  3. ^ "SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, ?TH JUNE 1983". The London Gazette. 49370: 7586. 7 June 1983.
  4. ^ "SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 23RD JULY 1996". London Gazette (54473): 9877. 23 July 1996.
  5. ^ "BALFOUR BEATTY BUYS UP FIT-OUT FIRM OPL". Facilitate Magazine. 23 August 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  6. ^ Laughton, Neil. "My story: Neil Laughton". Institute of Directors. Institute of Directors. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  7. ^ "A Day in the Life - Neil Laughton". Institute of Directors. Institute of Directors. Retrieved 26 July 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  8. ^ "Chariman". Scientific Exploration Society. Scientific Exploration Society. Retrieved 19 May 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  9. ^ "Founder". The Penny Fathing Club. The Penny Fathing Club. Retrieved 19 May 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  10. ^ a b Ough, Tom (14 June 2018). "How to go really fast on a penny farthing without dying: a training session with the record breakers". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 May 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  11. ^ a b c Attwooll, Jolyon (12 December 2012). "Neil Laughton: the adventure interview". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraphy Media Group. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  12. ^ Grylls, Bear (21 May 2011). "Daredevil Bear Grylls: How climbing Everest was a perfect cure for my BROKEN BACK". Mail Online. Associated Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  13. ^ "7 Summits Facts and Figures of all 7 Summiteers". 7 Summits. August 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  14. ^ "THE SHACKLETON MEMORIAL EXPEDITION 2001". James Caird Society. 2001. Retrieved 19 May 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  15. ^ "Awesome Eight". Awesome Eight. Retrieved 19 May 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  16. ^ "Awesome Eight Golf Challenge". Golf Information. Retrieved 19 May 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  17. ^ a b Grylls, Bear (19 May 2007). "Flying into a dream". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  18. ^ Pavia, Will (14 January 2009). "Adventurer Neil Laughton ready to take his flying car to Timbuktu". The Times. Retrieved 19 May 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  19. ^ Sheerin, Jude (12 January 2009). "By flying car from London to Timbuktu". BBC News. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  20. ^ "Flying car team set off on trip from London to Timbuktu". The Telegraph. 14 January 2009. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  21. ^ a b "The Britons caught up in the Nepal earthquake and Mount Everest avalanche disaster". ITV News. 26 April 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  22. ^ "US Coast Guard rescue two British adventurers stranded on sea ice in Alaska". The Telegraph. 6 March 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  23. ^ Logan, Ross (6 March 2016). "Footage shows dramatic rescue of British adventurers stranded on ice while crossing Bering Strait". Mirror. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  24. ^ Russell, Emily (5 March 2016). "British explorers describe harrowing rescue from Bering Strait". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  25. ^ Polden, Jake (6 March 2016). "Dramatic moment British adventurers are airlifted to safety by US Coastguards after becoming stranded in thick ice in Alaska". Mail Online. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  26. ^ "Rescue airlift for British pair trapped on Alaska ice". ITV eEws. 6 March 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  27. ^ "Mark Beaumont breaks British Penny Farthing record". BBC News. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  28. ^ Robertshaw, Henry (14 May 2018). "Mark Beaumont to take on 132-year-old penny farthing Hour Record". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 19 May 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  29. ^ a b Reporters, Telegraph (30 April 2018). "British adventurer hosts the world's highest dinner party – near the summit of Mt Everest". The Daily Telegraph. No. 30 April 2018. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  30. ^ a b Whitelocks, Sadie (20 May 2018). "Dinner party on Everest: how we broke the world record to have the world's highest feast". Metro.co.uk. Associated Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  31. ^ a b "Neil Laughton breaks Everest Record and celebrates with Mumm Champagne". G H Mumm Champagne. G H Mumm. Retrieved 19 May 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  32. ^ a b McFall-Johnsen, Morgan (11 May 2018). "The world's loftiest dinner party was on Mt. Everest". SNEWS. Cruz Bay Publishing Inc. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  33. ^ a b Walsh, Martin. "The World's Highest Dinner Party". Explorersweb. Explorersweb. Retrieved 19 May 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  34. ^ "GKN sponsor Bear Grylls for Everest Mission, 2007". Global Angels. 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
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