About Mountain Parallels
My name is Charlie Wardle and having built a successful corporate career, during which I held a number of senior management and leadership roles, my circumstances led me to discover a passion for both the mountains and health & wellbeing. For many years, I’ve noticed strong parallels in so many ways between the mountains and both business and life. Mountain Parallels was born from these observations. I offer a range of Talks, Workshops and Seminars relating to ‘Leadership & Management’ and ‘Health & Wellbeing’ which all use analogies and real-life experiences of the mountains as parallels to Business and Life. In addition, there is the ‘Mountains’ section which gives you the opportunity to experience outdoor activities, challenges and the mountains for real.
In Business - By profession, I am a Chartered Accountant (ACA) and a member of the ICAEW, having trained with PwC in London back in the late 1990s. In 2002, I completed my full-time MBA from Cranfield School of Management and also qualified in Marketing (CIM). During my varied business career, I have – amongst other things – held senior management and leadership roles for Santander Plc, BT Plc and Elsevier Plc as well as running my own businesses.
In Life - I have experienced a lot of highs and lows in my lifetime (so far!) and, as a result of some of the lows, I developed a strong interest in Health and Wellbeing. This led me to set up a charity Climb Your Mountain and become very knowledgeable in this area through extensive research, reading, courses and meeting hundreds of people dealing with their personal issues. I’ve delivered talks, workshops and courses to over 6,000 people and the many books I’ve written have reached over 115,000 people. Topics include Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Confidence, Benefits of Exercise plus Motivation and Achievement.
In the Mountains - My love of the mountains started soon after I set up the Climb Your Mountain charity as I was looking for challenges to do. After several years of leading people on various hikes all over the UK, I decided to become a qualified Mountain Leader and set up the business, The Mountain Coach. To date, I have led over 10,000 people up and down mountains which has allowed them to achieve goals, fulfil ambitions, challenge themselves and have a great experiences in a safe way.
Talks & Workshops - Business - Leadership & Management
With a strong background and continued interest in business, I have often seen clear parallels between what you encounter in the mountains and in business in a variety of ways. From preparation, skills, experience, communication, trust and enjoyment to adversity, leadership, management, resilience and more – mountains and business have a surprising amount in common. I’ve put together a series of business talks and workshops, or a one-day seminar, designed to give a refreshing take on Leadership and Management. This series of six topics gives unique but very valuable information and insight combining my strong business and mountain skill sets and leadership experience. Each one focuses on particular elements related to business and the mountains, designed specifically for those people within your company who are leaders or managers or who aspire to be. (see website for full list)
Talks & Workshops - Life - Health & Wellbeing
Since discovering the mountains back in 2008, I’ve also had a passion and interest in health – both physical and mental health. I’m a great believer that outdoor activities, like hiking in the mountains, can bring so many benefits to both our body and our mind. Most people will probably recognise that such activities are good for us physically but perhaps won’t so readily recognise the mental health benefits and also how the mountains can be such a profound metaphor for life and the ups and downs that we all face. Our health and wellbeing is vital to our happiness but also it affects all aspects of our lives, including at home and at work. If we were to take more time to understand, learn and focus on our health and wellbeing then our lives and the lives of those around us would be improved. Through my own life experiences and relating these to the mountains, I have produced a series of talks and workshops that cover topics such as stress, anxiety, depression, confidence, appreciation, motivation and, ultimately, happiness. Each talk and workshop covers different areas related to mountains and life, focusing on health and wellbeing. The topics are designed for anybody working within a company. (see website for full list)