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Nicola Winter      

Specialist For Leadership And Crisis Management & Fighter Pilot, Esa-Reserve-Astronaut, Aerospace Engineer

Nicola Winter was the second Female Fighter Pilot ever for the German Air Force, the coveted Luftwaffe. Winter embodies resilience and pioneering spirit as one of Germany’s trailblazing fighter pilots and a celebrated Eurofighter aviator. Her remarkable career spans continents; as a Major and esteemed flight instructor for all NATO Air Forces including the USAF, Winter imparted crucial flying training and crisis management skills, blending high-stakes aviation with life-saving tactics. Now at the German Aerospace Center (DLR e. V.), she spearheads cutting-edge technology projects for space, while also enlightening future leaders as a university crisis management lecturer and as a business advisor for crisis task forces.

Winter is slated to become Germany’s first female astronaut, having been selected by the European Space Agency in 2022 as an astronaut. She is currently serving as a reserve astronaut as preparations are underway for a fully commercial, european astronaut mission to the International Space Station.

Her captivating keynotes offer profound insights into leadership, resilience, and transcending boundaries, all drawn from her rich tapestry of experiences. Winter’s narrative is not just about aviation; it’s a powerful testament to overcoming adversity, with lessons applicable both in and out of the cockpit. Winter of course delivers her speeches in both native English and German, making her a sought-after voice on global stages. Her message is clear and compelling: With unwavering determination and empathy, there are no limits to what we can achieve. Winter is not just a speaker; she is a living embodiment of reaching for the stars, making her an unparalleled choice for audiences in the US and worldwide seeking inspiration from a truly unique and dynamic perspective.

Speech Topics

New Leadership

Even fighter pilots are led with empathy and respect these days – a new understanding of leadership is more necessary than ever. Outdated management cultures and hierarchies encourage mistakes in our work life that can have profound consequences. Using concrete and tangible practical examples from her time as an officer and pilot in the Air Force, as a consultant at McKinsey and from her research, Nicola shows her audience how empathy and respect as well as trust and clear communication help to minimize mistakes and promote performance significantly to achieve corporate goals and to sustainably promote the satisfaction of your entire workforce. Topics that she is particularly enthusiastic about in this domain are: "Communication under pressure", "Decision-making in critical situations", "Sharp Focus on key aspects", "Leadership at eye level" and "Self-management".

Empowerment

If you want to aim high, you also must learn how to deal with obstacles and setbacks - a self-confident appearance, respecting your own limits, unerring multitasking and prioritizing as well as a focus on the right and important things are essential. In the implementation of our dreams and goals, we often encounter obstacles. How do you manage to fully develop your potential as a person and as a company, to assert yourself against the competition, to reinvent yourself again and again, to gather courage for the next departure, to keep track of your busy schedule and not to be too single-minded despite all your ambitions? How do you not forget what really matters in life? With a lot of passion, Nicola describes to her audience how she keeps a healthy work-life balance with all her to-dos, goals and dreams, which motivational techniques help her and how she built up healthy self-confidence and self-esteem to push her limits keep and at the same time give everything.

Risk and crisis management

Eventually, every company and every person will find itself in a critical situation - it is then crucial to have proven, trained strategies on hand to master these challenges. This includes routine risk analysis, precise crisis communication, focusing on the essentials and quick decision-making. After over a decade as a fighter pilot, Nicola learnt everything you can about stress, risk, crisis and the path to success on the world's fastest jets. If seconds can make the difference between life and death, critical decisions must be taken in the most expeditious, yet well-calculated manner. Your audience will learn that detailed and targeted preparation for crises is crucial and which proven strategies let you survive the day when you are in the middle of a crisis.

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