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Main discipline Mountaineer, Explorer, Speaker Other disciplines Board Member - American Pakistan Foundation, Honorary Ambassador - U.S. Nepal Climbers Association Inc., Advisory Board Member - Thomson Safaris Born December 2, 1964 Grosse Pointe, MI, USA Education New York University Stern School of Business (1995–1997), New York University Profiles | ||
Vanessa Audi Rhys O'Brien, is a British-American mountain climber, explorer, public speaker and former business executive. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a Member of The Explorers Club.
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She has climbed the highest peak on every continent and has a Guinness World Record for doing so in 295 days, setting a record for the fastest time a woman first achieved this goal. Vanessa has also skied the last 60 nautical miles or 111 km to the South Pole and North Pole completing the Explorers Grand Slam in 11 months, becoming the first woman to do so in under a calendar year and one of only 9 women in the world.
Early life
Vanessa Audi Rhys O'Brien was born on December 2, 1964 and grew up in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. After graduating from Grosse Pointe South High School, Vanessa attended New York University where received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics.
Professional career
After receiving her BA from New York University, Vanessa joined the Financial Management Program at GE Capital. After graduating from the FMP program and winning the Pinnacle Award for outstanding performance, GE Capital sponsored Vanessa for an Executive MBA in Finance at the Stern School of Business, New York University. After GE Capital, Vanessa contributed to Capital One before moving overseas to hold various London-based positions as the Director of Finance and Business Development for Morgan Stanley, Barclays Bank, and the Bank of America.
Advisory, Board and Research Roles
Vanessa is a Board Member of the American Pakistan Foundation, is an Honorary Ambassador of the US Nepal Climbers Association Inc., serves as an Advisory Board Member for Thomson Safaris, and is an active member of The American Alpine Club. Vanessa has contributed to a number of research and scientific projects including investigating the effects of nocturnal hypoxic exposure on high-altitude mountaineering (Explorers Club Flag #206 to Manaslu's summit at 26,759 feet), testing the thinning of high altitude glaciers (Explorers Club Flag #132 to the Godwin-Austen Glacier at 16,500 feet), and illustrating the impact of climate change at the equator in advance of COP21 in conjunction with Project 25Zero.
Summits and Expeditions
Having trekked to Mount Everest base camp and reached the summits of a number of notable mountains, including four of the world's fourteen 8,000 meter peaks (Shishapangma, Everest, Cho Oyu and Manaslu), Vanessa decided to build on her passion for mountaineering and set herself the challenge of achieving the Explorer's Grand Slam. The Explorer's Grand Slam entails reaching the Seven Summits, the North and South Poles, as well as meeting the Three Pole Challenge.