Understanding people in extreme situations
Orianne Aymard has built a career at the crossroads of international affairs, humanitarian action, research and adventure.
A graduate of the London School of Economics with a PhD in religious studies, she continued her research at Columbia University and the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.
She then joined the International Committee of the Red Cross. In Africa, and later in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, she worked in environments where safety, trust and the quality of decisions could have immediate consequences. She continued this path at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, working notably on radicalisation, human rights and crisis management.
A turning point that redefines what is possible
At the age of 25, while in northern India, her life changed when she suffered a cerebral haemorrhage. Doctors advised her to give up high-altitude mountaineering permanently.
A long process of recovery followed, built on patience, acceptance and perseverance. The ordeal did not disappear from her story; it became its turning point. Orianne learned to live with vulnerability, listen to her limits and move forward without guarantees.
This personal experience now shapes her distinctive message on resilience: not returning to the life one had before, but creating a new way to continue the journey.
From Lhotse to the summit of Everest
In 2019, she reached the summit of Lhotse at 8,516 metres, the world's fourth-highest mountain. The ascent marked the culmination of years of physical and mental preparation, as well as a victory over what had seemed a final prognosis.
In 2023, she set out for Everest. Injured by falling seracs in the Khumbu Icefall, she nevertheless continued the expedition and reached the summit.
Beyond performance, she speaks about fear, doubt, solidarity, clear judgement and the importance of knowing why we keep going.
Experience placed at the service of organisations
Orianne Aymard now brings together her different lives to illuminate the challenges facing executives and teams.
High-altitude mountaineering becomes a leadership laboratory: preparing without controlling everything, deciding with incomplete information, protecting collective energy, accepting retreat when the risk demands it and maintaining a clear sense of purpose.
Her style combines the power of personal testimony with structured reflection on action. Without glorifying extreme performance, she shows how everyone can strengthen their ability to navigate uncertainty, recover room for manoeuvre and turn adversity into a new starting point.
