Todd Sampson

Todd Sampson's Biography

Todd Sampson is an adventurer, award-winning documentary-maker, television presenter and businessman. The Financial Review and News Limited ranked him as one of the most influential executives in Australia.

He is the former national CEO of Leo Burnett and has sat on the Board of Directors of both Fairfax and Qantas. He is also the co-creator of the Earth Hour initiative, one of the largest environmental movements in history reaching over 1 billion people in 5500 cities worldwide.

Todd started his television career on the critically acclaimed ABC series GRUEN which is still one of the most popular shows on television today. He is now the writer, producer and host of a number of international documentaries including Discovery Channel's REDESIGN MY BRAIN which won Documentary of the Year, BODYHACK which has been nominated for Best Factual Series and Most Outstanding Documentary of the Year and more recently LIFE ON THE LINE. One reviewer colourfully captured Todd's unique approach, “If Bear Grylls, Louis Theroux and Brian Cox had a love child together, it would be Todd Sampson.”

Todd has also climbed to the summit of Mount Everest.

Poised, articulate and humorous, Todd Sampson is an engaging speaker who is highly sought after for his insights surrounding creativity, advertising, marketing, management, leadership and personal achievement.

Contact Helene Greenham directly to enquire about Todd Sampson for your event – helene@platinumspeakers.com.au

Speaking Topics Include

Creativity and Fear

In this compelling keynote, Todd Sampson unpacks the two most powerful forces in leadership and innovation: creativity and fear.

He shares the origin story of Earth Hour, now one of the largest global environmental movements in history—an idea born in a Sydney hotel room by a small, ordinary group of people using nothing more than their imagination. That story becomes the anchor for a deeper message: creativity is the last competitive advantage in a world increasingly driven by algorithms and sameness.

Drawing on personal experiences—from being trapped in a blizzard on Denali to taking the reins as a reluctant CEO—Todd reveals how fear is often the invisible force that kills our best ideas before they begin.

Using humour, insight, and actionable techniques, he shows how creativity can be learned, and fear managed—if we’re willing to be braver for just five minutes longer.

This talk is both a rallying cry and a roadmap for leaders and teams to embrace bold thinking, take action, and tap into the creative potential that exists within all of us.

Because if Earth Hour taught us anything, it’s that ordinary people with a simple idea can help change the world.

Brain Power

Todd Sampson is the writer, host and human guinea pig of the award-winning Discovery Science Series called REDESIGN MY BRAIN. The premise of the series was simple. For over 70 years, science has told us that our brains are fixed. You are born with the brain you have;-]\2uj’ it develops rapidly until age 7 and then it starts a steady decline from age 30 until you die. There was nothing you could do about it. But science has now proven that to be false. In fact, modern science has now shown that our brain is plastic and that we ALL have the ability to improve it at any age and at any time. This presentation will show you how to boost your Creativity and Brain Power.

Todd will not only take you behind the scenes of this extraordinary scientific journey, he will also provide you with the practical tools, strategies and techniques to improve your brain. We are all capable of more than we realise – and modern science is showing us how.