Frank Gardner

Frank Gardner is the BBC’s full-time Security Correspondent, bringing extensive experience from reporting on global crises across Ukraine, Afghanistan, the Arctic, and Colombia. A graduate in Arabic and Islamic Studies, he transitioned into journalism following a career as a banker and an officer in the Territorial Army. Despite suffering life-changing injuries while on assignment in Saudi Arabia in 2004, he has continued his high-profile career and remains an active adventurer, including kayaking in Antarctica. His expertise as an author is well established; his memoir Blood and Sand reached the top of the Sunday Times bestseller list, and he has since published three successful spy thrillers titled Crisis, Ultimatum, and Outbreak. His professional contributions were recognised by Queen Elizabeth II with an OBE for services to journalism. He also holds the Tommy Trojan Trophy for distinguished speaking from the University of Southern California and serves as the President of the British Trust for Ornithology. Frank provides audiences with a sophisticated understanding of international security risks and Middle Eastern affairs. He is frequently booked for his ability to translate complex geopolitical issues into clear, compelling narratives while demonstrating remarkable personal resilience. On stage, Frank Gardner is best known for talks on Security Risks, Middle Eastern Affairs, Journalism and Travel And Adventure. Audiences leave with a clear, practical view of the subject rather than a generic overview — every keynote is shaped around the brief and the room. Their work resonates with leaders across Business & Consulting, Education, Media & Broadcasting and Motivational Speaking, where the themes translate directly into team decisions, customer experience and growth strategy. Frank Gardner is regularly booked for Conference Speaker and Motivational Speaker, adapting tone, length and format to suit the event — from a 20-minute opener to a full conference keynote with Q&A. Based in UK, Frank Gardner travels internationally for engagements. To check availability or request a tailored brief for your event, send an enquiry and we'll come back with fees, dates and a short summary of how Frank Gardner would approach your audience.