Nicola ‘Rosie’ Steevenson

Nicola ‘Rosie’ Steevenson has served over a decade in the Royal Air Force as a front-line Tornado F3 Navigator. She is an extraordinary source of inspiration, blending real-world operational experience, academic excellence, and a passion for human performance to the world of motivational speaking. A STEM Ambassador and the co-founder of On A Mission, Rosie and fellow ex-pilot Helen Seymour embolden current leaders to become more effective whilst efficiently furthering their personal and professional development.

Despite achieving a BEng (Hons) in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Manchester, Rosie was unfortunately rejected from being a fighter pilot after failing her medical. However, in a true show of perseverance, she pivoted to becoming a navigator in the RAF instead. She played a critical role in the air defence of the UK and the Falklands, maintaining Quick Reaction Alert status for short-notice operations as part of NATO’s Rapid Reaction Force. As a highly qualified instructor and mentor, she flew alongside test pilots on developmental missile firing missions, gaining deep insights into high-performance environments and what makes even elite teams prone to human error. After leaving the RAF, Rosie became Chief Ground Instructor for Flybe. She has held various other important roles, such as Head of Human Factors at Virtual Jet Centre Limited, Aviation Safety Consultant for Baines Simmons, and Associate Consultant for Atrainability.

Rosie is a qualified Crew Resource Management Trainer, currently serving as a Non-Executive Director for the Devon Air Ambulance Trust and is the Director at Human Performance Solutions, as well as an Associate at System Factors Limited. She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors and the Clinical Human Factors Group. She has recently completed an MSc in Human Factors and Behaviour Change at the University of Derby, allowing her to add further expertise to her keynote speeches.

Winning the West Country Women Awards Phoenix Award, Rosie also spoke at their International Women’s Day event. She and co-founder Helen have spoken at events for Funding Xchange and, more recently, Network Rail via On A Mission. They draw from their unique experience as one of the few all-female aircrew teams, delivering powerful keynotes on resilience, adaptability, the importance of inclusivity, and overcoming the fear of failure. Rosie is an inspiring female motivational speaker whose compelling story, rich expertise, and genuine passion make her a powerful and relatable motivational speaker for all audiences.