Keynote Speaker
Nando Parrado
Beyond the next ridge: Lessons in leadership from 72 days of survival in the Andes
Monday 12 April
11.15 – 12.30
Libertador B
In October 1972, Nando Parrado was one of the 16 survivors of a plane crash high in the Andes. For two months, they lived in the wreckage in freezing conditions, with almost no food and no sign of rescue. Then Nando and one of his teammates set off to find help themselves. They walked for ten days through snow and over mountains, without proper gear or a map, until they reached a valley in Chile. Seventy-two days after the crash, all 16 survivors had been rescued.
His story has been told in 14 books and 17 documentaries, most notably his own autobiography, Miracle in the Andes, and more recently the film Society of the Snow, which reached audiences worldwide on Netflix in 2024.
It’s rare to hear a story like this from the person who lived it. Nando has spent the decades since asking what got him off that mountain, and his answers speak directly to questions our FIDI members face every day: how to lead when the plan falls apart, how to keep a team together in rough times, and how to keep moving when the way ahead isn’t clear. Make sure you’re in the room on Monday morning. Register now and start the conference with Nando’s inspirational story.
