First female RAF fast jet pilot, Dr Jo Salter MBE, joins champions speakers

Britain’s first female fighter jet pilot is taking her career to new heights – by signing with the country’s leading speaking agency.

In an exciting new partnership Dr Jo Salter MBE will be working with Champions Speakers.

Jo was once voted among the 50 Most Inspiring Women in the World in a recent BBC poll.

Announcing the collaboration,  Jack Hayes, the director of Champions Speakers said:  “It is with great pride that we can announce Jo has signed with Champions Speakers. The agreement will see us representing Jo, and we are looking forward to building upon the reputation she has gained in the military and the world of business and enhance her public profile even further.

“Having learnt what it means to have determination, perform under pressure and be resilient, Jo is the perfect speaker for a range of events. Whether she is delivering a speech or facilitating a workshop, Jo uses storytelling and humour to inspire personal development, shift mindsets and overcome challenges in corporate audiences.”

Jo, 56 born in Bournemouth, is a trailblazer, and as Britain’s first female fast jet pilot she flew the Panavia Tornado ground attack aircraft with Royal Air Force’s 617 Squadron.  This marked a significant milestone in military aviation as it paved the way for future female pilots.

On the ground, Jo has been able to break ceilings in the world of business too. She was appointed as Director of People & Organisation at global consultancy PwC, where she worked with a team of 10,000 people based in 138 countries, integrating her expertise in digital capabilities, data analytics and employee performance.

In 2021, she was appointed Director of Global Transformative Leadership at PwC and played a pivotal role in building the award-winning flagship programme, Leaders Solving for Tomorrow, enabling senior leaders across multiple international clients to develop their transformative leadership capabilities.

Her remarkable background in aviation and her achievements in business have earned her global recognition, which has included being voted one of the Top 50 Most Inspiring Women in the World by both the BBC and Harpers & Queen magazine, and in 2024, Jo was officially selected as one of the UK’s top Motivational Speakers

Jo received an honorary doctorate from Bournemouth University in 2022 and began imparting valuable business insights that she gained during her career as a lecturer with the Open University.

In the same year, she became a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to aviation and was appointed by HRH Prince William.

She was also personally invited to the premiere of the movie Top Gun: Maverick by the actor Tom Cruise who hailed her as an inspiration.

She is also a qualified electronics engineer and an advocate for women and girls in STEM.

Commenting on joining Champions Speakers, Jo said: “I’m really delighted to be joining Champions Speakers and excited to share my experiences from both aviation and business with audiences around the world. My goal is to inspire individuals to push beyond their limits, embrace challenges and realise their full potential so they can achieve excellence in their chosen field.”