Susan Charlesworth

We train Astronauts.
And you.

Former Astronaut Instructor. Now training leaders who can't afford to fail.

European Space Agency
Astroscale
Harwell Campus
Morgan Sindall
RAL
CIEHF

What separates leaders who thrive under pressure from those who crack?

Every great business is built by great people. People who communicate clearly, lead courageously, and stay resilient when it matters most.

These skills aren't soft. They're hard-won. And in my years training astronauts, ground control teams, and Antarctic explorers, I've seen what separates those who perform under pressure from those who don't. It's not talent. It's training.

The methods I use aren't theory. They've been tested where failure isn't an option and they work just as powerfully in a boardroom as they do in mission control.

I founded Charlesworth Human Performance because everyone deserves access to this training. Not just astronauts. Your leaders, your teams, your next generation of talent.

No guesswork. No fads. Just proven, practical skills that change how people show up.

Susan Charlesworth

Founder, Charlesworth Human Performance

Launchpad

Elite human performance skills for your next generation of leaders

The transition from individual contributor to leader breaks more careers than anything else. We make sure yours don't.

About Susan

Performance psychologist, astronaut trainer, leadership coach

Susan spent over a decade training astronauts and ground control teams at the European Space Agency, teaching them how to make decisions under pressure, communicate in high-stakes environments, and lead when it matters most.

Now she brings those same methods to businesses. Her programmes are built on real performance psychology, not theory, not motivational fluff and they're designed to create lasting change in the people who go through them.

Astronaut Instructor TEDx Speaker Co-Author NLP Practitioner Certified DISC Profiler CIEHF Institute Lecturer Personal Performance Coach Private Pilot Human Factors Expert
Susan Charlesworth

Public Speaking Workshops

Train your team to speak with authority

Twenty years of keynotes, panels, and a TEDx stage taught me one thing: technical brilliance means nothing if you can't communicate clearly.

This workshop fixes the problem plaguing technical sectors, brilliant people giving terrible presentations. Your team learns structure, confident delivery, and how to handle tough questions without losing the room. Real practice, real feedback.

Courageous Leadership workshops

Build leaders who create high-performing teams

In mission control, trust, clear communication, and accountability aren't leadership buzzwords, they're operational requirements. Teams that don't speak up, challenge assumptions, or hold each other accountable cause missions to fail.

This one-day workshop teaches your leaders how to build teams that perform when it counts.

Susan Charlesworth keynote speaking

Keynotes

What got you here won't get you there

Susan's signature keynote explores the tipping points of human performance, the critical moments when what worked before suddenly doesn't.

From the Apollo 1 fire to Mars mission prep, she traces how the competencies required for success evolved from individual technical mastery to team collaboration, psychological resilience, and autonomous decision-making. The question becomes: What are the tipping points facing your industry, your team, your leadership?

Whether it's a conference of 500 or an executive offsite, Susan delivers a keynote that challenges audiences to question their assumptions about performance - and prepares them for what comes next.

Perfect for: Leadership conferences, organisational change initiatives, industries facing disruption, teams navigating high-pressure environments.

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