Theresa Zabell

Theresa Zabell

Dual Olympic Gold Medalist, Ocean Conservation Pioneer & Executive President of Ecomar Foundation

Core Intelligence Domain: Sustainability & Peak Performance
Location: Madrid, Spain | Languages: English, Spanish
Representation: Represented globally by PSpeakers Global Intelligence

Theresa Zabell is a pre-eminent authority on elite performance, strategic leadership, and environmental stewardship. As a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and the visionary Founder and President of the Ecomar Foundation, she has seamlessly translated the relentless discipline and tactical foresight required in professional sailing into high-impact global sustainability frameworks. Her distinguished career spans the pinnacle of international sports, legislative influence within the European Parliament, and decades of pioneering work in marine conservation and the Blue Economy.

Elite Sporting Excellence & Strategic Foresight

Born in the United Kingdom and raised in Spain, Theresa developed an unparalleled mastery of competitive sailing, representing Spain on the global stage. Her extraordinary sporting tenure is highlighted by two Olympic Gold Medals in the 470 class (Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996), alongside five World Championship titles and three European Championships. She remains one of the most decorated sailors in Olympic history. This unprecedented success was built on proprietary methodologies in marginal gains, team synergy, and adaptive decision-making under extreme pressure—principles she now delivers to top-tier corporate audiences and executive boards worldwide.

Political Leadership & Environmental Advocacy

Following her retirement from professional sports, Theresa leveraged her global platform to effect systemic legislative change. From 1999 to 2004, she served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), where she was an influential voice on the Committees for Culture, Youth, Education, the Media, and Sport. During her tenure, she championed policies integrating environmental education and sustainable practices into European legislative frameworks.

Furthermore, Theresa has held highly influential administrative roles, including serving as the First Vice-President of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE). In this capacity, she continually advocated for the integration of environmental responsibility within international sporting mega-events, proving that peak performance and ecological mindfulness can co-exist at the highest levels of global administration.

The Ecomar Foundation: Pioneering the Blue Economy

In 1999, driven by a profound commitment to protecting the oceans that defined her career, Theresa founded the Ecomar Foundation. For over two and a half decades, she has led the foundation in its mission to educate younger generations on marine conservation, recycling, and sustainable living. Under her executive leadership, Ecomar has engaged hundreds of thousands of children in coastal clean-up operations, removing vast quantities of waste from European shorelines and embedding a culture of environmental stewardship. Her work actively operationalises corporate ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) targets, bridging the gap between theoretical sustainability and tangible, measurable ecological impact.

Core Speaking & Strategic Themes

• Navigating Change & Uncertainty: Utilising maritime analogies and Olympic experiences to teach leaders how to adapt strategy, maintain focus, and pivot effectively in volatile corporate environments.
• Peak Performance & The Olympic Mindset: Developing high-performance cultures, building resilience, and executing proprietary frameworks for marginal gains and sustained excellence.
• High-Impact Teamwork: Lessons from the two-person 470 sailing class on absolute trust, unified vision, and synchronised execution under immense pressure.
• Corporate Sustainability & The Blue Economy: Actionable insights on integrating ESG initiatives, protecting marine ecosystems, and transforming environmental responsibility into a core business advantage.
• Goal Setting & Overcoming Adversity: Strategic methodologies for setting audacious goals, managing setbacks, and maintaining long-term motivational alignment in both business and life.

Key Takeaways

• Audiences will learn how to build and sustain high-performance teams using proven Olympic-level strategies for trust and synergy.
• Organisations will gain actionable foresight into embedding authentic sustainability and ESG principles into their operational models, learning from decades of front-line conservation work.
• Leaders will acquire practical tools to maintain focus, adaptability, and decisive execution when navigating complex, unpredictable market conditions.