Ottawa, ON – September 10, 2025 — The Explorers Club and Royal Canadian Geographical Society
(RCGS) have joined forces to host the Global Exploration Summit (GLEX), a three-day gathering of the
world’s foremost explorers, scientists, and storytellers, in Canada – the first time the summit has been
held in the Americas. GLEX opens Friday, September 12 at 50 Sussex Drive, Ottawa – headquarters of
the RCGS and Canadian Geographic. The summit will showcase groundbreaking discoveries, celebrate
Indigenous leadership, and highlight Canada’s significant role in the history and future of exploration.
The event brings together an extraordinary roster of speakers—from astrophysicists and paleontologists
to Indigenous leaders, conservationists, and record-setting adventurers, and an audience of hundreds of
other exploration leaders from around the world.
“GLEX is the Davos of exploration and we wanted to host it in Canada this year. Canada has played such
a vital role in the history of exploration, and we collectively felt that our Canadian brothers and sisters
were not getting the proper recognition or love they deserve from their neighbors to the south,” said
Richard Wiese, President of The Explorers Club.
“With a dearth of enlightened leadership globally, it is more important than ever to build cross-border
alliances with organizations dedicated to scientific inquiry and the health of the planet. The Explorers Club
is a legendary institution with a fellowship that continues to push the boundaries of knowledge. We are
honoured at this critical moment that they would opt to host their most important summit in Canada,” said
John Geiger, CEO of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
Speakers over the three-day event include:
- Dr. Brian Cox, British physicist and acclaimed BBC commentator
- Dr. Louise Leakey, a Kenyan paleontologist doing groundbreaking work on human origins and
continuing the legacy of the Leakey family. - Valérie Courtois, leader of Indigenous led conservation and stewardship in Canada
- Prof. Sara Seager, Canadian astronomer and planetary scientist
- Hubert Sagnières, French and Canadian corporate leader, explorer and author.
- A panel on the discovery of historic shipwrecks with Mensun Bound, David L. Mearns, Jonathan Moore and John Geiger.
- Dr. Charles Emogor, Nigerian biologist and conservationist working to protect pangolins.
- Hari Budha Magar, Nepalese double amputee on climbing the Seven Summits.
- Oliver Steeds, on protecting our ocean’s final frontier through deep-sea exploration.
Schedule: Friday, arrivals and interview opportunities, Saturday-8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.50 Sussex Drive,
Sunday 8:30-12:00 50 Sussex Drive, Ottawa.
To speak to Richard Wiese or John Geiger, or to arrange interviews with some of the renowned
explorers attending GLEX, please contact:
Rosemary Thompson
Vice President, External
Royal Canadian Geographical Society
(613) 240-6739
[email protected]
