6 June 2026 · 4 min read
Speaker of the day: Jean-Yves Michellod — Well-being at work
Every day we spotlight one voice from the UnoMe network. Today: Jean-Yves Michellod, Well-being at work — one of the keynote speakers we recommend for corporate events and conferences in Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and across the GCC.
Who is Jean-Yves Michellod?
Jean-Yves Michellod, a mountain guide based in Verbier, is passionate about extreme skiing and freeriding. Winner of the Xtreme de Verbier in 2004, his life took a dramatic turn on March 12, 2006. A terrible ski accident on a slope of Mont Fort in the 4 Vallées area in Verbier cost him the use of his legs.
Jean-Yves' will, motivation, and passion for skiing kept alive his hope of leaving his mark on the mountain once again.
Far beyond talent, courage, and an iron will, Jean-Yves gives us a true lesson in humility. He accepts his accident and rebuilds himself, constantly repeating to us: You must not be afraid of hard work!
After long months of rehabilitation, work, hope, and doubts, Jean-Yves returned to the slopes with a specially designed sit-ski. In December 2006, 10 months after his accident, Jean-Yves, accompanied by the Falquet brothers, won the Red Bull Hike & Ride.
On May 7, 2009, at 10:15 AM, Jean-Yves reached the summit of Mont Blanc after more than 5 hours of walking with his crutches.
Having left the Vallot refuge at 5 AM after a rather restless night at over 4300m, Jean-Yves and his entire team of guides and porters reached the summit of Mont Blanc via the Bosses ridge. With perfect snow conditions, he was able to make the first skibob descent of the North Face of Mont Blanc.Language spoken by the speaker
- French
Jean-Yves Michellod offers conferences from Geneva to Lausanne in Switzerland, and in French-speaking countries. With UnoMe, you can benefit from the experience of an athlete struck by disability but who has shown resilience and hard work.
He offers very powerful conferences on the theme of individual and collective motivation or on health and personal development.Sports results
7th place Verbier O’neill Xtreme 05
7th place Engadinsnow 06
3rd place Swiss handiski championship 07
1st place Verbier O’neill Xtreme 04
1st place First track freeride Chandolin 04
1st place Redbull hike and ride 07
1st skibob descent (handiski) north face of Mont Blanc
Filmography
Winter 05/06: Une nuit d’hiver (a winter night) (film by Nicolas and Loris Falquet)
Winter 06/07 and 07/08: Jym skieur libre (Jym free skier) (directed by Nicolas Falquet and Laurent Horvath) – No friends on a powder day (Red Bull hike and ride)
Winter 08/09: Son Mont-Blanc (His Mont Blanc) (directed by Nicolas Falquet)
Winter 09/10: – Participation in the "Nomads" project with the Falquet Brothers
Topics on stage
- Well-being at work
- Individual and collective motivation
Who is this keynote for?
A talk by Jean-Yves Michellod fits annual kick-offs, leadership days, industry conferences and talent programmes. The format usually runs 45 to 60 minutes, with an optional Q&A or a closed-door executive workshop.
Booking in the UAE and the Gulf
UnoMe, the Swiss Speakers' Bureau in Dubai, handles everything: selection, negotiation, travel and preparation with your team. Contact us to check Jean-Yves Michellod's availability for your date.