Sacha Dekker
Why book Sacha Dekker?
- Sacha Dekker is an ICF-certified coach who has worked with Fortune 500 executives to grow their leadership skills
- She was paralyzed after surgery , but defied expectations by walking the Great Wall of China and completing 110 km of the Camino de Santiago
- Sacha is a Learning and Talent Development executive who drives inclusive, high-impact corporate learning
Biography
Sacha Dekker is a Learning and Talent Development executive who supports companies in achieving their goals in creating world class, equitable learning experiences that drive maximum productivity, reduce attrition, promote inclusion and retain top talent.
After growing up in the Netherlands, and living in Geneva and South Africa, in 2012 Sacha decided to make Dublin, Ireland her home. She’s held senior L&D roles across industries in both start-ups and well-established companies and as an ICF certified coach she has coached multiple Fortune 500 company executives in their leadership journeys.She holds a master’s in Education, Learning & Development and focused her dissertation on social learning in a hybrid environment.
In 2015, what was supposed to be a straightforward surgery, to cure her of the epileptic seizures that started in 2009, left Sacha fully paralysed down her left side, with her medical team telling her it was highly unlikely she’d ever walk, work, or live independently again, and the bleak prospect of life in a wheelchair in a nursing home. To the day two years after the surgery Sacha reached her goal of walking on the Great Wall of China and in August 2023 she’s walking the last 110 km of the Camino de Santiago.
Sacha talks about resilience, mindset, overcoming adversity, disability awareness (both in the workplace and in general) and general leadership topics.
Today, Sacha is a celebrated keynote speaker, a guest columnist for the Irish Times, and the founder of I am Phoenix. She has delivered talks for organisations including Musgrave, the Irish Civil Service, L&DI, ITAG, the IDA, and SuperValu. Her speaking topics include resilience and mindset, disability awareness, and social learning in a hybrid environment.
Topics
Disability Awareness in the Workplace
The unemployment rate for people with a disability is almost 2.3 times the rate compared to those without a disability. On top of that, only 10% of people with an invisible (hidden) disability feel safe enough to disclose this to their employer. That means that 90% of those with a disability hide part of themselves every day when they come to work. After being diagnosed with epilepsy in 2009, the first person I told at work asked me if I was a retard now. Since becoming hemiplegic I’ve been called “the pity hire”, “the quota filler” and told ‘people like me’ should not be in front of stakeholders because it looks weak.
In this talk you’ll learn about
General disability awareness (language, what do we mean when we say ‘disabilities’)
How to create a safe environment for employees with disabilities
The real cost of hiring, and not hiring, people with disabilities
Building Resilience Through Mindset
Everyone talks about resilience and especially since the Covid19 pandemic it’s a hot topic. So what exactly is resilience and how do you build it? Waking up without the ability to walk, stand or even sit up straight without help, and doctors telling me I was going to spend my life in a wheelchair in a nursing home, resilience was all I had to draw on to keep me going.
In this talk you’ll learn about:
What resilience is and isn’t
The concept of toxic positivity and how to avoid it
How you can choose to be resilient
Disability Awareness in the Workplace
The unemployment rate for people with a disability is almost 2.3 times the rate compared to those without a disability. On top of that, only 10% of people with an invisible (hidden) disability feel safe enough to disclose this to their employer. That means that 90% of those with a disability hide part of themselves every day when they come to work. After being diagnosed with epilepsy in 2009, the first person I told at work asked me if I was a retard now. Since becoming hemiplegic I’ve been called “the pity hire”, “the quota filler” and told ‘people like me’ should not be in front of stakeholders because it looks weak.
In this talk you’ll learn about:
General disability awareness (language, what do we mean when we say ‘disabilities’).
How to create a safe environment for employees with disabilities.
The real cost of hiring, and not hiring, people with disabilities.
Testimonials
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Enquire about Sacha Dekker today!


Sacha Dekker
ICF-Certified Coach, Motivational Speaker, Disability Advocate, Expert in Inclusive Learning, Mindset & Resilience
why book sacha?
- Sacha Dekker is an ICF-certified coach who has worked with Fortune 500 executives to grow their leadership skills
- She was paralyzed after surgery, but defied expectations by walking the Great Wall of China and completing 110 km of the Camino de Santiago
- Sacha is a Learning and Talent Development executive who drives inclusive, high-impact corporate learning
“Sacha delivered a keynote for us at the Learning & Development Annual Conference and was a hugely impactful speaker. She was outstanding and truly challenged our audience to learn something new about themselves and the power of positive affirmation and clarity of purpose. Six months later, we continue to receive positive feedback and are delighted to continue our collaboration with Sacha in other aspects of our work.”
Sinead Heneghan, CEO, L&DI

Biography
Sacha Dekker is a Learning and Talent Development executive who specialises in creating world-class, equitable learning experiences that unlock potential, promote inclusion, and help organisations retain top talent.
Originally from the Netherlands, Sacha has lived in Geneva and South Africa before making Dublin her home in 2012. She has held senior L&D roles across industries in companies like Shell, LinkedIn, Oracle and HubSpot. As an ICF-certified coach, she has supported over 50 senior executives from Fortune 500 companies on their leadership journeys. In November 2023, she graduated with a first-class honours master’s in Education, Learning, and Development, and in June 2026, she completed an executive MBA at DCU.
In 2015, a surgery that was expected to be routine left Sacha fully paralysed down her left side. Doctors told her she would likely never walk, work, or live independently again, with life in a nursing home the most probable outcome.

Today, Sacha is a celebrated keynote speaker, a guest columnist for the Irish Times, and the founder of I am Phoenix. She has delivered talks for organisations including Musgrave, the Irish Civil Service, L&DI, ITAG, the IDA, and SuperValu. Her speaking topics include resilience and mindset, disability awareness, and social learning in a hybrid environment.
Topics
Disability Awareness in the Workplace
The unemployment rate for people with a disability is almost 2.3 times the rate compared to those without a disability. On top of that, only 10% of people with an invisible (hidden) disability feel safe enough to disclose this to their employer. That means that 90% of those with a disability hide part of themselves every day when they come to work. After being diagnosed with epilepsy in 2009, the first person I told at work asked me if I was a retard now. Since becoming hemiplegic I’ve been called “the pity hire”, “the quota filler” and told ‘people like me’ should not be in front of stakeholders because it looks weak.
In this talk you’ll learn about:
- General disability awareness (language, what do we mean when we say ‘disabilities’)
- How to create a safe environment for employees with disabilities
- The real cost of hiring, and not hiring, people with disabilities
Building Resilience Through Mindset
Everyone talks about resilience and especially since the Covid19 pandemic it’s a hot topic. So what exactly is resilience and how do you build it? Waking up without the ability to walk, stand or even sit up straight without help, and doctors telling me I was going to spend my life in a wheelchair in a nursing home, resilience was all I had to draw on to keep me going.
In this talk you’ll learn about:
- What resilience is and isn’t
- The concept of toxic positivity and how to avoid it
- How you can choose to be resilient
Sacha Dekker
“Sacha is a very compelling, moving and effective speaker on DEI and disability inclusion in the workplace. She is powerful in increasing awareness and engaging people, bringing real life insights with both humour and seriousness to bear in a unique way, with great impact.”
Michelle Ní Longáin SC, Head of Employment Law Byrne Wallace Shields LLP
testimonials
“Sacha delivered a keynote for us at the Learning & Development Annual Conference and was a hugely impactful speaker. She was outstanding and truly challenged our audience to learn something new about themselves and the power of positive affirmation and clarity of purpose. Six months later, we continue to receive positive feedback and are delighted to continue our collaboration with Sacha in other aspects of our work.”
Sinead Heneghan, CEO, L&DI
“Sacha did a keynote for the itag Digital Women’s Christmas gathering in December 2025 and it was genuinely one of the most moving talks I’ve experienced. She shared her deeply personal journey of reclaiming her independence after a surgical complication left her paralysed down one side of her body. A story that could so easily have been defined by loss, was instead a masterclass in courage, resilience and determination. What struck me most was her honesty. She didn’t shy away from the darkest moments of her recovery, and it was precisely that vulnerability that made her talk so powerful. She held the room in complete silence.
If you’re looking for a speaker who will genuinely move your audience and leave them with a renewed sense of what’s possible, I cannot recommend her highly enough. Sacha’s story is extraordinary but it’s the way she tells it that truly sets her apart.”
Dee Timoney, itag Skillnet Network Manager
“Sacha is a very compelling, moving and effective speaker on DEI and disability inclusion in the workplace. She is powerful in increasing awareness and engaging people, bringing real life insights with both humour and seriousness to bear in a unique way, with great impact.”
Michelle Ní Longáin SC, Head of Employment Law Byrne Wallace Shields LLP
“Sacha delivered a talk on disability awareness in the workplace for one of our Common Purpose leadership programmes that went far beyond facts and figures. By using a mix of humour and lived experience, she helped our participants understand the obstacles faced by employees with disabilities. Her use of practical examples gave participants a clear understanding of what they can do as leaders to ensure a more inclusive workplace and work towards closing the disability employment gap.”
Dara Connolly, CEO, Common Purpose Ireland
“I invited Sacha to speak for our team as part of the International Day of People with Disabilities, and it made a lasting impression on our team. Drawing on her lived experience, she helped the audience understand what genuine resilience looks like. Sacha is inspirational without trying to be, and our employees walked away with implementable lessons and a stronger sense of how they can choose resilience in their own lives. Sacha’s story also helped them gain a deeper understanding of disability and, crucially, a clearer sense of why psychological safety around disclosure matters. Sacha is a compelling and thoughtful speaker, and I would recommend her without hesitation for any organisation serious about inclusion.”
Siobhan Sweeney · Global Senior Director Talent Development, Engagement & Inclusion, Element Materials



