David Lim is renowned for leading Singapore’s first Everest Expedition in 1998, during which two team members reached the summit. Over his career, he has completed more than 70 alpine ascents. Shortly after the Everest expedition, Lim was struck by Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a severe neurological disorder that left him paralysed from the eyes down and partially disabled in both legs after six months in the hospital. Despite these challenges, he rebuilt his strength and returned to mountaineering.
Lim has led over 15 expeditions, achieving notable climbs such as the first all-Singapore ascent of Argentina’s Aconcagua and the third solo ascent of the world’s highest volcano, Ojos del Salado. In 2005, he led the first Southeast Asian team to climb virgin peaks in the Tien Shan, naming three of them Temasek, Singapura, and Ong Teng Cheong. In 2009, his team summitted three more virgin peaks in the Tien Shan, including the challenging Majulah Peak. His latest expedition was to Qinghai, China, where he and partner Mohammed Rozani bin Maarof climbed a 6000-metre virgin peak, naming it Sangay Ri.
Lim is author of the best-seller Mountain to Climb, Against Giants, How Leaders Lead: 71 Lessons in Leading Yourself and Others and Lessons from the Edge. He is also an accredited coach, and certified Meta-Coach. Lim and his team have delivered programmes and presentations in over 34 countries and 81 cities worldwide. His clients include Google, Linkedin, Walmart, Accenture, PWC, Thomson Reuters, Danone, Prudential, AXA, TATA Steel, Standard Chartered Bank, and Novartis.
Lim spent nearly a decade in the media industry with positions in marketing, journalism management and multimedia. His other positions include being and adjunct lecturer at INSEAD Business School (2000-2014), engaging leaders on self and team leadership. Lim was educated in Singapore, and Britain, and graduated with a law degree from Cambridge University.
