Hamish Harding

Hamish Harding (born 1964) is a British businessman, aviator, and explorer, resident of the U.A.E. He is the founder of Action Grouphttps://www.actiongroup.com/ and Chairman of Action Aviationwww.actionaviation.com, an international aircraft brokerage company with headquarters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Hamish Harding is the holder of three Guinness World Records alongside Victor Vescovo in 2021, and the aviation crew of One More Orbitwww.onemoreorbit.com and Qatar Executive in 2019. On July 9-11th 2019, Capt. Harding led the record-breaking flight mission One More Orbit as mission director and crew pilot, setting the current world speed record as the fastest circumnavigation of Earth via both geographic poles by aeroplane. The record-setting flight mission gained world-wide press attention and was followed on video live-stream by 55 million viewers across the globe. Harding’s most recent expedition to gain global press attention took place on March 5th. 2020, when Harding alongside famed ocean explorer Victor Vescovo descended to the Challenger Deep of the Mariana Trench. Together they recorded the longest duration at full ocean depth and longest distance covered at full ocean depth. 
== Education ==
Hamish Harding graduated from Cambridge University with Bachelor's and Masters's degrees in Natural Sciences and Chemical Engineering. 
== World Explorer ==
=== One More Orbit ===
On July 9-11. 2019, 50 years after the man first walked on the moon, Hamish Harding together with a crew of eight astronauts and aviators broke the world speed record for the fastest circumnavigation via both poles in a Qatar executive Gulfstream G650ER ultra-long-range business jet. The Carbon-Negative flight mission One More Orbit launched and landed at the Shuttle Landing Facility (Space Florida) at NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL. USA. 
Capt. Harding served as the Mission Director and led an international team of over 100 people to gain the Guinness World Record for the fastest circumnavigation of the earth via both poles in 46h, 40min, 22sec. The flight mission "One More Orbit" was live-streamed and a documentary movie of the mission was created in conjunction with production company, Untitled, Inc.
=== Challenger Deep ===
On March 5. in 2021, Hamish Harding & Victor Vescovo dove to the deepest point of the Mariana Trench, the Challenger Deep. Here they set the World Record for Greatest Length Covered At Full Ocean Depth, and Greatest Time Spent At Full Ocean Depth.https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2021/03/05/dubai-resident-hamish-harding-explores-ocean-deepest-point-challenger-deep
== Career ==
Hamish Harding joined from university the IT consultancy company Logica and became Managing Director of Logica India based in Bangalore. 
In 2001, under his direction, Logica negotiated the largest software contract signed to date in the Indian banking sector, the prestigious National Payments System of India project for the Reserve Bank of India and 205 participating banks. 
=== Action Aviation ===
Chairman of the international aircraft brokerage company Action Aviation. 
After establishing Logica India, Hamish left in 2002 and founded Action Group, a private investment company which today includes the four following companies: Action Aviation founded in 2005 (2004 on website). Action Property Group founded in 2006. Triumph Property Group from 2012 which owns an airport hangar and office complex in the US. Action Production founded in 2012.
Hamish has been involved in a wide variety of business and commercial aviation projects over the last 16 years of heading up Action Aviation. 
He also organised the first VIP tourist service into the heart of Antarctica starting in Dec 2017 using a Gulfstream G550 and landing on a newly created ice-runway. 
=== Non-Profit Work ===
Hamish Harding is the Founder & Treasurer of the One More Orbit Foundation dedicated to inspiring Exploration and STEM education. https://gulfnews.com/uae/science/uae-explorer-set-to-plumb-deepest-point-on-earth-1.77598275
Hamish Harding invited Prince Ned Nwoko of Nigeria in an effort to raise awareness and launch the Eradication of Malaria in Africa project, supporting research for a malaria vaccine and substantial plans for eradication projects within Nigeria. The team unfurled a Nigerian flag at the pole emblazoned with the words “Let’s Eradicate Malaria in Africa.”https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/371933-nigerian-politician-takes-malaria-eradication-campaign-to-antarctica.html
== Personal Life ==
Hamish Harding is a UK citizen and a resident of the United Arab Emirates where he resides in Dubai with his wife, Linda, and their two sons. 
Hamish Harding holds three Guinness World Records:
* 2019 - The fastest circumnavigation of the Earth via both poles.
* 2021 - Greatest Distance Covered At Full Ocean Depth & Greatest Duration Spent At Full Ocean Depth.
Category:British businesspeople
Category:British aviators
Category:British explorers
Category:1964 births