Sailing the Seas of Leadership: Mark Denton to Open VPPPA Safety+ Symposium
World sailor and leadership expert Mark Denton will share lessons in resilience, agility, and team culture as the opening keynote at VPPPA’s 41st Safety+ Symposium in St. Louis this August.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Jul 31, 2025
The Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association (VPPPA) will host its 41st Safety+ Symposium in St. Louis, Aug. 11–14, featuring two keynote speakers known for their experiences in high-risk, high-performance environments.
The event opens Tuesday, Aug. 12, with a keynote from Mark Denton, a veteran sailor and leadership consultant. Denton will deliver a dramatic, multimedia presentation on his experience leading an amateur crew in the grueling Round-the-World Race. He plans to share lessons in agility, resilience and decision-making under pressure, connecting his journey on the open ocean to the challenges faced by workplace safety leaders.
Denton’s keynote will highlight strategies that can be applied across industries, including:
- Building psychological safety within teams
- Encouraging data-driven adjustments during uncertainty
- Using incremental goals and feedback loops to drive continuous improvement
The Safety+ Symposium will conclude Aug. 14 with a second keynote designed to inspire attendees to elevate safety culture and embrace leadership principles rooted in real-world experience.
The annual Safety+ Symposium draws safety professionals from across the country for educational sessions, networking, and practical insights into workplace safety and health.
More information is available at safety.vpppa.org.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco is the Content Editor for OH&S.