Richard Browning

Founder & Chief Test Pilot of Gravity Industries, Guinness World Record Holder for the Body-Controlled Jet Engine Suit, Expert on Innovation, Risk, & Challenging Conventional Limits.

Richard Browning’s Biography:

Richard Browning is a British inventor, entrepreneur, and engineer best known as the founder, CEO, and Chief Test Pilot of Gravity Industries. He is internationally recognised as the real-life “Iron Man” for creating and flying the world’s first patented body-controlled jet engine suit. This invention has fundamentally reimagined the potential of human flight, blending extreme sports with cutting-edge engineering. Browning is a two-time Guinness World Record holder for the Fastest Speed in a Body-controlled Jet Engine Powered Suit, most recently achieving a speed of 85.06 mph. His work embodies a powerful commitment to challenging the perceived limits of possibility and has been viewed by over two billion people worldwide.

Before launching Gravity Industries, Browning established a significant career in the corporate world, demonstrating a strong aptitude for innovation within large organisations. He spent years as a successful commodity trader for BP, where he honed his skills in strategic thinking and risk management. During this time, he championed and developed multiple entrepreneurial feats, including an astonishing $500 million cargo tracking platform, an achievement for which he was awarded the prestigious BP Group Innovation Award. Browning also brings a background of resilience and discipline, having served as a former Royal Marine Reservist, and holds a BSc in Exploration Geology from Cardiff University (2001). This diverse background underscores his ability to combine high-level commercial acumen with deep technical and physical rigour.

Browning’s primary achievement is the successful launch of Gravity Industries and the continued development of its patented flight technology. His jet suit, which took fifteen months to build, has been showcased globally at events like TED’s MainStage and for corporations like Google, Microsoft, and CISCO. He collaborates closely with government divisions, including the UK Ministry of Defence, providing practical direction on innovation and encouraging teams to “smash the ceilings of possibility.” In 2021, he was named a Visiting Fellow at Cass Business School and published his biography, Taking On Gravity. Richard’s current focus is on embedding authentic cultures of innovation in global businesses, using his story of seemingly impossible invention to inspire radical rethinking.

Why Hire Richard Browning?

Richard Browning offers a spectacular, high-octane demonstration of turning a bold, singular vision into an actionable reality. He provides audiences with tangible lessons on embracing failure, overcoming big-organisation inertia, and driving breakthrough success by thinking outside of conventional boundaries. His talks are deeply inspiring and backed by real-world engineering and record-breaking achievement.

Richard Browning’s Career Highlights:

Below showcases Richard Browning’s career in future technologies:

• 2025 – Secured a long-term commercial contract for Jet Suit use in major emergency rescue operations.
• 2021 – Appointed as a Visiting Fellow at Cass Business School.
• 2021 – Published his biography, Taking On Gravity.
• 2019 – Broke his previous Guinness World Record for the jet suit, setting a new record of 85.06 mph.
• 2017 – Founded Gravity Industries.
• 2017 – Set initial Guinness World Record of 32.02 mph in a body-controlled jet engine suit.
• 2017 – First Keynote at TED MainStage and began corporate speaking career.