Ascend was created by Read Macadam to leverage his international experience in the Arabian Gulf and Europe in adventure sport development and strategic consulting
Read is a dynamic leader with international experience operating in the corporate and adventure sport spheres. The core of his skill-set was honed in the GCC, having lived in Dubai and then Oman from 2006-2017.
Read remains internationaly-minded, now living in Italy, and he maintains strong ties to his communities in the GCC through his advisory and outdoor sport development work in Saudi Arabia.
THE COMPANY
ABOUT READ
After earning his BA in Economics in Canada Read based himself in the GCC region in 2006, becoming involved with real estate advisory services in Dubai. Moving from consultant to client side in 2008, Read moved to Muscat, Oman to coordinate market research activities at Al Mouj Muscat, the country’s leading integrated development aimed at international investors.
In 2012 Read decided to harness his experience and reputation in in market research, strategic planning, marketing and customer service, becoming a freelance consultant while at the same time certifying himself as a professional coach so he could have more time to pursue his passion of rock climbing at an international level.
Since 2012 Read has turned his focus to creating better workplaces and lives as a coach and consultant. Supporting clients as diverse as Red Bull, HSBC Bank Oman, industry boards and international schools, Read has added proven value and measurable results through his coaching, team development, project management, cultural change initiatives and strategic advisory services.
Read is also an international rock climber with close ties to the international climbing community. During his youth Read represented Canada on the world competitive stage and now his focus is on the rock. During his time living and working in Oman Read developed and climbed many world-class climbs, including some of the most difficult in the region, and has opened new climbing areas in multiple styles, putting the Sultanate on the international climbing map with his film and writing.
Read has been sought after to help manage and also create notable events with Red Bull in the Middle East; Red Bull Civil Walls 2016 and Red Bull Psicobloc 2017; and with the Saudi Climbing Federation in 2018 and 2019 to lead the development of the first official and professionally developed sport climbing venues in the Kingdom.
Since 2020 Read has been a senior associate with Venture Xtreme, participating in exploratory trips in the NEOM region with the objective of identifying and advising on the potential for adventure sports such as mountain biking, trekking, climbing and Via Ferrata. The scope of the projects span from on-site exploration, comprehensive mapping projects and advisory reporting to ultimately equipping the first climbing areas.
On the back of this advisory work, in 2021 Read led the climbing development team to install 100 sport climbs for the Rise100 event in NEOM, an inauguration of a world-class climbing and tourism site.
Since 2017 Read has been based in Italy where he continues to climb and, in addition to his work as Ascend, he co-owns and operates Explore Climbing SNC, Italy’s leading climbing training equipment company.
Climbing developed by Read and team in NEOM, Saudi Arabia