What do you do when life changes in an instant—and the future you expected disappears? Advocate, activist and author Katie Piper explains how she rebuilt her life after surviving an acid attack on a London street at 24, founded a burn-rehabilitation charity and reframed "Why me?" as "What now?" It's a special conversation about resilience, personal reinvention and leading through adversity.

You'll learn:
-Why real confidence comes from knowing you can adapt and recover
-The importance of accepting situations as they are, and releasing expectations
-How to see challenge as a way to recommit to your purpose
-How acceptance, discomfort and a self-authored identity can help you start again
-Why vulnerability and empathy are strengths in leadership

Katie Piper is a bestselling author, television presenter and founder of the Katie Piper Foundation, which supports burn survivors through rehabilitation. She is also a survivor of male violence and an advocate for people with burns and visible differences.

This conversation explores resilience, purpose, trauma recovery, inclusive leadership and turning pain into purpose. Follow Meet the Leader on YouTube, Spotify or podcast apps, and subscribe for more conversations with people shaping the world

This interview was recorded in January 2026 at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos Switzerland.

About this episode
Read - Book: Beautiful, Katie Piper: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0091940761?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback
Watch - Davos 2026 session: Scars of Survival: How I Rebuilt My Life: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/scars-of-survival-how-i-rebuilt-my-life/
Connect - Foundation: https://www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk/

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Find your purpose after major setbacks: Katie Piper on how to adapt, reinvent and lead

Meet The Leader

Find your purpose after major setbacks: Katie Piper on how to adapt, reinvent and lead