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#Resilience. Now there's a buzzword. People and businesses need it, but how to build it? We watched proudly last we… https://t.co/V5wa2TYBV3
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Testimonials

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“The Personally Speaking Bureau are delighted to welcome Petra Velzeboer as a guest blogger on our website this month.
How to Support Mental Fitness in the Workplace By Petra Velzeboer
As a mental health consultant, I frequently get asked about the business case for mental health at work. Finally we’re living in a time where businesses are waking up to the financial cost of not putting a prevention plan in their workplace. A prevention plan focuses on supporting issues such as long term absence, presenteeism and staff turnover. Reports such as Thriving at Work and Seizing the Momentum have been helping that cause.
What is a mental health at work plan?
A mental health at work plan simply pulls together all your initiatives to do with well being . It creates a plan that is strategic and can impact everyone. A great way to start is getting your senior leadership (CEO, President) to speak about their mental health. They should also speak about the importance of looking after their people. This has the single biggest impact in ensuring the company is leading by example and isn’t just ticking a box. While awareness days are great for challenging stigma and getting everyone involved, it’s often leadership training that has the biggest impact long term. Some of the biggest fears leaders and managers have when it comes to mental health are:

Time – they simply don’t have enough time for all these empathetic conversations.

Opening Pandora’s box – they’re worried that if they start the conversation no one will do any work.

Skill – they’re worried they don’t have the skill to know how to fix the problem or may even make it worse.

Our leadership training challenges all of these fears by teaching that empathy can be embedded in the conversations you have already. It doesn’t need to take more time. We teach active listening. This shows that we don’t need to have all the answers to make things better. Simply taking a minute and signposting to appropriate support can be enough to make the individual feel supported. And finally, mental health is about all of us. It’s about culture, engagement, team building, loyalty, productivity, success mindset and growth mindset. Furthermore, it's the ability to build something special together. The reports listed earlier can act as a guide on frameworks for creating a mentally healthy workplace long before crisis point.
How do we get started in changing our work culture?
We get started by simply being present and learning to really see each other again. When I give keynote talks we think about the effect of technology on our society’s ability to connect. We show empathy and do simple challenges to remind ourselves of what eye-contact and human-contact are like. It’s amazing how disruptive a little exercise where we look into each other’s eyes and touch hands with our neighbour can be. As Brene Brown says ‘it’s hard to hate each other up close’ . There are some really simple steps to learn how to connect which ultimately creates a mentally healthy culture.
What can mental health mean to me personally?
So just a reminder, we all have mental health just like we have physical health. During my Keynotes I’ll show images of how physical health is viewed in the media, (aspirational, victorious, cool etc.) and then show how mental health has traditionally been portrayed (despair, hopeless, broken). Then I show how in the past year this message is starting to change. We’re showing mental health as aspirational, a healthy mindset, success, good leadership etc. So really what we’re talking about is investing in our minds just like we invest in our bodies in order to be the best version of ourselves, at home and at work. The way we can do this is through meditation, exercise, connecting authentically with people and practicing self-awareness. This allows us to notice the signs of burnout or poor mental health well before a crisis point. At work, we want to have conversations at this stage as ultimately, we save money, enhance productivity and retain staff long term.
Is mental health at work just a fad?
Mental health at work is here to stay. With momentum building in the UK and across the world, there’s talk of mental health guidance being added to health and safety legislation. There is an incentive and framework to support businesses to focus on their people. The world of work is changing. New businesses filled with the younger generation know that they need to prioritise mental health, invest in their people and provide a sense of team and purpose if they’re to retain talent. Remote working means we need to utilise more skills than ever to ensure our connections are real and authentic. People need to feel like they're building something and not just showing up. It truly is an exciting time to be part of this conversation, not just awareness raising but really being in a position to help businesses figure out how to put these initiatives into practice in order to create real change. Read more about Petra Velzeboer here. Contact us today to inquire about Petra's availability to speak at your next event!”

“Resilience. Now there’s a buzzword. Whether you’re parenting a child or running a company, resilience is an attribute in much demand. As we see daily with clients looking for the best business speakers on the subject, people everywhere want to know what it is and how to get more of it. Practice makes perfect Evidence shows that while resilience is a quality you might not have been born with, it’s something you can certainly cultivate. It’s also a topic exemplified by one of the very first business speakers that we worked with, Caroline Casey. Caroline speaks passionately about resilience and other topics at events around the globe, including in Davos. In a live broadcast on Thursday 24^th last, at WEF 2019, I watched with great pleasure and pride as one of our most in-demand keynote speakers declared on the world stage that after 20 years of hard work, and many setbacks, she had finally achieved her goal of getting disability inclusion firmly on the agenda of some of the world’s biggest companies. Twenty years is a long time. Call it what you will – bounce-back-ability, tenacity – but to me, that’s the very definition of resilience. Valuable Campaign Caroline was there as founder of Binc (inclusive business) and the increasingly influential Valuable campaign, which aims to get business to recognize the value of the 1.3 billion people on the planet who live with a disability – their value as workers, customers and members of society. But it was actually 20 years ago that Caroline’s personal campaign began, when after hiding it for years she finally admitted to her then-bosses in Accenture that she was (is) legally blind. Closing the Circle So there’s a lovely symmetry in the fact that one of the first six companies to sign up for Valuable is Accenture. As Caroline says, ‘It’s closed the circle.’ She’s not stopping there though. The Valuable 500 campaign is seeking to get 500 companies to put disability inclusion on their business agenda. And with the kind of resilience Caroline has always shown, I’ll bet they’ll do it too. Soon. Resilience in Business In business, resilience is often talked about in reverential tones. But while we know it’s something we want to have, it can feel unattainable. I think this is because it (wrongly) can have certain negative connotations. Resilience, to some, suggests ‘putting up with’ something we perhaps shouldn’t be tolerating. And when we feel like this, it can trigger resentment, fear, insecurity. Resilience also inevitably brings obstacles to mind. So particularly when it comes to the workplace, when asked to be more resilient, often what people actually hear is ‘brace yourself’. True Resilience Brings Freedom With true resilience, in contrast, there’s a certain joy to it – a freedom. Freedom from the fear that we won’t reach our goals or be able to overcome the obstacles. Because come they will; that’s life. Use It or Lose It As Caroline will tell you, resilience is like a muscle; you need to exercise it. Over time then, that muscle gets bigger, leaner, stronger. We become more energized and focused. We feel we can take on – and overcome - anything. The converse of this, of course, that if we don’t use it, it atrophies. Start Small And just as Caroline has demonstrated with her work, with resilience, we start small. And then practice, practice, practice. Know Your Enemies As a starting point, it’s useful to identify your stressors. Observe how you respond to them and remember, however trivial they seem, for you they are real. Only then can you tackle them. You’re Not the Only One All of us have faced adversity of some kind and come out the other side, and it’s important to remember that. Celebrate your victories, however small. And celebrate others’ victories too. Find Your Tribe We all need encouragement, and it’s important to tap your best resources when you’re stuck or struggling. That usually means friends, colleagues, mentors, business speakers, family. Make the best of what you have We’re all aware of at least some of our strengths. So make the most of those while working on the skills you feel need improving. And if you aren’t sure, seek advice from others – a mentor, a career counselor, business speakers, whatever it takes. These are just some of my thoughts on resilience. I would love to hear from others because I know there’s plenty more to know. Like Caroline and the Valuable campaign, I believe we all want to feel like we can conquer the world. Even if it takes more time than we think. Because, the most hard-won victories – the dreams we cherish and hold aloft the longest - are the sweetest. If you are interested in booking Caroline to talk about resilience at your event, please contact us today for more information about our business speakers.”

“Jamie Anderson, Professor in Strategic Manager at Antwerp Business School and lecturer at London Business School, has been named as one of the world’s top 25 Management Thinkers by the Business Strategy Review Journal. He is an experienced and adept after dinner speaker and keynote speaker on business and management issues. Jamie’s case study of Lady Gaga was featured in the Financial Times, and he has developed a keynote presentation around the Gaga story which focuses on lessons from her success for business.”

“Today we were very proud to hear that one of our esteemed speakers, Terence Mauri, has been listed by Thinkers50 as one of the Top 30 Thinkers to watch this year when it comes to management ideas. Great news! Described by Thinkers50 as an Influential and outspoken expert on the future of leadership, Terence Mauri was recognised for his idea Mindset 2.0. ‘A future-proof leadership mindset and set of behaviours to turn disruptors into opportunities. Future leadership is the ability to reinvent the future today and embrace early trends and weak signals as an opportunity. It’s about having an eye on the future so that we might make better leadership decisions in the present.’
Keynote Speaker
Having worked with Terence as a keynote speaker over the last couple of years, I have seen how his insatiable curiosity about almost everything, and his ability to visualise the future and help leaders succeed in a world of constant change, have earned him a reputation as a leader in his field.
One of The Best
This reputation as one of the best means that since he joined our portfolio of keynote speakers, Terence has been hugely in demand as both a business speaker and innovative speaker, booked by organisations looking for thought leadership for disruptors, incisive thinkers and smart ways of staying one step ahead for the future. Terence’s content could not be more relevant for 2019, with The Fourth Industrial Revolution taking centre stage at the World Economic Forum this week in Davos, where the world’s foremost political, business and other leaders have come together to discuss global, regional and industry agendas, and to explore what each of us, personally and professionally, can do to survive and thrive in a fast-changing world. Other international business speakers and experts in this area to keep an eye on are: Claire Dillon Nancy Rademaker Ade McCormack Jamie Anderson Mike Walsh Kate Adamson If you would like information on any of these speakers, contact us today!”

“Excited to see Caroline Casey at WEF in Davos this week! And sharing the stage – and a packed schedule - with thought leaders from the worlds of philanthropy, business, news and culture.
(Pictured: Caroline Casey, with some of the many people she shares the stage with in Davos, among them Mike Fries, Shamina Singh, David Gergen, David Rubenstein, Mike McBride, Precious Moloi-Motsepe, Andria Zifarakou, Paul Polman).
About Caroline Casey
Caroline is one of our marquee keynote speakers. She never fails to deliver with her energy, passion, heart and vision. She speaks around the world on issues including leading with purpose, resilience and collaborative leadership. At Davos her focus is on her work with the Valuable campaign. The Valuable campaign seeks to place disability inclusion at the heart of the business agenda. And while at Davos, there will be a big announcement from Valuable, so watch this space!
About Davos
Davos is a high-profile global gathering of political, economic and cultural heavyweights. Perhaps the best thing about Davos is the sheer number and diversity of people and ideas to be experienced. Furthermore, the range and complexity of the topics addressed, from climate change and economic inequality to poverty, health and well-being all make this event memorable. For Caroline, as for so many others attending and participating, this means rich, fertile ground where different disciplines, fields of research/endeavor and cultures meet to form a potent mix. Davos never fails to yield new ideas and approaches to the problems and challenges facing the world, especially now, when there appears to be so much instability and uncertainty. And at least for the Valuable campaign, which is gaining momentum around the world, Davos presents many opportunities for discussion, dialogue and collaboration.
The Schedule
The first of these takes place today, Tuesday, at 3pm. At Storytellers: The Road to Resilience (to be streamed live from 3pm on TopLink and the Forum website), Caroline will share the stage with luminaries such as National Geographic photographer and filmmaker Pete McBride and award-winning teacher Andria Zafirakou. Next up, on Wednesday at 4.30, Caroline leads the discussion in the workshop Disability Inclusion: Making it Work, which explores how to unlock the potential of diversity in the workplace. But perhaps the highest-profile event is the Thursday 4pm workshop (preceded by a busy press conference), Fostering Inclusive Business. This workshop convenes leaders and experts to build consensus on inclusive business practices in the new economy and society. We are confident that whatever emerges, it will be interesting and stimulating. We will be watching! You can follow Caroline on twitter at @carolinebinc and on Instagram at @onthecasebinc. We will also be publishing an in-depth interview with her next week, after Davos. During the interview she shares her thoughts on her busy week there and a whole lot else besides. Read more about Caroline Casey here.”

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I may be addicted to listening to Podcasts if such an addiction is possible. I have always loved talk radio but then along came Podcasts and I was hooked. Podcasts are useful for me for work research, self development, business development, escapism, pursuing hobbies or just because…

With Christmas on our doorstep and time to chill out, walk or indeed escape, I thought it might be useful to share some of the Podcasts I have enjoyed this year.

The Adam Buxton Podcast is great with lots of humour, great conversations and interesting interviewees. If you log in there are plenty to choose from but one of my favourite interviews was Adam Buxton interviews Jon Ronson. I am lucky enough to work with Jon a little as a keynote speaker and have always found is insights and research fascinating.

Recently I started listening to Karl Henry’s Real Health Podcast which offers some great simple tips to better health. A great one to tune into for the new year.

I particularly liked his Improve your Mental Wellness with Neil O'Brien and Dermot Bannon. Neil O'Brien is one of the most in demand motivational speakers at the moment.

I love tuning into Alec Baldwin’s Here's The Thing where Alec skillfully brings listeners into the lives of artists, policy makers and performers.

As cooking is one of my main hobbies and is where I go to to de-stress or chillax I do like to listen to the BBC The Food Programme and Ottolenghi's Simple Pleasures.

A friend recommended I tune into Blindboy this year and I am glad I did. Again that perfect combination of humour and intelligent conversation makes for great listening Blindboy Interviews David McWilliams.

For business development I get a lot from Sarah Green Carmichael interviews on Harvard Business Reviews HBR Ideacast. Sarah Carmichael interviews business people, world leaders, motivational speakers, economists and many more who offer interesting insights and advice for anyone in business.

When I am running or walking, I love a good thriller and it is good for my exercise routine too! Here are a few I got into this year.

1. The Los Angeles Times - Dirty John

2. The Australians - Teachers Pet

3. And on audible - West Cork

If you want to change habits, be happier, improve relationships, get on better at work I recommend tuning into Gretchin Rubin’s Happier Podcast.

Finally TED continue to bring their audience thought provoking and inspiring content. There are thousands of motivational speakers to choose from on TED.COM but one that I particularly like is Margaret Heffernan's TED Talk - Forget the Pecking Order in Work.

There are many more but I hope there might be something for everyone here. I would love to hear of any Podcasts you have enjoyed this year, please do let me know.

Happy Christmas!

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“As the end of the year is fast approaching I am taking time to take stock of the year gone by. In particular I am focusing on the trends and topics for keynote speakers and events. Like most businesses we have enjoyed a better market this year and have placed speakers in all continents. We have been part of events for a board of 10 people and also events that had up to 30,000 in the audience. 2018 has seen Personally Speaking be part of corporate events of all shapes and sizes. Here are some of our observations that we noted this year: 1. Leadership Strategy Meetings are taking place more often. These meetings are moving from annual to quarterly for many of our clients. This year we had more requests than ever for Keynote speakers and facilitators to help put shape and flow to these two to three day events. 2. With the increase of smaller events this year, we wondered if big conferences would be out of fashion but they are still very popular and are very well attended. I wonder with more agile staff, are events now being used more as a place for people to connect with others, network and improve knowledge? 3. We noticed a lot more internal events in organisations especially in the area of Learning and Development. Bringing in outside experts for leadership programmes, wellness and team development was definitely a big part of our business this year. 4. Wellness and Wellbeing are firm on the agenda for every organisation. Keeping talent well and happy is not a tick boxing exercise for organisations. Our clients are investing time and money, bringing programmes/talks/expertise to their staff. This helps to manage their mental health, physical wellbeing, energy, sleep and happiness.
Most Popular Trends
The most popular themes and topics in 2018 were: Leading With Purpose Collaboration Agile Teams Robotics and AI - The Future of Work Wellbeing - Mental Health, Purpose, Resilience and Happiness Blockchain Brexit, Brexit and Brexit Globalisation Communication Talent acquisition and retention It is hard to pinpoint the highlight of the year or to choose a favourite talk but I think BCG Fellow Yves Morieux's talk on SMART SIMPLICITY is more relevant than ever as the world become more complex and we are in a constant state of change. If you are planning an event, contact Personally Speaking to discuss what Keynote speakers may suit your audience, budget and goals. ”

“What’s the secret of choosing a great after-dinner speaker? That means a speaker who skilfully navigates from thoughtful reflection on the year gone by to excitement about the challenges ahead, all served up with a good dollop of humour and entertainment leaving the audience feeling really good about life, plus giving them something to think about. It felt like only yesterday I was writing about restarting after the summer break. Time seems to fly at this most busy time of year. Holidays are over and businesses are operating at full pace (or somewhere close to it). It may only be October but preparations for Christmas parties are well underway because finding the perfect after dinner speaker that suits your event is never easy. Years of attending after dinner speeches has taught me that it is definitely the most difficult speech to deliver. But when you find the right speaker, whether you are planning a small dinner for clients or a big company event, the impact is tremendous, and people will also talk about it for months and months afterwards! Back of an envelope and pen at the ready?
Here are questions to get you thinking:
1. Think of after dinner speakers you’ve heard speak and write down what you liked and what you didn’t. This 3-minute exercise is a good way of nailing the characteristics of the kind of speaker you want. 2. Who is your audience? What are they particularly interested in? For example, there are economists, business people, and sports pundits who can do humour and entertainment too and make for terrific after dinner speakers. Likewise, there are comedians and media personalities who can also cover the more serious territory of business. 3. What extra things has your company been trying to do this year? For example, if your company launched a Wellness Policy this year maybe an entertaining sports speakers would be a good fit? Also you could look for a speaker to endorse and amplify your efforts. We have handpicked a number of after dinner speakers who have proven track records of delivering really excellent after dinner speeches. David Mc Williams is hugely popular on the after dinner speaker circuit both in Ireland and internationally. His insights on all aspects of the economy, national and global, are both fascinating and entertaining in equal measure. I have heard David talk on numerous occasions. I always learn something new and go away thinking differently about how the economy and society function. Keith Barry is very much a Christmas favourite. An event with Keith is always great fun and a great way of rounding off a hard year at work. The audience participation keeps everybody involved. Keith reveals to the audience how to tap into their subconscious minds to break through barriers. Also, he disrupts unhealthy thought patterns and shows how to exceed expectations both in their business and their personal lives. If humour is top of your list then look no further than Oliver Callan. His impersonations of high-profile personalities makes for a memorable night. Check out some of his impersonations here. Conor O'Shea is a personal favourite. Conor speaks about how to build high performing teams and is a very natural presenter. He always seems to hit the right notes no matter where he is speaking. Furthermore, his combination of humour and experience in both the worlds of sport and business make him perfect for the after dinner speaker slot. Unusual in the world of rugby, Brent Pope speaks honestly and eloquently about his mental health issues, having suffered anxiety attacks for many years. Brent is an ex-New Zealand rugby player, broadcaster and author. Above all he is cheerful, easy-going and witty, and his talks focus on a mixture of wellness, team performance and lessons from sport. Other popular after dinner speakers include Nigel Owens, Sean Fitzpatrick, Paul Mc Neive, Jason O’Callaghan, Ruby Wax, Jon Ronson and also Erin Fornoff. Please do contact us with any queries you may have. We’d love to help you choose that after dinner speaker who is going to make your event truly memorable. ”

““The right to be blind without being disabled” is one of Sabriye's mottos. If you are looking for someone who has a different vision on the world, is passionate, can energize an audience and who has twenty years of hands-on experience in running social impact making ventures in challenging surroundings such as Tibet and India, then Sabriye Tenberken is the right person.”

“It is 9 pm on a Friday night and I have just boarded my flight home to Dublin from Munich. I have had a very enjoyable week visiting customers in Munich to discuss speaker requirements for their L&D programmes and upcoming conferences. Before I settle into my weekend I check my emails one last time. Phew, only one mail from a customer who had one of our sports speakers at their annual conference today, like me, she just wanted to send off one quick mail before she closes down for the weekend. The email read something like: ‘ Hope you’re enjoying Munich. Conor was fantastic! Everybody really enjoyed the session and personally, I learned loads! He is a very natural presenter and the themes are truly translatable to business. And of course, very nice guy. Thank you so much for managing to secure him in such a short space of time. Let's meet up soon.’ Conor O’Shea, Manager of the Italian Rugby team and a former Ireland International is the speaker she was referring to and the feedback is consistent with all the feedback on Conor for any event but no matter how sure you are that a speaker will be a good fit nothing tops hearing this sort of feedback from customer and reminds me of the purpose of the business I set up over ten years ago. On the flight home as I sip a glass of red wine I think back about when I set up Personally Speaking after 10 years in public relations. The business grew from a place of passion rather than business acumen in the early days. Having come from a background in communication I truly believe that people who can tell stories are a wonderful resource and more compelling than most books or clips. A good storyteller with experience, expertise, knowledge or a funny story to share AND has is a good storyteller can change the shape of an event, excite, interest and challenge any audience, even the most cynical! The trick is in the selection of the speaker and then the briefing. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind if you are looking for a speaker for a big or small event, try to answer these questions before you go looking for the speaker;

What is the main objective of this event? What would success look/feel like? Tip - I often ask my customers what would you want the audience to say about the speaker for e.g, that he/she was inspiring, thought-provoking, a change maker, challenging, funny, empathetic, passionate, gave useful tips etc.

How can a speaker help you make this event a huge success?

Who is the audience and what do they enjoy? Sport, music politics, travel, adventures, personal development.

If you have booked speakers in the past who worked really well and who didn’t and why? Make a list

Who are the other speakers at the event? Consider these when selecting your speaker and the time slot for the speaker.

What is your budget? This is important and best to know from the beginning.

Talk to you preferred speaker agency, they will be delighted to recommend some great speakers and will probably have some fresh and interesting ideas too.

As we are heading into a busy season for conferences I hope this helps you in your search for external speakers. Aim to feel like my customer did after her recent event, she will not have been alone, the impact Conor made will have touched everyone in the audience and there lies the real brilliance of a great speaker. ”

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“In his engaging and humorous talks Neil O'Brien loves to take the audience out of their comfort zone and into their growth zone. He equips attendees with tools for a growth mindset and has built a stellar reputation for helping business leaders and their teams through transformation by teaching them to embrace the small steps that lead to big changes.”

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8. Do We Share Your Data? 8.1 In certain circumstances, We may be legally required to share certain data held by Us, which may include your personal data, for example, where We are involved in legal proceedings, where We are complying with legal obligations, a court order, or a governmental authority. 8.2 In certain circumstances, We may be legally required to share certain data held by Us, which may include your personal data, for example, where We are involved in legal proceedings, where We are complying with legal requirements, a court order, or a governmental authority. 9. How Can You Control Your Data? When you submit personal data via Our Site, you may be given options to restrict Our use of your data. In particular, We aim to give you strong controls on Our use of your data for direct marketing purposes (including the ability to opt-out of receiving emails from Us which you may do by unsubscribing using the links provided in Our emails and at the point of providing your details). 10. Your Right to Withhold Information You may access certain areas of Our Site without providing any data at all. However, to use all features and functions available on Our Site you may be required to submit or allow for the collection of certain data. 11. How Can You Access Your Data? You have the right to ask for a copy of any of your personal data held by Us (where such data is held). Under the GDPR, no fee is payable and We will provide any and all information in response to your request free of charge. Please contact Us for more details at info@personallyspeakingbureau.com or using the contact details below in clause 12. 12. Contacting Us If you have any questions about Our Site or this Privacy Policy, please contact Us by email at info@personallyspeakingbureau.com, or by post at Personally Speaking Ltd., 23 Charleston Avenue, Ranelagh, Dublin 6, Ireland. Please ensure that your query is clear, particularly if it is a request for information about the data We hold about you (as under clause 11, above). 13. Changes to Our Privacy Policy We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time (for example, if the law changes). Any changes will be immediately posted on Our Site and you will be deemed to have accepted the terms of the Privacy Policy on your first use of Our Site following the alterations. We recommend that you check this page regularly to keep up-to-date.”

“With over 20 years experience of leadership development, business strategy and technology evangelism, Clare helps organisations maximise the opportunities presented by the latest trends in technology, from AI to Virtual Reality. Passionate about how technology is changing and shaping the world we live and work in, she regularly speaks on topics related to digital transformation and organisational change. Clare Dillon was a key member of the Microsoft Ireland Leadership Team for 8 years as Microsoft transformed from a software product to a cloud services organisation, giving her first-hand experience of leading through times of change. Heading up the Developer Experience and Evangelism team, she was focused on establishing partnerships with software as a service (SaaS) companies to drive their success on the Microsoft platform, from both a technical and business perspective. She has also served on the board of the National Digital Research Centre, the Irish Internet Association and on the Industry Guidance Board of the Irish Centre for Cloud Computing and Commerce. Technology trends shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution The Fourth Industrial Revolution and changing shape of business in the 21st century Culture change required for a digital world Lessons learned from Microsoft’s digital transformation Introduction to AI for non-techies AI and the rise of the machines: should we be afraid? Ethics of AI – the potential pitfalls of implementing AI”

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Are you ready to survive and thrive in the age of AI, automation and algorithms?

Terence Mauri tackles the age of disruption that all businesses are facing and looks at smart ways to stay one step ahead. His role as an Inc. magazine Columnist and entrepreneur mentor at London Business School and Oxford University ensure you get new thinking to become the CEO of tomorrow.
Inc. Top 100 Speaker 2018”

“Viv, thank you so much for organising Brian O'Driscoll to speak. It was an absolute pleasure working with you guys. What we had anticipated to be complicated processes – was one of the smoothest and was certainly one of our most successful events to date! We have many events and launches coming up soon and will certainly be in touch should we require any speakers again. - Aimee Scanlon, Globoforce, Feb 2017”

“Hi Joanne, Thanks so much for setting up the gig for Debra Searle last week. She found the team at the Henderson Group lovely which is always a perk! If they come to us directly for anything in the future we’ll refer them back to you at Personally Speaking. Kind Regards, Stef Clifton Sprigg, Ops Manager, Shoal Projects Ltd.”

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Personally Speaking Events

16 Nov 2016: Thought Leadership Roundtable on WILFUL BLINDNESS with guest TED Speaker Margaret Heffernan

AUDIENCE COMMENTS: "I just spoke to Audrey a little while ago – she (like me) was hugely impressed by Margaret … to quote … “one of if not “the” best speaker she has heard”. Personally I think this talk would be hugely beneficial(to leaders and managers) given all of the challenges that the banking industry is facing with conduct risk / culture change required etc. Thank you again for including me this morning" - Mary Kennedy, AIB

"Thanks a million for invite to yesterday morning’s talk with Margaret. You were so right; superb speaker and what a lot of sense she makes. All highly relevant to the IT at the moment too! And it looked like others in the room felt exactly the same." - Deirdre Veldon, Irish Times

"Again many thanks to you and your team for this morning's talk. I don't think I have been at a talk like that where I saw so little use of the iPhone in a long time, which is quite an achievement in this day and age! Margaret Heffernan was incredibly strong (though that didn't surprise me, I have seen a number of her TED talks on YouTube)." - Bryan Bourke, William Fry

In this provocative talk based on her bestselling book ‘Wilful Blindness’ named by the FT as one of "best business books of the decade” Margaret spoke about:

·        What blinds companies to their risks

·        Why most employees don't share their knowledge

·        How companies can kill creativity - or stoke it

·        The power of noticing and acting on what you see

·        How diversity can make companies smarter

By invitation only. If you would like to get on the invite list for future Personally Speaking events please email irene@personallyspeakingbureau.com

6 OCT 2016: Speaker Breakfast 'WORK BETTER, GO HOME HAPPIER!' with guest speakers Neil O'Brien and Mark Downey
AUDIENCE COMMENTS: "It was great to hear from passionate and creative professionals – experiencing their energy and drive. Thank you." - Lisa Grace, Senior Business Engagement Manager, Redwood&Co. "Thank you again to you and Irene for including me at your Breakfast Event this morning in the Merrion Hotel. It was good to see Neil O'Brien again, and Mark Downey's approach is very interesting and entirely novel." - Barry Dempsey, Irish Heart Foundation "Thank you for the very enjoyable and informative session this morning. I really enjoyed it!" - Mary Donohoe, Director of Learning & Development, CarTrawler By invitation only. If you would like to get on the invite list for future events please email irene@personallyspeakingbureau.com”

“We will be in touch very soon. We will do our best to contact you within the next 24 hours. Please note that we only reply to Commercial and Corporate Speaking enquiries. Due to the volume of emails we receive on a daily basis, we regret that we are unable to respond to other requests. Sorry about that. ”

“We will be in touch very soon. We will do our best to contact you within the next 24 hours. Please note that we only reply to Commercial and Corporate Speaking enquiries. Due to the volume of emails we receive on a daily basis, we regret that we are unable to respond to other requests. Sorry about that.”

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1 Landing Page inquiry for David McWilliams [your-name] frances@personallyspeakingbureau.com Contact Form YOUR NAME: [your-name] PHONE: [your-phone] COMPANY: [your-company] eMAIL: [your-email] YOUR ENQUIRY: [your-message] -- This e-mail was sent from a contact form on Personally Speaking Bureau - Making events memorable (http://www.personallyspeakingbureau.com/) Reply-To: [your-email] [your-subject] [your-name] <[your-email]> [your-email] Message Body: [your-message] -- This e-mail was sent from a contact form on Personally Speaking Making events memorable (http://localhost/psb) Your message was sent successfully. Thanks. Failed to send your message. Please try later or contact the administrator by another method. Validation errors occurred. Please confirm the fields and submit it again. Failed to send your message. Please try later or contact the administrator by another method. Please accept the terms to proceed. Please fill the required field. This input is too long. This input is too short. Date format seems invalid. This date is too early. This date is too late. Failed to upload file. This file type is not allowed. This file is too large. Failed to upload file. Error occurred. Number format seems invalid. This number is too small. This number is too large. Your answer is not correct. Your entered code is incorrect. Email address seems invalid. URL seems invalid. Telephone number seems invalid.”

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“
David joined us for a 2 hours session - smoothly organized by Personally Speaking - to think about and discuss the big global trends in geopolitics and economy. Simply outstanding!

”
Till Olbrich, PMI, August 2015

“Frances, thank you so much for coming to our rescue at the last minute. David went down so well with the audience, he was outstanding. ”
Eleanor Bloem, Thundermark, July 2015

“Frances, thank you for including me last Friday, I thought Dr. Briffa was fabulous, I liked his delivery and the way he wasn’t evangelical! I have already made a few food switches :)”
Gillian Owens, Cpl Resources plc., 2 July 2015

“Caroline Casey stole the show! The feedback has been fantastic, she opened a lot of people’s minds to new possibilities and ways of thinking. Thanks for your help in organising this Vivienne. ”
Anthony White, Allianz, Frankfurt, 20th May 2015

“I really appreciate the creativity and flexibility you’re using to find me these opportunities Frances — your willingness to be imaginative encourages me to be likewise! Thank you so much. ”
Margaret Heffernan, Author of 'Wilful Blindness', May 2015

“Dr. John Briffa, a practising doctor, author, journalist, speaker and trainer”

“Thank you Rani for always exceeding our expectations, for replying to emails within minutes, even though there was a 7 hour time difference. This was our first time using a speaking agent located outside of the USA, but the Personally Speaking team made the whole experience stress free. ”
Ryan Rowland, New England Logistics, USA. January 2015

“Neil O'Brien is an advocate of Healthy Human Systems and a hugely popular motivational speaker on the subjects of Mindset and Mental Fitness. In his engaging and humorous talks Neil loves to take the audience out of their comfort zone and into their growth zone. He equips attendees with tools for a growth mindset and has built a stellar reputation for helping business leaders and their teams through transformation by teaching them to embrace the small steps that lead to big changes. Neil set up Time To Fly in 1998 to bring his skills and passion for human potential and growth to organisations. Prior to that he worked in banking for 23 years - in sales and then L&D where he realised his innate ability to motivate and coach others to be their best. Neil has built an award winning performance programme for the banking sector and continues to develop and deliver development programmes as well as speak at conferences throughout Europe. His clients include Accenture, Abbott Labs, Airtricity, AIB Bank and Group, Allianz Capital Partners, Bank Of Ireland, Google, Grant Thornton, IBM, 3M, Irish Life Corporate Business, Irish Life Investment Managers, KPMG, Microsoft, Pfizer, RBS, Sales Institute of Ireland, Institute of Bankers, Zurich Insurance and many others. Neil is also one of Ireland’s top sport coaches and he has worked with professional and amateur golfers including Ryder Cup and Walker Cup players. He has coached at inter-county and club level with GAA teams and he is currently coaching some of Ireland’s elite athletes. To summarise, Neil has helped psychiatrists with their stress management, psychologists with their personal development, directors with their sense of direction, sales people sell more, footballers score more and golfers score less!”

“Matt Cooper Broadcaster, Journalist, and biographer of Tony O'Reilly
Matt Cooper presents and edits the daily news, current affairs and sports programme The Last Word on Today FM from Monday to Friday, 4.30pm to 7pm.

He is the author of three critically acclaimed and commercially successful books: “The Maximalist”, his biography of the iconic Irish sporting, business and media figure Tony O’Reilly, was published in 2015; "Who Really Runs Ireland" was published in 2009; "How Ireland Really Went Bust" was published in 2011.

He is also an experienced television sports presenter. He hosted TV3’s Rugby World Cup coverage in 2007 and 2015 and will be hosting the station’s Six Nations Coverage from 2018 when it takes over as host broadcaster for the Irish market. He was previously anchor for the six years that TV3 broadcast championship GAA games from 2008 to 2013.

He is a former editor of The Sunday Tribune, having been appointed at the age of 30 in 1996. He left for a career in radio in 2003 but continues to write a leader page column for the Irish Daily Mail each Wednesday and also writes on business, economics and politics for The Sunday Business Post. He was twice National Journalist of the Year and twice Business Journalist of the Year.

He is a partner in the television company Playmaker-media, which devised and made the rugby series Area 22, and which made the acclaimed Olympics documentary “No Earthly King” in 2012. He also made current affairs documentaries for RTE and TV3, most recently “Ireland’s Housing Market – What’s Next?” (TV3, November 2014) and “The Brexit Dilemma” (TV3, June 2016).

He was the narrator on the British made documentary “Dennis Rodman’s Big Bang in Pyongyang” about a controversial international basketball game staged in the “hermit kingdom” of North Korea in January 2014 and which was attended by its dictator Kim Jong-Un. Matt travelled to North Korea as part of Rodman’s group for the filming of the documentary and had a ringside seat to the proceedings, making him the first Irish journalist to ever have such extraordinary access. The documentary is available on Netflix US.

In the landmark biography on Tony O'Reilly 'The Maximalist', Matt Cooper draws on an abundance of new material, including interviews with many of O’Reilly’s closest family, friends, associates and rivals, to uncover the man behind the myth. An Irish epic, it documents in unflinching detail and with great subtlety the meteoric rise and slow unravelling of an Irish icon.
”

“Mark Little, Digital Entrepreneur, Broadcaster and Innovator Mark Little is a journalist and digital media innovator. He spent more than 20 years in broadcast news, as an award-winning foreign correspondent and TV anchor for Irish public service broadcaster, RTE. In 2010, he founded the world’s first social news agency Storyful, which pioneered new models of verification and collaboration. He was most recently Twitter's VP of media partnerships in Europe and is now exploring new business models to sustain trust in media. Mark Little is a journalist and digital media innovator. He spent more than 20 years in broadcast news, as an award-winning foreign correspondent and TV anchor for Irish public service broadcaster, RTE. In 2017 Mark co-founded Neva-Labs a Digital Media company to help publishers beat the problem of “information overload” and deliver personalised news to paying users. In 2010, he founded the world’s first social news agency Storyful, which pioneered new models of verification and collaboration. He was Twitter's VP of media partnerships in Europe before he started Neva-Labs. Mark has more than two decades of experience in journalism. He was an award-winning foreign correspondent for the Irish national TV station RTE. He also presented the network’s top-rated current affairs programme, Prime Time, and was its first Washington correspondent. He has covered some of the biggest stories of our age, including the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and the election of Barack Obama. ”

“Margaret Heffernan, TED Speaker, was born in Texas, raised in Holland and educated at Cambridge University. She worked in BBC Radio for five years where she wrote, directed, produced and commissioned dozens of documentaries and dramas. As a television producer, she made documentary films for Timewatch, Arena, and Newsnight. She designed and executive produced a thirteen part series on The French Revolution for the BBC and A&E. She also produced music videos with the London Chamber Orchestra to raise money for Unicef's Lebanese fund. Leaving the BBC, she ran the trade association IPPA, which represented the interests of independent film and television producers and was once described by the Financial Times as "the most formidable lobbying organization in England." In 1994, she returned to the United States where she worked on public affair campaigns in Massachusetts and with software companies trying to break into multimedia. She developed interactive multimedia products with Peter Lynch, Tom Peters, Standard & Poors and The Learning Company. She then joined CMGI where she ran, bought and sold leading Internet businesses, serving as Chief Executive Officer for InfoMation Corporation, ZineZone Corporation and iCAST Corporation. She was named one of the Internet's Top 100 by Silicon Alley Reporter in 1999, one of the Top 25 by Streaming Media magazine and one of the Top 100 Media Executives by The Hollywood Reporter. Her 'Tear Down the Wall' campaign against AOL won the 2001 Silver SABRE award for public relations. Margaret was featured on BBC Radio 4 in Changing the Rules, which won the 2008 Prowess Media Award. She devised and led a programme for female entrepreneurs at Simmons College, one of the few all-female business schools in the United States. She continues to advise global businesses on effective global strategies and to support women’s networks and industry associations involved in diversity and inclusion. She teaches at the School of Management at the University of Bath and has been invited to speak at business schools around the world, including Harvard Business School, the Rotman School, London Business School and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. She also lectures widely at organizations as diverse as the Federal Bank of the United States, Accenture, Roche, KLA-Tencor, State Street, Khosla Ventures, Standard Chartered Bank, J.P.Morgan Chase and Procter & Gamble. Margaret Heffernan Business Author & Former CEO is amongst our most popular conference and keynote speakers. Margaret has been invited to speak at all of the world’s leading financial services businesses, the leading FTSE and S&P corporations as well as the world’s most successful sports teams. She advises private and public businesses, mentors senior and chief executives and writes for The Financial Times and Huffington Post. She was born in Texas, raised in Holland and educated at Cambridge University. She worked in BBC Radio for five years where she wrote, directed, produced and commissioned dozens of documentaries and dramas. As a television producer, she made documentary films for Timewatch, Arena, and Newsnight. She designed and executive produced a thirteen part series on The French Revolution for the BBC and A&E. She also produced music videos with the London Chamber Orchestra to raise money for Unicef's Lebanese fund. Leaving the BBC, she ran the trade association IPPA, which represented the interests of independent film and television producers and was once described by the Financial Times as "the most formidable lobbying organisation in England." In 1994, she returned to the United States where she worked on public affair campaigns in Massachusetts and with software companies trying to break into multimedia. She developed interactive multimedia products with Peter Lynch, Tom Peters, Standard & Poors and The Learning Company. She then joined CMGI where she ran, bought and sold leading Internet businesses, serving as Chief Executive Officer for InfoMation Corporation, ZineZone Corporation and iCAST Corporation. She was named one of the Internet's Top 100 by Silicon Alley Reporter in 1999, one of the Top 25 by Streaming Media magazine and one of the Top 100 Media Executives by The Hollywood Reporter. Her 'Tear Down the Wall' campaign against AOL won the 2001 Silver SABRE award for public relations. Margaret was featured on BBC Radio 4 in Changing the Rules, which won the 2008 Prowess Media Award. She devised and led a programme for female entrepreneurs at Simmons College, one of the few all-female business schools in the United States. She continues to advise global businesses on effective global strategies and to support women’s networks and industry associations involved in diversity and inclusion. She teaches at the School of Management at the University of Bath and has been invited to speak at business schools around the world, including Harvard Business School, the Rotman School, London Business School and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. She also gives talks regularly to organizations as diverse as the Federal Bank of the United States, Accenture, Roche, KLA-Tencor, State Street, Khosla Ventures, Standard Chartered Bank, J.P.Morgan Chase and Procter & Gamble, Hiscox, Standard Chartered Bank, Lloyds, ARM and Microsoft. ”

“
David McWilliams Economist is an uncompromising thinker, with a relaxed, confident and entertaining style. He was voted the most influential economist in the UK and Ireland in 2015.
He is a regular conference and keynote speaker at international financial conferences where he speaks about trends in the global economy and how we might profit from them. He speaks to businesses and industrial groups on how the trends in growth, currencies and financial markets will uniquely affect them. Consistently accurate in his forecasts, David McWilliams was the only economist in Ireland who accurately forecast a strong UK Brexit vote. He was also the first economist to identify the Irish boom as nothing more than a credit bubble, warning of its collapse and the consequences for the country. His objective is to make economics as widely available and easily understandable on as many platforms as possible. David is currently hosting a weekly chat David McWilliams Ireland on TV3 where he explores the big issues facing Ireland's society and economy He is the co-founder of the world’s only economics festival 'Kilkenomics', an eclectic combination of economics and stand-up comedy, described by The Australian as “Davos without the hookers”. "David was brilliant as he always is, couldn't have been better, he's a legend, had everyone eating out of his hand as usual! We'll do it again, will be in touch." - John McDonnell, Cathedral Finance, April 2016 "David joined us for a 2 hours session - smoothly organized by Personally Speaking - to think about and discuss the big global trends in geopolitics and economy. Simply outstanding! This is a guy who is simultaneously a deep thinker on substance and totally entertaining in the way he engages his audience. It was inspiring, informative, provocative and hilarious. So: Thanks, David!" - Till Olbrich, PMI, August 2015 "David went down so well with the client, he was outstanding!" Eleanor Bloem, Thundermark, July 2015 "David's delivery was super. His content was thought-provoking as always of course!" Andy O'Callaghan, PwC, June 2014 "David's speech was fantastic and very well received by the audience. Many thanks to you and your team for assisting us in organising this wonderful conference." Suresh Thyagarajan, FX & Interest Rate Sales, Treasury & Capital Markets, Bank Muscat, Nov 2013 "Your presentation to the Annual Investment Summit was perfectly pitched and brought exactly what we had hoped: a clear articulate view of the world with which we have a great deal of sympathy, delivered with wit and intelligence in an engaging and entertaining style. Our best Summit yet, and your contribution clearly helped’” - Neil Woodford, Head of UK Equities, Invesco Perpetual, July 2013. “Your insightful presentation on ‘The European Outlook’, as well as your contribution as moderator on the Economists’ Panel Discussion at the 5th Global Financial Markets Forum 2013 was extremely well received and significantly contributed to the overall success of the forum. We sincerely appreciate your efforts in joining us for the 2nd time at this event and making yourself available for the private lunches and round-table sessions with our key clients.” - Michael H. Tomalin, Group Chief Executive, National Bank of Abu Dhabi "We would like to express our sincere appreciation and delight in your attendance. Furthermore we are thankful to you for sharing your unique expertise on internationally sensitive topics. The ideas presented surely will leave a lasting impression on us all." - Abdullah Al-Ahmadi, ICA Chairman, November 2012 "It was a huge success...The event was a compete sell out and David responded generously. If David is in town again please let us know!" - Eamon Eastwood, The Landsdowne Club, Sydney Australia, November 2012 "Last Thursday went very well and was a success for us. David’s presentation went down very well to the audience of about 150" John Lucey, INVESCO, October 2012 "Everything went very well and we were absolutely delighted with David. He was just what we needed for the day." - Ciara Pelly, ICOS, May 2012 "I would like to thank you for your efforts in participating in our Fourth Financial Markets Forum 2012. The Event was remarkably successful with over 600 attendees and it would not have been possible without your efforts and contribution. Your participation certainly enhanced the profile of our line-up of international speakers" - Mahmood Al Aradi, SEVP - Financial Markets Division, National Bank of Abu Dhabi - 1st March 2012 "I would like to thank David for speaking at the event. His contribution very much helped to ensure a successful conference that has since been the focus of a great deal of positive feedback from the participants" - Venessa Heywood, Conference Director, IIR Abu Dhabi - 1st March 2012 "The conference in Rome was indeed a success and David's speech added great value to our plenary session" - Olivier Bedois, Director - Marketing & Communication, SDV - 13th February 2012 "Our event was a great success, we have received such positive feedback from our guests who attended. We were all very impressed with David, his speech was very entertaining, humorous and easy to listen to. He interacted very well with our guests and with our own Actavis team and he seemed very knowledgeable of our industry. It was great to see our guests so animated throughout David’s speech." - Debbie McDonald, Marketing Executive, Actavis Ireland, October 2011 "The entire audience was pleasantly shocked to see an economist could be so connected with reality and also were delighted that he delivered a clear message that we can control our destiny despite all that is going on around us especially sales leaders and business owners (who were the audience). The overall feedback was very positive.” - Charlie Mernagh, Managing Director, Ask Solutions, September 2011 "David's relaxed, yet confident style, coupled with the ability to debate with him and frankly discuss matters of huge importance, both to our advisers and their brokers, was really well received. We consider this small event for our key clients a great success." - David Walls, Axa Financial, June 2011 "On behalf of the board and the members of the FPP I would like to thank you most sincerely for chairing the FPP Annual conference in the Westbury Hotel, Dublin on February 25th. YOur expert contribution on the day was much respected by both speakers and delegates to make the conference a great success." - Lionel McCarthy, CEO, Forum on Public Procurement in Ireland "The Event went really well last night, we were delighted with David; he was a delight to deal with and an excellent and very entertaining speaker. He related very well with the audience, he was enjoyable to listen to and very insightful" - Nuala Martyn, Financial Solution Skillnet "Thanks for your support in securing David McWilliams for our conference. He was fantastic and has had superb feedback!" - Geraldine D’Arcy, Irish Primary Principals’ Network "On behalf of the chairman and the national Council of ISME may I thank you very much for your excellent and valuable contribution to our national conference, it was very well received" - Mark Fielding, Chief Executive, ISME, The Independent Business Organisation. "I am writing to thank you on my own behalf and on the behalf of Cork City Council and the University of Ulster for your participation in the recent conference of the Isles. We have received an amazing number of letters and emails congratulating the conference on the quality of the speakers and their presentations" - Stephen Kearney, Director Housing and Community Cork City Council "We were most fortunate in having you as our guest speaker on the occasion of this celebration. It was a great success and we were thrilled with the feedback from our guests. All in attendance found you most entertaining and some people were talking about you for days afterwards…again David, thank you very much and continued success for the future." - Conor McCarthy and David Kiely, Directors Jennings O’Donovan & Partners Consulting Engineers "Provocative, entertaining, stimulating------A man who dares to differ---That’s David!" - Frank Mc Donagh, Commercial Branch Manager, Bank of Ireland”

“TED Speaker, MDRT Main Stage Speaker 2017, Award Winning Social Innovator. Caroline Casey Motivational Speaker is one of our most popular speakers . She believes that authenticity, vision, self belief and resilience are crucial for business and personal success. With her energy and down-to-earth personality, motivational TED speaker Caroline Casey has an amazing ability to captivate any audience. Her passion and ambition for leading a life without limits and labels is truly contagious. In 2017 Caroline successfully launched a global campaign #valuable…to spark a global revolution of inclusion that puts disability equally on the business agenda. Taking a life changing decision at 28 to leave her successful career as a management consultant and travel across India on an elephant, Caroline has been committed to building a global movement on inclusive business to build an equal society for the 1 billion people in the world with a disability. Collaborating with some of the world’s leading organisations and CEOs Caroline has identified what she often refers to as “The New Green” – the new business imperative for success – Inclusive Business. An advisor, mentor, board member and international speaker Caroline’s has a real ability to connect with people. Her extraordinary personal story of coming to terms with her own hidden disability and turning that perceived “weakness” into professional and personal success is relatable, funny, humbling and deeply meaningful. She is in her own words a ”dangerous dreamer” and someone who has leant the art of never giving up and "failing fabulously”. Despite being the recipient of many awards and accolades, she believes true success only comes to those who can really be themselves! She is still working on it!”

“
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1 General Enquiry from Website Personally Speaking website@personallyspeakingbureau.com Contact Form YOUR NAME: [your-name] PHONE: [your-phone] COMPANY: [your-company] EMAIL: [your-email] BEST TIME TO CALL: [please-choose] YOUR ENQUIRY: [your-message] -- This e-mail was sent from a contact form on Personally Speaking Bureau - Making events memorable (http://www.personallyspeakingbureau.com/) Reply-To: noreply@personallyspeakingbureau.com [your-subject] [your-name] <[your-email]> [your-email] Message Body: [your-message] -- This e-mail was sent from a contact form on Personally Speaking Making events memorable (http://localhost/psb) Your message was sent successfully. Thanks. Failed to send your message. Please try later or contact the administrator by another method. Validation errors occurred. Please confirm the fields and submit it again. Failed to send your message. Please try later or contact the administrator by another method. Please accept the terms to proceed. Please fill the required field. This input is too long. This input is too short. Date format seems invalid. This date is too early. This date is too late. Failed to upload file. This file type is not allowed. This file is too large. Failed to upload file. Error occurred. Number format seems invalid. This number is too small. This number is too large. Your answer is not correct. Your entered code is incorrect. Email address seems invalid. URL seems invalid. Telephone number seems invalid.”

“Many thanks to you Frances and your team for assisting us in organising this wonderful conference. David McWilliams' speech was fantastic and very well received by the audience.”
Suresh Thyagarajan, FX & Interest Rate Sales, Treasury & Capital Markets, Bank Muscat, Nov 2013

“Frances, thanks very much for helping us to organise our dinner with Jon last night. Everyone had a great time and Jon was really superb. I look forward to organising some more events with you. ”
Liz Lee, New Business Manager, Publicis London

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“This is an example page. It's different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this:
Hi there! I'm a bike messenger by day, aspiring actor by night, and this is my blog. I live in Los Angeles, have a great dog named Jack, and I like piña coladas. (And gettin' caught in the rain.)
...or something like this:
The XYZ Doohickey Company was founded in 1971, and has been providing quality doohickeys to the public ever since. Located in Gotham City, XYZ employs over 2,000 people and does all kinds of awesome things for the Gotham community.
As a new WordPress user, you should go to your dashboard to delete this page and create new pages for your content. Have fun!”

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I spend a lot of time looking at videos of speakers, change makers and influencers. I listen to Podcasts and surf the net searching for inspiration and fresh ideas that we can bring to our customers around the world. There is some good content out there and an awful lot that is tepid, that is being generous! There are some excellent resources such has HBR IdeaCast, NPR, Desert Island Discs and many others however the one place I keep going back to and am endlessly impressed with, is TED.com and their range of TED talks!

In my opinion the folk at TED talks have nailed curation to a T. They have created a world class centre of excellence and thought leadership. From the design of the RED SPOT and black background set, the research put into finding interesting ideas to share and the grace that is given to the people sharing their stories. Whether you are in the audience or watching a talk on your mobile, the experience is always a memorable one. Chris Anderson and his team are brilliant curators and if you are interested in curation it's well worthwhile observing their methods.

The big TED conferences (TED Global, TED Women, TEDYouth) are events I depend on for finding talented speakers. No one gets on any of those stages without great content, thoughtful messages, ability to engage and personal journeys of interest - the perfect combination in my book.

The TED Mission

The TED Mission includes: "....welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world. We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world."

Recently one of my favourite speakers Mark Pollock and his fiancé Simone George were invited to speak at TED Global in Vancouver to share their journey and the outstanding work they're undertaking to cure paralysis. Feast your mind and take some time to take a look at their TED talk: A Love Letter to Realism in a Time of Grief.

Our Recommendations

Over the last ten years I have been lucky enough to attend many TED conferences. Forget about the line of work I am in, the few days at TED is always a life enhancing experience. It is hard to select only a few talks as I work with many of the TED speakers. But for today I am selecting these five TED talks that I admire. I know from speaking with my clients that they admire these speakers too.

The Dangers of Wilful Blindness - Margaret Heffernan Looking Past Limits - Caroline Casey The Power of Introverts - Susan Cain As work gets more complex, 6 Rules to Simplify - Yves Morieux Brain Magic - Keith Barry
Finally a huge congratulations to Mark Pollock and Simone George on all they have achieved, and their sheer tenacity. The world is a better place because of people like them! Read more of our blogs here! [caption id="attachment_2417" align="aligncenter" width="500"] TED talks[/caption] ”

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“Áine is a teacher turned journalist and entrepreneur who can talk education, media, business and technology. She is an expert in moderating lively discussions and professionally MC-ing memorable events, having taken part in some of the biggest media industry events in the world. Áine Kerr is the Co-Founder and COO of Neva Labs; a new start-up venture with Mark Little. Previously, Áine led global journalism partnerships at Facebook in New York, overseeing a team focused on building products, tools and services for the news industry. She was instrumental in creating the Facebook Journalism Project and the News Integrity Initiative (NII). Before joining Facebook in March 2016, she spent five years at Storyful, where she served as head of content and political editor before being appointed managing editor in at the time of the company’s acquisition by News Corporation. Prior to that, Áine spent over seven years working as a political correspondent and news reporter with The Irish Times, The Irish Independent and The Irish Examiner. Áine is on the board of the NII, an advisor to the Institute for Future of Media and Journalism (Fujo), and co-founder of Online News Association (ONA) Ireland. She is currently undertaking the Sulzberger Leadership Program in Columbia University, New York. The Future of Journalism Role of Technology in Journalism Women in Leadership Social and New Media The News Industry Leadership and Management “I have worked with Áine since Web Summit 2014 and she has never let us down. She’s always super enthusiastic, incredibly willing to be involved in any capacity and brings a unique spin on any session she’s involved in both as a speaker or moderator. Together with her experience across traditional and new media, she’s a wonderful addition to any talk in this area and more insightful than most when it comes to challenges and opportunities facing this industry. I’d recommend Áine for any event and look forward to having her join us again soon at future Web Summit events.” - Stephen Twomey, Speaker Director, Web Summit "Áine Kerr was the opening keynote address at our most recent #GetStarted2017 entrepreneurship conference, attended by over 700 delegates at the Helix, DCU (November 21st, 2017). Her engaging and open manner as well as her clarity and authenticity set the tone perfectly for the entire event, capturing the audience from the moment she stepped on stage. Both as an internationally recognised thought-leader on the future of news, journalism and content consumer behaviour and as courageous and innovative business leader, Áine was the perfect choice to inspire our audience of both established and aspiring entrepreneurs." - Centre Director IC4”

“Global thought leader, Inc. Magazine columnist, Inc. Top 100 Keynote Speaker and author of the best selling book, The Leader’s Mindset: How To Win In The Age of Disruption, Terence Mauri gives us a glimpse into How to win in the age of ArtificiaI Intelligence (A.I.), automation and algorithms in his GUEST BLOG.”

“Matthew Syed Author of Black Box Thinking and Bounce

Matthew speaks to companies, sports teams and other organisations on psychology, performance and continuous improvement. Recently, Matthew has been booked by many of the most innovative and forward-thinking organisations in the world including Goldman Sachs, Arsenal FC, Vodafone, Rolls Royce, BP, McKinsey, Alliance Bernstein, Oxford University, Saracens, McLaren, Deutsche Bank, Morrisons, Cliffod Chance, Genentech, Orange, the Premier League, United Bank of Switzerland, Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays, the England and Wales Cricket Board, Westminster School, Freshfields, Proctor and Gamble and INSEAD.

He has given keynotes about Black Box Thinking to pioneering organisations around the world including a specially convened meeting of global finance ministers at Harvard University, the commanders and admirals of the British surface fleet, Britain’s chief constables, the Presidents of the medical Royal Colleges, the General Staff of the British Army, the global partners of Goldman Sachs, as well as the Arsenal first team and other top sports organisations. He is passionate about young people and education. His Mindset for Education conferences are about providing brilliant, often busy teachers and school leaders with the latest research and tools to unleash curiosity, creativity and growth mindset in their students. He also provides tailored events for businesses and a learning course on the principles of high performance.

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“Ivan Yates Broadcaster, Entrepreneur, and former Politician Ivan Yates has had unique life experience in politics, business and media. A former government minister and Wexford TD for more than 20 years; an entrepreneur who founded and developed Celtic Bookmakers to employ 400 people, with €200 million turnover. He bounced back from bankruptcy in Wales in 2012 to become a highly successful national broadcaster. He presents the radio show The Hard Shoulder on Newstalk weekdays 4-7pm and The Tonight Show on TV3 with Matt Cooper four times weekly at 11pm. He is also a leading columnist with the Irish Independent newspaper. In 2014 he published his best-selling autobiography, ‘Full On’ with acclaimed reviews. He resides in Dublin and Enniscorthy, is married to Deirdre with 4 adult children. His original forthright style of entertaining punditry and analysis on the full range of current affairs and sport has made him a much sought after motivational public speaker at corporate and formal events. He also acts as a versatile conference facilitator/moderator, MC with a flair for asking the questions that need answering. Ivan is a memorable and compelling after-dinner speaker. Ivan’s attention to detail, preparation and client focus ensures your event runs smoothly and efficiently, with humorous asides. He adds value to your occasion by making it special.”

“Conor Pope Journalist, Broadcaster, Author, Consumer Affairs & Personal Finance Expert”

“New Zealand born rugby player, coach and TV commentator Brent Pope played rugby with top New Zealand side Otago University before finally settling in Ireland in 1991 and lining out for three seasons with St Mary's RFC. Later Brent coached Clontarf RFC for two seasons, leading them to promotion to Division One of the AIL. Brent has worked as a TV rugby pundit for nine years and can regularly be seen on RTÉ with George Hook & Tom McGurk. Brent also writes children's books for charities. The proceeds from 'Arnold the Anteater' went to Children's Hospice Homecare while 'Bones' was written for the Irish Osteoporosis Society. Brent has worked for RTÉ Sport for over 15 years and has also appeared in many crossover programmes such as 'The Restaurant' (Irish TV series), and in 'The Den', 'The Afternoon Show', 'The Hook and Popey Roadshow', 'The Late Late Show', 'The Saturday Night Show', and various travel programmes. Brent also starred as a singer in 'Charity You're a Star' in 2007. In 2012 he learned and played the clarinet for the RTÉ reality music show 'Instrumental'. Brent was listed at number 4 in a recent poll for Ireland's hottest male television stars, and in 2012/13 he was nominated as one of Ireland's best dressed men. He is also the curator of a popular art gallery for mental health artists called The 'Outside In Art Gallery', and has a movie script entitled 'Coming out to Play' listed with a major movie production company. Brent is involved in several mental health charities, and is an ambassador for St Patrick's Hospital 'Walk in My Shoes', 'Cycle Against Suicide', and RTE's 'People Of The Year'. ”

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“It is the end of a long and warm summer, kids are going back to school, folk are returning from holidays and sun dresses are being packed away. While it is the end of the traditional holiday season that most of us love, it is also the beginning of a new semester and the upcoming season for ‘Think Tanks’. This is a time of great positivity, motivation, decision making, putting new plans in place, innovation and lots more. For me the break over the summer with family and friends spent exploring new places, eating different food, speaking different languages and letting go in general really energises me. I feel I can now make bold decisions which might just result in monumental shifts in the right direction in work and at home. Some of my biggest decisions have been made in the month of September, that can't be a coincidence can it? Does this sound familiar? Over the next few months businesses will get their Leadership Teams together for their annual Think Tanks. These are a great opportunity for the Leadership Team to review the business on micro and macro level and make big decisions to help the business grow, indeed flourish, in the next year and longer. Experts in Economics, Collaboration, Innovation, Culture, Organisational Psychology and so on are brought in deliver keynotes, facilitate round table discussions and workshops to help inform, inspire and help the leaders in their task to build road maps that meet their business goals.
Some factors really help to get the most from Think Tanks.

Here are some of my observations:

Make sure you put the date in all participants’ diaries at least 6 months in advance.

Pick a good location; for me the following are important: outdoor space, natural light, tasty & healthy food, creative spaces, activity, fresh air, & excellent event customer service.

Engage a facilitator - so everyone gets to make their point and people are encouraged to listen· (Current hot favourites include Margaret Heffernan, Yves Morieux, Dambisa Moyo, Costas Markides, Dr. Pippa Malmgren, Terence Mauri, Nigel Barlow, Viktor Mayer Schönberger, Stephane Garelli and David McWilliams)

Get feedback as the event progresses, if something is not working don't be afraid to change course.

Make sure topics that are not relevant to a Think Tank are parked for another time.

And don't forget to have a bit of fun! Play is good - build in at least one activity or/and fun thing to do together, this is about a team working together as much as anything else.

Contact us today to discuss what speaker may suit your audience, budget and goals. ”

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“Jim McGuinness Performance Consultant to Glasgow Celtic was born in Glenties, County Donegal. He was only a teenager, when part of a Donegal squad that claimed the county’s first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1992. McGuinness was also a star of Third-Level Colleges football, winning Sigerson Cups with Tralee I.T. GAA in 1998 and 1999 as captain, and again as captain in 2001 with the University of Ulster at Jordanstown (U.U.J.). Jim was player coach when his club captured their first ever Donegal Senior Club Championship title in 2005. He has represented his Province on a number of occasions winning two Railway Cup Medals, and has also represented his country in the International Compromise Rules Series against Australia in 1998, a series which Ireland won. In 2010 Jim was manager of the Donegal Under-21 Football Team that won the Provincial Championship for the first time in fifteen years and reached the All-Ireland Final. In July of that year he was appointed Donegal Senior Football Team Manager. His time at the helm with the senior team has been a major success; in his tenure he has overseen a Donegal team that has won two consecutive Ulster Senior Football Championship titles and this year he guided his native county to win the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, the county's first since 1992. Donegal's victory in 2012 under McGuinness's management is only Donegal's second ever All-Ireland Senior Championship win in more than 120 years. McGuinness' achievements have also been recognised internationally, earning the admiration of, among others, the golfer and Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley and the Glasgow Celtic football manager Neil Lennon. On the 9th of November 2012, the Scottish soccer giants Glasgow Celtic confirmed the appointment of McGuinness as a performance consultant, while Paul McGinley has confirmed that McGuinness will have a role to play in the 2014 Ryder Cup. Having been invited to assist Glasgow Celtic in Scotland, McGuinness is the first Gaelic football inter-county manager to have been offered a role at a professional sports team abroad. Jim holds a Master’s of Science in Sport Psychology from Liverpool John Moores University, School of Sport & Exercise Sciences. He previously gained a BSc (hons) Degree in Sport, Exercise and Leisure from the University of Ulster Jordanstown, and a Higher Certificate in Health & Leisure studies from Tralee Institute of Technology. He has previously lectured in Sports Coaching and Sport Psychology at Limavady College, Co. Derry, Northern Ireland.”

“Brian O'Driscoll Former Captain of the Irish Rugby Team and Leinster Rugby Team”

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“Don't you just love easy to follow instructions? I say that as a person who normally rebels against all forms of process in favour of #creativity, #spontaneity and freedom, or so I like to think! It is my daughter's 4th birthday today and I have spent the last 30 minutes assembling a Play Corner Shop and I feel such a sense of accomplishment as I look at it all bright and shiny in our kitchen waiting for her return from crèche. My feeling of accomplishment is totally overkill of course as the instructions were literally Child's Play. However as someone who runs a business and spends a lot of time making decisions, troubleshooting, marketing and selling I really enjoyed the experience of following the clearly laid out #Step-by-Step instructions, each step bringing me a little nearer to completion, #motivating me to finish the task at hand. Ta ta ... job complete, lovely, and my daughter Ruth will be beyond excited. Result! This simple experience gets me thinking, in my quest for an exciting life full of spontaneity and freedom could I possibly be blocking some of my own #potential through my more haphazard approach at times? Full disclosure I am exaggerating slightly, I am a little more organised than I am letting on but there is huge room for improvement. More and more I understand the value of having the basics in place, to have #clearprocesses that everyone in the business can simply understand. It not only removes the need for me to be always available but more importantly gives employees and partners the ability to feel ownership of their own achievements entirely. Even though I am on a steep learning curve, I now truly believe being organised, having systems and processes in place and working to a plan not only helps us be more productive and frees up time and headspace for #innovation and #creativity but also leads to reduced stress, increased happiness and a sense of pride. Now that's #motivating. I recently listened to the #E-Myth, a business book written by Michael E. Gerber over 25 years ago based on the principle that business are set up by technicians rather than business people. The book takes us through a list of examples and helpful tools to move from a #TechnicianMindset to an #EntrepreneurialMindset. He wholly encourages clear processes to build a successful business of any type. I recommend this book to anyone running a team and looking to improve #productivity and #profitability. Also extremely useful is David Allen's book 'Getting Things Done'. I was given this book by my husband when I was going through some changes in the business a few years ago. Reading David Allen’s book fundamentally changed the way I do business and lead others and probably was the beginning of me realising the value of having #clearprocesses, being organised and having the fundamentals in place to allow a business grow. I was so delighted with what I learnt from #DavidAllen that I added him to my portfolio of #MotivationalSpeakers so my clients can book him to speak at events around the world so that they too can gain insights into his methodology and adapt his tools in their own organisations. Today I had set myself the task of completing this blog (rather than just procrastinating) and having done so I now feel free to call it a day and go collect my daughter so we can come home and do some 'play' shopping together. Let the fun begin. I am looking forward to discovering what I learn from her as she runs her new business. It should be #ChildsPlay! ”

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“As a child, Dublin-born Caroline developed an eye condition (ocular albinism) that renders her legally blind, but it wasn’t until she was planning to drive that her family finally informed her of her ‘disability’. Her approach now is the same one she took then, at just 17. Look past your limits. Tap into and activate your potential. And if you fail, ‘fail fabulously’ and start over. Audiences are always impressed with Caroline's honesty, perseverance and self-belief. "Caroline did amazingly on Monday, we were delighted to have her and she really did give it her all. Not a dry eye in the house" - Louise O'Dwyer, Director, Talent Programs, EMEA Salesforce”

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“Take a Spoonful of Lifestyle Medicine Dr. Mark Rowe is a thought leader in the emergent area of health, happiness and high performance in life. Rather than approaching every illness as something to be cured with a prescription and pills, Dr Rowe advocates for lifestyle medicine. Change your habits to remove the root cause of the symptoms. Less stress and pressure in the workplace could have drastic positive effects on health. His goals are burnout prevention and lasting wellbeing, hoping for culture change in business and medical settings alike, in people’s mindsets as well as their organisations. Be a Dangerous Dreamer and Fail Fabulously If disability activist Caroline Casey had a super-power, it would be self-belief. A social entrepreneur leading a life without limits and labels, who describes herself as a “dangerous dreamer” who is “failing fabulously”, Casey manages to be both truly inspirational and relatable. In August 2017 she launched #valuable and started to engage in conversation with over 500,000 businesses to transform their approach to business inclusion to advocate for inclusive business practices. An in-demand speaker, her TED talk has more than 2 million views, and she has the ability to get people acting on their bold ideas. Spinning Plates? You should try Juggling! Dusty Gedge is a professional juggler and circus performer. His speciality is “organised chaos” in order to create accelerated learning opportunities. With his inclusive, hands-on approach, Gedge shows how easily behaviours and habits can be changed through coaching. Not just any coaching, Gedge uses juggling as a coaching method. He reckons fear of failure is the biggest block to experimentation and progress. No one wants to drop a ball, yet it's a necessary requirement when learning to juggle. Educating high achievers to take a risk and accept that they may fail, can be a challenge in itself. It’s often learning through failure that enables us to progress to the next level. What’s the Difference between an Astronaut, an Athlete, and You? Having worked as a performance coach with top athletes, Jamil Qureshi knows all about motivation and ambition. As well as coaching 6 individual athletes to number 1, Qureshi has worked with Premier League Football teams, an Ashes-winning Cricket team, and a Formula One racing team. He is also one of only a handful of external psychologists ever to be allowed to study astronauts on the NASA Space Programme. His expertise with high performing teams combined with his skills as a speaker and stand-up comedian make Qureshi an excellent choice for team motivation days. Look in my Eyes, Look in my Eyes, Look in my Eyes. Jason O'Callaghan, also known as Ireland’s only motivational psychologist, specialises in retraining the unconscious mind for success in life and work through hypnotism. The results are astounding, and often amusing to witness! O’Callaghan knows how to work a room, and how to make an impression. Participants might find themselves looking for lost shoes, or unable to drink a glass of water, or quitting smoking while they sleep. He also uses these skills to foster team building and increase motivation. Become an Adventurer in Spontaneity & Creativity Steve Chapman is not your average speaker. He invites the audience to come on an adventure into spontaneity, creativity and innovation with him, asking what it means to be part of an organisation, or part of a team. Chapman approaches any exploration with a deep and abiding sense of curiosity and playfulness, while still retaining a thoroughness that speaks to his academic and business credentials. No team can go through this kind of experience without coming out the other side different, and closer for it. ”

“Ade McCormack Near futurist, Author, former FT journalist
Ade McCormack is a former information technologist who studied Physics / Astrophysics and has worked for the European Space Agency. He has worked in over 30 countries, across many sectors with many of the world’s leading brands. He is a former Financial Times and CIO magazine columnist, and has lectured at MIT Sloan School of Management on digital leadership.

Ade speaks to primarily a leadership audience on how the world is changing, its impact on business and people, and how leaders need to respond both personally and strategically.

Ade has a unique ‘bits to boardroom’ understanding of the issues. He has developed an anthropological hypothesis to explain what is happening as we enter the digital age, and how we might best respond.

Ade is considered original, engaging, provocative and insightful. His zoom out approach makes him an ideal opening keynoter or ‘big ideas’ speaker.

Recent speaking clients include:

Google

WorkDay

European Forum for New Ideas

Tata Consultancy Services

FT

EY

Salesforce.

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See our latest blogs: Teams that play together stay together BIG DATA BIG DEAL? Making Sense of Fintech STEM to STEAM Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

Motivational speakers Conference speakers Keynote After-Dinner Speakers Presenters Moderators MCs Facilitators Interviewers Award Hosts
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“ Do you feel like you’ve heard it all when it comes to managing teams? In this month’s blog, our speakers offer alternate ways of enhancing team collaboration and cohesion, including how to deal with conflict. Building high performing teams is always going to be a question of trial and error as you discover what works best for the individuals in your team, but here are some ideas to get you started. Talk it out Even in the best of teams, workplace conflicts are common under pressure. Here are broadcaster and confidence coach Gina London’s tips on how to deal with them. First of all, be assertive: have the confidence to speak up, but don’t alienate colleagues in the process. Don't use extreme language or absolutes. Love and hate are divisive, while ‘never’ or ‘always’ are accusatory and probably inaccurate. Ask open-ended questions - don’t assume you’ve understood their position on something, ask for clarification, or reasons for their reaction or opinion. It may be that you share a similar outlook and this is all a misunderstanding. If not, at least you’ll get a clearer idea of what they think before calming outlining your opinion. Work together to find a solution by offering ideas yourself and asking the other person how they would like the issue to be resolved. The Generation Game It’s important to spot potential problems before they arise, so you can deal with them smoothly. Nigel Barlow, so-called “business rocker”, highlights the generation gap between millennials and baby-boomers as point of misunderstanding. One thing that goes out the window for millennials in the workplace, is deference to hierarchy. While baby-boomers might feel they have earned their place, millennials are a disruptive force, who think of office relations as a network rather than a pyramid. This is dynamic and can lead to change, but in order to avoid conflict, employers need to maintain the shared values of the different generations. Knowing that their work is worthwhile matters to baby-boomers and millennials alike, and feeling valued within the company is vital for workplace wellbeing. Highlighting the positive differences that each generation brings will reduce resentment, while transparency and communication will mean less resistance to change. Millennials also value collaboration, which is where Nigel’s “garage thinking” comes into its own. Having a space for intense collaboration creates a strong team and leads to innovation. In the short term, innovation doesn’t make much sense: it’s messy, prone to failure, inefficient, and high risk. However, in the long term, innovation is vital for a successful business. Whether located in bricks and mortar, or a virtual space, garage thinking overcomes boundaries and encourages problem solving. Rather than thinking of employees as units of production, think of their collective potential for innovation. How can they, and your business, become more than the sum of their parts? Culture Clash Steve Chapman, author and coach on organisational change and development, describes organisations as “improvised complex social processes… influenced through active participation”. This means that change within an organisation comes from the daily interactions of the people working there. If a company wants to be more collaborative, but the culture isn’t set up to support collaboration, then it requires individuals to be counter-cultural. The risk is transferred to the individual who sticks out, even if theoretically, more innovative and creative behaviour is being encouraged. There needs to be an openness to new ideas at the highest level, especially if those ideas are uncomfortable! Follow the Beat One way to become more flexible in the workplace is to listen to a choreographer. Marguerite Donlon offers workshops teaching business teams techniques and tools from the world of dance to increase cohesion and allow them to work together in a novel way. She aims to bring teams together beyond the borders of language, and teach them that being flexible doesn’t always mean compromising; it can be part of an exciting process of innovation. Music is another powerful way of bringing teams together. Consultant and French Horn player, Ben Hines, promotes reflection, collaboration and team bonding around a business goal through music. Cutting across entrenched workplace barriers, music is an effective form of communication, enhances emotional intelligence, and can get your brain working in a new way. For more insights on how to build and manage high performing teams, simply contact us today to discuss your audience, budget, and goals. ”

“Networking Guru Kingsley has a unique speaking style and delivery which he puts across with passion and humour. His stock of anecdotes and stories based on his global experiences keeps audiences entertained and informed and leaves them with a series of practical and uplifting messages. Kingsley Aikins has built up a formidable international speaking reputation over the last 25 years and has spoken to over half a million people in 39 cities around the world during that time. During his 21 years with The Ireland Funds he raised over a quarter of a billion dollars which was given to over 1200 organisations throughout Ireland, North and South. This was acheived at zero cost to the Irish Government and taxpayer. Kingsley has lived and worked extensively overseas in the UK, USA, France, Spain and Australia. He has built an immense global network of people of affluence and influence and engaged tens of thousands of people with Ireland. He has perfected a unique and distinctive networking process built on a 4 step process of Research, Cultivation, Solicitation and Stewardship. Kingsley is highly regarded in his field internationally and has spoken at numerous conferences, the most recent being the Hillary Clinton Global Diaspora Forum in Washington where he launched his most recent publication " A Global Diaspora Strategies Toolkit". This unique guide for all countries is the only one of its kind in the world and has had a terrific reception. Kingsley is a recognised expert speaker on all matters diaspora, networking and philanthropic and since returning to Ireland has built a reputation as an entertaining and informative keynote speaker. Recent clients include Accenture, KPMG, Arthur Cox, Mason Hayes Curran the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Bruce Shaw and the Institute of Chartered surveyors. Kingsley is a graduate of Trinity College and a member of the Institutes of Marketing, Exports and Linguists (French and Spanish). In 2008 he was awarded a CBE for fostering British-Irish relations He is a keen sportsman and played rugby for Trinity College, the Irish Universities and Leinster and Vichy (France) before injury ended a promising playing career at 22. Kingsley is married to Claire and lives in Dublin with their 3 children, Grattan, Darcy and Devin.”

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“ BIG DATA BIG DEAL? ..... Yes, a very big deal. Your products or services are no longer the be-all and end-all of your company’s identity. You also have lots of raw information that is flowing into your organisation every day, data. Perhaps you analyse a small amount of it? But maybe you could be making much better use of all of it. It’s your Big Data after all. So what do our speakers say about it?
Big Data Blind Spots
The amount of data produced is huge but there are “blind spots” as WIRED’s Executive Editor, Jeremy White, points out. The biggest is that once people have access to big data, they don’t necessarily know what to do with it. You have to be able to interpret the data and implement the insights into your business model.
Your Company is a Data Company
As Mark van Rijmenam, founder of Datafloq, puts it, “any company, regardless of the industry, should see itself as a data company”. Datafloq connects companies with big data providers, as well as offering insights and training on emerging technology. Having more data means being able to improve your business strategy and chose the most efficient way to deliver to consumers.
Design your Company like Software
Futurist Mike Walsh agrees with this position, clarifying what it means to see yourself primarily as a data company. According to Walsh, the “most valuable thing we can create, protect, and leverage is data.” Designing your company like software means it will be data-driven, innovative and efficient - all things that ultimately benefit customers.
Data is a tool, use it
Economist and Professor of Finance Dr. Constantin Gurdgiev thinks that having more data is actually leading us to realise the limits of our data analytics capabilities. Increases in the amount of data and its accessibility can be an advantage, but we should be wary of an “overconfidence bias”. While the data can give us a clearer picture of where we are, it cannot give us an idea of where we’re going. Gurdgiev warns against an over reliance on big data, saying that “Data is not the end of it all. Data is just one of the tools.”
Use Disruption as Fuel
The data also needs to be contextualised, so having a lot of data about search trends doesn’t tell you why people are currently searching for those things. Jonathan MacDonald, digital strategist and thought leader who founded Thought Expansion Network and Balance Ventures, asks whether the way we look at data is more important than the data itself. Back in the nineties, MacDonald was part of a music industry group attempting to sue the internet for sharing music files as it was copyright infringement. They sent a 160 page fax to someone they thought was the executive of the internet. Putting aside how strange this sounds today, there’s another reason he now acknowledges it was not the right move at the time. Instead of suing the disruptor, they should have innovated faster and better to compete with them. Data is a powerful tool which works best when the organisation uses disruption and “perpetual change as fuel”.
The Powerful Players will be creating Markets
Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, Professor at the Oxford University Internet Institute, says when data drives markets, rather than relying primarily on price, financial institutions and traditional companies have less impact. Companies that encourage internal competition to drive innovation are likely to thrive. Instead of just creating products, the powerful players will be creating markets. This is the focus on his new book ‘Reinventing Capitalism in the Age of Big Data’ co-authored with Thomas Ramge, writer for The Economist.
Putting Big Data at the Centre of your Business Model
Last but not least someone who truly understands what it means to put big data at the centre of his business model is Mark Little, founder of the world’s first social news agency Storyful which pioneered new models of verification and collaboration. Storyful mines the social web, taking user-generated content and shaping it into journalism. As digital journalism rebuilds trust, the transparency from Big Data is crucial. So if you need a Big Data expert’s insights, simply contact us today to discuss your audience, budget, and goals. Follow us on Facebook”

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“FinTech touches not just the financial services sector, but every single business the financial services industry deals with. Your business is surely one of them? FinTech stands for Financial Technologies, in other words technologies used and applied in the financial services sector, mainly used by financial institutions themselves on the back end of their businesses. However, FinTech is increasingly being used to describe technologies that are disrupting traditional financial services, including mobile payments, crowd-funding, money transfers, loans, fundraising, and asset management. Here at Personally Speaking Bureau we have a range of expert speakers who talk passionately, engagingly and most importantly with great clarity about FinTech. They appeal to both expert audiences as well as to the less expert amongst us, making them ideal for any FinTech focused event. Here are two FinTech hot topics everyone is talking about: Blockchain This revolutionary technology cuts out the need for third parties to facilitate transactions. It is a new way to store and record transactions, similar to that of a traditional database, although in a blockchain each block is computer coded with some sort of information e.g. a contract or statement of authenticity, and is securely connected or ‘chained’ by digital signature to ensure they are tamper proof. Blockchain can be applied to any multi-step transaction where traceability and visibility are required. Blockchain is changing the way business is done. ChatBot This is a form of artificial intelligence. Basically, it is a piece of software you chat with. Think of it as a replacement for all the apps you have downloaded. Imagine that instead of opening up your bank account to see if you can afford to buy something, you could ask your personal financial assistant (i.e. a ChatBot) and it will tell you what you can afford to spend based on your income, pattern of spending and your saving goals. This is just one of the ways in which ChatBots are shaping the way financial institutions operate. Here at Personally Speaking Bureau, we have a range of expert speakers who are available to speak at your next Fintech focused event. Featured speakers include: • David McWilliams • Calum Chase • John Fingleton • Professor Noreena Hertz • Dr. Dambisa Moyo • Dan O'Brien • Dan Cobley • Constantin Gurdgiev • Mark Blyth Simply contact us today to discuss which presenter, MC, or speaker would suit your audience, budget, and goals.”

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“The name says it all. We are constantly researching and meeting the best speakers on the circuit so we can make the best recommendation for your corporate event no matter where it is in the world. We understand the importance of making an impact at an event and our goal is to help you achieve that. All our advice is based on experience, energy and an ability to think a little outside the box." - Frances Keane, CEO & Founder, Personally Speaking Ltd. Personally Speaking Ltd. is a member of the European Association of Speaker Bureaux (EASB). Frances Keane is delighted to be serving as Co-Chair for the Association this year. ”

“Dambisa Moyo Global Economist, TED Speaker, & Author Her work has taken her to more than 70 countries over the last decade, during which time she has developed a unique knowledge on the inherent conflicts facing developed economies, as well as the interaction between politics, international finance and developing markets. In particular, her work examines the interplay of international business and the global economy, while highlighting the key opportunities for investment, capitalizing on her rare ability to translate trends in markets, technology, politics, regulatory matters and economics into their likely impact on global business. Dambisa Moyo serves on the boards of Barclays Bank, the financial services group, SABMiller, the global brewer, Barrick Gold, the global miner, and Seagate Technology. She was an economist at Goldman Sachs and a consultant to the World Bank in Washington, D.C. Dambisa is a contributing editor to CNBC, the business and finance news network. Her writing regularly appears in economic and finance-related publications such as the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal. She completed a PhD in economics at Oxford University and holds a Masters degree from Harvard University. She completed an undergraduate degree in chemistry and an MBA in finance at the American University in Washington, D.C. She is an avid tennis fan and has run numerous half marathons and marathons. She received The Gold Medal of Honorary Patronage of the University Philosophical Society at Trinity College Dublin in Oct 2106. In nearly 10 years of practical board experience, Dr. Moyo has been engaged in many key aspects of company oversight and operations including: Board & Management Succession: • Selection process and appointment of numerous CEOs • Oversight of the upgrading and staffing of the executive committee • Corporate governance liaison with shareholders Compensation/Remuneration: • Oversight of the structuring of the company Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) • Alignment of compensation in the context of market trends • Approval of management bonus plans Global Perspective • First hand knowledge of economic and political conditions in all major emerging markets • Understanding of recent changes in fundamentals • Able to assess strategic potential Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A): • US$100 billion acquisition of SABMiller by Anheuser Busch; US$10 billion acquisition of Fosters by SABMiller • Oversight of multi billion dollar asset sales • Equity raise: Rights issues • Balance Sheet Management: Capital allocation, Dividend Regulatory Affairs: • Oversight of multi billion dollar regulatory fines and redress • Implementation of control environment • Implementation of cultural change agenda • Rollout of corporate restructuring: Spans & Layers, Organization centralization/de-centralization Risk: • Approval of company risk appetite: versus cost of capital, ROIC/Return targets, mandate and scale, liquidity • Assessment and management of Macroeconomic, market (including interest rates, FX, Commodity volatility), credit, geo-political risk • Monitoring of Operational risk • Monitoring Technology and Cyber risk Strategy • Overseen changes in strategy owing to changes in market conditions • Approved new business model in light to industry changes after financial crisis • Overseen changes in business model to reflect structural and regulatory challenges

Board Experience: • Barclays: (2010 – Present); Audit Committee, Risk Committee, Remuneration Committee; Reputation Committee • Barrick Gold: (2011 – Present); Audit Committee; Corporate Governance & Nomination Committee; Risk Committee • SABMiller: (2009 – Present); Chair of Corporate Accountability & Risk Assurance Committee • Seagate Technology: (2015 - Present): Audit Committee, Finance Committee Education: • PhD, Economics, Oxford University (2002) • MPA, Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government (1997) • MBA, Finance, American University (1993) • BS, Chemistry, American University (1991)

Work Experience: • Goldman Sachs, Capital Markets, Economist (2001-2008) • World Bank (1993-1995)

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“Best known for her role in Channel 4’s primetime, BAFTA-winning medical series 'Embarrassing Bodies’ and ‘Freaky Eaters’, practicing GP Dr. Pixie McKenna has seen every bizarre condition under the sun. With a sympathetic disposition and real medical expertise, she aims to restore health and dignity to millions of viewers. Pixie McKenna graduated from University College Cork Medical School in 1995. Following a year of medical and surgical internship in Ireland, she joined the Cambridge Vocational Training Scheme in general practice. This involved three years of hospital training at Addenbrooke’s Hospital Cambridge in medicine, surgery, general practice, care of the elderly, gynaecology, rheumatology, rehabilitation medicine and paediatrics. In 1999, she obtained her certificate in general practice training and membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners. Over the last 13 years she has worked both in the NHS and the private sector in Ireland and the UK. Pixie is currently a practicing GP at London's Harley Street. Her media career began in 2006 when she was asked to be the onscreen doctor in BBC Three’s ‘Freaky Eaters’ series, which ran for three seasons. She is best known for her role in Channel 4’s primetime, BAFTA-winning medical series 'Embarrassing Bodies’ and Channel 4’s ‘Food Hospital’. As well these major flagship shows, Pixie makes ad hoc appearances on a variety of other programmes as wide ranging as Celebrity Mastermind to This Morning. When not filming, Pixie spends her time writing columns for the Irish Mail, Mizz, Zest and Best magazines. She also hosts the weekly ‘Air your Ailments’ slot on Ireland’s Today FM. When she’s not busy with her clinical commitments and media work, Pixie can be found strolling, punting or cycling around her UK base in Cambridge, or sailing around the west coast of Cork. Although having given birth to her first child earlier this year, she describes herself as having more “nappy time” than leisure time. Pixie comes from a family background of medicine, being the third generation of doctors in her family, but only the first female medic! Having studied speech and drama from the age of five, she is an accomplished speaker on a variety of medical topics, with sexual health, dermatology, women’s health and health promotion being her specific interests. Pixie released her first book, The Handbag Doctor, through Kyle Cathie books in 2010. Dr Pixie is currently practising at Freedom Health, 60 Harley Street, London.”

“David Rowan is founding Editor-in-chief and now Editor-at-large of WIRED’s UK edition, and technology columnist for The [UK] Sunday Times. He’s taken 125 flights in the past year to investigate the companies and entrepreneurs changing our world, recently spending time with the founders of WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Google, Spotify, Xiaomi, Nest, Twitter and countless other ambitious startups from Tel Aviv to Shenzhen. For a book, he’s currently on a global quest for successful examples of corporate innovation in the face of technology-led disruption. His recent keynote talks have included events for banks, governments and Fortune 100 companies, and recent stage interviews have ranged from will.i.am to James Murdoch and David Cameron. David has been a columnist for The Times, GQ, Condé Nast Traveller and The Guardian. At WIRED he has extended the brand into conferences and a consulting business. He's an early-stage investor in 40 tech companies and co-founder of FlowJourneys.com, taking amazing people for weekend adventures in the world’s most extraordinary locations. And he is still searching for the future.”

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“In recent decades, STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) have driven economic advancements, yet there is now a recognition that STEM fields are missing one vital ingredient which would make them more effective, and that is the Arts. The inclusion of this more creative discipline has been shown to boost other STEM skills and encourage innovation and engagement. Introducing Arts into the equation transforms STEM into STEAM. If you are hosting an event that focuses on the topics of STEM or STEAM, it is imperative that you choose the correct master of ceremonies or keynote speaker to effectively communicate the key message of introducing the Arts into the existing STEM fields. Here at Personally Speaking Bureau, we have a handpicked selection of Keynote speakers for you to choose from who can really engage your audience and bring the themes to life. If your event is in need of an engaging, witty speaker who can really hold the attention of both lay and expert audiences, then Dr. Niamh Shaw is for you. Dr Niamh Shaw is an Irish engineer, scientist, performer, and was recently voted one of Ireland's leading science communicators and STEAM specialists. After she had a successful career in academia, she felt that despite her success, she was still failing. This sense of failure derived from the fact that her artistic desires were not being met by the traditional education system. Clare Dillon has over 20 years of know-how in leadership development, business strategy, and technology evangelism, as well as first hand experience of developing and implementing some of the latest technology trends in Microsoft Ireland. Clare was part of the Microsoft Leadership team as they transformed from a software product to a cloud services organisation. She has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to all things technology and is the perfect Keynote speaker for any Tech event. Aine Kerr is a teacher turned journalist, and specialises in the areas of media, technology, business, and education. She was instrumental in creating the Facebook Journalism Project and the News Integrity Initiative (NII) which focuses on the reporting of suspicious or false news articles within Facebook. Prior to her time at Facebook, Aine worked at Storyful for five years where she was the head of content and political editor. These projects are brilliant examples of what can be achieved with scientific rigour, emerging technologies and a little bit of creative storytelling. Aine has had an impressive career thus far, having also been a political correspondent and news reporter at The Irish Times, The Irish Independent, and The Irish Examiner. Kate D Adamson is an expert in how mega-trends in technology will impact the way humans safely, sustainably, and profitably protect our oceans, rivers, ports, and canals. Kate offers a visionary perspective on both the future threats and opportunities that technology will deliver to shipping, maritime and the wider blue economy. Her unparalleled understanding will keep your audience on the edge of their seats. If you are planning a conference or event to highlight the importance of introducing the Arts to the existing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths fields, contact us to discuss which presenter, MC, or speaker would suit your audience, budget, and goals. ”

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Dr Jolanta Burke Positive Psychologist specialises in Positive Psychology. She is a senior lecturer and associate programme leader for Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology at the University of East London, which is the first and largest third level positive psychology qualification in Europe. She is a highly engaging and passionate speaker who has delivered talks and keynotes at many conferences in Ireland, UK, other European countries, Canada and the US. She is published in various psychological and popular magazines and appears in the Irish media regularly (e.g. RTE, Today FM, Irish Times, Irish Independent). She’s also hosted her own radio show about the science of well-being.

Dr Jolanta Burke has extensive business experience and has collaborated with many organizations such as Google, IBEC, Big Lottery Fund, DTZ, Primerica. She is an Irish representative of the European Network for Positive Psychology. She is a visiting lecturer for Trinity College Dublin Business School where she regularly speaks at the MBA programme and has created and delivers a module in Psychology of Management (Managing a thriving organisation) for Masters in Management, ranking the third best general management degree in Europe.

Her last book about “Happiness after 30: The Paradox of Aging” is based on the latest research indicating that our well-being improves with age. Her new book “Flourishing employees: The psychology of people at their best” is coming out soon.
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“With over 30 years of experience in the creative world, Maggie has gone from Dancer to Choreographer to Director. In her unassuming and warm way she shares with the Corporate world her knowledge of how to create a winning team of gifted individuals who burn for the same unique result. She shares her creative knowledge, which, is key to keeping agility, passion and a love of living out of the comfort zone. She’s a talent addict and shares with her audience how she seeks out talent and helps them find the self-empowerment to become the best they possibly can. Maggie is refreshing and passionate and her story is inspiring. Maggie is an International contemporary Choreographer, Director and accredited RD1st Leadership Coach. She is a former solo dancer of the English National Ballet and the Deutsche Oper Berlin. She currently lives in Berlin and creates ballets for companies all over the globe from super ballet Stars of the Bolshoi Ballet to cutting edge contemporary dance companies in the USA and central Europe plus her own company DDC. She was the ballet director for 12 years of the Saarland State Ballet in Germany and created more that 30 ballets winning her several nominations and 2 medals of Merit. Maggie has a unique story, coming from the midlands of Ireland in the 90’s and beginning dance at the late age of 15 she managed to become a soloist of note with the English National Ballet and the Deutsche Oper Berlin and performed on world stages such as The Metropolitan Opera House, New York, The Kirov, St Petersburg, and the Coliseum, London. In 2014 she developed a team building method called “Creative Empowerment” using choreographic tools for the corporate world. They experience innovation and creativity in team from head to toe. The idea that “Nothing is Impossible” How to create from a blank sheet How to remain creative Follow Flow, the creative way Team Building begins with head to toe TRUST Why give up when you can go on…… Embracing the unknown How to keep the edge The body cannot lie”

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"One of the world's most influential thinkers" (Fast Company)
David Allen is an author, consultant, executive coach, and international lecturer. He is widely recognized as the world's leading authority on personal and organizational productivity. David is the founder of the David Allen Company, which provides services designed to increase performance, capacity and aligned execution through its global partners. Clients include some of the world’s most prestigious corporations, including over 40% of the Fortune 100. His thirty-five years of pioneering research, coaching and education of some of the world's highest-performing professionals has earned him Forbes' recognition as one of the “Top five executive coaches” in the United States, and as one of the "Top 100 thought leaders" by Leadership Magazine. Fast Company hailed David Allen "One of the world's most influential thinkers" in the arena of personal productivity, for his outstanding programs and writing on time and stress management, the power of aligned focus and vision, and his ground-breaking methodologies in management and executive peak performance. The American Management Association ranked him in the top ten business leaders in 2014. David is the author of three books; the international bestseller, 'Getting Things Done: the Art of Stress-Free Productivity' (popularly known by the brand shorthand of GTD ® ), 'Ready for Anything', and 'Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and Business of Life'. Getting Things Done has been a perennial business bestseller since it's publication in 2001, and the 2015 revised edition is now published in 30 languages. TIME magazine heralded Getting Things Done as "The defining self-help business book of its time". GTD has an international following of adopters in corporate enterprises, institutions and entrepreneurs. It has given rise to a thriving GTD industry of websites, blogs and software applications. Internet searches bring up tens of millions of references. David Allen is a rarity in the Twitter world, as one of the few non-celebrities with over a million followers hanging on his informative wit and inspiration. PC Magazine noted him as one of the “Top One Hundred to Follow” on Twitter.”

“Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics are trending. According to analysis from PWC AI will boost Ireland’s GDP by 2030 by 11.6% or €48 billion. It is expected that 3.7% of that growth will emerge from Augmented Intelligence, which is where humans and machines work together to find solutions to problems. Machines, through a process of learning by experience modelled on our own early learning system, will suggest solutions to problems that humans may not have thought of yet. AI advancements will lead to significantly increased productivity and automation in the workplace. This means employees will be less stressed, more productive, and happier. Here at Personally Speaking Bureau we understand the importance of choosing the right MC, presenter or expert speaker for your tech event, as they play a vital role in communicating the key benefits of investing in AI. That’s why we have a variety of tech experts for you to choose from to fill that important role. If your event revolves around the latest technology trends, then David Rowan is the presenter for you. David Rowan is WIRED’s UK Editor-at-large, and a tech company advisor. David travels around the world speaking to companies about how they can innovate to keep up to speed with, or to profit from tech-led disruption. David is a storyteller, and speaks enthusiastically and engagingly about Big Data, technology trends (such AI), 3D printing, and mobile opportunities. If your event focuses on the likely impacts of AI on people and societies, then Calum Chace is a perfect choice. Following a successful 30-year career in business, Calum became a writer and speaker, specialising in the likely effects of AI. He believes that organisations should be thinking about how they deploy AI in their business, and has an innate talent for communicating the importance of investing in AI early on. Ben Hammersley is a well known author, futurist and technologist, and specialises in explaining complex technological and sociological topics to non technical audiences. Ben is the author of ‘64 Things You Need to Know Now For Then: How to Face the Digital Future Without Fear’, which explains the 64 things that are driving our world forward, from business to politics, and even culture. Ben inspires and motivates audiences, and gives them the confidence to face the digital future and whatever it brings. If you’re looking for a true leader to present at your event, global expert and best-selling author Terence Mauri is the ideal choice. Terence is an Inc. magazine Columnist, and entrepreneur mentor at London Business School and Oxford University. He specialises in tackling the new age of disruption and tells organisations how they can win in a digital world by utilising AI. Ade McCormack is a former technologist who studied Physics and Astrophysics and offers a fascinating perspective on how organizations and people can thrive in the post industrial age. His unique perspective makes him the perfect opening keynote speaker. Ade is a near futurist, and teaches audiences about upcoming technological trends, and how to stay economically relevant in the digital age. If you are planning a conference or event to highlight the importance of investing in AI, contact us to discuss which MC, presenter or speaker would suit your audience, budget, and goals. ”

“International Rugby Referee Nigel Owens Nigel Owens is a Welsh International, World Cup and Heineken Cup rugby union referee. Born and raised in a small village in South Wales he was appointed as an international referee in 2005, and that year officiated his first international between Ireland and Japan in Osaka. He was the only Welsh referee at the 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cups and is regarded as the first openly gay man to referee at the highest level. He made his World Cup debut in Lyon, France in September 2007 refereeing the Argentina vs. Georgia game. He is only one of two referees ever to be appointed to referee two consecutive Heineken Cup finals: Munster v Toulouse at the Millennium Stadium in 2008 and Leicester Tigers v. Leinster at Murrayfield in 2009. Nigel is also one of the presenters on S4C’s ‘Jonathan', a rugby-themed Welsh language chat show hosted by former Welsh international Jonathan Davies. He also co-presents the sports-themed Welsh language chat show 'Bwrw'r Bar'. In 2007, Owens was named ‘Gay Sports Personality of the Year‘ by gay rights group Stonewall at their annual awards ceremony in London. In 2011, Nigel was made a member of the Gorsedd of Bards at their National Eisteddfod in Wrexham. Owens was appointed as the referee for the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final between New Zealand and Australia at Twickenham.”

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“Norah Casey Entrepreneur Broadcaster former Dragon - Until July 2013, Norah was anchor of the successful daily radio Breakfast Show on Newstalk and co-hosted The Today show on RTE 1 every Friday during the 2012/2013 season. In 2013, she decided to leave the successful business entrepreneur show Dragons’ Den to pursue a full time career in radio and television. Her investment portfolio is diverse and includes online and traditional media businesses. Her new television series Norah’s Traveller Academy was aired on RTE in Spring 2015. She presented 13 episodes of The Takeover with RTE 2 – transforming business through staff mentorship. Her documentary titled Way to Go, exploring issues around death and the Irish, aired on RTE 1 in July 2014. Norah is owner and Chairwoman of Ireland’s largest magazine publishing company Harmonia, printing over four million magazines annually for the Irish, British and USA market and selling on average 2.6 million in the Irish market annually. She founded the company and was CEO until October 2013. Harmonia publishes the top three best-selling women’s magazines in Ireland – Irish Tatler, Woman’s Way and U Magazine – along with a range of lifestyle and consumer titles such as Woman’s Way, CookBook, Food&Wine Magazine, Irish Tatler Man, Ireland of the Welcomes and Auto Ireland. With a strong portfolio of brands and events from having run many successful publishing companies in London, Norah bought her own business, Harmonia, in 2004. A journalist and former nurse, Norah was awarded Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year 2007/8, and has been Ireland’s Publisher of the Year no fewer than four times. She has served on numerous boards, and is currently a member of the Press Council of Ireland, the London-based Women’s Irish Network and The International Women’s Forum.”

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“International Women’s Day is fast approaching, conferences and events will be held all over the world to celebrate the societal and political achievements of women, while simultaneously calling for gender equality. On this day of all days, you need an engaging female speaker to inspire your audience to think differently and make changes. Here at Personally Speaking Bureau, we have wonderful women who as motivational speakers will inject life into your event and mirror the themes of both power and equality for women by opening up and sharing their stories. If your event focuses on motivation and empowering women, then Caroline Casey is the motivational speaker for you. Caroline is legally blind and an award-winning social entrepreneur. She is a keen advocate for equality in the workplace and believes that people should not be defined by their disabilities. Caroline is renowned for her engaging speeches on globally recognisable platforms such as TED Talks and One Young World, just to name a few. In fact, owner of TED Chris Anderson recently held Caroline up as an example of inspirational talks done right, saying “The talk should convey something personal about the speaker in order to give the audience a window into the issue, such as activist Caroline Casey's 2010 talk on overcoming life's obstacles, ‘Looking past limits’. And it should offer hope that a bad situation could still get better.” Caroline is someone who will inspire your audience to engage with and act on bold ideas. If your event needs a bold, energetic and passionate speaker, then Sonya Lennon is the perfect choice. Sonya is a designer and entrepreneur who owns three fashion orientated business. She has an innate talent for storytelling. Sonya’s story is one of inspiration and motivation, in which she merges creative thinking with strategic development. She also runs a non-profit organisation which aims to help women to get back into the workforce. If you are in need of the ultimate business woman for your event, look no further than Chanelle, Lady McCoy. Chanelle is a Dragon’s Den investor and has built her success in the areas of pharmaceuticals and fashion. Chanelle is the co-founder of Chanelle Medical and Chanelle Veterinary which develop and manufacture generic drugs. Chanelle is responsible for over 400 people, turning-over in excess of €100m. With this reputation, it comes as no surprise that she was recently ranked no 23 in the ‘50 incredible people shaping modern Ireland’. Rita Clifton is best known for her expertise on branding. Rita has had a very successful marketing career thus far. She was Vice Chair and strategy director at Saatchi & Saatchi during their most successful period, and London CEO for over fifteen years. Rita was then Chair at Interbrand, a world class brand consultancy, and was shortlisted for the Credit Suisse Outstanding Business Woman of the Year. If you are planning a conference or event to mark International Women’s Day contact us to discuss which speaker would suit your audience, budget, and goals. ”

“Debbie Deegan is the Founder and Managing Director of the charity To Children with Love. She is also a published author of two books. She is well recognised from her national and international TV and radio appearances and was the recipient of a Unesco Tolerance Award, Irish International Person of the Year Award, Social Entrepreneur of the Year award among many others. She is also a Certified Life Coach. Debbie is an inspiring presenter, and her message is simple but powerful: that individuals can make a huge difference in their own lives and if they choose in the lives of others. Recently, she has been hired by Qualtrics, Aughinish Alumina, Vision International and Kellogg. Debbie Deegan is a people's champion because she is an ordinary person who has achieved extraordinary things. Using her infectious passion and total belief in the power of human potential she has changed the lives of thousands of children through her charity work. Debbie believes that anyone can tap into the power of their potential if they are prepared to take a step. Debbie is an inspiring presenter her message is simple but powerful. Her message is that individuals can make a huge difference in their own lives and if they choose in the lives of others. Her many personal stories make her speeches special authentic and riveting. Debbie is an ordinary person who has achieved extraordinary things. Using her infectious passion and total belief in the power of human potential she has changed the lives of thousands of children through her charity work. Debbie believes that anyone can tap into the power of their potential if they are prepared to take a step. "I have been fortunate to work with Debbie Deegan on many occasions [...] Her many personal stories make her speeches special authentic and riveting. I wholeheartedly recommend her as a motivational speaker" - Damian Clancy, Chairman of Aughinish Alumina, Adjunct Professor, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick”

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“Designer and entrepreneur Sonya Lennon is a tiny bundle of fearless passion who loves to tell a good yarn. All her experience is woven into story of style, creation and starting from scratch to build value. A seasoned speaker with clients including Google, Accenture, Citi, AIB, Eversheds, UKTI, Irish Life and Dublin Chamber.”

“Constantin Gurdgiev is currently ranked second on the UK & Ireland Economists Top 100 list by CityAM. Joining high level view of technological, demographic and consumer trends with original data analytics, he provides a unique long-range analysis of evolutionary trends shaping economies and key markets. His thought leadership crosses the boundaries of individual sectors and countries to bring truly global business and economics perspective to boardrooms and conference halls. Dr. Constantin Gurdgiev is the Adjunct Professor of Finance with Trinity College Dublin and acts as an adviser to a range of financial services companies. Constantin is an internationally recognised expert and speaker on topics relating to global business and economic development. His main expertise is in spotting key data-driven trends across economies and sectors, and linking these trends to investment and business strategy. His clients include: Google, IBM, Alltech, KPMG, PwC, IG, Bloomberg, Reuters, CFA Institute, Eon, Allianz, McKinsey, and others. He is a frequent contributor to international media and writes a regular column for Cayman Financial Review. His blog is syndicated to Seeking Alpha and is carried by a number of investment markets platforms. In the past, Dr. Gurdgiev served as the Partner and Head of Research with St Columbanus AG, the Head of Macroeconomics with IBM, and Director of Research with NCB Stockbrokers. Current risks and opportunities in the global economy (European, MENA, Asia Pacific and North American markets; BRICS) The future of financial services (retail and institutional investors perspective, banking, insurance and aggregators) Behavioural and macroeconomic drivers for consumer services and financial services development (on-line and off-line) Big data v Small data and data analytics The role of human capital in economic development and Smarter Cities Current and future trends in financial markets (European and Russian markets)”

“With January just around the corner, this is a critical time for businesses all around the world. Motivational Speakers at January Conferences set the tone for the upcoming year and selecting the right speaker should be a key priority. Choosing the right Motivational Speakers for your event can be difficult. Although it can be an onerous task, there is nothing quite like knowing you have the right keynote speaker who you can trust to inject life, positive energy, and passion into your event. With that being said, here at Personally Speaking Bureau, we have a diverse range of Motivational Speakers for you to choose from, people who can raise the profile of your event, whilst exciting your talent about the year ahead and convey your key messages. If you are looking to motivate your staff and kick-start the year with a positive Mindset and can do attitude, Caroline Casey is the perfect speaker for you. Legally blind, Caroline is an award-winning social entrepreneur and a keen adventurer. She has just returned from trekking 1000 km across Columbia on horseback while igniting her business inclusion and diversity movement #valuable, completing the journey on the mainstage of One Young World in Bogota. Amongst her achievements, she is a TED Speaker, Ashoka Fellow and Young Global Leader. Caroline has a reputation around the world for connecting with her audience, she speaks from the heart and is passionate about making a difference. If your event focuses on team building and bringing people together, look no further than Irish sporting legends Brian O’Driscoll and Jamie Heaslip. Brian is the most-capped player in Rugby Union history. Jamie’s commitment, focus and drive not only guarantees he delivers the best of himself but also gives him the ability to get the best out of the people around him. Their experiences enable them to insert themselves into teams, strengthen and unify them. Nigel Barlow and Terence Mauri will focus on inspiring your audience, encouraging them to look to the future. Nigel has been described as one of the world's most dynamic speakers, inspiring individuals as they face pressing business challenges. Terence helps individuals stay one step ahead by finding smart ways to challenge the age of disruption. Dusty Gedge has the ability to inform, amuse and challenge his audiences. Encouraging them to break out of their comfort zone and focus on the future of their environment. His style is highly active and great fun. If you are planning an event, why not contact us to discuss which speaker may suit your audience, budget, and goals. ”

“Hayley is passionate about inspiring business leaders to adopt the principle that diversity isn’t about difference, it’s about excellence. She tackles issues surrounding unconscious bias and inclusiveness with humour, ensuring that her ideas have real value for audiences’ working lives.
One of our most popular speakers on Diversity and Inclusion, Hayley Barnard is the Managing Director & Diversity Strategist at MIX Diversity Developers Ltd. MIX helps organisations become more innovative and profitable through developing both a more diverse workforce and diverse customer base. MIX’s clients include HSBC, Diageo, T-Systems and Walmart.

After quickly rising to become General Manager of Sir Chay Blyth’s ‘Challenge Business’ at just 23, Hayley took the decision to start her own communications and sponsorship business with her twin sister, which they run to this day. After over a decade of successful trading, their second business was born – MIX Diversity Developers Ltd.

Hayley is a professional speaker, consultant and media commentator on subjects including gender balanced workplaces, inclusive leadership, unconscious bias, harnessing greater ethnicity in business, Autism in the workplace and Age and Employment. She is passionate about inspiring business leaders to adopt the principle that diversity isn’t about difference, it’s about excellence. She tackles issues surrounding unconscious bias and inclusiveness with humour, ensuring that her ideas have real value for audiences’ working lives.

One of the most innovative projects that Hayley has headed up is the LeasePlan Women’s Arctic Challenge in which she co-led a team of women on a traverse of Baffin Island, trekking and camping for 11 days at minus 40 degrees C. MIX worked with LeasePlan to develop this unique platform to communicate the gender balance issue and challenge unconscious bias within their company.

When not at work or at home Hayley can usually be found swimming in the nearest stretch of open water in preparation for a 45Km swim around Manhattan Island in August 2018 and her solo English Channel swim attempt in 2019.
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“Siobhan Byrne Personal Trainer and Specialist in Women's Fitness Business Owner and Irish Independent Health & Fitness columnist Siobhan is passionate about helping women of all ages make positive realistic changes in their eating and fitness regime to improve their health, self-esteem and energy. She specialises in training for weight loss and maintaining fitness through pregnancy.”

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“Noreena Hertz Economist looks at global culture — financial and otherwise — using an approach that combines traditional economic analysis with foreign policy trends, psychology, behavioural economics, anthropology, history and sociology. Hertz is a bestselling author, economist and strategist who advises some of the world’s top CEOs and Presidents on economic, geopolitical and technological trends and business decisions. She graduated from university at the age of 19. By the age of 23 she was advising the Russian government on its economic reforms and investors on M&A transactions. At the age of 29 she was working with the governments of Israel, Egypt, Palestine, and Jordan on the Middle East Peace Process. Described by the Observer as “one of the world’s leading young thinkers”, by Vogue as “one of the world’s most inspiring women” and on the cover of Newsweek’s September 30th 2013 issue "Noreena is known for her visionary ideas". Noreena’s ongoing research on what she calls Generation Katniss (14 – 21 year olds) was launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos and at the Women in the World Economic Summit in New York City and has already been featured in publications including The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Daily Telegraph, El Pais and The Financial Times. A much sought-after commentator on television and radio Hertz contributes to a wide range of publications and networks including The BBC, CNN, CNBC, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, the Financial Times, the Guardian, The Times of London, Wired, and Nature. She is regularly sought after as a Keynote Speaker and has given Keynote Speeches at TED, The World Economic Forum and Google Zeitgeist as well as for leading global corporations, sharing platforms with such luminaries as President Bill Clinton, Professor Stephen Hawking and David Beckham. Her work was the inspiration for Bono’s (RED) campaign. She is a Board Member of Warner Music Group, on the Advisory Board RWE AG and sits on various charitable boards. Professor Hertz is based at University College London.”

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“We would like to introduce one of our most exciting and dynamic keynote and motivational speakers, Caroline Casey. Caroline’s own story makes her an inspiration, and this week she hopes to inspire much more when she brings her call for inclusive business to the world stage. One Young World Caroline, a motivational speaker from Dublin, Ireland, is the founder of the business inclusion company Binc., which focuses on people with disabilities and aims to catalyze a global movement for inclusive business. And on October 6th, Caroline will be at the One Young World Summit in Bogota, Colombia, to urge business leaders around the world (and the young leaders they nurture and mentor) to take the lead on making the powerful world of industry and business a model of inclusion. A Life Without Limits - For Everyone Caroline believes that people with disabilities should not be afraid to live a life without limits or labels to reach their true potential, especially in business, as both consumers and employees. Caroline was diagnosed as being legally blind at the age of 17. After discovering this, she swore to herself that no-one would ever find out that she was visually impaired as she didn’t want to appear weak. For the next 11 years, she would live her life without anyone knowing that she was legally blind. A Turning Point Then, at the age of 28, something happened. While at work, Caroline’s eyes unexpectedly took a turn for the worse, causing her (temporarily) to lose the ability to see all together. After a discussion with her boss, she decided that it was time for a change: she was going to be true to herself, including the fact that she had a disability, and she wasn’t going to let anything stop her. But she also wanted to show other people that they could do the same, so Caroline decided to trek 1,000km across India by elephant to prove that she could still do anything she set her mind to. This trip raised enough money for 6,000 cataract operations, which allowed 6,000 people to see. Raise Awareness of Inclusive Business The India trip ignited Caroline’s passion and ambition to lead a life without limitations and to raise awareness of the importance of including people with disabilities in business. Caroline wants to inspire the business world to be inclusive, not just in terms of people with disabilities but around difference more generally. She does this through public speaking, calling on all of us to be more inclusive whenever and however we can, and to accept that being different, in any way, is the norm and should be celebrated. We’re all #Valuable On the 4th of September 2017, Caroline embarked on another 1,000km trip, this time from Colombia to Bogota on horseback, where she will arrive at the opening ceremony of the One Young World Summit on the 4th of October. Two days later, on the 6th of October, Caroline will take to the main stage with #Valuable (Binc.) to make a call to action to corporate leaders all around the world, urging them to recognize that everyone is #valuable and to put in place strategies and tools to help put inclusiveness at the heart of a business. Caroline’s trip is being documented by #Valuable.global where you can keep up with her as she makes this daring journey! You can also follow her on Instagram as @caseybinc. If you are planning an event, why not contact us to discuss what speaker may suit your audience, budget, and goals. ”

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Jeremy White has spent the last five years as Product Editor for Wired seeking out and evaluating products at the very cutting edge of innovation and design. Now, as an Executive Editor, he edits Wired's GEAR section, which highlights and tests the very best in 'Wired' products from smartphones to wearables, nano drones to supercars, interiors to architecture.

His expansive knowledge of the product world and forecasting design and tech trends has seen him be commissioned for consultancy services to some of the world's largest consumer brands on industrial design and user experience. He has been writing about technology and design for more than 10 years and is also currently the technology expert for Telegraph Luxury and Harrods.

Before Wired, Jeremy was digital editor for 'How To Spend It' at the Financial Times, and prior to that was technology editor at Esquire magazine. Jeremy appears regularly on the BBC and Sky News representing the magazine.

Jeremy curates the live product experiences at Wired's events, charged with bringing together exclusive displays showcasing the latest developments in automotive, technology, design and art.
The future as it happens – as Executive Editor in charge of all product coverage (both in print and online), Jeremy travels all over the world sourcing the latest design and technology innovations before they come to market. Technology trends Internet of Things, and the possible future Luxury technology and the Future of Luxury Brands Artificial intelligence 3D printing and maker culture Product innovation
Quantum computing

FinTech

Retail disruption

Wearables and Health tech

Autonomous cars and transport

Cyber security

Industrial design

Crowd-funding culture

Fashion technology
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“Jonathan MacDonald is a Digital Strategist, founder of the Thought Expansion Network (TEN) and an internationally renowned speaker. His core messages focus on expanding people's thinking about change, and how that impacts the future, exploring the opportunities that this perpetually changing, digitally and technologically enhanced landscape create. T hrough all of his work, Jonathan MacDonald enables people and organisations to modify their approach from one-off change management to the management of perpetual change, thanks to his deep knowledge of future trends, disruptive innovation, the world of business, human behaviour, and how to use change to fuel outstanding business and personal success. He also draws upon his extreme depth of thinking to answer the most complex questions from the stage, adding immense consultative value that translates into tangible, bottom-line business benefit. Jonathan has been creating and advising businesses for over two decades, and his various accomplishments include Ministry of Sound’s digital strategy, launching a Sky TV channel and becoming the youngest ever Chairman of the British Music Industries Association. He has recently co-founded a highly disruptive Australian FinTech company that is radically innovating origination using blockchain technology and is also helping to accelerate a similarly disruptive American LegalTech blockchain startup. He is trusted by the senior executives of the most successful global companies including Google, Microsoft, Apple, P&G, Unilever, Nestlé, Lego, Heineken and IKEA to expand their thinking and provide new perspectives and avenues of thought, and is a contributor to Google’s Think Insights and Forbes. Jonathan is charismatic, personable and highly impactful, meaning he is consistently the best-rated speaker at any event, leaving a lasting impression on every audience who hears him. He opens up the minds and the thinking of a diverse range of people; facilitating strategic discussion and dialogue with the most senior level executives, or inspiring an entire workforce to embrace new opportunities for a brighter future, leaving audiences with a clear roadmap of the actionable steps to take to achieve success and competitive advantage. He looks at current and future trends, explores what innovation really means, what disruption looks like, how technology is influencing every part of business, the impact of a disintermediated landscape, and how to use change as a mechanism that can power outstanding business success, rather than something to resist, especially when it comes to 'future-proofing' our businesses and workplaces.”

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A GUEST POST by TERENCE MAURI author of The Leader’s Mindset
[caption id="attachment_1751" align="alignright" width="149"] Terence Mauri[/caption]
About six weeks ago I received an email from somebody called Amy Ingram. It was a friendly, professional email to schedule a meeting with the CEO of an exciting new start-up I was writing about for my column in Inc. Magazine.

Not who I thought she was

After a couple of email exchanges the meeting was confirmed and I thanked Amy for her time. When I got to meet with the CEO in person later that week, he looked at me with a glint in his eye and asked, in a rather curious tone, “What did you think of Amy Ingram?” A little confused, I replied that she was very professional and efficient at her job. The CEO smiled again, paused and said that he had a confession to make: Amy was not a human being. She was in fact A.I (#ArtificialIntelligence). And the clue was in her initials (Amy Ingram). ‘Will you forgive me?” he asked with a grin.

A new age

Of course I forgave him, because everywhere around me I am seeing that science fiction is fast becoming science fact. The take-home message is that we’ve entered a new age of AI, automation and algorithms, where the speed and scale of change create tremendous risk but also tremendous opportunity. I call it ‘exponential change’ and it’s happening now. It took 75 years for the telephone to reach 100 million users, WhatsApp 3 years and the game Pokémon Go just 3 weeks. This new age is the Fourth Industrial revolution, and it’s one where data is the new oil and information is the new currency.
[caption id="attachment_1763" align="alignright" width="275"] Artificial Intelligence Brain[/caption]
In this new reality, it’s no longer about big or small. It’s about fast or slow. According to a recent McKinsey study, 80% of CEOs believe that in this new reality, their current business model is at risk and only 6% are satisfied with their innovation performance.

Now more than ever, we need to use brains, guts and an action-oriented #growthmindset to ensure our businesses don’t become a footnote in corporate history. The twin forces of #CloudComputing and #MobileConnectivity are creating massive yet hard-to-predict opportunities, and as ever in business, there will be winners and losers.

Here are three shortcuts for how to not just survive but thrive in the age of AI, automation and algorithms.

Ensure Your Failure is Intelligent Failure

Stop worrying about the rate of failure because as long as those failures are cheap, you can afford a lot of them. As the saying goes, “fail fast, fail cheap and move on”. To fail ‘intelligently,’ you need to focus on three simple rules.

First, know what success looks like and doesn’t look like. I’m always surprised at the lack of focus on a clear outcome. Deciding what not to focus on can also limit any uncertainty.

Second, convert any assumptions you have into knowledge and learning. This is a much smarter use of time than trying to prove how right you are.

Finally, codify and share what’s been learned via a process known as ‘After Action Reviews’ (AAR). Pioneered by the military to ensure continuous learning, the AAR process involves asking three key questions.

1. What did you intend to happen?

2. What actually happened?

3. What are the lessons learned?

Recognise the need to develop “#RippleIntelligence”

Can you navigate the myriad different trends, changes, and contexts that can disrupt an industry or business, for better or worse? It may be, that in order to do this well, you need to develop something that entrepreneur Elon Musk possesses in abundance – a quality called #RippleIntelligence: the ability to see the interactions of business contexts play out like ripples moving across a pond.

Musk, a South African-born Canadian-American business magnate, investor, engineer, and inventor, has a vivid imagination, obsessive focus, and a deep curiosity about the world and business in particular. He is brave not just in his words but also in his actions, and he uses #RippleIntelligence in a systematic way for moving fast.

One of the best ways to develop this intelligence is regularly to step outside your normal orbit and develop a point of view not just about the ideas, trends and issues that excite you, but also about the ones that keep you awake at night. Done well, this can help you anticipate hidden opportunities and catch the next big wave before others do. Early adoption will ensure you stay agile and ahead of the pack.

Think 10 [x], not 10%.

When was the last time you set a challenge for yourself that pushed you to deliver more than you thought was humanly possible? Most people think about how they can grow by 10% or 20%, not by a factor of 10. But what if you conceived of a growth rate in many multiples of that? ‘10 [x] thinkers’ are hardwired to think bigger and bolder, whether it’s wiping out malaria in the next ten years or making space tourism a reality. They have an eye on the future and can spot an unmet opportunity quickly before others.

You don’t have to be a CEO or run a startup to think 10 x. This is a #mindset that involves taking control of your vision rather than having someone else hire you to fulfil theirs. Get started, have a clear destination, fail fast, test ideas lightly and often, and know that those who think 10 [x] hold two beliefs: 1. problems can’t be solved with yesterday’s thinking, and 2. you have the resources to achieve your goals.

Conclusion

Next time you receive an email, don’t assume it’s from a human being. The future has already arrived. To lead in this brave new world, you will have to find the courage to upgrade your #BusinessModel and your #mindset multiple times in order to remain viable. The bad news is, you’re probably not going to learn this at business school.

As a CEO said to me recently, “if it’s not broke, break it.”

Terence Mauri is a keynote speaker, Inc. Magazine Columnist and entrepreneur mentor. His new book The Leader’s Mindset: How To Win In The Age of Disruption is a global bestseller – described by MIT as ‘a fine read for anyone looking to take their leadership skills to the next level’.

The Leader’s Mindset is out now on Amazon and Amazon UK
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“Margaret E Ward
Diverse teams create more innovation, improve organisational culture and add to the bottom line but why are they so hard to achieve? What social, cultural and corporate barriers keep us from achieving our optimum teams?

In this short talk, communications and diversity expert Margaret E. Ward defines the most common types of bias in organisation, talks about ways her clients and boards have overcome them and tells her personal story to highlight how culture can block progress within organisations. She explores how new approaches combining behavioural economics, data analytics and communications are “nudging” some organisations toward real cultural change.

The talk will help Boards, Managers and staff think about which levers they need to press in their organisations to ensure diversity becomes part of the corporate DNA and not just a box ticking exercise. A Q&A will follow the talk.

This talk has been delivered to great acclaim at: the European Central Bank, the Central Bank of Ireland and Google. Other highly regarded industry specific talks on diversity have been given in HP (tech), Connecting Women in Technology (tech and media), RTÉ (media), US Embassy (film, TV and theatre), Connecting Women in Pensions, Network Ireland, Department of Justice, IBEC, Northern Irish Assembly, and to many other organisations and networks.
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“Chris Bashinelli has interviewed some of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People on the Planet. His keynotes embody themes of service, productivity and cultural understanding. He helps audiences realize their potential to become Global Citizens, inspired members of their organization, their family, and ultimately- the world! Chris Bashinelli has also interviewed some of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.”

“Ian Kehoe Journalist, Author, Broadcaster, Editor of The Sunday Business Post Ian Kehoe is award-winning journalist, author and broadcaster. In 2014, at the age of 34, he was appointed Editor of The Sunday Business Post newspaper, one of Ireland’s most respected titles. He is a former presenter and reporter with RTE’s Prime Time programme, where he chronicled Ireland’s economic collapse. He has twice been named as Ireland’s Business & Economics Journalist of the Year. Kehoe has made several major television documentaries, including Namaland and Who’s Buying Ireland. His most recent documentary, The Great Irish Sell-Off, exposed the scale of vulture fund activity in post-crash Ireland. He is the co-author of Citizen Quinn, a bestselling book about the rise and fall of the industrialist Sean Quinn. ”

“The Top Ten reasons to use a great MC at your conference: 1.They anticipate the participant mindset and 'frame' the conference, establishing content relevance from the start. 2. They add a sense of occasion and professionalism. 3. They set the scene for the speakers: introducing them, supporting them as needed (e.g. if nervous) and thanking them. 4. They engage the power of the audience, drawing on their experience, provoking thinking and involvement through insightful and relevant questions. 5. They keep the conference 'on message' by highlighting key points. 6. They summarise, taking the pressure off the audience to remember everything. 7. They use their energy to keep a brisk pace and they know how to elegantly bring a speaker to a close if they are overrunning or going off-message. 8. They make connections and links between the content of different speakers' talks, and draw the threads together in a meaningful way. 9. They can deal with anything that comes up and they know how to make everything flow smoothly even if there is a hitch (e.g. technical, or someone is late or doesn't turn up). 10. They make sure all viewpoints are heard.”

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“[caption id="attachment_685" align="alignright" width="170"] Neil O'Brien[/caption]
Let’s be careful that wellness at work doesn’t become the ultimate touchy feely nice thing to do. We should ensure that wellness at work is good for business too. In this regard Neil O’Brien’s definition of wellness at work is ‘working better and going home happier’. Let's not be coy about wanting to work better but let’s also ensure that the culture and systems support this objective while keeping enjoyment at work near the top of the agenda.

Neil’s Top 3 things that will transform your wellness at work today:

DO THE RIGHT THING– Today do the thing you’ve been avoiding lately. You know what it is; it may be a tricky conversation, a difficult report, a difficult person. Today is good.

DO A GOOD THING – Today give someone a ‘thank you’, an acknowledgement, a compliment, an appreciation. Maybe you have one already or you could simply offer a spontaneous random act of kindness.

SUPPORT SOMEONE ELSE'S RIGHT THING – Encourage someone else to do their ‘right thing’. They may not like you for it but they will thank you for it.

These 3 edge-of-comfort-zone-acts will increase your confidence, boost your energy and send you home happy! ”

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“Sarah famously combines her insatiable curiosity and intellectual ability with an engaging, witty style that draws in audiences and brings out the best in expert guests. With a background in broadcasting, there’s no one more comfortable in front of an audience and making them feel part of any event. Sarah Carey is a well known columnist and broadcaster. She’s written for major broadsheets from The Irish Times to The Daily Telegraph on everything from economics to politics, technology and media and is a highly experienced radio and television presenter. A thorough researcher of big subjects with an open mind, Sarah is highly regarded for her professionalism and warmth. Whatever your subject – be it technology, energy, economics or the business of media and culture, Sarah will bring a lively intellectual curiosity to the proceedings, putting other guests at ease and making sure your audience will be entertained and engaged in your event. An authoritative and charming chair, she can keep conversations moving along but make sure all key points are explored. Acutely sensitive to the moods of an audience she’ll make sure your event stays on track. Sarah is popular in academia, politics and business and of course, with general audiences who love her personal insights, and open manner. "Sarah Carey spoke at a DPER conference on contemporary politics, society and economics and made a very strong impression. Sarah is an articulate, witty and engaging speaker with an unrivalled mix of experience as a presenter, broadcaster and commentator. We hope to have Sarah back for our 2018 conference both as a Chair and contributor. We would highly recommend her for high profile and demanding speaking and chairing engagements." - Robert Watt, Secretary General, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Ireland "Sarah was the hit of the First Startup Wake with her highly entertaining insights into life at a fast growing but doomed Tech Company. Having been interviewed by her many times I know she has great abilities to expound on and explain Tech issues in a way that brings them alive for any audience" - Paul Hayes, Beachhut PR and Flounders "Sarah Carey interviewed me onstage at the WebSummit in 2014 and was very thoughtful and prepared. She figured out what was unique about the panel from WebSummit’s perspective. Worked with PR and Communication at Google to figure out the areas of my expertise and worked on a possible set of questions so that I was accordingly prepared [...] She is an engaging interviewer and we all had a great time getting to know her." - Dr. Anna Patterson, Vice President of Engineering, Google Inc., Founder and Managing Partner Gradient Ventures”

“There is no cure for paralysis and I am paralysed. So my motivation to connect people around the world to create a cure may simply seem like a personal desire to walk, to feel, to be my old self again. The fall that broke my back in 2010 leaving me with no movement or feeling below my waist certainly pointed my compass towards this frontier that I now explore, but that alone could never sustain what this expedition requires. By day, I am a lab rat. I am shaved and willingly, joyfully caged in my robotic legs. I am wired to technology that unfolds the map of the inside of my body like the uncharted cosmos and with scientists, amateurs and other pioneers we explore it. By night, I connect. I try to bring foundations, investors, scientists, engineers and paralysed patient advocates together to be part of the solution. I can do all this because I believe that my real motivation, (the intrinsic motivation that comes from deeper within me than the extrinsic reward of walking, feeling, being my old self again), is to find what lies beyond this unconquered frontier of paralysis, to find what is on the other side of the hill. And it is vital that we understand what really motivates us and why. Otherwise we could never sustain the effort. The scientific research programme we have created in which I am a subject is producing incredibly useful data, but it may well lead to a breakthrough that benefits my fellow paralysed. So something more than the inarguable self-interest keeps me in the lab, keeps me working. The heroic age of polar exploration has long been a font of insight for me. And even more so now as I figure out how these explorers faced their frontiers. So, I travelled as close as I could to a man who is to me one of the most fascinating of those explorers, a man called Tom Crean. He was a titan. Born in Annascaul, County Kerry, in my home country Ireland, he returned and opened a pub there in 1916 after his polar exploration ended. Simply called, The South Pole Inn, it is still open and is a memorial to his incredible life. Simone, my fiancée, and I toasted Tom with a beer named after him. Simone described the 18/35 logo on the pint glass, but I couldn’t recall the significance of those numbers even though I had listened to the audiobooks of almost all the stories of polar exploration before my own Antarctic adventure back in 2009. Having lost my sight when I was 22 I turned from international rower to a blind adventure athlete and I competed in the first South Pole Race since Scott and Amundson had competed for the prize of being the true first to the pole over a hundred years before. It was how I had marked my 10-year anniversary of going blind. [caption id="attachment_1313" align="alignnone" width="225"] ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHT MARK POLLOCK TRUST. Mark Pollock reaches the South Pole February 2009.[/caption] Surrounding us on the walls of the pub were articles detailing Antarctic exploration. Crean was on teams led by both Sir Ernest Shackleton and Captain Robert Falcon Scott. As Michael Smith, author of “An Unsung Hero”, points out, Crean spent more time on the ice than either of those two Polar heroes; he was pivotal to three of the four major British expeditions to Antarctica. Initially he served under Scott on the Discovery from 1901 to 1904, then on his fatal Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole from 1910 to 1913 and finally on Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition on Endurance from 1914 to 1916. It was during Scott’s ill-fated Terra Nova expedition that Tom Crean made the numbers 18 and 35 his own. At only 168 statute miles (270 km) from the Pole, Scott ordered Tom Crean, William Lashly and Lieutenant Edward Evans to return to base. Scott recorded the sorrowful moment in his diary: “Poor old Crean wept”. Scott went on to reach the South Pole only to find Norwegian Roald Amundsen’s flag planted there first. Scott and his team then perished on the return journey. Crean, Lashly and Evans made it off the polar plateau one month after leaving Scott and the others, but Evans began to display the debilitating symptoms of scurvy. In the harness for up to 13 hours a day, Crean developed snow blindness and hauled the sledge, his eyes bandaged with a tealeaf poultice. Risking crevasses, broken bones and certain death, the three lashed themselves to the sledge and slid 2,000ft onto the Beardmore Glacier to save three precious days of marching and food. But then Evans collapsed and with two weeks of travel out from the safety of Hut Point, Crean and Lashly began hauling Evans on the sledge. On 18 February 1912, they arrived at Corner Camp with food supplies running low. With one or two days’ worth of rations left, they still had four or five days to travel. So, facing death, Crean volunteered to go for help. He had no sleeping bag or tent and was already physically exhausted. Lashly held open the round tent door flap to allow Evans to see Crean depart. Evans remembered: “He strode out nobly and finely – I wondered if I should ever see him again.” Yet, with only two sticks of chocolate and three biscuits (keeping one in his pocket in case of emergency) Crean completed the 35 statute miles (56 kms) in a punishing 18 hours. The rescue was successful and Lashly and Evans were both brought to base camp alive. Crean more than earned his Albert Medal, then the highest award for gallantry. Crean’s own survival, the rescue of his companions and his desire to return to Antarctica, despite this experience, still intrigues me. I can understand the motivation for Amundsen, Shackleton and Scott - the adventure, the recognition, the money and the influence. My own 43 days in Antarctica racing to the South Pole was fuelled by my desire to compete, to do something bigger than me, bigger than my blindness, maybe to take a small place in polar history. Everyone else, including me, seemed to have an obvious reason to be there. But why did Tom Crean keep going back? He was not an officer or a leader on any of the expeditions; he gained very little public recognition or wealth. So, what drove him to go? What allowed him to survive? I asked Crean’s biographer, Michael Smith. He said: “Crean was the type of man who wanted to see what was over the other side of the hill”. So, maybe curiosity and adventure were the drive. It also may have been that the other side of the hill was a great deal better than life in rural Ireland in the late 19th Century; maybe joining the British Navy was just a job? But this was a job that required him to endure torturous conditions, to put his life on the line. The compelling but probably apocryphal story goes that the men who joined Shackleton did so in response to his newspaper ad for the Endurance expedition: “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.” It is unlikely that Shackleton would have created an advertisement with any pessimism in it, but I am interested in the type of people who would have joined any exploratory Polar expedition, because I think motivation is rarely about the extrinsic factors, it’s rarely about money, recognition or status. They are all so easily granted and so easily taken away. People like Crean have a drive that comes from somewhere else, somewhere deep within, something intrinsic. Norwegian explorer, Fridtjof Nansen, whose name and face were on my skis that took me to the South Pole, wrote about this very notion. “It is within us all, it is our mysterious longing to accomplish something, to fill life with something more than a daily journey from home to the office and from the office, home again. It is our ever present longing to surmount difficulties and dangers, to see that which is hidden, to seek the places lying away from the beaten track; it is the call of the unknown, the longing for the land beyond, the divine power deeply rooted within the soul of man; it is this spirit which drove the first hunters to new places and the incentive for perhaps our greatest deeds - the force of human thought which spreads its wings and flies where freedom knows no bounds.” Explorers have a desire to make sense of the unknown. I believe that that spirit of exploration is held deep within us all. Perhaps Nansen articulates what we must try to find as we explore our own frontiers when he says: “It is within us all.” Whatever the challenge, the motivation to keep going must come from somewhere deep inside us. External motivators are always temporary. The answer to the question of why we do what we do is an internal one, often held privately, but one that if answered honestly will be the one that gets us there. I know that Crean must have had an answer to that question when he walked those 18 hours to cross those 35 miles of ice, uncertain if help would be waiting at the end. If he didn’t, he would never have made it. Author: Mark Pollock, Explorer and Collaboration Catalyst, Mark Pollock Trust. He is participating in the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos.”

“Dusty Gedge has had a deep and active love of nature since he fell out of his baby chair aged two to chase a robin. A cracked skull did nothing to dull his appetite. During his childhood and youth in Kent, he was actively involved in the Seabird Group and the Kent Ornithological Society. It wasn’t that he hung up his binoculars, he merely put them on reserve whilst he trained as a theatre performer and pursued a precarious life as an actor/street entertainer and circus performer. In the mid 1990s he established off his own back a circus class for disadvantaged children in West Greenwich, London. When it was realised locally that he was a knowledgable ornithologist he began a 5 year study of Deptford Creek. The rest is history. These days he spends most his time in disguise and undercover, wearing a grey or pinstriped suit. Jim Mcclelland, editor in chief of SUSTAIN magazines once referred to Dusty as a “…content terrorist…” Current President of the European Federation of Green Roof Associations (EFB and founder of Livingroofs.org, Dusty Gedge is a recognised authority, designer and consultant on green roofs and green infrastructure. He works with Gary Grant for the Green Infrastructure Consultancy Ltd. He is also co-author with John Little of the Small-scale green roof guide that has help lots of small roofs sprout across the globe on sheds, garages and other small buildings. Dusty has been a TV presenter on a number of programmes including Channel 4’s television series ‘Wild Thing – I love you’ He has been a birdwatcher since he fell out of his baby chair aged 2. His interest in birds, bugs and butterflies led to his green roof career. Although birds are his first love, he has a particular interest in invertebrates (especially on green roofs) and solitary bees. There is nothing he likes better than posting reams of things on Twitter, Facebook (he runs a number of pages) and G+. – anything to do with the environment, nature and wildlife. He regularly gets asked to promote things on his social networks. If they are worthy, they are willingly shared.”

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1. REGULAR EXERCISE: ideally daily and vigorous – this is the number one weapon in your crap cutting arsenal. Why? Because everything that gets worse as we get older. Our moods, energy levels, sleep, weight gain, heart strength, bone density – all of these are improved by regular exercise.
2. EAT LESS CRAP: Open to interpretation of course, but here is an acronym to help you get around the minefield of dieting and food faddy advice out there, which changes daily. It’s SAPS: Sugar – eat much less of this. Activity – do much more of this. Processed foods –eat much less of this Settling down weight – abiding by the above leads to this. 3. STOP WHINGEING: This is often expressed as ‘being grateful’. But adopting a positive ‘gratitude’ mindset begins with stopping complaining about other people, our jobs, our weight, our partners, whatever it is. It is amazing how much we all whinge and complain about stuff, which saps us of much needed energy reserves, breeding only resentment and inertia. 4. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY: If you are currently whingeing about point 2 because I failed to tell you what you should eat, stop right there. Part of the whole point of adopting a healthier lifestyle is working out for yourself what works for you. There is no point trying to make yourself eat kale if you hate the taste. Fish, green veg, wholegrains, fresh fruit, stuff without crap added to it is an obvious way forward. The closer said foodstuff is to nature the better. So pies, cakes and cookies etc. are all fine - in moderation - providing they are made from scratch. If you are unclear about whether your eating of said treats is moderate enough, get on the scales, work out your BMI and you will have your answer. 5. GET IN PEOPLE’S FACES: In other words communicate openly and honestly. In the flesh ideally, or over the phone. Text messaging, FaceBook and the like, while useful and convenient is no way to keep a relationship alive and email takes forever and can be misinterpreted. 6. GET TO MASS: As a country of churchgoers, brought up on this ritual, it is a good habit worth nurturing. An hour on our knees listening to stories about those worse off, while breathing in incense is humbling and life affirming. It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe in it. I’m not sure that I believe in God, but I believe in going to Mass on Sundays. Meditation, yoga, any and all spiritual activities that take you away from any form of ‘me-wanking’ are just as good. It’s all about being present (and crucially away from screens); if we don’t make time to practise this, it just won’t happen. 7. LAUGHING: At yourself most especially, and at life, is a brilliant life skill to adopt. It stops us feeling sorry for ourselves and from taking ourselves too seriously. Laughter has magical properties: relieving tension and anxiety, strengthening and renewing bonds, lightening the load. And it has absolutely nothing to do with happiness. Take on the belief that we choose our moods, so smile and laugh whenever you can. 8. CLEAN UP YOUR SHIT: Feeling content begins with getting on top of our chores, our admin and cleaning up life’s daily mess. An instant feel good factor is injected into our day by the simple act of making our beds each morning. Tip: tackle one shelf or cupboard in your home and clean it thoroughly. Most invigorating. 9. ACCEPT THE GRIT: …that hard is the new black. Avoiding the hard stuff, shirking grit only makes it grow. This applies every bit as much to the pile of laundry un-tended to as it does to a relationship break-up and death. Life is hard – suck it up. 10. COMPASSION: To be practised daily. Towards yourself and others. This means forgive yourself, which is not the same as letting yourself off the hook for failing to take the above points seriously and being responsible for all your choices. But within whatever we aspire towards, we will fail, we will fall short. Failure is implicit to the human condition. So forgive yourself, forgive forgive forgive and move on. Holding a grudge serves nothing and nobody. Give it up, and laugh about it instead. Go on, I dare you.”

“Mark van Rijmenam can inspire your audience by telling what it takes to pursue your dreams and achieve such an incredible adventure. Often, he links his adventure to helping organizations achieve a business strategy, which after all also requires focus, discipline, perseverance, a positive mindset and the ability to plan for the unexpected.

Mark van Rijmenam is Founder of Datafloq.com. Datafloq is the One-Stop Source for Big Data, creating the Big Data ecosystem by connecting all stakeholders within the global Big Data market. Datafloq connects data and people.
He is an entrepreneur with a drive for (disruptive) innovation and to make a difference and inspire others. His objective is to be a catalyst for global innovation and to enable organizations and societies to tackle some of the world's biggest challenges. He has been named a global top 10 Big Data influencer. Mark believes in sustainable, social and economic responsibility when doing business or creating companies. He calls for companies to use the latest trends in technology to change and improve the world and create a better place for all.
Currently, he is a PhD Candidate at the University of Technology, Sydney. He has received two scholarships to do so. His research question is how organizations can use Big Data, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence to remain competitive.

He is the author of the book 'Think Bigger – Developing a Successful Big Data Strategy for Your Business', which was published globally in 2014 , with a Chinese translation coming out in 2016. He is a frequent blogger on Datafloq and other platforms.

He is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker on big data and disruptive innovation. Mark has given lectures at the Business University Nyenrode and has spoken in Australia, France, China, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, South Africa, Colombia, United States, Dubai and The Netherlands among others. He is founding partner of think tank The Digital Leadership Initiative in Sydney.

In 2011 he circumnavigated Australia on a bike for charity. 14.122 km in exactly 100 days. This experience taught him everything about perseverance, focus, discipline, a positive mind-set and how to plan for the unexpected. After this adventure, Mark became an entrepreneur with a drive to have an impact on the world.

The main goal, aside from the mental and physical challenge of the tour itself, was accumulating as much money as possible for KiKa, a Dutch foundation committed to pioneering and innovative research in the area of children’s cancer. 100% of the funds (€ 25.000) collected were donated to this incredible foundation.
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“Rugby is not played 'on paper' but 'on grass'; the Irish housing market doesn’t take place in charts and in textbooks but in real life, in real time, involving real people - David McWilliams I lifted this line from an article David McWilliams wrote at the weekend for the Sunday Business Post on the Need for Rent Control in Ireland. It is typical of David's ability to draw on everyday analogies to help us understand or realise what is really happening in the economy and more to the point what we can expect if we don't make changes. On a similar note I listened to a Podcast a while back that David did with Roisin Ingle. He named Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as the first Finance Minister predicting seven years of greed followed by seven years of famine. Seven years of bumper crops are on their way Years of plenty, endless wheat and tons of hay Your farms will boom, there won’t be room To store the surplus food you grow After that, the future doesn’t look so bright Egypt’s luck will change completely overnight And famine’s hand will stalk the land With food an all-time low This made me laugh out loud but I also thought how right he is, how clever he is to draw on this example. Not only does it make us sit up and think ' what the heck' but also it is economics in layman's terms. David is a brilliant economist. I have had the pleasure of working closely with him for almost 10 years now, placing him as Keynote Speaker with business and political world leaders in Abu Dhabi, USA, Canada, London, Sydney, Barcelona, and Ireland. He is asked back time and time again because of his content and his unique ability to communicate it. On the feedback form we constantly get "David was fantastic and very funny". Even at 9am David brings in humour as part of his talk and the audience thank him for it. Because of his own personal experience in front of live audiences I know David recognises when there is a hunger for more discussion and knowledge on economics but he always marries it eloquently with humour - the perfect balance as such. Along with his co-founder Richard Cook, they have again attracted an amazing selection of talent for this year's Kilkenomics Festival where they bravely and artfully mix comedians with world class economists and opinion leaders.”

“One of the world’s most dynamic speakers, Nigel has the singular ability to innovate in the face of the most pressing business challenges. Nigel has been described as a "business rocker". He was the creator of Garage Thinking^TM and has written several books about creativity in business. The key is that he can deliver a vital message and change mindsets in a way that is inspiring, interactive, memorable, and fun. Nigel Barlow is a keynote speaker, facilitator, creative conference designer and host. He was a founding director of the Tom Peters Consulting business in Europe, and runs his own international consultancy. Until recently, he was an Associate Fellow at Oxford University's Said Business School, focusing on innovative change. He has worked in over 30 countries in most sectors of industry and recent clients include Apple, Hewlett Packard Printing, Lilly, Shell, and Tetra Pak. He is also a Trustee for the David Lynch Foundation, whose mission statement is to reduce stress in vulnerable populations through education and meditation. "You were a big hit with our customers – really giving them some clear ideas on how to move forward. Just what we wanted!" - Apple Education, UK "Our event centered around inventing a most successful future . . . . putting the future in the hands in each and every one of us. That day in Toronto was a turning point event!" - Boehringer-Ingelheim, Toronto "The feedback was excellent. Nigel gave a very entertaining speech mixing his knowledge with specific messages related to our business. So it was a great success." - Candriam, Paris "I wanted to say thank you for your session at the conference. I found it very inspirational as did many others who spoke to me afterwards [... ]It was very proactive, thought-provoking and motivational." - De La Rue, UK "Nigel scored the highest marks of the three-day event. He took great effort to make contact with key stakeholders to ensure he was able to create a relevant and engaging workshop." - Danone Baby and Medical Nutrition, Spain "I would like to thank you for taking the time to speak at Averda’s 100 conference, your intervention was truly inspiring to our leaders. The stories and experiences you shared throughout the session connected with an innovative and creative passion not usually witnessed at such events." - Averda, Abu Dhabi”

“Nick Webb Economist and Journalist Nick Webb is one of Ireland’s best known business journalists. Back page columnist for Sunday Times and Today FM’s “The Last Word”. Interviewed some of the biggest names in business and has terrific - if sometimes irreverent - insight into the major events facing business and global economies. Recently hired by Event Strategies for Property developers conference, Supply Chain conference, Onezerocon sports conference and Kilkenomics.”

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“Mark Downey Communication & Presence Expert, Voice & speech coach, charisma motivator & trainer
Mark Downey believes that it is the birthright of every person to be seen and heard in the most powerful version of themselves: in confident compelling presence, grounded with gravitas yet open and playful, alive with emotional connection freely expressed.

One of just a handful of voice teachers worldwide to have been handpicked by world renowned voice and presence guru Patsy Rodenburg for her Master Teacher Certification Program, Mark now brings Gold Standard Communication and Presence training to Ireland. Recently returned after 27 years of living and working internationally, he brings the wealth of his multi-faceted world class experience to play in all of his interactions.

His clients are leaders from business, politics, broadcasting, professional speaking, theatre, film, radio and television. Since returning to Europe Mark has brought this work to clients such as Google, OVH, Samsung, Kainos, MunichRe, Seimens, Jameson, Musgrave, Eir, Arval and Ibec. He is Voice Tutor at the National Theater School of Ireland, GSA.
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“I am a self confessed Talk Show - Chat Show - Podcast geek. I usually listen to a Podcast or TED Radio Hour over lunch, or cooking dinner or when I am out walking. I listen both for pleasure and work. I love hearing other people's stories or eavesdropping on a great conversation but also I am always on the look out for interesting speakers on all topics. I am lucky that my work can sometimes be my hobby too. One of the Chat shows I am thoroughly enjoying at the moment is Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin. Anyone who enjoys good interesting conversation should tune in here. One of the reasons it is great is the calibre of guest, but what makes it really compelling and brings me back time and time again is Alec Baldwin's wonderful interviewing style. He asks good questions and listens to the answer, he doesn't rush, he knows what we want to hear, he engages with the interviewee and brings the listener along on the journey. And you can hear he's really enjoying himself too. Similarly, a good chair, MC or interviewer can change an audience's experience of a conference entirely. Remember - people turn up at conferences because they want to hear the speakers, network, learn something new and ENJOY it . That enjoyment factor is often overlooked in the planning but it is what gets people talking, and this is where the 'MC factor' can make a big difference. With the right MC or Chairperson, an event or conference can go from being just a series of speakers to a terrifically engaging, compelling and memorable conversation. And what event organiser doesn't want that? Having experiencing first hand what works and what does not work at conference and events, having a professional MC or Chairperson leading is something I feel passionate about . Six things to consider when choosing an MC for your event: 1. Has he/she experience chairing similar events? e.g. the scale of the event, the type of audience, the format 2. If there is a panel discussion, are they good at hosting Q&As? 3. Does the MC's profile fit the event profile? e.g a business conference may be best led by a business broadcaster 4. If there are statesmen/women or dignitaries attending, does the MC know the official protocol? 5. Are they good at managing time at events? This needs to be managed very skilfully. 6. Make sure to have a briefing call or meeting so that the MC knows the objectives of the event, what success means to you, learns about the speakers and has the opportunity to think about how they can help build momentum and audience engagement on the day.”

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Alan O' Neill The Change Agent

With over 30 years of experience from the board room to the front line, Alan O’Neill mba, The Change Agent - has supported iconic brands to achieve amazing results. In a dynamic world, he knows what it takes to drive change in a business – from top to bottom… and back to front. It’s about having a Customer-centric Culture, Engaged People, and a Supercharged Sales effort.

Across B2B, B2C and the Public Sector, his clients include global brands like Selfridges, Bank of Irl, Harrods, Eli Lilly, Intel, Lufthansa, Mercedes, Moet Hennesy, Ramada Hotels, Scottish Power, Sherry Fitz, St. Gobain, The UN, Vodafone, and more.

Up to 2004, Selfridges for example was a sleeping giant - but in recent years has achieved two significant accolades… it’s officially the best department store in the world … and one of the most profitable (per m²). Alan was their lead consultant for many years.

A consultant, trainer, non-exec director, an author, and a visiting professor with Ashridge, he is also a trusted mentor to many CEOs and board directors who seek his advice on various issues. Alan has a reputation for making the complex simple… being down-to-earth and practical… with a commercial focus that brings everything back to the customer.

It is this unrivalled business acumen that has seen Alan chair and speak at conferences around the world and conduct master-classes with C-level executives. He asks hard and uncomfortable questions, e.g. How do you change an old culture to prepare for emerging global challenges? How do you overcome cynicism and resistance to change? How do you overcome complacency and lack of accountability? How do you differentiate with customer-experience culture?

How do you retain the best talent? How do you increase sales in a challenging and disruptive global market?
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“Brian Cody GAA Kilkenny All Ireland Hurling Final Brian is open, engaging and very entertaining on the subjects of leadership, teams and change in sport. He knows all about building and managing successful teams, what it takes to be a true leader and how to successfully motivate and inspire a team to win again and again and again. In his speeches, Brian reveals what it takes to make Kilkenny so successful under his leadership and what keeps him motivated and moving forward. In his speeches, Brian reveals what it takes to make Kilkenny so successful under his leadership and what keeps him motivated and moving forward. Every sport has a great sporting hero. Someone who stands head and shoulders above other champions of their sport. Ireland has few, if any, sports stars or managers that have seen the success and been as dominant in their trade as Kilkenny’s Brian Cody. Mention hurling and you think Kilkenny. Mention hurling managers and it is Cody that is first in peoples’ minds. Following a stellar playing career for Kilkenny in the 70’s and 80’s which saw him win, among other things, three All Ireland Senior Hurling titles and two National Hurling League titles, Cody eventually moved into management. Taking the helm as Kilkenny manager in 1999, there began what can only be described as a dynasty of success. In the seventeen seasons that have followed, so too have the accolades and silverware. Cody tasted success as a player and as a manager he has rewritten the record books, with an astonishing eleven All-Ireland hurling championship titles.”

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“Ken Hughes Consumer Behaviouralist As one of the world’s leading Consumer and Shopper Behaviouralists, Ken Hughes blends his vast expertise in consumer psychology, social anthropology, behavioural economics and neuromarketing to answer the question to which he has dedicated most of his career: Why do shoppers buy and how can we make them buy more? While his boutique consumer insight organisation, Glacier Consulting, began life as a market research agency, he soon identified his key area of interest was people, not markets. How humans express their desires and expectations through how and what we buy has become his sole focus, resulting in his agency advising a global client base of some of the world’s biggest brands - Unilever, 3M, IKEA, Coca-Cola, AXA and Heineken to name a few. Ken is acknowledged as one of the most respected thought leaders on Shopper Marketing and Shopper Centricity, Omnichannel & Digital Strategy alongside Retail Futurology. He is a part-time professor in consumer behaviour and a board member & strategic advisor to many organisations on the future of consumerism and shopper trends. His latest TED talk also showcases his unique approach as a Playologist, motivating individuals and his corporate clients to unleash their creativity and innovation through a blend of discovery, fun, play, mischief and risk. Summary: Every company and industry is resourcing for disruption, bending rules, breaking moulds and challenging norms. It seems everyone is at it. But really, Disruption is about being ready for it. Preparing for those changes is difficult – that’s why they call it DISRUPTION and not GENERALLY PREDICTIVE CHANGE.
As Millennials begin to turn 35 and their Gen Z counterparts push into their 20’s, consumerism is in for a significant step-change. These next generations of consumers expect Personalisation (I Want it My Way), Authenticity (I Trust My Peer Network), Contextual Communication (Talk to Me Only with Relevant Benefit) and above all a Sharable Experience (Something that Makes Me Look Good on Instagram).
This speech challenges any business to look at their future through the lens of the future consumer. We will look at the social and cultural forces digital has brought to humanity, and how changes in consumer expectations have forever changed the game. Today’s consumer expects a frictionless and seamless experience at every touch-point, has little tolerance for failure but will become a tribal brand fan if you get it right. Disruption is a Positive Force if you harness what is happening around you. It is a destructive one if you ignore the changing nature of the game. Meeting the consumer’s needs has always been at the heart of business success. We’re All A Bit Crazy: HARNESSING SHOPPER IRRATIONALITY (SHOPPER PSYCHOLOGY) Speech Summary: As humans we don’t make rational choices most of the time. We don’t go through life making cost/benefit analyses about everything we do or buy. Our world is a lot more fluid than that. Emotion, gut feel and other psychological factors are far more powerful than rational thought. Behavioural economics concerns itself with the psychology of decision making. Clearly the consumer goods industry could learn a lot from this discipline, as human irrationality is a powerful force that should be harnessed and used to influence the shopper. This speech takes a humorous look at irrationality, and applies key areas such as arousal, herding, priming, and choice architecture to consumers & shoppers. The talk outlines academic studies and global case study examples of how such theory is applied to consumer goods and have successfully increased sales in-store without ever having to resort to price discounting. It blends behavioural economics, neuromarketing and consumer psychology to open a window to the opportunities of growing sales through alternative approaches. By understanding the psychology of the decision making process, we can then easily step in and influence it, thereby putting new tools in the toolbox for triggering impulse incremental sales in-store Above all, this speech will open your eyes to how easy it is to influence people and make them do exactly what you want!”

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“Yesterday I was reminded of the importance of looking after our mental fitness so that we are ready to deal with the stresses and challenges we regularly face in work. A friend facilitated a 3 day off-site for senior business leaders in Singapore this week. The feedback from the participants was excellent. The client said it was a ‘huge success’. The organisation really likes this facilitator’s style. They trust her, they fly her all over the world, they pay her very well. What’s not to like about this scenario? You would imagine the facilitator and her client have a good positive relationship except that is not her experience at all. If it were not for the consistent positive feedback from workshop participants, along with repeat bookings, she would think her client does not rate her at all. The client is very abrupt in his communications, picks holes in everything, never praises or thanks, and constantly tries to control the outcome of the workshops, interrupting the flow and generally interfering in something he has asked and paid someone else to do. Of course if we were to get under the skin of their working ‘relationship’ we would probably discover all sorts of things to do poor ‘contracting’ and unrealistic expectations, different communication preferences, fears that belong to past experiences, and old unhelpful patterns of behavior being triggered and repeating themselves, but frankly most of us are not equipped to even start having these kind of conversations at work. If it were not for the resilience, self-awareness and essentially good mental fitness of this facilitator I think the consequences of her client’s behavior could be very damaging to her confidence and work. Sound familiar at all? Perhaps it says something about what we are prepared to tolerate by way of ‘organizational behaviour’, but in our business we are experiencing a big demand for expert advice, training and strategies on building resilience and ‘mental fitness’ for staff at all levels in organisations. Neil O'Brien, one of our top speakers on Mental Fitness has worked with individuals, sports people and organisations for over 25 years helping them improve their mental fitness and overall performance. Here are some of my favorite tips I have picked up from working with him over the years: 1. Simplicity is better than motivation at changing behaviour 2. Discipline is a necessary ingredient to good mental fitness 3. Practice makes ‘nearly’ perfect 4. Effective habits are less exhausting and consistently more successful 5. Panic is the New Comfort – The rate of change in life and work demands that we leave our comfort zones more than ever before 6. When you know what you are, you know what to do”

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“This is the title of Margaret Heffernan's latest TED Talk and I was reminded of it at the weekend as I sat in my hairdressers. To be specific I was reminded of the importance of great customer service or as I prefer to call it customer treatment. The salon is currently under renovation so in the meantime they are using a far less sophisticated venue where the units are not as pretty, there are no lovely massage chairs and the lighting is too bright, however the staff are as welcoming, happy, talented, polite, friendly, and professional as ever. At every ‘station’ there is are artists' impressions of what the new salon will look like which I thought was very smart idea. And the salon is as busy as ever with customers like me who share their excitement for the new premises. This experience got me thinking about how an organisation builds this sort of great customer service. Customer service does not stand alone, it is part of the overall culture of an organisation. I can see that the staff at my hairdressers don’t just treat their customers well, but they also treat each other this way. So how do organisations build these sort of corporate cultures? I was in London recently catching up with one of our speakers Margaret Heffernan, Author of ‘Wilful Blindness’ and ‘Beyond Measure’. I love meeting Margaret, she makes me think, reflect and she inspires me to do things differently. I don't suppose she knows she has this impact on me as we are not talking about me or my business but rather about her experiences in other organisations. Her belief in the importance of strong open cultures rubs off on me. I am sure I am the luckier one coming out of these meetings. Margaret travels around the world sharing her knowledge and helping organisations with corporate culture challenges and changes. She truly believes in open communication to enable innovation, creativity and organisational development. In her latest book 'Beyond Measure' she discuss how organisations can create seismic shifts by making deceptively small changes. In my opinion she talks complete common sense and I would recommend anyone who is interested in this topic to take a look at her latest TED talk 'Why it's time to forget the pecking order at work' which you'll find on Margaret's profile under videos. ”

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I have never been more convinced that there are so many useful lessons organisations and sports people can learn from each other. Even as a casual spectator of sport I can’t help but notice the amazing drive and resilience of the players in this year's Rugby World Cup, not to mention the variety of leadership styles used to build such high performing teams. I don’t know an organisation that wouldn't benefit from such leadership and teamwork.
I recently had a coffee with Jim McGuinness, Performance Consultant to Glasgow Celtic Football Club and former Donegal Senior Football Team Manager before he spoke at the Irish Management Institute's Annual Conference. Although passionate about performance, his philosophy of leadership is to challenge and support every member of his team to do their personal best rather than focusing solely on winning. Jim stressed the importance of building a strong culture of openness and honesty where you can constantly give clear developmental feedback, adding “sometimes this will mean hearing something you don’t want to hear but it will only help improve your game”. It did make me think do most organisational cultures allow for such openness? such honesty? such opportunities to give clear developmental feedback? I see a move in this direction in some organisations but I know there are many others that would say they have some way to go. During his interview Jim talked about his time with Donegal, taking over the management of a team always at the bottom of the league to leading them to win two All Ireland medals. I, like many others in the audience, scribbled notes throughout his 40 minutes on stage and these were my take-aways: 1. Culture is everything. Culture is the backbone to all the behaviour and stretches as far as the fans. Building a culture means behaving the same way consistently so that the team, supporters, management and everyone involved know they are dealing with loyalty and honesty. 2. Balance collaboration and competition. 3. Planning is a necessity to success. Have a plan in place with a clear measurement matrix. 4. Focus Focus Focus. “Focus is the connection between two things” 5. Reflect and Review - make time to think. Reflection is key for continuous improvement and to understand what might be holding back success. He recommends scheduling at least two hours as week to reflect and review. 6. Know Your team - McGuinness got to know the team really well, he understood their personal circumstances, knew intimately how they played so he could work on individual improvement plans and tactics for each team member. This commitment was part and parcel of the culture Jim embedded during his time with Donegal. 7. You learn more from defeat than you do from victory McGuinness like all the motivational speakers at the IMI at last week's conference left the audience of CEOs, Managing Directors, HR Directors, and Talent Managers amongst others with a copy book of ideas and strategies and lots of food for thought.”

“An expert in high performing teams, Jamil Qureshi is one of only a handful of external psychologists ever to be allowed to study astronauts on the NASA Space Programme. Ranked among the most influential figures in British sport in 2009, Jamil has worked with 22 golfers all inside the top 50 in the world, with Formula 1 racing teams, with 3 English Premier League football teams, the winning 2009 English Ashes cricket team, and he has helped six people get to number one in the world. He is a world recognised speaker, taking the stage at a range of venues including the Groucho Club, the K Club in Ireland and NASDAQ in Times Square. Just ten years ago, Jamil Qureshi was homeless. By changing his thinking and deciding what he really wanted out of life, he managed to completely turn it around. Currently, he holds the position of Director of Consulting Services, focusing on leadership and cultural change, for Shirley Parsons. He has been an Advisory Board Member for 3seven9, and now for Kwikpay Limited. Jamil co-founded the change agencies We Do Things Differently, Loudhouse and JQED, and has worked with business leaders and companies in over 24 different countries last year alone helping teams to fulfil their potential. He also used to be a regular at London’s prestigious Comedy Store and spent two years working with TV’s award winning mind reader, Derren Brown! Fear of failure Mindset for success Changing your perspective and being open-minded Creating purposeful and meaningful change Making choices Motivation and ambition "Fabulous speaker! What a hit. We couldn't have asked for more. The best feedback we've recorded." - Boots Plc "A speaker of immense skill! Informative & tremendously entertaining." - Honda "Brilliant speaker & hugely talented communicator!" - IBM EMEA "Jamil can help anyone on their way to success!" - Graeme Swann, England Cricketer "Jamil truly knows how to get the most of people. He is a genuine expert in his field." - Ian Woosnam, European Ryder Cup Team 2006”

“David Sneddon Director Exports Google
David Sneddon is a Director of the Large Customer Sales division for the German, Austrian and Swiss markets (collectively known as DACH) and Central Eastern Europe (CEE). He is responsible for all sales, deployment and account management for the DACH/CEE region.
In addition to this role, David also runs the Export team at Google, a team dedicated to working with customers to find new international markets for Google’s customers. This team offers both digital marketing advice as well as advice on logistics, translation of advertising and web assets, localisation of web/app assets and payment solutions. David graduated in 1993 with a BA from Birmingham University, UK, followed by an MBA from Dublin City University in 2001. He started his career in Ogilvy and Mather, the London wing of the global advertising agency, later moving to the sister company Mindshare UK in London and then in 1999 transferred to help to set up the Mindshare Ireland office. After 15 years in advertising and media buying, he made the move to Google in April 2011. Born in the UK, he has made Dublin, Ireland his home since 1999.”

“We have posted the video highlights here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOcr9dPr24k&feature=youtu.be "Frances - that was a great session this morning. Thank you so much for the invitation. Both myself and Deirdre got a lot out of it both personally and also some ideas for what we could do here in work." Debbie Barry, AXA Insurance Limited. "Just a note to thank you very much for extending an invitation to our Company to attend this morning’s event by Dr. John Briffa. I found it most interesting and all the more convincing and engaging when delivered by such a professional." Joan Carey, HR, Servier Pharmaceuticals "Thank you Frances, I thought Dr. Briffa was fabulous, I liked his delivery and the way he wasn’t evangelical! I have already made a few food switches – but I’ve a lot more to do.…" Gillian Owens, Cpl Resources plc. "Just wanted to say, thanks so much for the invite to this event last week. I found it extremely interesting and Dr John Briffa a very engaging speaker." Grace Walsh, Human Resources Business Partner, Davy "Thoroughly enjoyed this morning, already made some small changes to my work space! Well done for organising, and for inviting us along." Patrick Delaney, Recruitment and Talent Development at Irish Life 'Grow' "Thanks again for the invitation to this morning’s talk by Dr. Briffa. I really enjoyed it and took away plenty of good advice." Yvonne Sheridan Director – Tax Function Support KPMG  Many thanks for this morning, John’s presentation was very stimulating and interesting. A nice mix of interesting fact based information with humour and a real sense of his expertise too. Brían Sutton, Client Relationship Manager, A Great Place to Work "Thank you for inviting me to join you on Friday, I found the session informative and engaging – very enjoyable." Organisational Development, Datalex "I wanted to send a quick note to say thank you for last Friday, it was a great morning and I really enjoyed the talk." Aisling Ryan, HR, Matheson
Frances, many thanks for the invite I found John very interesting and he dispelled some well founded myths. Thanks again to yourself and Vivienne. Conor Hayes, Londis
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“Educated at McGill & Oxford University, with degrees in economics and finance, Diego Zuluaga specialises in consumer finance and banking, capital markets regulation, and multi-sided markets. Diego Zuluaga is a US-based economist and author. He was educated at McGill University in Montreal and Keble College, Oxford, from which he holds degrees in economics and finance. Diego is a policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, where he focuses primarily on financial technology, consumer credit and prudential regulation in banking. Prior to joining Cato, he was Head of Financial Services and Tech Policy at the Institute of Economic Affairs, Britain’s most salient free-market think tank, which was instrumental in the Thatcher free-market reforms of the 1980s. At the IEA, Diego wrote on a range of subjects including the taxation of capital, the regulation of online platforms, and the economic contribution of offshore finance in a globalised world. Diego has frequently appeared on international media, including Newsweek, BBC World, The Times, L’Opinion and CNN. His research has often featured in print and broadcast media, and he has been asked to give evidence to official bodies on a range of economic issues.”

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“The better you know your audience, their likes and dislikes, the easier it becomes to choose the right speaker for your event. Ask yourself: 1. Are they coming to the event to be informed about something? to share their own insights? or to be entertained? 2. Will they be engaged by personal stories of failure and success? 3. Do they want an outsider's view on their business issues? 4. Are they interested in discovering what the future of their industry looks like? 5. Will they respond better to a speaker who focusses on the power of the individual rather than business issues?”

“Tip 1: Be clear about the theme of your event. Should the speaker have expert knowledge on this subject or not? Tip 2: Be clear about the speaker's role. Is the speaker central to your event e.g. MC, or chair? Or will they turn up for a specific time slot such as the After Dinner speech? Or to deliver a motivational speech during the event? Tip 3: Be clear about the impact you want the speaker to make. Should the speaker give the audience a deeper understanding of a particular subject? or a different perspective on a tricky issue? Should they motivate the audience to do something? Should their style be lite-hearted or serious? Should they provoke questions and encourage discussion? Or should they tell personal stories stimulating admiration and amazement, or should they entertain the audience and make them laugh?”

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“An experienced and authoritative current affairs broadcaster and writer, Shane brings out the best of other speakers and his audience alike. Shane has extensive experience of moderating and chairing debates with an inclusive and informed, yet at the same time informal, style. He has particular experience as a interviewer, presenter and moderator. Shane Coleman is the presenter of Newstalk's flagship Breakfast programme. He is a former Political Editor of the station and previously presented The Sunday Show on Newstalk for five years. He was a nominee and bronze award winner for Speech Broadcaster of the Year in the 2016 PPI radio awards (now IMRO radio awards). He is also a regulator contributor to both the Irish Independent and the Sunday Independent. He was previously Political Editor and Business Editor of the Sunday Tribune. He is the author of four best selling books on Irish politics, including 'Bertie Ahern and the Drumcondra Mafia' and 'Scandal Nation'. Business Economics Future Trends Politics”

“Chanelle Lady McCoy is a popular business, leadership and motivational speaker due to her experience of co-heading up Ireland’s largest Pharmaceutical Company, being responsible for over 400 people and turning-over in excess of €100m. She is also a huge supporter of women in business and mentoring young entrepreneurs. Her key-note and after-dinner speeches, Q and A sessions and leadership workshops cover a wide number of subjects such as growing a business on a global scale, time management, career pressures, life balance, team work and using initiative. Chanelle Lady McCoy is the newest dragon on the TV series Dragon’s Den in Ireland. She is married to Sir AP McCoy OBE, Champion Jump Jockey for 20 consecutive years, voted BBC Sports Personality of the year in 2010. When he retired in 2015, AP was awarded with the BBC’s Lifetime Achievement Award and was knighted by the Queen for his Services to Horseracing. Chanelle also reveals during her speaking engagements what it’s like to live with such a highly driven and determined sportsman. She co-founded Chanelle Medical, part of the multi-million pound global company Chanelle Pharmaceutical Group based in Galway. Chanelle Medical and Chanelle Veterinary develop and manufacture generic (copycat) drugs, holding more than 1,500 medical product licenses in over 80 countries. They have won many awards, including Exporter of the Year 2016, Life Sciences Exporter of the Year 2016, Export Innovation of the Year 2016, Winner of ‘Project of the Year’ at the Pharma Industry Awards 2016 and the Ulster Bank Business Achievers Award 2015. Having been recognised as a successful businesswoman in her own right, Chanelle joined Dragons Den in Ireland earlier this year. She enjoys sharing her experience of scaling up a business and taking it to global markets as well as giving opportunities to entrepreneurs who are the future of industries. Chanelle co-presents for other TV stations such as the BBC, and is also an Ambassador for a number of race days and for the charity Tiny Tickers. Chanelle’s love for business has also seen her branch out into the fashion industry. In 2014 Chanelle and 5 partners opened the doors of Mojo & McCoy, a successful boutique in Berkshire.”

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“Entrepreneur and Former MD Google UK & Ireland and All Round Marketing Whizz Dan Cobley served as Google’s Vice President of Brand Solutions and as the company’s MD in the UK & Ireland. After almost a decade at Google Dan started a new venture, a FinTech fund and incubator, aimed at building new, disruptive companies within financial services. As MD of Google UK, Dan was responsible for over $5Bn of revenue, and for helping companies large and small harness the power of digital to generate insights, increase sales and transform culture. Prior to his branding role he was the search giant’s VP of Marketing for the EMEA territories, and before that Marketing Director for Northern & Central Europe, responsible for all aspects of European business and consumer marketing at Google. Before joining Google Dan held senior marketing roles at Capital One Europe, where he helped make the company the UK’s leading new card issuer, and Ask Jeeves, Pepsi and Walkers. He began his career in consulting and oil exploration after studying Physics at Oxford. Dan is an advisor to and investor in tech start ups, is on the board of The Marketing Society, is a trustee of the Charities Technology Trust and on the advisory boards of Telegraph Media Group and eHarmony. His TED speech on physics and marketing has been watched over one million times, and he has been rated as one of the influential digital people by both Wired magazine and the Evening Standard.”

“Experienced in government and business, Gerard is a credible and incisive commentator. He can distil knowledge from information and convey both while keeping the attention of his audience. A speechwriter who has written for great occasions at Westminster and Washington, he is a speechmaker and debater at home in the cut and thrust of live debate. Gerard Howlin is a public affairs consultant since 2008, and a columnist with the Irish Examiner since 2012. He is a regular contributor to political debate in the media. He was a Special Adviser at the Department of Tourism and Sport 1997-1999, the Department of Taoiseach 1999-2007 and was Government Press Secretary June - August 2007. He has a master’s degree in history from Trinity College Dublin. His public affairs practice includes MNCs, and a range of NGOs and government bodies who themselves seek to influence public debate and policy outcomes. Being informed and connected is his credential. Being able to crystallise his understanding into strategies that are feasible for his client and to deliver on them is his business. His opinion is frequently sought on radio and television. Programmes he has recently contributed to include Prime Time, Marian Finucane, Yates on Sunday, Drivetime, The Last Word and The Week in Politics. He is a regular speaker at the MacGill Summer School. Politics Policy making Public administration Budgetary strategy "The Irish League of Credit Union is a national and volunteer led body. Gerard has presented to and addressed a wide range of credit union fora. He has a clear command of current affairs. He has a very interesting way of presenting and is enthusiastic for the cut and thrust of the lively Q&A sessions that characterise our meetings. I can definitely recommend him as a conference speaker." - Ed Farrell, CEO, Irish League of Credit Unions "Gerard chaired the first session after lunch at our annual national conference. He really brought it to life. There was no lull and he succeeded in getting a great conversation going between the panellists and the audience. He was lively, dynamic, and ensured that the speakers did most of the speaking and our members had a great input from the floor." - T.J. Flanagan, CEO, ICOS "Gerard has a real command of current affairs. He knows the people, and he has lived the life. As a speaker he can synthesise, get to the point, and make it interesting. He added knowledge and interest to the occasion." - Siobhán Masterson, Head of Corporate Affairs, Ibec ”

“Jason O'Callaghan is an award-winning psychologist, author and clinical hypnotist specializing in retraining the unconscious mind for personal and business success. From financial institutions (Credit Unions of Ireland AGM) to Tech companies (Intel) from charity organizations (Pieta House) to The Irish Army and from the Fine Gael Presidential dinner to the Wright Groups Christmas party, Jason O’Callaghan’s unique talent to tap into the unconscious mind has everyone talking. After a decade as Ireland’s most read journalist, Jason returned to college and became a Trinity College trained psychologist specializing in clinical hypnosis. Jason’s skill lies in tapping into the subconscious mind and shows what each of us is capable off when we utilize the 90% of the mind that normally goes untapped. For teambuilding, staff motivation, taking care of mental health, increasing sales targets and sometime just for fun. Let Jason use his skills and knowledge unlock the power of attraction in the mind of your guests or staff. Contact us today to check Jason's availability to speak at your upcoming event.”

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“Dr Niamh Shaw is an energetic, witty and lively speaker. Engineer, scientist and performer, Niamh’s future endeavours include a trip to space. A role model for STEM careers and the empowerment of women in business, she is passionate about awakening people’s curiosity and dreaming big. Niamh is a skilled, warm and engaging speaker, drawing on her experience as an improvisation artist and performer. Dr Niamh Shaw, Irish engineer, scientist and performer, is passionate about Space and awakening people’s curiosity. She is actively pursuing her dream to get to space, having recently participated in a simulated Mars mission in the Utah desert, and zero gravity flight at Star City in Russia. She is Co-Chair of Humanities at the International Space University’s 2018 annual Space Studies Programme, and was Core Lectures Associate Chair of this programme in 2017. Recently voted one of Ireland’s leading science communicators and STEAM specialists (merging science, technology, engineering, arts and maths), she regularly contributes popular science topics on national radio and TV and at public science and arts festivals. She has interviewed/moderated and hosted a variety of science-themed events in Ireland and abroad. She collaborates with research and science institutions, arts and media centres, private corporations and NGO’s to attract new audiences of all ages to science and space. Niamh provides specialised communication workshops in the private sector and academic/research institutes and is a keynote speaker on thought leadership and creative mindset in the workplace. Niamh believes that we can be many things at the same time. She is curious, always and embraces failure every day. Recently hired by A&L Goodbody, HP, ESB, Johnson & Johnson, and Inspire Fest 2017, she is a competent and experienced keynote, interviewer and moderator for your event. Space Exploration and Ireland's Space activities Niamh's personal journey to Space Connecting science with the general public Dreaming Big”

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“A story of adversity that few will go through, many will come in contact with, and everyone can take away from. Peter Ryan is a 27 year old visually impaired Paralympian. When Peter was 18 he began losing his sight. Now, nearly 10 years on, Peter speaks on a number of subjects and leaves audiences with a new outlook on their own lives. An extremely charismatic person, the audience can really feel a connection with Peter when he speaks. His honesty on his journey over the past near-decade offers an extremely insightful and in-depth look at mental health and the end results of not coping properly with life’s adversities. And his journey is far from over as he targets Tokyo 2020. Peter Ryan’s sporting dreams once revolved around playing hurling for Tipperary in Croke Park. However, in 2010 he started missing balls he should have caught in training. He tired to get contact lenses and instead his whole world shifted as he was diagnosed with Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy [LHON], a rare genetic disorder that left him with between five and ten percent peripheral vision in both eyes. He was legally blind. Without sport or a job, Peter hit bottom and ended up in rehab at the Aiséirí Centre in Cahir, where he began to take his first steps towards rebuilding his life. In 2012 he attended the Paralympics Open Day at UCD where he undertook a test on a watt bike which was to prove that he was a capable cyclist. Dial the clock forward to today and Peter is the stoker of a formidable two man cycling team with Sean Hahessy as the pilot. The two, having been paired together via the national para-cycling programme since 2015, have already made their mark on the Irish Cycling circuit having competed in the Paralympics in Rio in 2016.”

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A popular speaker on Health & Fitness, and founder of BodyByrne Fitness, Paul competes in Fitness and Bodybuilding at world class level. As a Personal Trainer he loves helping others achieve their goals through practical and attainable methods.

A popular speaker on health and fitness, Paul has delivered talks for groups including The Westbury Hotel Dublin, Waterford County Council for Harvest Festival and is the is the feature fitness Guru on Keith Barry’s Stop Smoking Now Seminar. He is head of the Professional Division in NABBA the Natural Amateur Bodybuilding Association and also President.

Paul has been working out now for about 25 years and has been training others for almost as long. He has studied and tested in all areas including physical training, nutrition and recovery. Theories are great, but what counts are real results in the gym and your body, and that is why after testing practically every method there is, he has kept only the techniques that consistently produced positive results time and time again, which have helped him and others win many physique titles.

From a competing background coveting such titles as Mr. Ireland and Titan UK Paul has a 10-year background in competing at national and international level. From there he built bodybuilding and fitness events from the ground to the success they are today in Ireland. As the President of NABBA Ireland (National Amateur Bodybuilding Association) he has built a reputation as running the best shows taking the Mr. Ireland event to a sold out capacity level show over the last 14 years with over 130 competitors per event. In 2015 Paul was made President of the Professional division of NABBA Worldwide he is also President of The World Fitness Federation Ireland.

Married to Siobhan Byrne, they recently collaborated with the Market Butcher to bring out a healthy range of meat products
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“Susan Cain Author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Through her writing of Quiet, Cain shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose. Introverts make up a third to a half of our workplaces and classrooms, and whose natural talents we can no longer afford to waste. Quiet was the subject of a TIME magazine cover story, and her writing has appeared in the The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. Cain’s TED Talk received a standing ovation and smashed a first-week record with over a million views. It has since passed 5 million views and was named by Bill Gates as one of his all-time favourite talks. She is the recipient of several awards, including Toastmasters International Golden Gavel Award for Communication and Leadership, and Harvard Law School's Celebration Award for Thought Leadership. Amongst some of the organisations Susan Cain has addressed are Google, Microsoft, Harvard, West Point, the SEC, the U.S. Treasury and countless others. Quiet has won favourable comparisons to the best works of Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Pink, and Cain has been featured or appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Harvard Business Review, Scientific American, Forbes, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, CBS This Morning, NPR’s All Things Considered, NPR’s Diane Rehm and many more. Fast Company writes that Cain is “inspiring a reexamination of corporate structure and processes, spurring change through the classic public intellectual approach: by encouraging us to think.” She is an honours graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School. She lives in New York with her husband and two sons.”

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“From delivering a keynote to emceeing an event to training your team, Emmy-winning former CNN anchor and global campaign strategist Gina London knows how to encourage, motivate and inspire people to life-changing action. Gina creates a custom experience which both highlights your organization’s goals and truly uplifts and connects with your audience. Gina London is an Emmy winning former CNN correspondent and anchor who now serves as an internationally recognized speaker, facilitator and communications expert based in Ireland. Her predominantly Fortune 500 clients include SAP, McKesson, Heineken, Deloitte, Daimler and the United States Department of State. She has facilitated or compèred hundreds of events - interviewing high profile speakers including Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford, Jr; Huffington Post CEO Jared Grusd and Nobel Peace Prize winners Oscar Arias and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. In a more humanitarian role, Gina has also chaired a two-day event for UNICEF at the United Nations in New York, worked with the first Iraqi women running for Parliament, women’s civil rights leaders in the Persian Gulf, and issues activists in Ghana, Egypt, Tunisia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Macedonia and Romania. A published author and regular news analyst on radio and TV, Gina currently writes a weekly business column for Ireland’s largest newspaper, The Sunday Independent titled, “The Communicator”. She has also featured in a wide range of global media outlets including (Italy): Le Notizie; La Repubblica (Nigeria): The Nation, Your View, TVC, Channels TV; (Romania): In Business Today; (Egypt): The Rose; (UK): BBC; (US): CNN, Fox News, The Orlando Sentinel, The Denver Post, and Fast Company.”

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“Sarah is presenter of ‘The Sunday Show’, a politics and current affairs program on TV3. She also regularly writes columns for The Sunday Times. Before moving to TV3, Sarah hosted Newstalk’s drivetime show with Chris Donoghue, which was named IMRO Current Affairs Show of the Year, 2017. She also won the IMRO News Broadcaster of the Year award 2017. Before her move to broadcasting in 2016, Sarah worked as political correspondent with The Sunday Times for eight years, covering politics during the worst years of the economic crash. During that period she was also a regular stand-in presenter for Vincent Browne on his late night TV3 current affairs show. In 2008, Sarah published a best-selling true crime book about women who were killed or went missing in the Dublin/Wicklow mountains. Sarah McInerney is a broadcaster and journalist with extensive experience in print, radio and television. She is presenter of The Late Debate on RTE Radio One, The Sunday Show on TV3, and is a regular columnist for The Sunday Times.
Previously, Sarah presented Newstalk Drive, which won IMRO Current Affairs Show of the Year in 2017. Sarah was also awarded IMRO News Broadcaster of the Year 2017. Before moving to broadcast, Sarah was Political Correspondent with The Sunday Times for eight years, having previously worked as news reporter in The Sunday Tribune.

She is the author of ‘Where No-One Can Hear You Scream’, a book about women who were killed or disappeared in the Dublin/Wicklow mountains, published in 2008.
Sarah is a lively and passionate MC, who uses her experience as a current affairs broadcaster and journalist to command the attention of audiences, ask the right questions, and host events with consummate professionalism.”

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Steve Chapman Adventurer in spontaneity & creativity

Steve’s talks have a reputation for being something rather special. Rather than lecture, he invites the audience into his world, to join him on an adventure to explore some important and profound questions as to what it means to be a human being, particularly in these things we call organisations. He brings playfulness, curiosity and creativity to any subject.

Steve is an independent speaker, coach, facilitator, consultant, writer and artist who specialises in spontaneity, creativity and social change in the workplace. Previously he held numerous senior, global roles in the corporate world. He has worked with an incredibly wide variety of organisations in many sectors and is visiting faculty at the Ashridge Business School and Metanoia Institute Organisational Change MSc programmes.

Steve has a reputation for totally embodying his subject matter and, instead of offering a standard plenary lecture, he invites the audience into his world on an adventure to explore some important and profound questions as to what it means to be a human being, particularly in these things we call organisations.

Steve speaks regularly at in house and public events to audiences ranging from 10-2000 on the subjects of creativity, culture change, spontaneity, innovation, identity, shame & the inner critic.

His client list for consulting, coaching, teaching, as well as speaking is huge and includes Google, gsk, Aviva, Siemens, Marks & Spencer, Unilever, Standard Life, Pret a Manager, npower, Nissan, Pentland, Calor, O2 and PwC amongst many others.
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“Alan is obsessive about what it takes to be a winner and is recognised for his mentorship, entrepreneurial spirit and passion for strategy. He is well regarded for his unique style in incorporating the winning strategies and tactics of his elite sport stars and applying them to the corporate world. He is a passionate story teller, with an indescribable energy, and an ability to inspire and motivate those around him. Alan Heary is a true competitor, one who has won and lost in the most extreme sport of the lot: ultra-cycling. He has competed in some of the world’s toughest endurance events, including the world famous Race Across America. Alan doesn’t just talk about mental toughness, he lives it. He is the performance coach to world boxing champions Steve Collins and Johnny Ruiz as well as Olympian cyclist Ciaran Power and Olympian swimmer Nick O’Hare. Alan has worked with companies such as Microsoft, the Irish Amputee Football team, a multimillion start-up in London, to the PlanetX cycling team. Recently he has created the ultimate digital training system for athletes and coaches to achieve a new level of performance and energy: ‘Going In The Zone for Sport’ and in 2018, is publishing ‘Going In The Zone for Business’ - the ultimate blueprint for entrepreneurs and business leaders who wish to create the mindset and habits of winners. Developing a High Performance Team Mental Toughness, Resilience And Grit Going in the Zone for Business Refuelling your Energy The Virtual Team – Working Remotely Winner’s Mindset – What Business Leaders Can Learn from Elite Sport “Alan knows everything about getting in the zone; he's a brilliant speaker - a great storyteller, a great motivator, and a great asset to anyone's team." - Deirdre Hopkins, Director of the Irish Film & Television Academy "Heary has come on as a High Performance Coach. With regards to the mental toughness, he has been incredible for the team. He is very personable and we have access to him via phone or email, should we have any problems we want to talk to him about. The input and the changes that he has made for our team have simply been incredible" - Dave Saunders from the Irish Amputee Football Association”

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“Caroline McEnery HR and Employment Law Expert
She has also completed a Masters in Human Resources in the University of Limerick, she is CIPD accredited as well as being a trained mediator. Caroline had worked across various areas of HR for over 20 years in The Kerry Group and in the retail and hospitality sector where she was the Operations and HR Director of The Garvey Group prior to setting up The HR Suite in 2009.

The HR Suite offer specialist tailored and effective human resources and business solutions to clients throughout Ireland. It has four key departments with include: Human Resource Management; Employment Law; Training and Recruitment. With offices in Dublin and Kerry and a nationwide client base of SME's and multinationals, The HR Suite has over 500 clients throughout Ireland and employs a team of HR Advisors and a dedicated recruitment department.

Caroline is also the author of “The Art of Asking the Right Questions” a tool kit for people managers to ensure they maximise the talent of their people. The guide contains top tips and guidelines for anyone who manages people regarding recruitment, appraisals, personal development etc.

She is also a lead mentor on the ACORNS programme which is promoting entrepreneurship for women and is a member of the Going for Growth Entrepreneurship Programme and Continuing the Momentum Programme.
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“Mike Walsh is the CEO of Tomorrow, a global consultancy on designing companies for the 21st century. He advises leaders on how to thrive in the current era of disruptive technological change. Mike’s bestsellling books include Futuretainment, published by Phaidon and The Dictionary of Dangerous Ideas. He hosts the weekly podcast, Between Worlds, and travels worldwide over 300 days a year researching trends and giving keynote speeches on the future of business and innovation. Rather than focusing on the distant future, Mike takes an anthropological approach - scanning the near horizon for disruptive technologies and consumer innovations on the verge of hitting critical mass, and then translating these into usable business strategies. Mike previously ran Jupiter Research in Australia, and held senior strategy roles at News Corporation in both the Australian and Asian markets. In his current role at Tomorrow, Mike has advised the CEOs and senior management teams of a wide range of companies including BBC Worldwide, Fujifilm, Richemont, Bentley Motors, Star TV, Televisa, Globe Telecom, Philips and HSBC.”

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“By sharing his personal stories and unique insights, Mark uses his vast expertise in human behaviour and medicine to create meaningful experiences tailored specifically for each audience. By incorporating his new philosophy of wellbeing with down to earth practical take home messages, he facilitates lasting positive change in people and their organisations. He is a member of "Leading by Design ", an invitation only international collaboration of leaders committed to improvements in health through a more effective design of the environment. He founded the Waterford Health Park as a new paradigm for sustainable improvements in community health. The building was a short listed finalist for World Building of the year at the World Architecture festival awards in 2010. In 2013 , the Waterford Health Park received the Global Health Improvement Award, " A Place to Flourish ". He is author of ‘The Men's Health Book- A Guide for the Irish Man’ which was published by Blackhall Publishing in 2009 with all royalties going to a Cancer Charity. He has also contributed to books on Leadership in Ireland and Healthcare Management. He has a longstanding interest in medical education, as a trainer of young family doctors with the South East G.P. Training Programme in Ireland, as Senior clinical lecturer with the University of Limerick Graduate MedicalSchool, and formerly as an ICGP examiner. Dr. Mark Rowe has a background as a Family Physician based in Waterford City, Ireland. He graduated from U.C.D. Medical School in 1991 and went on to specialise in family practice , becoming a member of the Irish College of General Practitioners in 1995 , having achieved first place ‘Ellerd Eppel’ award. He has worked with national and local media consistently over the years as an advocate for health. He delivers seminars on "health leadership" and is an international keynote speaker on the topics of "New Philosophy of Wellbeing", "Health Leadership", "Generative Space" and "A Prescription for Happiness" He also holds the position of Chairman of the board at Garter Lane Arts Centre in Waterford City.”

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Jason Smyth Fastest Paralympian on the Planet

“he can cover 100 metres in 10.22 seconds, a feat rendering him the fastest Paralympian in history.” The Telegraph“The Olympics has Usain Bolt -- the Paralympics has Jason Smyth.” CNN

'On the track it has been my mission to push the boundaries of what is possible by bridging the gap between Para sport and mainstream sport. It is off the track that my experience has the greatest impact as I assist others bridge their own gaps' - Jason Smyth

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“Georgina is one of Ireland’s leading executive coaches and an experienced speaker with over 30 years’ pioneering leadership and the core development of people to ignite purpose at work. She is renowned for being authentically curious, purpose driven and committed to making a difference at the DNA level of client organisations. Her style is warm and engaging with a “feel good” factor which leaves her audiences feeling empowered, positive and with an expanded sense of possibility, whilst always being academically grounded. Georgina has a proven track record of speaking on a range of topics and to a wide variety of audiences in Ireland, UK, Europe, Australia and US with a talent for anchoring memorable tools and techniques for all present. Georgina Corscadden is currently CEO of Peak Connexxion Training Group and Director of Imperative Europe (Purpose at Work). She was a Senior Faculty Member and Programme Director with the Irish Management Institute and previously has been Director of training and recruitment at Saatchi & Saatchi, Director at Ogilvy & Mather and Manager at Marks & Spencer. Georgina also had a training consultancy business in London, working with BBC and ITV television in strategic coaching. Having worked nationally and internationally at CEO, senior and board level both in the private and public sector, Georgina offers a range of perspectives. She has worked closely with Facebook, ABN AMRO, Allianz, Abbott, Boston Scientific, Bayer, Coca Cola, AIB, KPMG, Musgraves, Citigroup, Trinity College Dublin, the Department of Public Enterprise and Reform, the Revenue Commissioners etc. Her expertise, academic grounding and ethical approach to all her endeavours enable her to work within a wide variety of organisations with success. Georgina holds an MBA, BSc (Hons) Psychology and a Diploma in Executive Coaching (Distinction). Since the late 1980s, Georgina has pioneered ‘best practice’ Women in Leadership programmes in Ireland, UK and Brussels, both in the public and private sector, and initiated the first Diversity Conference in Ireland. She is particularly skilled at connecting with multi-cultural audiences and she has an ongoing active involvement with the RCSI leadership programme in Bahrain and Dubai. Georgina designed the first Accredited Irish Public Sector Coaching Award and is also credited with bringing “Emotional Intelligence” into Ireland in 1999. She was the first and is still the only Certified “Purpose at Work” coach and trainer in Europe, and is involved in exciting research relating to its science. In fact, she has an ongoing involvement in research on a range of areas, including Quality of Life for senior and middle managers for RCSI, 360 competency models for managers and a performance coaching model. Georgina has also published extensively in the national press in UK and Ireland, and is currently writing a book on “Purposeful Leaders”. She is the author of key articles on Coaching, Teams and HR in the 'Irish Management Institute Handbook', an essay on underlying motivations in 'The Handbook of Management' in 2004, and published an e-book in 2011, 'Motivating Others'. Watch Georgina in action here.”

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Brendan Balfe, TV presenter, comedy writer, satirist, performer, & interviewer has spent a lifetime in Irish radio. Since his debut at the age of 18, he has been a disc-jockey, station announcer, producer, television presenter, comedy writer, satirist, performer, interviewer and presenter of most of the daily slots on RTE Radio.

He opened RTE Radio 2, released Ireland’s first comedy album and produced most of radio’s biggest names. He had his own production company supplying programmes to the Irish radio market, acted as trainer for corporate clients and lectured in IADT on radio broadcasting. Brendan is renowned for both his comedy radio programmes and his documentaries, including The Irish Voice, the CD of which was the best-selling Irish album of 2011. He recently toured his one-man show telling ’tales from behind the microphone’, was a highlight at the 2016 Listowel Writers’ Week and the featured speaker for Culture Night at the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.

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“Orlaith Carmody Business Woman Author and Leadership Coach
As a well known communications expert in Ireland and overseas, Orlaith Carmody's day job is working with leaders in the world’s top companies delivering executive training programmes, and preparing leadership teams for frontline communications. As a keynote speaker she has addressed Ireland’s most influential business people, networks and political groups, and has also presented at conferences in the USA, UAE, Canada and throughout Europe.

Following a career as a broadcast journalist with RTÉ, Orlaith became a serial entrepreneur, and is the Managing Director of Mediatraining.ie, which specialises in communications training and leadership development. She is a director of a number of SMEs in media, recruitment and education, and she served on the board of RTÉ from 2010 to 2015.

She is a founder member of the Irish Chapter of EO, the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation, and was President 2014/15.
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“Everything you wanted to know about artificial intelligence but were afraid to ask. Following a successful 30-year career in business, Calum has developed a new career as a writer and speaker about the likely impacts of artificial intelligence on people and societies. He has been hired by all kinds of companies, including firms in professional services, financial services, technology, retail, healthcare, defence, entertainment, education, marketing and advertising. Since graduating from Oxford in PPE, Calum Chace has worked as a journalist for BBC World Service, as a director for AMR International and KPMG, for BP in both the UK and UAE, and was the CEO of Weeding Technologies. Currently Calum is a consultant on AI through 3cs, a company he founded. He is also the author of 'The Economic Singularity', a non-fiction book about the prospect of widespread technological unemployment; 'Surviving AI', a non-fiction book about the likelihood and impact of strong AI and super-intelligence; and techno-thriller 'Pandora's Brain'. “Thank you very much for the presentation you gave – it was exciting, and generated a lot of conversation afterwards – which is always a good sign!” - Kindred, October 2017 “On behalf of the entire team, I would like to thank you for participating at EmTech France this year. Your talk was enjoyed by the audience and we heard amazing feedback!” - EmTech, October 2017 “Thank you so much for your presentation last night and for participating in a very interesting and lively panel discussion. I thought it worked really well, and all the feedback I had was very good indeed. I thought you set the context for the discussion really well and warmed up the audience to think more deeply about and around the topic.” - ICAEW, September 2017 “He was absolutely fantastic! All the delegates gave very positive feedback on Calum’s contributions, and he added a great deal to the day, and not just in his allocated sessions. We really appreciated him staying around. We’d like to extend a huge big thank you to him. He was excellent.” - Hymans Robertson, September 2017 “Calum did a fantastic job engaging the whole audience and was very well received. The feedback on was absolutely spot on.” - Barclays, June 2017”

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“As a pioneer of Professional Coaching in Rugby, Matt Williams has many years of experience coaching in both Australia and Europe. He is a gifted raconteur and has a unique message that he not only articulates but has lived. During his time coaching, Matt Williams became fascinated with the makeup of individual and team performance. In elite sport, coaching is made up of 3 key areas: Technique, Tactics and Performance - which is the drive to play at one's maximum. Matt takes the "Performance" aspect of sports coaching and applies the enhancing techiques to business teams and executives. In 2006, after seven years in Europe, Matt returned to Australia and linked with the Sydney based HR company EXCEL HR. In partnership they have produced the 'Peak Performance Business Program'. In the media Matt has contributed articles to the Sydney Morning Herald, The Irish Independent and The Irish Times. He has appeared on the Irish radio Newstalk 106 and has been a commenter with the ABC, Setanta Cable TV and RTE Television. He is now the rugby writer for The Irish Times and works as a commentator for Tv3 Group. Matt started coaching in the New South Wales Waratah’s system in 1990. In 1995, after playing an inside role of the winning of the Rugby Wars for the Rugby Union, he rose through the coaching ranks to become manager and Assistant Coach, before becoming Head Coach of the New South Wales Waratah’s from 1997 to 1999. During this time Matt was at the forefront of establishing professional coaching in rugby. Matt was instrumental in mentoring and coaching such great players as David Campese, Matt Burke, Tian Strauss, Phil Kearns and Jason Little. Matt then pioneered the now familiar rugby ‘trek' of Australians coaching in Europe. He was the first Australian Super 12 Coach to move to Europe. He travelled to Ireland coaching the now powerful Irish provincial side, Leinster. In Matt’s three years at Leinster he “was part of a great group of men” who rose through the European rankings from thirty five to second. Leinster won the inaugural Celtic League Final and were Semi Finalists of the European Cup. Matt coached the British and Irish Lions Captain Brian O’Driscoll, as well as Gordon D’Arcy, Shane Horgan, Malcolm O’Kelly and Dennis Hickey. Matt also was appointed Head Coach of Ireland “A” and won the Six Nations title with the “A” team. This led to Matt being head-hunted and appointed Head Coach of Scotland. This unique challenge saw Matt as only the second Australian in over a century to be appointed as a Head Coach in the Six Nations Championship. Matt Williams also has business experience as the current General Manager for RCNM, a software company for sports clubs enabling elite athlete management based in France. He has a background in Education and holds a Masters Degree in Education from Sydney University specialising in Coaching.”

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Louisa Heinrich creative and digital strategist

Louisa Heinrich is a design, strategy and innovation leader. Over the past 20 years, she has been part of the development of many technologies that are now considered commonplace. As design director during the first dotcom boom, Louisa led the design of some of the first digital consumer projects for banks, healthcare companies and government services.

She was executive director for BBC future platforms when iPlayer was released. As global head of strategy for international design agency Fjord (now part of Accenture), she was responsible for trends and thought leadership, as well as working on award-winning projects such as Bonnier Media’s News Plus, which reinvented the newspaper for the touch-screen era. She founded Superhuman in 2013 to focus on the human aspects of the digital future, and works with clients large and small to align business planning and technology with the needs of real people.

Louisa is also a highly regarded speaker on topics such as the future of technology, technology and society, strategic and product development and planning, human centred business, personal identity in the digital age, big data, screen-less interfaces (the IoT), AI and design education.

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“Liam Griffin hotelier entrepreneur and former hurling manager is available to speak at corporate and industry events on Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Team Building, Customer Service, amongst other topics. "Fantastic - Liam Griffin's presentation really went down well with the group. An extremely interesting and accomplished speaker." - Eamonn Burke, Chairman, IT/Automation Healthcare”

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“Nick Jefferson”

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Gavin Duffy Entrepreneur, Dragons Den Investor, Broadcaster and Motivational Speaker is one of Ireland’ top entrepreneurs and most sought after motivational speaker. His witty, engaging and entertaining speaking style is guaranteed to inspire any audience or group.

Gavin is publicly known for his work with entrepreneurs on all seven series of RTE’s Dragons’ Den. Gavin’s career in media started at age seventeen, setting-up a local radio station in County Louth. He was the presenter of the first RTE television business programme, Marketplace, and two years before that in 1985 was one of the first broadcasters on Morning Ireland on RTE Radio One. He won the franchise for regional radio station LMFM in 1989, later sold to UTV.

Gavin’s extensive experience, both in radio and on television coupled with his knowledge and expertise in business ensure that he is a naturally engaging MC and Speaker.
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“2“What I’m certain about is that Big Data will be the defining text in the discussion for some time to come.” Forbes Viktor Mayer-Schönberger is Professor of Internet Governance and Regulation at the Oxford Internet Institute, part of Oxford University. He is also a faculty affiliate of the Belfer Center of Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. After successes in the International Physics Olympics and the Austrian Young Programmers Contest, Mayer-Schönberger studied in Salzburg, Harvard and at the London School of Economics. In 1986 he founded Ikarus Software, a company focusing on data security and developed the Virus Utilities, which became the best-selling Austrian software product. He was voted Top-5 Software Entrepreneur in Austria in 1991 and Person of the Year for the State of Salzburg in 2000. He has chaired the Rueschlikon Conference on Information Policy in the New Economy, bringing together leading strategists and decision-makers of the new economy. In 2014 he received a World Technology Award in the law category for his work. He is a frequent public speaker, and sought expert for print and broadcast media worldwide. He and his work have been featured in (among others) New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, Nature, Science, NPR, BBC, The Guardian, Le Monde, El Pais, Die Zeit, Der Spiegel, WIRED, Ars Technica, and Daily Kos. He is also on the boards of foundations, think tanks and organizations focused on studying the information economy, and advises governments, businesses and NGOs on new economy and information society issues. He has published eleven books, including the international bestseller 'Big Data' ( co-authored with Kenneth Cukier, translated into more than 20 languages) and the awards-winning 'Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Digital Age'. He is the author of over a hundred articles and book chapters on the governance of information. In his spare time, he likes to travel, go to the movies, and learn about architecture.”

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