The Leading Speakers Bureau

Former Head of MI5

Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller headed MI5 from 2002 to 2007, leading the organisation though substantial change in the wake of 9/11 and the growing threat from Al-Qaeda. MI5 doubled in size, opened eight new offices and altered its approach to the professional development of staff with the establishment of a training academy. In 2008 Eliza Manningham-Buller became a cross-bench Peer and a Governor of the Wellcome Trust.

“An expert on Leadership and Change Management”

[expand title=”In detail”] Earlier in her career, Eliza led the Service’s investigation into the Lockerbie bombing. She served in Washington during the first Gulf war, returning to establish MI5’s intelligence effort against the Provisional IRA in mainland Britain. She joined the board and over time assumed lead responsibility for work on Irish terrorism, surveillance, technical collection, finance and IT – becoming Deputy Director General in charge of intelligence operations in 1997.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Eliza is an experienced speaker and seminar leader on platforms around the globe, an effective performer with a clear and valuable message. She speaks authoritatively on all aspects of leadership – great leaders, leadership development, and strategic leadership.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Renowned for being thought provoking and dynamic, Eliza brings a clear and invaluable perspective to this most current of topics.[/expand]

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Former Director General MI5

Dame Stella Rimington DCB was formerly Director General of the Security Service (MI5). In her controversial autobiography, ‘Open Secret’, she recites entertaining stories of disguises and spying, and stamping documents with the word ‘Secret’ to tempt Russian agents. While with MI5, she led on counter-espionage and work against terrorism. A policy of greater openness was pursued so that the Service’s responsibilities were clearer to the public.

“Impressive exemplar of fortitude and success”

[expand title=”In detail”] Dame Stella worked in all the main fields of the Security Service’s responsibilities – counter-subversion, counter-espionage and counter-terrorism – becoming successively Director of all three branches. She was appointed Director General of MI5 in 1992, the first woman to take the post and the first Director General to be publicly named. Dame Stella received a DCB, Dame Commander of Bath, in 1995. She was a non-executive director of Marks and Spencer Plc from 1997-2004 and of BG Group from 1997 until May 2005. She was also an Associate Director of CPS, where she provided executive coaching and mentoring.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Exploring the relationship between leadership and management, she unveils strategies that you can successfully apply to the ever-changing work environment. Her proven capability of gathering intelligence, while balancing risk and security, provides tremendous business analogies for you to draw on.
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[expand title=”How she presents”]Her sharp mind and great sense of humour ensure that serious points are brought to you in an absorbing way. Her straightforward approach and friendly manner are combined with an informed and intelligent view. She tailors her speech and is happy to take questions.[/expand]

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Gold Medal-winning Former Paralympic Swimmer, Ambassador for London 2012 Olympics

Marc Woods’ had his left leg amputated due to cancer when he was just seventeen years old, however just 18 months after he finished his chemotherapy he was selected to represent Great Britain’s swimming team at the Seoul Paralympics. Now retired from international swimming Marc has embarked on a series of new challenges and he regularly commentates for the BBC. He is passionate about delivering his message to businesses all over the world.

“Marc’s ability to overcome adversity & triumph in so many diverse areas is an example to us all”
Sarah, the Duchess of York

[expand title=”In detail”] Marc’s dream was to simply be the best that he could be and he has competed at European & World Championships and Paralympic Games. In his 17 years of competition he won a staggering 12 Paralympic medals from 5 Games, 4 of those medals being gold. Marc also won a further 21 medals from European and World Championships. Since retiring from competitive swimming he has become a 2012 Ambassador, commentator and author.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]A real life role model, Marc Woods’ experiences taught him to approach life in a different way and in his presentations he takes audiences on a remarkable journey, inspiring each person to do the very best in every dimension of their lives. He has a remarkable story packed with anecdotes and insights and is an absolute inspiration, providing a combination of his inspirational life story and personal development advice.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Fresh, original and vibrant, Marc speaks with great honesty, compassion and humility. With thrilling footage, a terrific sense of humour and a complete lack of sentimentality, he demonstrates his passion for life and shows what can happen when we learn to focus on those things which are under our control. [/expand]

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President of the Institute for Global Futures, a leading think tank he founded in 1990 that advises business and government on future trends

Dr. James Canton is a renowned global futurist, social scientist, keynote presenter, author, and visionary business advisor. For over 30 years, he has been insightfully predicting the key trends that have shaped our world. He is a leading authority on future trends in innovation. He is the author of The Extreme Future: The Top Trends That Will Reshape the World in the 21st Century, Dutton 2006, and Technofutures: How Leading-Edge Innovations Will Transform Business in the 21st Century, Next Millennium Press, 2004.

“One of the top global futurists and presenters in the 21st century”

[expand title=”In detail”] Dr. Canton is CEO and Chairman of the Institute for Global Futures, a leading think tank he founded in 1990 that advises business and government on future trends. He advises the Global Fortune 1000 on trends in innovation, financial services, health care, population, life sciences, energy, security, workforce, climate change and globalization. A frequent guest of the media, Dr. Canton is a commentator on CNN. He was named “the Digital Guru” by CNN and “Dr. Future” by Yahoo. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Dr. Canton shows organisations’ how to adapt profit and better compete in the emerging new economy and how to use business strategies to create a high-tech competitive edge.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Recognized as “one of the top presenters in the 21st century” by Successful Meetings Magazine, Dr. Canton is a highly sought-after keynote presenter. He has spoken to thousands of organizations on five continents. He is noted for his fascinating, informative, dynamic and entertaining keynotes.[/expand]

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Director, Founder International Disaster and Crisis Management (IDCM)

Peter Rehwinkel is a former Member of Parliament, Senator and Mayor in The Netherlands and now runs a global crisis management consultancy, International Disaster and Crisis Management. IDCM has its base in Barcelona, the international hub of disaster and crisis management. He has headed several international and national delegations on crisis response and recovery.

“A crisis doesn’t have to be a disaster”

[expand title=”In detail”] Peter Rehwinkel has been a ´rapporteur´ for the United Cities and Local Governments Organisation (UCLG) and developed high-level relationships with World Bank, various United Nations agencies, the European Commission and crisis assistance such as USAID, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). During his time as Mayor, Peter Rehwinkel took executive crisis response responsibility in a number of challenging crisis events. He holds a Master in Law and Administrative Sciences from the University of Groningen. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Peter Rehwinkel delivers a fascinating speech on crisis management and provides essential tips. Corporate sectors, governments and organizations have shown keen interest already in the golden rules he provides to prevent and respond to crisis. [/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]An experienced speaker at conferences the world over, Peter tailors each and every presentation to precisely suit the brief and always includes high quality slides and a wealth of useful actionable information.[/expand]

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Digital Pioneer & Founder of ipsy

Michelle Phan is a digital pioneer, who trail-blazed her way in the world of fashion and beauty on YouTube. With a growing global community of over 7.5 million, Michelle’s videos have been viewed more than 1 billion times, making her one of the most watched talents in the digital space. She is an award-winning content creator, and was recently honoured with the first-ever Streamy ICON award and the 2015 People’s Voice Webby Award for Best How-To and DIY Channel. Michelle has also been on Forbes 2015 30 Under 30 list in the category of Art and Style and Inc’s 30 Under 30 Coolest Entrepreneurs of 2015.

“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to TRY”

[expand title=”In detail”] Michelle’s career started from the comfort of her home, filming a simple makeup tutorial that inspired the online makeup tutorial phenomenon. She has been creating inspirational make-up tutorials since 2006 and has created over 200 make-up tutorials in that time. The very personification of an Entrepreneur and New Media Maven, Michelle promises to continue her meteoric rise on multi-platforms and raise her brand awareness further into the pop cultural conversation. In 2014, Michelle released her first book, ‘Make Up: Your Life Guide to Beauty Style and Success – Online and Off’. The book is packed with Michelle’s trademark beauty and style tutorials, stories and pictures from her own life and advice on the topics she is asked about most.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Michelle shares with her audiences, her experiences of how to build a successful brand, offering first-hand advice on the challenges of developing new businesses and openly discusses the highs and lows and the importance of social media and marketing strategies. [/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Michelle Phan is an enthusiastic speaker, full of energy and positivity, who inspires and motivates audiences around the globe offering an added-value experience to each event[/expand]

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Finance and Banking Expert

Chris Skinner is best known as an independent commentator on the financial markets through the Finanser and Chair of the European networking forum the Financial Services Club, which he founded in 2004. The Financial Services Club is a network for financial professionals. He is also an expert on technology trends. He shows how the rapid pace of change and tomorrow’s technology must inform today’s business strategy. He is the Chief Executive of Balatro Ltd, a research company and the co-founder of the website Shaping Tomorrow.

“Chris is a visionary with a real command of the factors which shape our future”

[expand title=”In detail”] Chris is a regular commentator on Sky News, BBC News, and Bloomberg concerning banking issues. Prior to founding Balatro, Chris was Vice President of Marketing and Strategy for Unisys Global Financial Services and he was the Strategy Director with NCR Financial Services. These roles helped spark Chris’s specialisation in the future of financial services after he created the Global Future Forum in Unisys and the Knowledge Lab in NCR. He serves as a Judge on many awards programs including the Card Awards and the Asian Banker’s Retail Excellence Awards. He is a Fellow of the British Computer Society, a Fellow of the Institute of Management Services, an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute and a Chartered Insurance Practitioner.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Chris Skinner is known to be an exceptional speaker which is why he is regularly requested to keynote at many of the financial market’s most prestigious events. He also regularly opens as keynote at many private industry events. His keynote addresses focus upon the key current trends and future scenarios for all areas of financial services, across retail and investment markets and payments.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Chris is a visionary, committed and highly knowledgeable about tomorrow’s trends. His energy, drive and enthusiasm for innovation and change impresses his audiences. His insights into financial services and his contribution to this industry will continue to pay dividends over many years.[/expand]

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Human Resource / Training Expert

Graham Nugent is a line banker for more than 18 years with HSBC and Citibank who has thirty years experience as a human resource / training specialist – with TACK International Training, The World Bank / ORT – Organization Reconstruction Travail and in his last appointment as Director of Training at the SAMA Institute of Banking in Saudi Arabia, (where he was responsible for the development and management of more than 300 training programs each year). He has been based in the Gulf for the past 30 years. He established MANDEVCO / ABAMI over 20 years ago; the Company develops and presents training programmes in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

“One of the Gulf’s most experienced mentors”

[expand title=”In detail”] Graham Nugent was working for Midland Bank – now HSBC when he was headhunted by Citibank and obtained Licence # 1 in Guernsey. He led a World Bank Project team bringing 5 regional banks together in Northern Nigeria, established and was the first Director of Training at the Central Bank of Saudi Arabia (SAMA) He was responsible for bank education and training in the Kingdom for the Institute of Banking and established Activity Learning Centres in Dubai which now have the most successful Programs ever in the Gulf – 289 Programs/ 13,439 participants.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Graham Nugent has provided training in many parts of the world for major banks, companies and Government institutions. He is renowned in his field for having establishing four major Training Centres (in Nigeria, Kuwait, KSA & UK), developed and implemented the policies and procedures, covering all aspects of manpower planning, manpower development, education and training for major international organisations.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Graham Nugent’s presentations are a flow of stories combined with his enormous speaking presence. His energetic, enthusiastic style and wealth of experience in banking, management and business is much appreciated by his audiences.[/expand]

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Expert on Global Business Strategy & Globalisation

Jeffrey Garten is widely recognised as an expert on global business strategy, finance and trade. He became the Juan Trippe Professor in the Practice of International Trade, Finance and Business at Yale School of Management in July 2005 and is also chairman of Garten Rothkopf, a global consulting firm which works with corporations on long-term global strategies.

“Jeffrey Garten is an expert on Global Business Strategy”

[expand title=”In detail”] Jeffrey E. Garten was the dean of the Yale School of Management and William S. Beinecke Professor in the Practice of International Trade and Finance from 1995 to 2005. Prior to that he was undersecretary of commerce for international trade. Before government service he spent 13 years on Wall Street. As a managing director of Lehman Brothers, he specialized in debt restructuring in Latin America, built up Lehman’s investment banking business in Asia, and restructured some of the world’s largest shipping companies in Hong Kong. He wrote a monthly column for BusinessWeek on major challenges facing global business leaders, and he now writes a monthly column for Newsweek International. He currently serves on the boards of directors of a variety of companies including Aetna Corporation, CarMax Inc.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Jeffrey Garten explores the challenges business leaders will face in the decade ahead: responding to emerging markets, aggressively pursuing innovation, investing in design and coping with the changing political and social environment. As one of the nation’s foremost experts on globalization, Jeffrey Garten provides audiences with the skills they need to navigate the ever-shifting, borderless global economy.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Jeffrey Garten is a highly professional and informative speaker. He educates audiences with his presentations on leading global economic concepts and developments.[/expand]

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One of the most sought-after authorities on Consumer Behaviour and Marketing

Dr Roger Blackwell is probably best known as the marketing and retail “guru” with the ability to spellbind and mesmerise audiences. He is a prolific author with over twenty books to his credit and has been a Professor of Marketing at Ohio State University for over 30 years.

[expand title=”In detail”] With his unique blend of humour, content and “how-to” take-aways Dr Roger Blackwell demonstrates the processes that help companies achieve new product and marketing success. He blends humour with case examples and vivid visuals to communicate information that decision makers can use to develop and create successful products, evaluate the long-term potential of existing products and develop new marketing strategies. In his latest book ”Customers Rule!”, he explores how to create winning marketing strategies to increase revenues, enhance productivity and decrease costs. He focuses on how successful firms can adapt to changing economic and technological realities, he also shows both consumer and business oriented firms how to get customers to want to do business with them.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Dr. Blackwell currently serves on the boards of numerous privately and publicly held corporations, and has recently been named as “Outstanding Marketing Educator in America” and “Marketer of the Year”. In addition he is on the board of a number of start-up technology and Internet -based companies.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Roger has helped many firms explore the long and short-term implications of e-commerce on retailing, B2B transactions and marketing – issues that he addresses thoroughly in his presentations. Ultimately he provides clients with a framework for determining how likely the Internet and other new technologies are to work in different situations, based on how the technology matches the needs of consumers. An outstanding and committed speaker who brings a wealth of experience to his highly entertaining presentations. Roger Blackwell is now in great demand as a keynote and conference speaker around the globe.[/expand]

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