Europe Speakers

Christine Ockrent is both producer and anchor of the weekly current affairs program France Europe Express on France 3 Television.

She is also president of the advisory board of METRO International France, and a columnist for various French and Swiss newspapers.

Born into a family of diplomats, Christine Ockrent is a graduate of The Institute of political Studies in Paris. She began her career as a journalist for American television when she made her career televisual “scoop” in 1979. While going to interview in prison a former Prime Minister for the Shah of Iran a few days before her execution.

Previously she was editor in chief of the weekly news magazine, L’Express, the only journalist granted an interview with Saddam Hussein in the middle of the Gulf War. As well as becoming the first woman to anchor and edit the prime time news. She has had an outstanding career in television, both as producer of documentaries and anchor of the evening news, where she shaped a style as the first woman presenter and editor.

Ms. Ockrent was also deputy director general of TF1 Television and an editor with RTL Radio. She began her career in broadcast journalism at NBC News and worked for eight years at CBS’ 60 Minutes. She has been awarded several French and international distinctions for her work in TV journalism.

She is a graduate of the Institut d’études politiques in Paris and studied at Cambridge University.

She has written eight books, one of which translated in German (“Wie Julius Caesar den Euro erfand” Rowohlt).

Christine Ockrent is also the author of eight books, Chevalier of the Legion of Honour and member of the board of directors of Reporters without borders, she is married to Bernard Kouchner, a senior French Minister and founder, organizer and president of “Médecins sans Frontières” (1971-1979); and of “Médecins du Monde” (non-profit-making organization whose members, all voluntary and doctors and nurses, help in times of emergency and situations of inadequate medical care in the third world) (1980-1988).

Rt Hon Dr Denis MacShane MP has an intimate knowledge of the inner workings of government, both as a Minister of State for Europe at the Foreign Office and as deputy Foreign Secretary.

Dr MacShane has spoken to diverse audiences from both public and private sector in the UK and abroad. He specialises in penetrating political and economic analysis laced with stories about the many senior politicians with whom he has enjoyed close working relationships.

As the MP who suggested in a changing room of the Commons to David Cameron that Mr Cameron should run for Leadership of the Conservative Party, Dr MacShane has made a small contribution to choosing the new Prime Minister.

He is one of Parliament’s most forceful speakers, known for the sharpness and wit of his interventions. He appears regularly on BBC and Sky TV and on the Today programme. His columns appears in The Times, Daily Telegraph. Observer, Independent and he writes regularly on European political affairs for Newsweek.

As a member of the Privy Council and Foreign Office minister, Dr MacShane had many dealings with the royal family which he builds into his speeches and talks with humorous insights. He specialises in CEO retreats and business conference and dinners where participants want a full and frank insight into how ministers and politicians arrive at their decisions, particularly relating to European affairs.

Dr MacShane speaks French, German and Spanish and writes regularly for European and North American papers. His latest books include a biography of Edward Heath and a study of global anti-semitism. He has four children and won an award as the fastest skier in Parliament. He has been MP for Rotherham since 1994.

Books by Rt Hon Denis MacShane include:

Buy Denis MacShane’s books here

Specific topics:

The global economy – challenges, risks, where the action is

Europe – yesterday’s dream, today’s problem

Lifting the veil on goverment – how it really works

The real controllers of power in britain

Why Labour lost and the Coalition will too

From Downing Street to buckingham place – why monarchs last and prime minister don’t

Ten things you didn’t know (but should) about the world economy

The end of foreign policy

Gary Duncan is the former Economics Editor of The Times, an award-winning journalist, and one of the country’s leading economic and financial commentators. As a Times columnist, he jointly wrote the paper’s flagship weekly economics commentary, sharing this with Anatole Kaletsky.

Duncan has covered economics for The Times for the past decade. Before becoming Economics Editor he was Economics Correspondent for four years. Previously, he spent 10 years writing for The Scotsman, Scotland’s national newspaper, where he was Economics Editor and chief economics commentator, writing a regular weekly column on UK and Scottish economic affairs. He also spent five years covering UK politics as a Lobby Correspondent at Westminster, becoming a noted commentator on political trends, as well as an admired and witty sketch-writer.

Gary Duncan has an in-depth expertise on the UK economy, with contacts at the highest levels among top economic policy-makers, in Britain and beyond. He has interviewed leading figures including the last three Chancellors of the Exchequer, the present and previous Governors of the Bank of England (Mervyn King and Lord George), many past and present members of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee, as well as senior US policy-makers.

Duncan is highly regarded for his insight into all aspects of monetary, fiscal, and broader economic policy, as well as their impact on UK politics and the business environment. He also has extensive expertise in the European, US and leading Asian economies, as well as broader global economic prospects and trends. He is adept at simplifying complex issues and presenting them in a lucid and compelling, as well as entertaining way.

Gary Duncan has substantial experience of speaking to audiences of all sizes from 10 to 500-plus, including conference platform speaking, and presentations at business lunches and dinners. He has chaired formal events for the World Economic Forum’s prestigious annual meeting in Davos, with participants up to heads of governments and multi-national chief executives.

After many years in high-level diplomacy Charles Crawford has a unique profile as an imaginative, dynamic and even provocative speaker who has addressed audiences large and small in English, Polish and Serbian

After an Honours degree in Jurisprudence from Oxford University he qualified as a Barrister before joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

From 1985-87 Charles served as Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe’s official Speechwriter, contributing ideas/language for speeches by the Foreign Secretary (major set-piece speeches, Parliamentary debates and less formal after-dinner remarks)

His first job on joining the FCO in 1979 was to head the Indonesia Section, followed by his first posting, to communist post-Tito Yugoslavia. He returned to London in 1984 and after a year on the Aviation Desk was appointed FCO Speech-writer. He was posted to South Africa in 1987 as part of the Embassy team led by Ambassador Robin Renwick working to end apartheid.

Returning to London in 1991 he worked in the FCO Department dealing with the Soviet Union as communist rule collapsed. He then spent three years in Moscow as Political Counsellor and then served three times as HM Ambassador: in Sarajevo (1996-1998); in Belgrade (2001-2003) and most recently in Poland (2003-2007).

In 1987 he wrote the FCO’s first Guide to Speech-Writing, a dynamic text full of real-life examples on how to write speeches – and how to weed out lugubrious mistakes. Two decades later it remains a core part of the FCO’s speech-drafting training

He subsequently contributed to speeches by members of the Royal Family and successive Prime Ministers, as well as different Ministers and other senior personalities in public and commercial life

He left the FCO at the end of 2007 to start a new career as writer, consultant, mediator and trainer. In 2009 he joined the UK Conservative Party candidates list

In recent months Charles Crawford led training courses for senior EU and other officials and private clients aimed at improving their communication skills. He has written for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Independent, DIPLOMAT and Total Politics.

In 2009 his audiences included the Headmasters Conference and Conservative Friends of Poland, as well as private groups and academic gatherings

In 2010 he and other former British Ambassadors in partnership with ADR Group launched a new senior strategic dispute resolution panel, ADRg Ambassadors

Charles Crawford’s trenchant observations on public policy issues are now available to a growing readership on his blog




Such honesty has no place in modern government…it’s bloody dangerous!
Andrew Dodge (Samizdata)

The most telling critique of this delusional foreign policy comes in regular instalments in the form of a blog by the former British ambassador to Poland, Charles Crawford. It’s called www.charlescrawford.biz, and if you want to know just how much in despair many of our diplomats are, this is the place to look
Dominic Lawson (The Times, 2010)

In 2005 a humorous FCO email he wrote as Ambassador to Warsaw (a satirical speech by Prime Minister Tony Blair damning other countries’ selfishness on EU Budget issues) caused a stir when it was leaked to the Sunday Times

His FCO written work was praised at the highest levels in London, NATO and the EU for its uncompromising dynamic style:

“fabulously readable and interesting analysis, with practical application … just about the best scenesetter [No10 staff] have ever seen”

“acrobatic and eye-catching in his use of language”

As a speaker Charles Crawford draws on dramatic episodes from his diplomatic career to explain wider policy themes, paradoxes and trends. His presentations are interesting and thought-provoking, but above all memorable

He is strong on foreign and public policy issues such as:

o Communism (and Vampires)
o Dealing with extremists and war criminals
o Climate change and PPP (perverse precautionary principles)
o Amazon Space: how the Internet is changing the strategic policy context
o International negotiation (as explained by Shrek, the Joker and Clint Eastwood)
o UK/European Union relations: Too Big (not) to Fail

Carl Bildt is the current Foreign Secretary and former prime minister of Sweden from 1991-1994, and European Union envoy to ex-Yugoslavia from 1995-1997. He became Special Envoy for the Balkans and Chairman of Sweden’s opposition party, the Moderate Party.

With the issue of a “Greater Europe” being a topic of intense debate, thanks to the proposed expansion of the EU and of NATO in Europe, Carl Bildt’s vast experiences in East and West enable him to comment authoritatively on the Europe of the future.

With his unchallenged leadership and negotiation skills in highly adverse situations, he offers a privileged insight to those who want to place their business advantageously for the future.

In 1991 Carl Bildt was elected Prime Minister and formed a government in coalition with three other non-socialist parties. He held the position until 1994 and became the Leader of the Opposition, a position he still holds today. In June 1995, Carl Bildt became the European Union’s Special Representative for former Yugoslavia and Co-chairman of the International Conference on the former Yugoslavia. In December at the Peace Implementation Conference he was appointed High Representative by the international community, with responsibility for the implementation of the civilian parts of the Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a position which he stepped down from in 1997.

Carl Bildt was elected a Member of Parliament in 1979. Since 1981 he has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Moderate Party. He was also a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs from 1982 to 1986, and has been a member of the Royal Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs since 1982. In 1986 he became the Chairman of the Moderate Party, a post he still holds today.

Carl Bildt is a very informative and charismatic keynote speaker. With keen observations that reflect his dedication to the process of political and economic integration in Europe, he shows the qualities necessary for any business to prosper in the “Greater Europe”.

His topics include:
• The Greater Europe after Bosnia and Herzegovina, and now Kosovo
• The future of Europe and its position in the world

His publications include :
1. Landet som steg ut i kylan (1972, The Country that Stepped out into the Cold)
2. Framtid i frihet (1976, A Future in Freedom)
3. Hallänning, svensk, europe (Bonniers 1991, A Citizen of Halland, Sweden and Europe)

Rt Hon. Lord (Paddy) Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon KBE was leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1988 to 1999. After leaving British politics, Paddy Ashdown served as the High Representative and EU Special Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2002 until 2006. In recognition of his service as High Representative Paddy was awarded the highest diplomatic service honour, the GCMG. Lord Ashdown became a life peer in 2001 and now sits in the House of Lords as a liberal Democrat peer. A regular broadcaster, including Question Time and Any Questions, he has published several books, including two volumes of Diaries

Paddy Ashdown was born in New Delhi on 27 February 1941, the eldest of 7 children. When he was 4 years old, his family returned to Britain to buy a farm in Ulster. Between 1959 and 1972 he served as a Royal Marines Officer and saw active service as a Commando Officer in Borneo and the Persian Gulf. After Special Forces Training in 1965, he commanded a Special Boat Section in the Far East. He went to Hong Kong in 1967 to study Chinese. He returned to England in 1970 to lead a Commando Company in Belfast.

In 1972 Paddy left the Royal Marines and joined the Foreign Office. He was posted to the British Mission to the United Nations in Geneva where he was responsible for Britain’s relations with a number of United Nations organisations and took part in the negotiation of several international treaties and agreements between 1974 and 1976. He was also involved in some aspects of the European Security Conference (the Helsinki Conference).

After leaving the Foreign Office Paddy worked in local industry in the Yeovil area in South-West England between 1976 and 1981, firstly with the Westlands Group (Normalair Garrett) and then with Morlands’ Yeovil-based subsidiary called Tescan. In 1981, Paddy went to work as a Youth Worker with the Dorset County Council Youth Service, where he was responsible for initiatives to help the young unemployed.

He stood as the Liberal Parliamentary candidate for the Yeovil constituency in 1979 and raised the Liberal vote there to its highest ever level. Shortly after entering Parliament in the 1983 General Elections, Paddy was appointed as the Liberal spokesman on Trade and Industry Affairs within the Liberal/SDP Alliance team at the House of Commons. He became Education spokesman in January 1987. He was elected Leader of the Liberal Democrats in July 1988 and was appointed as a Privy Councillor on 1 January 1989. In the 1997 General Election he further increased his majority in his Yeovil constituency to over 11,000. Paddy stood down as the leader of the Liberal Democrats in 1999 and retired from the Commons in 2001. He was knighted in 2000 and was made a peer in 2001.

During the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Paddy was one of the leading advocates for decisive action by the international community. He argued strongly that this would help bring the conflict to an early close, and that this was in the interests of all the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina whatever their ethnic background. He visited the country many times during the conflict and subsequently. He took up his duties as High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina on 27 May 2002.

Wolfgang is a co-founder and president of Eurointelligence ASBL. He is also an associate editor of the Financial Times, where he writes a weekly column about European economics.

He was one of the founders of Financial Times Deutschland, the Germany financial daily, and the paper’s editor-in-chief between 2001 and 2003. Prior to this, he held several posts at a foreign correspondent for the Financial Times and the Times of London.

In 1989 he was a recipient of the Wincott Young Financial Journalist of the Year award. He holds the degrees of Diplom-Mathematiker (Hagen), Diplom-Betriebswirt (Reutlingen) and M.A. in International Journalism (City University, London).

Educated at Nottingham High School and Cambridge. The Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke MP is a barrister-at-law, having been called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn in 1963 and becoming QC in 1980. He has practised on the Midland Circuit, based in Birmingham.

Kenneth Clarke first became active in politics at Cambridge where he was President of the Union. Life in the House of Commons began on his election as MP for Rushcliffe in the 1970 general election and he has retained the seat to this day.

His career within the House has been a long one and he held positions within the Department of Transport before being appointed Minister for Health in 1982. Kenneth Clarke joined the Cabinet in 1985 as Paymaster General and Minister for Employment, and following the 1987 general election, became Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Trade & Industry. He subsequently held the posts of Secretary of State for Health, Education & Science and Home Office before becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer in May 1993, a position he held until the general election of May 1997.

On 19 January 2009, he rejoined the Conservative Party front bench team as Shadow Business Secretary.

Among the most energetic of former Conservative cabinet ministers in broadening his business interests since the election, Kenneth Clarke has recently been appointed non-executive chairman of Uni-Chem, non executive deputy chairman of BAT and a non-executive director of Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust.

Renowned for his powerful performances in the House and credited with having taken the UK economy to a healthy state, Kenneth Clarke is one of the most impressive people on the political scene today.

Famous also for his lively sense of humour and “the chuckle”, Kenneth Clarke’s vast experience of world economic and political affairs make him a much requested keynote speaker at senior-level conferences.

Hamish McRae is one of Europe’s leading futurists. He is the author of the acclaimed work on the future “The World in 2020: Power, Culture and Prosperity” and was named Business and Finance Journalist of the Year 2006 at the British Press Awards.

He is associate editor and the principal economic commentator of “The Independent” and “The Independent on Sunday”.

Since the publication of “The World in 2020″ he has been in demand world-wide as a speaker on the future.

His other books include “Capital City – London as a Financial Centre”, co-authored with Frances Cairncross, and “Wake-up Japan”, co-authored with Tadashi Nakamae. Awards include Financial Journalist of the Year in 1979, a special merit award in the first Amex Bank essay awards in 1987, 1996 Columnist of the Year in the Periodical Publisher’s Awards – and in 2005 the David Watt Prize for outstanding political journalism. He is a visiting professor at the School of Management at Lancaster University and a council member of the Royal Economic Society.

His current areas of work include the shift of power to the economies of Asia and the impact of the new technologies on the world economy. He is now working on a new book on global best practice.

He was educated at Fettes College, Edinburgh and has an MA in Economics and Political Science from Trinity College, Dublin. He was deputy editor of “The Banker” and editor of “Euromoney” before becoming financial editor of “The Guardian” in 1975. In 1989 he moved to “The Independent” where he is now associate editor.

`A charismatic and innovative speaker. I can only recommend him.’
Deutsche Telekom

`An engaging and entertaining speaker, credible and authoritative.’
BBC

‘Thank you for your excellent talk at our chief executives’ conference, it contributed greatly to the success of the occasion. You certainly stimulated lively debate both for the rest of evening and beyond.’
Islandsbanki

`Hamish successfully stimulated group discussion after an excellent presentation. He is a pleasure to work with’
Scottish Enterprise

Dominique de Villepin is the former Prime Minister of France from 2005 – 2007. Following a career as a diplomat he became renown throughout France and the rest of the world for his views on peace and justice. He was a leader in promoting a policy of multilateralism through global governance. He was also active in reform for both French and European global policy.

Skills developed during his years in the diplomatic service and as Minister of the Interior enabled him to confront the issues of the underlying aggression in the French suburbs leading him onto dealing with the battles of Africa and the Middle East. Not deterred by the level of conflict or popularity aspects he used such strategies as calling a state of emergency in 2005 to deal with some of the problems faced by France at such time. He was a champion for the people working to provide solutions for unemployment realising a reduction of approximately 20 % in this during his time in office.

Coming from outside of France having been born in North Africa and spending his early years in South America enabled him to have a wider perspective on both continents with an ideal to promote further understanding and develop a unity between the two. An active writer he expanded on his ideas for a vision of man in a diverse environment searching for solutions to maintain cultural identities within a common ground.

A man with vision he can bring not just experience but thoughts for the future from a context of intense thought and deliberation.

Prime Minister de Villepin speaks French, English and Spanish.

Lord Adair Turner (Adair) of Ecchinswell

Adair Turner (Lord Turner) is Chairman of the Financial Services Authority, the regulatory body which oversees the financial services industry in the UK. He is also Chairman of the UK Government’s Climate Change Committee.

In March 2009 the FSA produced a report recommending a revamp of global banking regulation in response to the credit crunch and collapse of global banking luquidity.

Adair Turner will lead the FSA as it wrestles with the challenge of rebuilding a tarnished reputation and negotiates changes to the regulatory regime. The former McKinsey director is seen by many in the industry as a positive mix of industry experience and political nous, key to the FSA as the UK reviews its system for sharing financial regulation between the FSA, the Bank of England and the Treasury, and on the international stage.

Adair Turner is also Chairman of the Overseas Development Institute. He is a Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics and at Cass Business School, City University.

He became a cross-bench member of the House of Lords in 2005. He was Chairman of the Pensions Commission from 2003 – 2006, and of the Low Pay Commission from 2002 – 2006. His book ‘Just Capital – The Liberal Economy’, was published by Macmillan in 2001.

Until September 2008 Adair Turner was a non-executive Director at Standard Chartered Bank; from 2000-2006 he was Vice-Chairman of Merrill Lynch Europe, and from 1995-99, Director General of the Confederation of British Industry. Prior to that, between 1992 and 1995, he built the McKinsey’s practice in Eastern Europe and Russia as a Director.

Adair Turner is also trustee of the World Wildlife Fund UK, Chairman of the Centre for Sustainable Investment and Vice-Chairman of Britain in Europe, the leading pro-euro lobby group. Adair is a trustee of the World Wildlife Fund UK, Chairman of the Centre for Sustainable Investment and Vice-Chairman of Britain in Europe, the leading pro-euro lobby group. His recent book ‘Just Capital – The Liberal Economy’ is published by Macmillan.

Dr. Alan Mendoza is a Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Henry Jackson Society which advocates the view that supporting and promoting liberal democracy should be an integral part of Western foreign policy.

Having obtained a B.A. (Hons) and M.Phil in history at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, Alan completed a Ph.D. at the same institution focusing on Anglo-American relations during the Bosnian War, 1992-1995. A frequent speaker on various foreign policy topics, his particular interests are the transatlantic relationship, the future of NATO and the Middle East.

Alan presented the Worldview show on the world’s first political internet TV station, 18 Doughty Street and regularly contributes to the Guardian’s Comment is Free site.

In the wider political world, Alan is the Co-Founder and President of the Disraelian Union, a London-based progressive Conservative think-tank and discussion forum, and has worked to develop relationships and ideas between networks in the United Kingdom, United States and Europe. He is also a local Councillor for the London Borough of Brent.