Leadership Speakers

Sir Ranulph Fiennes was born in 1944 and educated at Eton. He served with the Royal Scots Greys before joining the SAS. He was then the youngest captain in the British Army.

In 1968 he joined the army of the Sultan of Oman and in 1970 was awarded the Sultan’s Bravery Medal.

Since 1969 when he led the British Expedition on the White Nile, Sir Ranulph Fiennes has been at the forefront of many exploratory expeditions.

Described in 1984 as the “World’s Greatest Living Explorer” by the Guinness Book of Records, his expeditions around the world include Transglobe (the world’s first surface journey around the world’s polar axis) 1979-82; North Polar Unsupported Expedition (furthest north unsupported record) 1986; Anglo-Soviet North Pole Expedition 1990/91; co-leader of the Ubar Expedition (which in 1991 discovered Ptolomy’s long-lost Atlantis of the Sands, the frankincense centre of the world); leader of the Pentland South Pole expedition 1992/93 (which achieved the first unsupported crossing of the Antarctic Continent and the longest unsupported polar journey in history).

By drawing the analogy between nature’s most dangerous and difficult challenges, and the very real day-to-day business challenges in the 1990s, Sir Ranulph Fiennes involves each individual in the audience on a very personal level.

The elements vital to the success of an expedition include teamwork, determination, patience, discipline, enthusiasm and creative thinking. Building a team with the right character and attitude is of paramount importance. Persistence, tolerance, planning skills, high organisational ability, flexibility to meet and beat unexpected obstacles, goal-setting and performing under extreme pressure are clearly all factors in the success of Sir Ranulph’s remarkable endeavours.

As a motivational speaker popular with both UK and European audiences, Sir Ranulph demonstrates how the qualities of the explorer/adventurer are applicable, crucial even, to success in the business world.

“It is quite remarkable how appropriate the review of your exploits turned out to be. Many comparisons could be drawn between your efforts and those we ask of our own people, such as decisiveness, tenacity, courage and the will and determination to succeed. It is for that reason that your presentation was amongst the most relevant and successful we have yet held for our staff”
Paul A. Verburgt, Executive Vice President, Bank of America

“Congratulations not only on your heroic accomplishments, but also in the manner in which you convey this story to an audience”
E.C. Rogers, Vice President Marketing IBM Corporation

FORMER ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER METROPOLITAN POLICE FORCE

Tarique Ghaffur spent over three decades in UK policing diligently and passionately working towards making communities safe within Greater Manchester, Leicestershire and London. He found it a personal honour to lead thousands of dedicated and skilled police officers and detectives dealing with community reassurance, investigations, law enforcement, counter terrorism and global security issues.

Tarique made history by becoming the highest ranking Asian and Muslim Police Officer in United Kingdom for which he received several high achievement awards.

Tarique Ghaffur has a BA (Hons) in Public Administration, MA in Criminology, Honary doctorates in Law and Criminal Justice Degrees from Manchester Metropolitan, Leicester and East London Universities. He was awarded the Queens Police Medal (QPM) in and in Commander of British Empire (CBE).

Tarique is a graduate of FBI Academy, veteran of several overseas assignments, and countless international advisory presentations.

A unique combination of recognised role model, an operational leader and all round `hands on’ and `individual` practitioner makes Tarique a unique speaker on professional issues related to leadership, crises response, policing, community dynamics and race relations. He intelligently uses a mixture of real life experiences, stories, case studies and humour to put across his material and often tests conventional thinking by being forthright and controversial on emotive and serious subjects thereby promoting learning. Tarique regularly writes articles on security related matters which are published within authoritative publications. His recent article on Airport Security was published within the Huffington Post.

Career

Tarique Ghaffur joined Greater Manchester Police in 1974 and worked in CID, undercover and uniform roles up to the rank of Chief Inspector in inner city areas including Salford and Moss Side. He led a goodwill mission to India and was commended for his work to tackle street robberies, public disorder and crime investigations.

In 1989 he transferred to Leicestershire Constabulary, where as a Superintendent and then Chief Superintendent, Tarique Ghaffur gained experience in both operational commands in Loughborough and Leicester City, as well as heading a major force re-organisation to implement community based policing. He graduated from FBI Academy, Quantico and was part of team that inspected Jamaica Constabulary Force.

In 1996, Tarique transferred to Lancashire Constabulary as Assistant Chief Constable where he was appointed head of operational policing for the force and for a short period was also responsible for Human Resources. Whilst in Lancashire, Tarique Ghaffur headed a major anti-terrorist operation in relation to the Blackpool Labour Party Conference. He also led a major corruption enquiry into a public organisation.

In 1998 Tarique was promoted to Deputy Chief Constable and worked at the Home Office Police Technology Organisation as operational adviser to develop technology for Policing.

In 1999, Tarique Ghaffur was selected to be a Deputy Assistant Commissioner and transferred to the Metropolitan Police Service. He initially assumed command of territorial policing in South London and in 2000 was appointed as the Commander of Westminster Borough (3,500 staff) with massive responsibility for the government security zone, demonstrations and public events including Nottinghill Carnival and New Year’s Eve celebrations. His innovative leadership made major impact on reducing overall crime in the City of Westminster.

Tarique Ghaffur was promoted to Assistant Commissioner in 2001 and took command of the Policy, Review and Standards Directorate. Amongst a broad portfolio, Tarique Ghaffur worked closely with senior criminal justice partner Heads in London and nationally to formulate an effective and collaborative partnership. He put in place innovative solutions to improve partnership between the Police and Private Sector.

In November 2002, Tarique Ghaffur set up the Specialist Crime Directorate (3200 detectives), to provide a distinct response to tackling all aspects of serious and organised crime in London, including homicide, drugs and gun crime. He was responsible for the institution successful innovative programmes to tackle organised crime around such issues as drugs, human trafficking, Heathrow Airport and serious fraud. He also developed Operational Quadrant to build confidence in South Asian communities in London through effective law enforcement and community engagement.

Tarique Ghaffur has overseen a number of high profile investigations, including the Damilola Taylor and Victoria Climbié cases. In 2004, Tarique Ghaffur carried out a comprehensive crosscutting review of race and diversity within the MPS and played a major part in supporting casualty recovery, investigations and building Community relations after 7 July bombings in London.

Until September 2008, Tarique Ghaffur was responsible for Central Operations (7,000 staff) delivering ‘Capital City Policing’ and `security’ around policing of Airports, Diplomatic missions, security of State buildings. He was also responsible for firearms, public order, traffic, communications and contingency planning. His officers planned for and dealt with over 5000 public events (football, cricket, rugby, concerts, carnivals, New Years Eve celebrations, royal visits, state occasions, demonstrations). Tarique led in co-ordinating the aftermath of foiled terrorist attacks in central London in 2006.

Also, he was the Operational Co-ordinator Lead for the 2012 Olympics for which he has produced a comprehensive and holistic security and safety strategy to protect London and UK during 2012 Olympics. In 2008 he visited the Olympic Games in Beijing and produced an authoritative lessons learnt report. In 2007, He visited India with Mayor of London as one of London’s Ambassadors.

Through over 30 years of policing allied to his personal life, Tarique Ghaffur has created a real sense of proportion around vulnerable communities. He has become recognised as a positive role model, resulting in his receipt of a number of community awards from all sections of the community and high profile public profile on Race Issues within the Police Service. He is well known in South Asia, Middle East and Africa and has become an expert on protecting and securing major cities from terrorist attacks and major emergencies.

Tarique Ghaffur has a BA (Hons) in Public Administration, an MA in Criminology and three honorary doctorates from Universities of Leicester, Manchester Metropolitan and East London. He has attended the International FBI course in the USA and been awarded a Certificate in Criminal Justice Education (University of Virginia). In 2001 Tarique Ghaffur received the Queen’s Police Medal (QPM) and in June 2004 was awarded the CBE (Commander of British Empire) by Her Majesty the Queen.

Tarique Ghaffur has written a number of influential articles on policing and communities, as well as delivering a considerable number of international, national and local presentations on a range of policing issues including changing nature of serious and organised crime, global security and terrorism. Tarique Ghaffur has a strong interest in Asian music and sports – particularly squash – where he has won numerous awards and represented the police service at the national level.

Tarique Ghaffur retired from the Police Service in November 2008 and has since set up a Foundation to promote shared responsibility for security and safety amongst vulnerable communities in UK. He is also a Chairman of Community Safety Development Global Limited which provides innovative security knowledge, solutions and training.

Former Chief of the General Staff and Senior Advisor at PA Consulting Group

General Sir Mike Jackson GCB CBE DSO has had a distinguished career, serving in numerous high-profile and difficult roles requiring operational leadership, strategic insight and unfailing good judgement.

Gen Sir Mike Jackson served as Chief of the General Staff (CGS) from 2003 – 2006, the culmination of four decades in the British Army. He previously served as Commander in Chief Land Command (from 2000), Commander Kosovo Force (in 1999), Commander ACE Rapid Reaction Corps (from 1997) and Director General Development and Doctrine at the MoD.

His active service included command at company and brigade level in Northern Ireland, divisional command in Bosnia, and corps commander in Macedonia and Kosovo.

Gen Sir Mike Jackson is now Senior Advisor at PA Consulting Group and has other consulting roles. He is a trenchant and authoritative commentator on military and other issues. He draws on a wealth of unique experience, combining sharp-end military action and the heavy responsibility of many life-and-death policy and command decisions.

* * * * *

After four decades in military service culminating in three years as Chief of the General Staff from 2003-06, Gen Sir Mike Jackson has a distinguished strategic leadership profile and a powerful and authoritative style.

After a degree in Russian Studies he joined the Intelligence Corps in 1963, transferring to the Parachute Regiment in 1970 where he was present at the infamous 1972 ‘Bloody Sunday’ shootings in Northern Ireland. After a spell as Chief of Staff to the Berlin Infantry Brigade he returned to Northern Ireland and witnessed the grim aftermath of the heavy loss of British troops in the Warrenpoint Ambush in 1979.

After appointments at the Army Staff College and the Ministry of Defence he returned to Northern Ireland for a third time as brigadier commanding 39 Infantry Brigade.

In 1997 he was appointed Commander of the NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps and served in the Balkans before becoming the UK’s Commander-in-Chief, Land Command in 2000 and finally Chief of the General Staff in 2003. He was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 2004. He retired from the armed forces in 2006, joining PA Consulting Group and taking on other consultancy positions.

Gen Sir Mike Jackson’s military service involved him in a wide range of morally and operationally challenging situations, most notably his high-profile disagreement in with NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander General Wes Clark in June 1999 over the response to an unexpected Russian military move in Kosovo to occupy Pristina airport. He played the ‘national card’ and referred back to London General Clark’s orders to isolate the Russian contingent (“I won’t start World War III for you”). This more subtle approach paid off – NATO asserted control over the whole of Kosovo successfully and without dangerous confrontation with Moscow.

Gen Sir Mike Jackson subsequently spoke out forcefully in defence of British troops accused of ill-treating Iraqi prisoners when the Daily Mirror published faked photographs, but also apologised publicly in 2005 when British Army abuses in Basra were confirmed. In 2006 after British troops helped free a British peace campaigner kidnapped by Iraqi extremists General Sir Mike Jackson publicly criticised the hostage’s lack of appreciation, saying that he was saddened “that there doesn’t seem to have been a note of gratitude for the soldiers who risked their lives to save those lives“.

In 2006 he used the annual Richard Dimbleby Lecture to say sharp words about the UK Ministry of Defence: “One’s loyalty must be from the bottom. Sadly, I did not find this fundamental proposition shared by the MoD.” In 2007 he criticised the way the Bush administration had handled Iraq, arguing that the US approach had been too focused on military might rather than nation-building and diplomacy.

Gen Sir Mike Jackson now has a strong public profile emphasising leadership and strategic insight. He draws on a wealth of unique experience combining sharp-end military action and the heavy responsibility of many life-and-death policy and command decisions.

His presentations are sharp and memorable, featuring remarkable personal anecdotes and thoughtful examples of both success and failure.

Principle topics:

Leadership
Risk and risk strategy
Effective management and responsibility

‘THE MAESTRO OF MOTIVATION’

It’s the one thing all businesses absolutely MUST have to generate profits, stay competitive and keep their staff working effectively.

That secret ingredient is MOTIVATION.

It’s not taught much in MBA programmes or Management Training Courses, because it’s such an intangible thing to get to grips with and understand.

But one man who knows more about it than almost anyone is Lawrence Leyton.

Lawrence has been studying the intricacies of Motivation and how to apply it in the workplace all his life. What he discovered, and now teaches, are a set of mind-tools guaranteed to ignite and invigorate the fire and passion in your workforce.

In fact, Lawrence has been so successful in what he does; he’s helped over 200 companies around the world (major blue-chip names like: Microsoft, AstraZeneca, Kimberly Clarke, Vodafone, AMP, The Prudential, Provident, Lombard, plus many others) to change the mind-sets of their staff and turn them into peak performers and high achievers.

Savvy companies like these understand the value Lawrence’s entertaining, engaging, but serious messages bring to their business.

He’s so sought after; he’s appeared as a regular guest on many prime-time TV and radio shows including Richard and Judy and Russell Brand.

He was even snapped up by ITV and Channel 4 to demonstrate his unique skills in three TV specials, one being the popular peak-time Channel 4 show “Fear of Flying”.

On this particular show for example, Lawrence demonstrated another of his amazing skills; helping people overcome phobias and addictions. He helped 40 of the most extreme flying phobics in Britain overcome their fear once-and-for-all. His methods were such a success, many of the participants who would NEVER go on a plane, have now been able to take holidays abroad with their families!

With literally thousands of major stage appearances under his belt, you know you’re in safe hands as Lawrence tailors the speech for the theme of the conference or the message you’re trying to get across.

Here’s just a taste of what Lawrence reveals…

• Why events in your life are not quite what they seem. Your mind is a wonderful thing when you use it the right way, but can also be the biggest obstacle to your success. Here’s how to spot the limiting illusions you carry around with you…

• Discover the Number One factor that makes the difference between success and failure in your life. Top sports people, business leaders and even politicians know how to use this to get to the very top of their chosen field. You can use it too, once you know what it is…

• What three characteristics all ‘Peak Performers’ possess. These three can be honed and perfected by anyone once they’re aware of them. Which one’s are you neglecting and hold you back from reaching your destiny?

• How three simple components control your state of mind. If one or more of these components are not being nurtured regularly, then your behaviour will suffer. Which ones are you neglecting and what you can do to put them right…

• What three members of the audience and a piece of wood can teach you about taking positive action in your life. You’ll discover the factors that hold you back and what you can do to banish those limiting factors from your life… once and for all…

The techniques Lawrence reveals in his entertaining presentations, to thousands of people in auditoriums and conference halls around the world, really do work.

In fact, they’re the very same methods Lawrence uses to run his own successful businesses. These range from Optimum Health Centres, one of the fastest growing family wellness clinics in the UK, to his own multimedia information marketing company.

He’s the author of two books and many personal development related products such as books, CDs, DVDs and seminars.

So with such a successful business background and his own uniquely dynamic and entertaining stage presentation, you don’t have to look any further than Lawrence Leyton to super-charge your workforce, and help them catapult your organisation into the realms of the top peak performance companies in your industry.



This Lawrence Leyton audio course is based on trusted techniques to develop the capabilities a manager or leader needs to create loyalty and improve management effectiveness.






View video material for Lawrence Leyton.

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

Brain researcher, Chartered Neuropsychologist, Sony Award-Winning Broadcaster & Best selling author.

Renowned as the ‘father of neuromarketing’ due to his pioneering work in developing the science of Neurometrics, David is Chairman and Director of Research at Mindlab International. Based at the University of Sussex, it is the UK’s leading company specialising in brain research and neuroscience as applied to consumers.

David began his career studying medicine, later switching to psychology, gaining First Class Honours degree in psychology and a doctorate from the University of Sussex. After lecturing in Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology he left, to start his own research organisation.

Over the past twenty years David has made more than a thousand TV and radio appearances as both a presenter and contributor. His television credits include: Red Mist (LWT); Rude London; After Dark; Tomorrow’s World; Shopology (BBC1); 100 Best Television Commercials (Channel 4); Road Rages (BBC1); The Colour Eye (BBC1) – as Presenter; Work is a Four Letter Word (BBC2); The Alpha Plan (BBC1); A Little of What You Fancy (BBC1); Should We Be Worried About? (BBC1) Sky, CNN and the Discovery Channel as well as many others.

David has written many best selling books on practical psychology, including Thinking Better (Rawson Wade) which became a best selling business book and a Fortune Book Club Choice. Also, The Secret Language Of Success (1989) a practical guide to body language which was also a best seller. Business Week wrote: “The best book on the subject”.

Other books include, The Soul of the New Consumer: What People Buy and Why in the New Economy; of this book Tim Waterstone wrote in Management Today: “This is such an enjoyable, important and timely book…required reading.” Bookpage described it as: “…a lucid analysis of a wide range of sales related issues…for anyone in the business of sending those messages, it’s an enlightening and compelling guide.”

David now lectures to major corporations in Europe, Scandinavia, USA and the Far East with clients including IBM, British Airways, BT, Disney, Coca-Cola, MacDonald, Hewlett Packard, SAP, Novartis, Glaxo, and Merck as well as other leading financial institutions and pharmaceutical companies. In 1978 he founded the registered charity Action on Phobias and has been active in working with self-help groups for phobics and anxiety sufferers.

Academic Qualifications & Affiliations
Director of Research Mind Lab International (www.themindlab.org).
First class honours degree in psychology (BSc Hons). University of Westminster, 1981.
Doctorate in Philosophy (D.Phil), University of Sussex, 1986.
Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society.
Fellow of the Institute of Directors.
Fellow International Stress Management Association.
Fellow Royal Society of Medicine.
Member of the American Association for Psychological Science.
Member of the International Society for Neuronal Regulation.
Member of the New York Academy of Science.
Member of the Medical & Scientific Network.
Member MENSA
Member of the Society of Authors.
Member National Union of Journalists.

Roger Flynn worked at Virgin Group directly for Sir Richard Branson on business development and for the Group Finance Director on deal-making after the highly leveraged buy-out of Virgin Group Plc in 1989. The sale of Virgin Records, the launch of Virgin Radio, the explosive growth of Virgin Games and the launch of Virgin Airships are just some of the projects he worked on.

Roger joined British Airways in 1995 as General Manager World Sales & Distribution with a brief to radically change the way distribution worked in the Airline Industry. He began the move away from commission to travel agents as well as launching electronic ticketing and ba.com

He was recruited to Prudential immediately after the £2bn pension’s miss-selling debacle to run the UK Retail business (“The man from the Pru”) that caused the problem! He drove a major business transformation by introducing a multi-channel distribution model as well as a change of culture for the 6,500 staff

Following the Pru, Roger joined the BBC working for Greg Dyke and was a member of the Executive Committee. His role was to create Commercial Businesses from internal back-office functions and he delivered 3 profitable businesses with 4,500 staff transferred from Public Service. He was also instrumental in the overall BBC change programme

Roger has just completed a role as President International of SDI Media Group, a global company providing media services to the major players in the Film and Television Industry. SDI is Private Equity backed by Elevation Partners, a US based firm that includes Bono, the lead singer of U2 as a Managing Director and Co-Founder.

“Roger’s presentation perfectly complemented the theme of our Senior Leaders’ Risk conference. He related his relevant business experience in a way that resonated with the audience, particularly the challenges of managing change.” – David Godfrey, Divisional Risk Officer, Wholesale Risk, Lloyds Banking Group

View video or Roger Flynn. Click video icon.

Who else could stand in an old ballroom above a pub in Battersea and see the future of comedy? That’s what Jongleurs Comedy Club founder Maria Kempinska did in 1983. Building an empire of purpose built venues including state of the art city centre major capacity entertainment arenas and changing the face of European comedy forever; all from a room that smelt of nothing more than sticky carpets and Stella Artois.

The Jongleurs brand is the UK’s funniest calling card; it’s synonymous with comedy and has launched a host of stars into comedy’s firmament including Jack Dee, Harry Enfield, Paul Merton and Lee Evans. Twenty years later and the brand and clubs are still pioneering new talent and showingcasing the best comedy.

A regular presence on TV and radio, Maria has talked business and comedy with Trisha as well as with Channel 4 and BBC 2. While on air time for radio includes appearances on Radio One, Radio 4’s Start The Week and other leading London commercial stations, including LBC. Maria has been recognised with awards including Real Business magazine’s ‘Entrepreneur award’ and by Buckingham Palace to collect an MBE.

Maria’s topics include, the business of comedy, leadership, a woman as a leader of men and how to build successful brands and inspire markets. She’s also developing a series of masterclasses for management groups to understand the use and relevance of humour in successful negotiation and people management.

Maria is currently working on projects such as content provision for 3G phones, live comedy on the internet, the ongoing Jongleurs on the Road Theatre tour across Europe and is the executive producer of ‘Live at Jongleurs’. She’s currently also overseeing the overhaul of the hugely popular Jongleurs website and e-zine.

Maria is on the Women in Business board for Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme with the Countess of Wessex, she is also a member of Anti-Slavery committee. She’s recently been involved in developing a screenplay called Out Of The Dark, which is currently in pre-production. And finally, as if comedy is not enough, Maria has co-created Lockout, a live music event and label that introduces new artists to the British public and music industry. She intends to sleep only when she’s dead.

James Sale FRSA is a Director of Motivational Maps Ltd, an organisation with over 90 Management Consultants and Business Coaches licensed to use its unique product in the UK and abroad.

James is a recognised world expert on motivation, and also the World’s No 1 authority on Motivational Mapping and its application-rich set of tools – Reward Strategies, Management Development, Appraisal and Team Building.

James has 15 years intensive experience in training and mentoring managers, developing teams and appraisal systems, and creating the conditions for change and growth in organisations through understanding how people are incentivised and optimised. His methods and product – the Map – are now increasingly being used in some of the largest companies, the public sector, as well as the small to medium sized businesses.

James has nearly 30 books to his credit listed on Amazon; he has co-authored in total nearer 50 and as a member of the Society of Authors has served as Chair of one of its Writers Groups, and as a member on its Management Board.

Because increased motivation is the foundation of improved performance, the work that James does is exciting, innovative as well as effective. People, teams and organisations learn, usually, for the first time what really motivates them, and exactly how motivated they are, and from that basis how to develop precise reward strategies that target each individual’s, each team’s, and the whole organisation’s needs.

The journey for the managers and the staff is extraordinary – and the HR professionals and senior managers that commission James frequently want training and accreditation in this new expertise and technology. The unique Intellectual Property surrounding the Maps is entirely compatible and often integrated with other well known models of people development – for example, the coaching GROW model.

James is also an outstanding conference speaker, presenter and introducer of Map technology and ideas, which are readily and easily assimilated by staff. One of the outstanding benefits for companies of using its technology is its simplicity – people do not need a degree in psychology to understand what the Map reports mean. Furthermore, because motivation is what it is, it is non-judgemental. Finally, the reward strategies are highly cost effective – managers learn very quickly that money is a motivator for only a small proportion of the staff, and much cheaper methods of motivating are available.

The Builder is motivated by money and material satisfactions. But it is vital to determine what beyond money can motivate or demotivate him or her?

The Creator. We all know that creative types are supposed to be volatile, but are they really and what will set them off? Creators are the key to innovation – how do we unlock them?

The Director likes to be in control of people and resources and loves to be the one making all the decisions. But what happens when he or she doesn’t feel in control?

The Defender likes stability, security and safety? Is this your main motivator at work? Defenders may act irrationally and undermine team objectives if their core security is threatened.

The Searcher. Is doing meaningful work more important to you than the money? What is it you are looking for? Do you know? Does your boss know?

The Spirit. So you like to plough your own furrow, hate rules and paperwork and being bossed around. How can the skills of the spirit type be channelled positively.

The Expert. You love to learn and absorb information you or a colleague may need one day. You want to be master of your trade or profession? How do we expand the talent of the expert to value the

The Friend is a people focussed team player. Work has to be sociable and they will nearly always be the first to show at company social events. Loyalty is high with this type, however they must feel valued.

The Star. You are good at your job and you want everyone to know about it? You must be recognised for your achievements or your loyalty could be questioned.

Differentiate your business by implementing the business motivation tool, improve staff satisfaction and boost team performance with Motivational Maps.

Try your own Personal Motivation Profile to get a taste of what Motivational Maps can do.

Andy Gilbert has been the driving force behind the values driven company Go MAD Thinking, which he formed in 1996, created to improve and transform personal and business thinking through his unique framework.

Author of over 20 books, including his seminal work ‘Go MAD – The Art of Making a Difference’, and presenter of over 100 video and audio programmes, he is constantly exploring ways of using new media and technology with which to allow the world access to his critically acclaimed thinking system. His podcast series has consistently been at the top of the iTunes Business podcast chart, ahead of the likes of Harvard Business School and notching up over 55,000 downloads in the past 12 months.

Over the past 18 years, 11 of which have been dedicated to Go MAD Thinking, Andy has garnered a wealth of knowledge and experience as a top-level business coach and business improvement expert. He has been deployed on 11 international assignments on behalf of the British Government and EU in former Eastern European Countries. He is regarded worldwide as one of the most prominent specialists in organisational change and restructuring and spends much of his time facilitating leadership and business improvement programmes.

He is highly in demand as a conference and keynote speaker due to the combination of his self-effacing style, wit and passion for opening minds.

Topics include:

Thinking strategies
Work-life balance
Leadership
Organisational culture
Think yourself smarter
Change management
Management stystems

John Reid was born in Lanarkshire. The son of a postman and a factory worker he attended St. Patrick’s High School in Coatbridge and went on to read History at Stirling University, gaining a PhD.

Dr Reid has served at almost every level of the Labour Party, from branch to constituency. From 1979 to 1983 he was Research Officer for the Labour Party in Scotland subsequently becoming political adviser to the Labour Leader, Neil Kinnock from 1983 to 1985. He went on to become Scottish Organiser of Trade Unionists for Labour from 1986 to 1987. He was tipped for success from his first election to the Commons in 1987 and soon became a defence spokesman, where he spent seven years in opposition before joining the Ministry of Defence when Labour came to power in 1997.

He was largely responsible for the Strategic Defence Review, and was made minister for transport in 1998. He impressed PM Tony Blair with his robust performance and joined the cabinet as Scottish secretary after the establishment of the Scottish Parliament. Following Peter Mandelson’s second fall, he became Northern Ireland Secretary.

He moved from the province shortly after being forced to suspend devolution in October 2002. His trouble-shooting skills were turned instead to more purely political questions, as Tony Blair appointed him Labour Party Chairman and Minister without Portfolio.

In March 2003, he was given his fourth different Cabinet role, when he was appointed Leader of the House of Commons following Robin Cook’s resignation.

And less than three months later he became health secretary when Alan Milburn quit the government.
Reid has been a Lanarkshire MP for the past 18 years, representing Motherwell North and Hamilton North and Bellshill. Following the Boundary Commission’s decision to disband his previous seat, he was elected as MP for Airdrie and Shotts at the 2005 general election.

His 10-year ministerial career saw him undertake nine different ministerial jobs, his appointment as health secretary in June 2003 took him into his fourth cabinet job in less than a year.

1989-1990 Opposition Spokesman on Children
1990-199 Opposition Spokesman on Defence
1997-1998 Minister of Defence
1998-1999 Minister for Transport
1999-2001 Secretary of State for Scotland
2001-2002 Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
2002-2003 Party Chair and Minister without Portfolio
2003 Leader of the House of Commons
2003-2005 Secretary of State for Health
2005-2006 Secretary of State for Defence
2006-2007 Secretary of State for The Home Department (Home Secretary)

An influential pro-growth advocate and lauded economic forecaster, Steve Forbes is one of the most highly respected businessmen of our time.

• President and CEO of Forbes, Inc.
• Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Magazine
• Republican Candidate for President, 1996 and 2000.

Steve Forbes runs America’s foremost business magazine as the President and CEO of Forbes, Inc. and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Magazine. The company’s flagship publication, Forbes, is the nation’s leading business magazine, with a circulation of over 900,000. Recently, Forbes, Inc. expanded with the launch of several new publications including Forbes FYI, a lifestyle supplement, and Forbes Global. Forbes and Forbes Global together reach a worldwide audience of nearly five million readers. In the new media arena, Forbes.com now attracts over seven million unique visitors a month and has become the leading destination site for business decision-makers and investors.

In 1997 Forbes entered the new media arena with the launch of Forbes.com. The site now attracts over seven million unique visitors a month and has become the leading destination site for business decision-makers and investors.

Steve took leaves of absence from Forbes, Inc. in 1996 and 2000 to campaign vigorously for the Republican nomination for the Presidency. Key to his platform was a flat tax, medical savings accounts, a new Social Security system for working Americans, parental choice of schools for their children, term limits and a strong national defence. Mr. Forbes continues to energetically promote this agenda.

Among his topics:

The Role and Evolution of Government in the Face of Global Economic Integration: With an exceptional understanding of international business, Steve translates the economic trends that will affect the future of global business and government.

America’s Promise for Hope, Growth and Opportunity: Steve Forbes explores the most compelling issues of the day to forecast trends that will impact business growth.

Former Vice President Al Gore is Chairman of Generation Investment Management and also serves as Chairman of Current TV, is a member of the Board of Directors of Apple Computer and a Senior Advisor to Google. He is also a visiting professor at Middle Tennessee State University.

Gore was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1976, to the Senate in 1984 and 1990, and was inaugurated as the 45th Vice President of the United States on January 20, 1993. During the administration, he was a central member of President Clinton’s economic team, served as President of the Senate, a Cabinet member, a member of the National Security Council, and as the leader of a wide range of Administration initiatives.

He led the Clinton Administration’s efforts to protect the environment, authoring a best selling book on the topic, Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit (1992). He led the administration’s efforts to protect the environment without weakening the US economy – working with the Big Three car makers to support the development of a new generation of fuel embodied this ethos.

In January 2006, the documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth, featuring Vice President Gore, was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

The film, a visually arresting presentation designed to disabuse doubters of the notion that climate change is debatable caused debate which has led to many global initiatives and increased awareness, especially within the United States of America.

As Vice President of the United States, winner of the popular vote in the mind-whirling campaign of 2000, congressman, Vietnam veteran and journalist, Al Gore offers a unique perspective on national and international affairs. He is also one of the most powerful champions of environmental awareness in America today.

His multimedia presentation, which is a mesmerizing account of the consequences of climate change, was turned into the critically acclaimed documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, and is making headlines across the country.

In addition to his impassioned efforts with the environment, he has also carved out a considerable business career as Chairman of Generation Investment Management, a new London-based fund management firm that creates environment-friendly portfolios; Senior Advisor to Google; one of the Board of Directors of Apple Computer and is President of the recently launched and successful Current TV, a cable television network aimed at 18 – 24 year olds which is best described as a cross between MTV and CNN.

• An Inconvenient Truth

In a visually stunning multimedia presentation that both admonishes and inspires audiences, Vice President Gore confronts environmental issues in the world today and their impact on our global civilization.

• Thinking Green: Economic Strategy for the 21st Century

Arguing that the physical changes in our planet will eventually influence our global economy, Vice President Gore encourages business audiences to consider broader issues – environmental, social and political – when planning economic strategy.

• The Democratization of Technology

Consistently an active leader in technology, Vice President Gore discusses technological advancement and the potential of user involvement. He identifies key opportunities and challenges, charting a new digital society.

Dr Adrian Atkinson, business psychologist, strategic advisor and executive coach travels the world reorganising companies and advising CEOs and senior management. Drawing on 30 years experience working with a wide range of companies of all sizes, from all sectors, Adrian is an enthusiastic and inspirational coach and speaker.

Following a recent corporate event one delegate commented: “Best speaker I ever met, he took complex questions and theories and made them into down-to-earth solutions.”

Adrian specialises in revitalising companies, ensuring that business objectives are achieved through having the right people in the right roles. This can involve developing a new vision and mission for the company, coaching and developing senior managers, creating or restoring focus on wealth creation and managing organisational culture as well as identifying and developing key people and high performance teams.

Currently retained as strategic advisor to the board of several international companies, Adrian’s work has taken him as far afield as the jungles of Borneo, the streets of Jerusalem and the frozen seas of the Arctic Circle. Malcolm McClean, founder of Bearhunt recently described Adrian as speaking “in one of those soft, soothing Scots accents, so that if he were a medical doctor you would conclude that he had a good bedside manner.” This combination of empathy and firmness has often been critical to the success of Adrian’s projects, with well-known CEOs and business figures relying heavily on his advice and expertise.

In his excellent book ‘Leading HR – Delivering Competitive Advantage’ Andrew Newall, Corporate Human Resources Director for Allied Domecq described his experience of working with Adrian: “Over time I saw Adrian work his magic, and each of the directors grow.”

Through many years of work with some very charismatic business leaders Adrian has developed his fascination with the entrepreneur into an area of expertise. This particular specialism led to him being selected as the lead expert and commentator in the BBC series ‘Mind of a Millionaire’. Since then he has regularly been called upon to comment upon the characteristics of this typically misunderstood business personality. However, Adrian is the first to admit that fascinating as they may be, entrepreneurs are not always a positive force in a corporate environment.

View video of Dr Adrian Atkinson

After 25 years of leading positions in travel and airline business, Jan Carlzon has earned a reputation as a market oriented innovator, a turn-around specialist who has returned three companies to profitability within an eight-year period, and a corporate leader whose philosophies about strategic leadership and staff motivation have been imitated world-wide.

Carlzon joined Vingresor, one of Europe’s largest tour operators in 1967, and became its President in 1974.

In 1978 Carlzon was enrolled as President of loss-making Linjeflyg, the Swedish domestic airline, which he returned to profitability.

Carlzon was called in to rescue SAS after three years at Linjeflyg. The history repeated itself and within a year SAS was back in the black and earned a reputation as one of the world’s best airlines.

Carlzon has spelled out his management and staff motivation philosophies in a best-selling book, Moments of Truth, which has been translated into 18 languages and has been selected as one of the 100 Best Business Books of All Time. Since leaving SAS, Carlzon has been deeply involved in a number of business developments in Europe.

He is one of the founders and Chairman of a new European Telecommunication Service company, NETnet International SA. As of today, NETnet is located in seven countries in Europe.

Jan Carlzon is part-owner and Chairman of Karl Stockman AB and Ledstiernan, two Swedish based investment companies.

Mr. Carlzon holds honorary doctorates from Pepperdine University in California and Pacific Lutheran in Washington. He is a Commander with Star of the Royal Norwegian order of Merit and was awarded H.M. the King of Sweden’s medal of the 12th dimension with the ribbon of the order of the Seraphim. Leisure interests include golf, tennis, skiing and sailing. He is a frequent international speaker and consultant on management issues.

Major (Ret.) Chris Hunter, was one of the most experienced bomb-disabling operators in the British armed forces. During his 17 years in the Military he served in a variety of operational counter-IED appointments and saw active service in a number of high threat theatres including Iraq, Afghanistan, Colombia and Northern Ireland.

During much of his career he specialised in overt and covert Assault IEDD’ operations in support of Police Tactical Firearms Units, close protection teams and specialist Counter-Terrorism units.

He was also deployed on a number of antiterrorist arrest operations in the UK and was the architect of the UKs EOD response to a suicide bomb attack on the UK mainland. Later, he played an instrumental role during the July 2005 London bombings when he was seconded to the British Governments COBR-A as a suicide terrorism subject matter expert.

He retired from the MOD in 2007 as the MODs senior IED intelligence analyst. Major (Ret.) Chris Hunter was awarded the Queens Gallantry Medal in 2005. He has written and presented numerous papers on counter-terrorism, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Explosives Engineers.

Topic areas include: Counter-Terrorism, Counter-IED, Internal Security & Crisis Management and C-IED related disciplines.

Major Ken Hames is a British former Special Air Service’s officer,highly rated motivational speaker and specialist television presenter.

Ken Hames is a real life action man who leads from the front. He has 25 years military experience under his belt, and is almost unique in having served in The Parachute Brigade, the Royal Marines and the Special Air Service. Ken’s operational experience is vast, ranging from guarding Nazi war criminal Rudolph Hesse, in Spandau Prison to the liberation of Port Stanley in the Falklands.

He is an accomplished Mountain Guide and skier and represented Great Britain in cross-country skiing. He played rugby for the Combined Services, is an expert in the great outdoors in all survival disciplines and is a keen amateur opera singer

Following an impressive 25 year military career, Ken Hames has brought a unique slant to the many documentaries that he has created and presented for television. Ken’s third series of ‘Beyond Boundaries’ was set in the Andes range in Ecuador and followed his highly acclaimed BBC1 documentary ‘Ex Forces and Homeless’ , his next broadcast series will be ‘Beyond Boundaries – Where Are They Now’.

Ken has created and presented series like, ‘Mission Africa’ – a 15 part series for prime time BBC1 where Ken took a group of young apprentice builders from the UK to Kenya to build the first eco lodge and game reserve to protect the endangered species that live there working closely with the Born Free Foundation. This was then handed over to the local Samburu tribe as a sustainable business that also protects the wildlife.

Ken created and is the expedition leader on the ground breaking ‘Beyond Boundaries’ series for BBC TV. This is now a successful brand with it’s own live event, bringing disabled people from all over the world together with their friends and families. Each series, Ken takes a different group of highly disabled people and motivates them to achieve seemingly impossible expeditions. He trains and inspires them into a team and the end result is life changing.

‘Desert Darlings’ was broadcast on Channel 4 in spring 2003. Ken took couples across the Namib Desert, placing their sometimes fragile relationships under the extreme pressures of an expedition. His first series for Channel 4, was the award winning, ‘Jungle Janes’, where Ken’s challenge was to turn a group of British women, none of whom had any expedition experience, into a cohesive team fit enough to take on the gruelling jungles of Borneo. It was enjoyed by millions who found this journey an inspiration. The first documentary was a television series, called ‘The Trek’ broadcast by Meridian. In 1994, with the help of Diana, Princess of Wales, Ken was able to take twelve disadvantaged youngsters to the heart of Africa on a 500-mile trek over desert and mountainous terrain, The process transformed their lives and Ken still monitors their progress.

These documentaries have proved Ken’s extraordinary ability to inspire and motivate even the most unlikely candidates. His unique skills enable him to take any rabble of individuals and finish with a winning, cohesive team, using sound leadership and thorough training are just some of the tools he uses. Ken is passionate about empowering people to transform their lives for the better.

Ken presented the highly praised series, ‘Greatest SAS Missions’ for Five in 2004, CBBC’s ‘Bring it On’, ‘Hero Factor’ for the Discovery Channel in 2002, ‘Battle Stripes’ for Sky in 2000, ‘Future Fighting Machines’ for the US in 2003, Channel 4’s ‘Shattered’ and ITV’s ‘Celebrity Fit Club’. Ken was also involved from the earliest of stages in the design and development of ITV’s ‘I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here’.
A powerful and charismatic speaker, Ken’s experiences in the cutting edge of the military and at the forefront of some of history’s most significant expeditions combine with those in the business arena to provide a fascinating insight into pressure, survival, teamwork, leadership and motivation. Ken is an action man who leads from the front. He is an accomplished Mountain Guide and skier and represented Great Britain in cross country skiing. He has played rugby for the Combined Services and is an expert in the great outdoors in all survival disciplines.

Testimonials

• Thank you for your fantastic presentation. The feedback was excellent. People will not forget ‘Lead, follow or get out of the way’

Martin Goodman, Office of the Director – IBM

• Your speech was an inspiration to our audience. You have given IGF members a renewed sense of motivation and desire to succeed.

Paul Foulkes
Director of Global Financing – IBM

• Ken’s motivational style lifts people’s horizons. He was an absolute inspiration to our delegates.

Carole Nicholl, Director
Lehman Brothers

• Ken Hames is the master practitioner in the field of motivation. He has the unique ability to inspire other to seek personal transformation and high achievement.

Diana, Princess of Wales

• In his leadership master class Ken gave my senior managers a renewed sense of purpose and direction. He is current, credible and inspirational and is particularly adept at getting results in a short timeframe. I continue to use him to keep my leaders at the cutting edge.

Robert Ford CIO EMEA
Microsoft Corporation

• Ken inspired us all with his motivational conference programme and leadership master class. We are looking forward to the next phase in our business development programme.
Simon Curry Director BT UK

• Ken did a fantastic job for us and it was an inspiration to hear him talk and motivate our leadership team. We look forward to his return.
Derek Hudson Vice President UK, British Gas

• Wherever Ken goes the atmosphere changes significantly. He is able to get results and does this with credibility as someone who is still out there ‘doing it’ so to speak. He has a unique understanding of the pressures facing business today and delivers solutions that will help managers do better.
Jerry Hagan, Director GlaxoSmithKline

• I give Ken 10 out of 10 for everything from how the audience reacted to the content of his talk. He really met our expectations and at the end of the presentation there was an audible ‘wow’ factor – it really hit the spot. Our clients really appreciated his enthusiasm for their project and the willingness to stay behind and become involved on an informal basis.
Chris Ball Senior Partner Penna PLC

• Ken, Thank you so much for speaking at the Business Direct Forum, the feedback has been excellent. The Management team were really impressed and delighted. Your positioning was spot on and we were all grateful for the amount of time you took to understand our business and current challenges.
Vodaphone HQ, Management Meeting

• We have now come to the end of our series of leadership workshops held during March and April and as one of the guest speakers on the workshops I would just like to say thank you for your time in talking to us recently your session was extremely interesting and the feedback from our leaders has been very positive.
Nigel Cann Station Director, British Energy

Brent Hoberman co-founded lastminute.com in April 1998, with Martha Lane Fox, in the living room of his London flat three years after having drafted the initial idea. Brent was 29 and Martha was just 25.

Brent was CEO from the inception of the company. lastminute.com offers consumers airline tickets, car hire, hotel rooms, package holidays, entertainment tickets, restaurant reservations, home delivery, speciality services, gifts and auctions. Brent’s initial vision remains unchanged – ‘to delight customers with great value, inspiration and solutions when they are going away, going out or staying in.’

lastminute.com remains one of Europe’s leading ecommerce companies – and is one of the only startup brands in Europe to regularly feature in the top 10 ecommerce sites in many European geographies. The company floated in March 2000 when the dotcom bubble was at its peak – the IPO was 40 times oversubscribed and the price increase during the process was a record for a UK company.

lastminute.com acquired 14 businesses after the IPO to supplement the annual growth of the core brand which was over 100% from 1998 – 2004. Ten years on the company is the number one travel website in Europe and was acquired by Travelocity Europe for $1.1 billion, a division of Sabre Holdings Corporation on 20th July 2005. The most recent estimates for gross bookings in 2005 were over $2.1 billion.

Brent’s leading industry role was recognised by several organisations – these include: Time Magazines Top 25 European digital leaders, Revolution’s Internet Person of the Year and the Institute of Travel Tourism (ITT) Travel Business Person of the Year.

Brent remained CEO of lastminute.com through 2005, until April 2006 when he handed over the CEO position to Ian McCaig and took the position of Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer of lastminute.com. Brent’s entrepreneurial vision ensured the lastminute.com customer experience was continually enhanced by the latest innovations in technology.

Brent most recently founded another VC-backed internet startup, mydeco, which launched in February 2007 – the online interiors site that intends to revolutionise the way we shop and design for our homes, encouraging consumers to spend, socialise and play house all at the same time.

Brent is a Governor of the University of the Arts College, London and a Non-Executive Board Director of Guardian Media Group. From January 2007 he took on the role of Non-Executive Chairman of wayn.com – a travel and leisure social network with over 10 million members. He is also an angel investor in several internet companies including Viagogo, Wayn.com and moveme.com.

Brent was born in South Africa, educated at Eton and holds a MA in French and German literature from Oxford.

Barbara Cassani is a respected expert on leadership and start-up management. She founded the low cost airline Go and spearheaded the successful London 2012 Olympic bid. She is currently a partner in 3x + Y Ventures, established to identify start-up and growth opportunities in the UK travel and retail sectors. She was named president of Vueling, the low cost airline, in 2007. In 2002 she was named as the Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year

Prior to her Go appointment, Barbara was a senior manager in British Airways for ten years. She joined British Airways in 1986 and worked in a number of strategic sales, marketing and general management roles both in the UK and the USA. Her last role was General Manager – USA, where she also managed BA’s alliance relationship with US Airways and American Airlines.

Upon graduation in 1984 Barbara worked as a management consultant for Coopers & Lybrand before moving to work in the U.S. operation of British Airways. There she worked in sales, marketing, and on the team that integrated Dan-Air into BA’s business. She was awarded an honorary degree from Cranfield University in 2004. She started her career in management consulting then worked in wide variety of roles at British Airways. In 1997, Barbara started-up Go, the low-cost airline, with a £25m investment from British Airways and guided the airline to profits in less than 3 years as its CEO. She then headed a £110m management buyout and a year later Go was sold to easyJet for £374m.

Coinciding with the publication of her compelling story of City intrigue, came the news that Cassani has been chosen to lead the bidding committee which would spend the next two years trying to persuade the 126 members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that London is a better place to stage the 30th Olympiad than its main rivals, Paris, Moscow, New York City and Madrid. Her appointment as the head of London’s Olympic bid marked the start of a third phase in her career. Ultimately, Cassani stood down in favour of Sebastian Coe as chairman, feeling that the bid would be most successful through Coe’s management style and experience of the Olympic process.

Cassani is a highly experienced speaker and regularly addresses audiences on topics ranging from leadership and management style through to entrepreneurial spirit and start-up advisory seminars. A recent survey identified her as a key component of a new venture dream team by over 1000 senior managers.

Professor Adrian Furnham was educated at the London School of Economics where he obtained an MSc Econ, and at Oxford University where he completed a doctorate (DPhil) in 1981. Previously a lecturer in Psychology at Pembroke College, Oxford, he is now Professor of Psychology at University College London and has lectured widely abroad including at the University of New South Wales, and University of the West Indies.

From 1999-2001 he was Visiting Professor of Management at Henley Management College, and was Visiting Professor at Hong Kong University Business School.

He has written over 400 scientific papers and 30 books including Culture Shock (1994), The New Economic Mind (1995), Personality at Work (1994), The Myths of Management (1996), The Psychology of Behaviour at Work (1997), The Psychology of Money (1998), The Psychology of Managerial Incompetence (1998), republished as The Incompetent Manager (2003), Personality and Social Behaviour (1999), The Dark Side of Behaviour at Work (2004), The People Business (2005) Personality and Intellectual Competence (2005) Management Mumbo Jumbo (2006) and Just for the Money (2006).

Adrian Furnham is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and was ranked the second most productive psychologist in the world between 1980 – 1995 and nominated as one the 25 Most Influential People in HR in 2007 by HR magazine.

He is on the board of a number of international journals, as well as the board of directors of the International Society for the Study of Individual Differences. He is also a founder director of Applied Behaviour Research Associates (ABRA), a psychological consultancy.

He wrote a regular column in the Financial Times and HR magazine and is still a regular contributor to the Sunday Times, The Telegraph, Management Today, BBC radio and television internationally.

An engaging and amusing motivational speaker, he addresses corporate audiences on the psychology of management, corporate and self motivation, corporate culture, leadership and teams, management incompetence, the role of HR within an organisation and the future of work.

His consultancy had led him to work with leading international organizations such as Cathay Pacific Airways, Barclays Bank, Marks & Spencer, Air New Zealand, Channel Four, Boots and the Ritz Hotel.