Negotiation Speakers

Mark Oaten was Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Winchester for 13 years and at one time considered favourite for party leadership. He is a recognised leading expert on the subject of Coalition governments- his book Coalitions was first published in 2007.

Oaten now lectures and advises a wide range of clients on the practical workings of successful coalitions.

He is currently a member of the Council of Europe representing the UK. He is a Board member of the British Healthcare Trade Association, Alcohol Concern, Mental Health Matters, the prison charity Unlock, the Council for Administration and a Director of the Charity Finance Directors Group.

Mark lectures at Wroxton College in Oxford and provides commentary and reviews for Sky and BBC Television.
During his time in parliament he was Chairman of the Liberal Democrats, Shadow Home Secretary and a member of the Business Select Committee.

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

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.

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.

The most original business ‘guru’ in the business

A phenomenon who has delighted audiences throughout Britain and abroad, Geoff Burch is an extraordinary speaker, whose unique and hilarious outlook on all manner of business topics has made him the most prolific of speakers in the market. He is the author of one of the most famous business books of all time, ‘Resistance is Useless’, the Art of Business Persuasion which has been published in over 65 countries following its outstanding success in the USA, and his latest book, ‘The Way of The Dog’. ‘Resistance is Useless’ has been referred to by McKinseys’s as a benchmark for business thinking.

His unconventional image and extensive humour have allowed him platforms on both the corporate and stand-up comedy stage. His credentials are impressive having worked extensively with the likes of BT, Barclays, Lloyds, the CBI, Consumers’ Association, Prudential, Phillips, ABTA, and numerous other companies to present, motivate, and train.

Geoff’s latest book ‘The Way of The Dog’ is published by Wiley; the book explores the phenomena of the most unstable staff being the key to inevitable success for the change embracing organisation. His hit 10 week BBC2 series in 2008, ‘All Over The Shop’, focused on retail businesses and how to improve by cutting costs and increasing sales and turnover. His humorous style and easily explained advice worked well and has created a cult following.

The son of a Viennese psychiatrist, Geoff Burch has a wealth of experience in illustrating the thinking required to make our customers love us! Geoff Burch is equally at ease speaking at a conference as he is after dinner. It is our belief that virtually every company could benefit from his entertaining style and compelling message.

Having gained a reputation as both a funny and persuasive speaker, he was constantly being asked to teach his skills to others. His style is relaxed and fun, his observations are unique, and his impact on an audience is amazing. You could fill a room with a cross-section of people from a part-time cleaner to a CEO of an international company, and everybody would come away with new ideas. Geoff Burch looks at every conceivable area of business, and is renowned for taking a sideways look at the latest business fads and fashions – translating the ones of value into a memorable message that everyone can understand.

Geoff Burch is meticulous in preparing his presentation, studying the profile of the audience, the market in which they work, the competition they face, and how to exploit the advantages they have. He then combines this specific information with his generic approach to any situation. His power to make any organisation believe in itself and to establish and maintain the motivation to succeed is central to his presentation.

Geoff Burch can speak amusingly on almost any business topic, and is capable of delivering presentations on subjects such as: ‘FAST’ Companies, Customer Relationships, Change, People Motivation, Sales, Working Together, Empowerment, and How Everyone can Deliver the Vision. All of these are presented in a hilarious, thought-provoking, and memorable way where even apparently the dullest business subject is turned into an exciting rollercoaster ride that leaves the audience thrilled.

Business Leadership is not for the faint hearted – whether your company is a start up or a FTSE100 giant. And it’s even more challenging in the roller coaster world of technology where today’s pioneer can quickly become yesterday’s museum exhibit. Nobody knows this better than Ken Olisa who has been at the top of household name IT businesses on both sides of the Atlantic for the last 25 years.

In November 2009 Olisa was elected as the 5th member of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority; the body commissioned to provide scrutiny and conduct review of the allowances scheme for MP’s.

Ken’s technology career spans over 30 years, commencing with IBM from whom he won a scholarship while at Fitzwilliam, College Cambridge University where he read Natural, Social, Political and Management Sciences.

At IBM he held various posts in systems engineering, sales and marketing, before joining Wang Laboratories in 1981. Following a period as Marketing Director for Europe, Vice President of US Marketing and then of Worldwide Marketing, Ken was appointed Senior Vice President and General Manager of Europe, Africa and the Middle East (EAME). Here he was responsible for the sales, marketing, support, service and administration activities within 11 Wang subsidiaries and 92 distributors. In that role he led the team which restored the EAME operation to profitability; following which he launched an unsuccessful MBO resulting in his departure!

Ken moved on to test his entrepreneurial mettle by founding Interregnum, the technology merchant bank (www.interregnum.com) in 1992. He led that company through the roller coaster ride of its early growth; its entry into, and exit from, a joint venture with BDO Stoy Hayward; the IPO on London’s AIM exchange in 2000; and the tricky years that followed the collapse of the dotcom boom.

At Interregnum, Ken worked at the forefront of the entrepreneur/technology growth cycle which commenced in the mid 1990s. As well as serving on the Boards of many of Interregnum’s investments and advisory clients, Ken notched up some interesting firsts, including chairing the UK’s first publicly listed Internet Service Provider (ISP) – Voss Net – on its admission to AIM and holding a similar position on the Board of the first Israeli technology company to be listed on the junior exchange – DMATEK. He was also a principal advisor to, and Director of, uDate.com which became one the UK’s few dotcom successes when it was sold to Barry Diller’s USA Interactive in 2003.

Ken retired from Interregnum in 2006 and now runs the highly respected boutique technology merchant bank – Restoration Partners.

Ken curently serves on the Boards of two FTSE 100 companies: Thomson Reuters (where he is a member of the Audit Committee) and ENRC (Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation) where he serves on the Audit, Nominations and Remuneration Committees). He was a Director ( and Chair of the Remuneration Committee) of Canada’s largest software developer – Open Text Corporation (Nasdaq: OTEX) – until December 2008. In addition he serves on the Board of, or is an adviser to, several privately held and innovative companies including BioWisdom, Prevx, Independent Audit and Metapraxis.

Ken’s knowledge and experience of large and small enterprises, technology and marketing and his willingness to speak his mind makes him much demand as a public speaker.

A believer in the Victorian ethos that successful commerce is the fuel of public service, Ken is a Freeman of the City of London; a Liveryman and Warden of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists; Director of the Thomson Reuters Foundation; Chairman of Thames Reach (a charity working to shelter and resettle the homeless in London); a Vice President of the British Computer Society; a member of the Government’s Women’s Enterprise Taskforce; and was an inaugural Postal Services Commissioner from 2001 to 2004.

In 2003 Ken won the 2003 BVCA/Real Deals Private Equity Personality of the Year Award and in 2006 he was elected as a Fellow of the British Computer Society. He was named in the top 10 most influential black men in Powerlist 2008.

Ken is one of the most powerful, relevant and highly rated speakers available today and accepts only a limited number of engagements each year. His masterclass sessions to senior management entitled What they don’t teach you at business school, have been celebrated by business leaders from all sectors.

‘Head of Making Things Happen’

September 2009 saw Mark Gallagher appointed Head of Cosworth Formula 1 business; great news for F1 as his reputation for dynamic business innovation and nurturing talent has been refered to as “inspired” by former boss and Jordan F1 team owner Eddie Jordan.

With all of 2010’s major teams opting for Cosworth power, Mark plays a crucial role in delivering the performance they will rely on.

With over 25 years experience in the world of Formula One, Mark Gallagher is principally known for his nine years working as ‘Head of Making Things Happen’ at Jordan Grand Prix, and heading sponsorship for Jaguar/Red Bull Racing.

Prior to joining Cosworth, Mark consulted for Formula One teams/sponsors. Throughout his career he has been involved in driver management including drivers such as Mark Webber. Mark makes regular TV appearances as an F1 expert on BBC, Sky News, CNN and many European channels.

During his career he has worked directly with leading drivers including Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, and multiple champions Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna. He owned and ran the succesful A1 Grand Prix team Ireland in the World Cup of Motorsport™, scoring 9 podium finishes and two victories in the 2007/08 world championship.

As former Formula One journalist and broadcaster with the BBC in the 1980s, Mark was Grand Prix correspondent for publications including the Sunday Express in London prior to becoming a media relations consultant to major sponsors including Marlboro and Canon.

In 1990 he began working with Eddie Jordan, announcing the creation of the Jordan Formula One team, and although he then worked briefly in the World Rally Championship with Ford and Subaru, it was to Jordan that he returned, becoming head of marketing and joining the management board during the team’s most successful years.

At Jordan, famously described by legendary broadcaster Murray Walker as ‘the most motivated team in F1’, Mark was referred to as ‘head of making things happen’, a title that has stuck with him to this day in the motor racing industry.

Working directly with the sport’s top drivers and teams Mark has gained a unique insight into what it takes to be a winner in the high-pressure world of Formula One. Team work, leadership and motivation are key among the qualities needed to succeed in this most demanding of sports, while Mark has much to share on the operational issues affecting Formula One teams, including logistics, quality control, health and safety.

Mark is also able to explain Formula One’s approach to tackling the issues surrounding climate change, the burning of fossil fuels and his belief that the sport will become a research and development tool for the automotive industry in terms of producing technological solutions to the challenges facing it in the 21st century.

“Simply the best and most inspiring ‘real management’ speaker I have ever heard”
Maersk

With a relaxed, anecdotal and humorous style, Mark gives businesses and organisations a rare insight into the world of Formula One, and what it takes to build winning teams and compete for success at world level.