Personal Development 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

‘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.

Dr Max Atkinson is a freelance communications consultant and author, best known for developing a new approach to research and training in public speaking, speech writing and presentation. He is a visiting professor at the Henley Management College, where he has run courses on communication skills on executive and MBA programmes since 1985.

He has also taught at the universities of Lancaster, Manchester and Oxford, and has held visiting professorships at universities in Europe and the USA. He has published books on conversation, courtroom language, political speeches and business presentations.

For over 12 years Dr Atkinson served as communications advisor, speechwriter and coach to Paddy Ashdown, former leader of the (UK) Liberal Democrats, and the High Representative in Bosnia & Herzogovina from 2002-2006. In 1985, he ran a seminar on speech writing in the Reagan White House and his work has also been extensively used by Michael Sheehan, Bill Clinton’s chief speech coach.

Atkinson’s widely acclaimed research into public speaking first came to public notice with the publication of Our Masters’ Voices: The Language and Body Language of Politics (London & New York: Methuen, 1984; reprinted 1986, then by Routledge, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1994). Based on a detailed analysis of videotapes of political speeches, it described the main rhetorical techniques used by speakers to trigger applause.

The findings were put to the practical test in front of a mass television audience with the broadcast of a Granada Television World in Action programme, in which he Atkinson was challenged to coach a novice who had never made a speech before to address the 1984 SDP Conference – the result of which was a standing ovation for a speech that ‘lit up the conference as no other speech had done all week’ (The Guardian) , and was described by the late Sir Robin Day as ‘the most refreshing speech we’ve heard so far’.

Subsequently, he formed Atkinson Communications, a consultancy specialising in communication skills training, since when he has worked with a vast array of major corporations in the UK and abroad, often coaching and writing speeches for CEOs and other board level executives.

Dr Atkinson has brought together everything he has learnt about audience reactions to speeches and presentations in two recent books, Lend Me Your Ears: All You Need to Know about Making Speeches and Presentations (London: Vermilion, 2004), and Speech-making and Presentation Made Easy (London: Vermilion, 2008).



They show that the rhetorical techniques first identified by classical Greek and Roman writers 2000 years ago are as effective today as they ever were, and can be used to increase the impact of any kind of speech or presentation. They also explain why the slide-dependent style of presentation that has become increasingly prevalent is actually widely disliked by audiences, and describe how to make more effective use of visual aids. The books also debunks some widely propagated modern myths about the overwhelming importance of body language (e.g. that 93% of communication is non-verbal, that folded arms indicate defensiveness, etc.).

He has also appeared on numerous television and radio programmes, and has published articles in various newspapers, including The Times, Sunday Times, Financial Times, The Independent on Sunday and the Washington Post.

In September 2008, he started a blog, on which his analyses of speeches by Barack Obama and other leading politicians, economists, bankers, etc. have attracted thousands of visitors.

“I found Max’s lectures and teachings to be of great value in my professional development: I first attended one of Max’s sessions 15 years ago and still use what I learned there to this day. His lectures and books are a high quality means to achieving better business results.
Geoff Birkett, Global VP Marketing, AstraZeneca

“There was scarcely a single speech in my eleven years as leader of the Liberal Democrats that I made without benefiting from Max Atkinson’s personal advice and help.”
PADDY ASHDOWN (former leader of the Liberal Democrats, UK)

Malcolm Levene teaches business leaders and political figures how to significantly improve their communication skills and develop positive personal brand values.

Malcolm’s client list has included former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Alastair Campbell, Michael Marks CBE, Robert Walters (CEO of Robert Walters Plc) and Michael Gove MP.

As a Self Development Business Coach, Malcolm works with companies whose vision demands that their employees, at every level, perform at their optimum. He offers his extensive experience as it relates to enabling business people to attain their goals, maintain focus and be highly effective in their day-to-day interactions. Malcolm’s corporate clients include Prudential, Deutsche Bank, Tesco, CitiGroup, Robert Walters plc, Nestlé, Volvo (UK), The Bank of New York Mellon and M&G Investments.

In a previous business life, Malcolm owned and ran the Malcolm Levene retail fashion business in London’s West End. His retail experience enables him to understand the relevance of the customer experience and how important it is for an organisation to create long-term loyalty and trust.

Malcolm has created the Power of One: Personal Development for Business Success programme as a response to the business-world’s request for ‘something different’. The big difference with Power of One is that it is designed to spark or fuel change – real, sustainable, measurable change. Simply put, it enables people to be the best, most effective person they can be.

Malcolm is a Board Director of the Society of Complementary Medicine (SCM), a registered charity. He is a panel member of YougovStone, a Think Tank that ‘provides feedback on the most important issues facing this country’.

As a passionate advocate of authenticity as a key to success in business. Malcolm writes and speaks eloquently on the subject. The author of two books, published in the UK and USA. He also writes articles for business magazines, focusing on personal development for business success.

Malcolm has been profiled in The New Yorker, The Independent and The Observer. He is frequently quoted by the press, regularly appearing on television as an expert regarding Self Development for Business Success, Identity and Personal Branding.

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.

Chris Crudelli is the TV presenter, cultural explorer, best-selling author and internationally recognised kung fu master. His self-penned TV series for the BBC, “Mind, Body & Kick Ass Moves”, was a smash hit, becoming the most widely distributed documentary in BBC TV history after it was broadcast in over 180 countries worldwide.

As a best-selling author, his book, “The Way of The Warrior”, is doing well in the UK and US, and his TV shows are continuing to break new records in the UK and in the States, where they are broadcast on Discovery Travel & Leisure, and Fox FSN.

Recently, The Sunday Telegraph labeled Chris as “the most engaging personality on British TV”, the Telegraph said he is “one of the top ten martial arts practitioners alive today”, and The Sun simply stated “Chris Crudelli is a star”. But most of all, Chris is a talented and inspiring teacher and speaker who has taught thousands around the world.

Growing up in Birmingham, Chris had already witnessed a number of violent crimes by the age of seven, which inspired him to take up Martial Arts. His passion for the Arts soon developed and as a teenager he moved to China in order to study full time with the world’s most revered masters. He stayed and travelled all over Asia for over ten years, venturing to places as diverse as Mongolia, Nepal and India, studying and developing his knowledge in the Arts, and picking up two fluent dialects of Chinese along the way.

Chris also became the very first Westerner to actually develop a Chinese-style kung fu on Chinese soil. It’s called Jiufamen and is taught by Chris at his network of schools in and around South East London, and to thousands up and down the country who attend his seminars. Not only that, but Chris and his team have taught simplified versions of it to police organisations and special forces & military personnel around the world.

Aside from the seminars, Chris also leads groups on training adventures to the mountains of North Wales, and around Thailand & Cambodia. Participants are encouraged to find their mental and physical limits and, with Chris’s help, push beyond them. They’ve been life-changing experiences for many people who’ve attended.

Last year, Chris also wrote and headlined his own stage show in London. Part biographical, part action sequences, Chris displayed some of the amazing mind and body tricks he’s picked up over the years, including the ability to detect lies 100% of the time simply through the sound of someone’s voice; teaching any member of the audience to become 300% stronger with a simple kung fu concentration technique; and coaching any willing participant to smash a brick with their bare hand with no pain or injury!

All impressive feats alone, but the practical application and relevance of such skills to every day life is even more interesting. Martial Arts are disciplines of problem solving for body and mind; they can help you explore aggression, competitiveness, fear, and how you respond to challenges. From Chris’s own lifelong research he teaches how ancient Martial Arts can help one learn through the body how to solve problems in life, and thus make serious change happen.

Chris says, “There’s more to Martial Arts than punching and kicking.” His travel-inspired teaching and speeches lead audiences to face challenges head-on, whilst providing humorous and kick ass anecdotes along the journey!

He is living proof that Martial Arts, when taught well, are good for you.

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.

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

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

Oliver Dudley is an ‘Everyman’ adventurer who has tackled world records in ocean rowing and ultra distance running, despite being a novice at both sports. As a team member of the 14 man crew aboard La Mondiale in 2008, Oliver rowed for 2 hours on, 2 hours off, for 33 days across the Atlantic breaking the 16 year old Guinness World Record – a record that had withstood 60 previous challenges.

In 2009, Oliver joined a small team of runners to attempt 7 ultra marathons on 7 continents 7 days. (He’d never run a marathon before.) As Sir Ranulph Fiennes put it this was a ‘great achievement – a success made all the more remarkable by their background as novice runners. This accomplishment demonstrates what can be done with proper planning, hard work and self belief.’

Oliver is certainly not superhuman. He has succeeded because he possesses an unshakable passion and unwavering determination. He proves that ordinary people can do extraordinary things if they ‘think possible’. He does not call himself an athlete, rarely visits the gym, doesn’t have any particular outdoor training or skills, and no military training – but he believes if you ‘think possible’ you can leave your comfort zones, navigate fear, embrace change and start out in a new direction. Oliver’s ‘think possible’ philosophy was forged out of a turbulent childhood and a series of setbacks as a young adult (including breaking his neck when he was a promising Rugby Union player).

Oliver’s talks draw on his Atlantic world record, his attempt at the “777 Challenge” and his recent experiences challenging the record for rowing around Great Britain. In August 2009, after a frightening storm in which the crew of four nearly capsized and also a ‘near miss’ with a tanker, Oliver and the crew became national heroes when the raised the alarm after seeing a plane crash into the Irish Sea.

The rowers raced two miles to reach the pilot of the sinking plane, the coastguard‘s helicopter successfully winched him to safety. Oliver and the crew were rowing to raise money and awareness for the charity Orchid that fights male cancer. Their attempt at the round Great Britain row was abandoned.

In January 2008, the Atlantic World Record row drew acclaim for the crew from all quarters. Gordon Brown wrote to the team, saying ‘your achievement in an inspiration to millions of people around the world.’ Finishing in 33 days and 7½ hours in January 2008, this was an astonishing feat given that they rowed in a second-hand boat and drifted backwards for 3 days whilst battling 30ft waves in a tropical storm.

In March 2009, Oliver organised and competed in the 777 Challenge – the world’s first attempt to run 7 ultra marathons (50km) in 7 consecutive days on all 7 continents. In March 2009, two of his team set a new world record of 6 days, 23 hours and 40 minutes Oliver finished just 26 hours later – having been hospitalised in Johannesburg prior to starting the sixth run. Not one to be easily defeated, Oliver stayed behind alone to complete the 50km the following day. He re-visited hospital upon landing in London, losing even more time, but when given the all clear completed the last of the seven 50km runs in London. The event had wide media coverage, including news channels on Channel 4, BBC, ITV and ABC.

Oliver’s ‘Think Possible’ philosophy is behind his astounding successes as a novice runner and rower. He has a particular passion for encouraging young people to make the most of opportunities. Oliver’s key messages are built on his experiences of teamwork, personal leadership, planning, embracing change and risk. He motivates others to go beyond their self-limiting beliefs and to ‘Think Possible’: a mantra and belief for our times.

World record breaking polar explorer Ann Daniels is an inspiration to those who hear her speak. She has led expeditions in the most hostile environments on earth, literally to the very top and bottom of the world, where strong leadership and teamwork are essential to achieve results in a world that is always challenging and the terrain ever changing.

She is one of the world’s leading female polar explorers. In the year 200O, she walked from the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole and in 2002 walked from Canada to the North Geographic Pole to become the first all women’s team in the world to manhaul to both the North and South poles. She is now involved in a new project to measure the thickness of the North Pole ice cap and will navigate a 3 man ice team over 1000 kilometres of frozen Arctic Ocean to the North Pole.

Ann first set her sights on the Polar Regions in 1995 when she was selected from over 200 applicants in an SAS style selection process to take part in the 1997 McVities Penguin Polar Relay. Although she had no previous outdoor experience, her grit, determination and positivity convinced the selectors not only to choose Ann for the team but to select her for the first and most arduous part of the journey. Team Alpha doubled the target mileage set for them and gave the expedition a fantastic start. On 27 May 1997 team Echo stepped onto the North Pole to celebrate success.

Arctic Survey 2009

Setting out in February 2009, the Arctic Survey expedition undertook a 100 day, 1000km crossing of the ice cap in temperatures as low as minus 50ºC. The survey team departed from Alaska, walking, skiing and on occasions swimming stretches of open water to reach the North Geographic Pole in June. The survey captured for the first time, detailed information of the ice thickness and its snow layers. Vital information that will be used by the scientific world to determine just how long the permanent ice cap will last.

In 2001 Ann became the first British female North Pole guide. She leads groups from varying backgrounds the last degree to the North and South Poles.

Ann tailors every speech to her audience and illustrates the importance of strong leadership, teamwork, the correct attitude, setting goals, managing change, overcoming the odds and the importance of persistence. There is no doubt she is an ordinary woman who has achieved the extraordinary.

Spanish explorer Andreu Mateu rose to international fame in 1992 when he decided to relinquish everything and travel to the most remote places on earth using every conceivable means of transportation known to man. He named his journey The Transcovery Project.

At the time, he was working at the Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy in New York, and had achieved his academic goals: a degree in Economics, and an M.B.A.

To raise the necessary funds to launch this new ambitious adventure, Andreu sold all of his worldly possessions and conscious that team work is secret behind ordinary people achieving extraordinary results, Andreu put together an international expedition support team to advise him and provide the necessary supplies and equipment required to carry out his mission.

On 11 August 1992, Andreu Mateu strapped on a pair of in-line skates and departed from Spain to begin his unique adventure.

Whilst pursuing his dream across the globe, Andreu swam the Straits of Gibraltar, sailed solo across the Atlantic Ocean in a 30 foot boat, crossed Europe by motorcycle, jumped from an airplane at 12,500 feet and traversed the entire length of Africa by motorbike. His gruelling travels involved everything from balloons to canoes, horses to elephants, helicopters to jeeps throughout all 7 continents. He conquered numerous challenges during his three year expedition that took him to 120 countries, using more than 131 different means of transportation.

Andreu is now rising in prominence as one of Europe’s leading motivational and inspirational speakers. His speeches are full of anecdotes from his adventures which not only entertain but help to inspire audiences to achieve the enormous potential they have hidden within themselves. Andreu has the charisma to hold the audience, visually his presentations are spectacular with video footage of his travels.

He has appeared in many TV shows in Europe and the USA and is author of 2 books. He has also lectured widely and now travels extensively in Europe with his remarkable experiences. He also runs the Barcelona-based DREAMS & ADVENTURES, an outdoor activity company.

Internationally renowned speaker Allan Pease known to many as ‘Mr Body language’ has been hugely popular with corporate audiences through presenting vital information with humour.

His easygoing and humorous style has been the key to his success in getting the audience to retain what they have been taught. His presentations are discussed long after the dust has settled at the end of each conference.

With over 30 years experience as a speaker, Allan is the consummate professional, ensuring that every presentation is as relevant to the client as it is a huge success. He prepares well for each event; researching background information, speaking with the clients and planning his presentation based on the client’s core objectives for the event.

If you want to make your event a spectacular success and have your delegates come away inspired and raring to go, you can’t go past Allan Pease.

Roger Black MBE was educated at Portsmouth Grammar School and successfully gained a place to read medicine at Southampton University in 1985. By then, however, he had already demonstrated considerable athletic talent and he decided to rescind his place to concentrate on his track and field career. Six years later, he received an honorary degree from the same university and was awarded an MBE.

For over ten years, Roger performed at the highest level in the world of athletics. He is respected both as an individual 400m runner and a key team member of the 4x400m relay. Above all, he is admired for his triumphs over adversity, successfully overcoming several serious injuries and setbacks, continuously striving for further self-improvement.

Thoughtful and articulate, Roger Black is committed to helping young people develop and realise their full potential. He is concerned for British Sport, has actively been involved in initiating new sports policies and setting specific new partnerships, as a leader. With his close understanding of motivation and self-development, he can educate, inspire and motivate.

Roger has presented and facilitated innumerable corporate events for major blue chip clients and is hugely popular for his professional and energetic approach.

During 16 years service with Her Majesty’s Royal Marine Commandos Alan Chambers operated in in the deserts, jungles and frozen tundra’s of the planet, travelling the world visiting over forty countries. He is formally qualified as a diver, parachutist, paramedic and ski survival instructor.

After spending five years researching, planning and training, Alan led the first successful British unsupported expedition from Canada to the Geographic North Pole. After a grueling seventy days on the ice, Alan and team mate, Charlie Paton, raised the Union Jack on top of the world at 23:16 hours on 16th May 2000.

Only one in one hundred and fifty thousand people ever attempt to walk to the North Pole unsupported. Through determination, guile, resolute planning and motivation they succeeded against all odds. The ten-week expedition, which left the team ten days overdue suffering extreme body weight loss and dwindling food supplies, was a catalyst for the future for Alan.

Upon return from the top of the world Alan, aged 32, was awarded the MBE by Her Majesty the Queen for Determined Leadership in Constant Adversity.

He has since returned to the North Pole numerous times, making it possible for men and women to accomplish a dream.
Alan presently delivers tailor-made talks and workshops for teams communication, winning beliefs, teamwork and leadership.

Adrian Gilpin works with many of the world’s leading organisations such as Royal Bank of Scotland, Prudential Property Investment Managers and Barclaycard. Through coaching their senior management teams he has helped them perform to the peak of their ability. He is the co-developer of the Aspell-Gilpin Profiler – the world’s most advanced personality profiling technique.

Adrian coached the board of Bookham Technology through the largest ever public floatation of any UK technology business. He also works regularly within the public sector: all three forces of the MOD, the NHS, Housing Associations, and also social enterprises. Adrian’s personal passion is to impact the long term thinking about how we educate our children; and therefore he is also a regular speaker at national and local education conferences.

He is Chairman of the Institute of Human Development and the bestselling author of Unstoppable: The Pathway to Living an Inspired Life.

Adrian’s presentations are a unique mix of story-telling, movie clips, wisdom, common sense and a deep understanding of what makes human beings tick and perform at their best. He spends much of his time on conference platforms challenging the old models of corporate leadership and offering practical and inspiring alternatives for managing change in business, education and society.

Kyran Bracken has experienced the highs and lows of first class rugby union and has witnessed first-hand the transition to the professional game. During his time at Bristol Kyran continued to have a successful career in law until the advent of professionalism in 1996 and his transfer to Saracens. During his time on the field, Kyran could pass accurately off both hands, was a strong defender, kicked well and always posed an attacking threat with great speed from a standing start.

He battled back from a career threatening back injury to regain his captaincy and scrum half position at Saracens and won a place in Clive Woodward’s triumphant 2003 England World Cup, making 4 appearances including winning his 50th Cap against Wales in the quarter-final.

Kyran’s contribution to English rugby has been immense over his career, celebrating his testimonial year with Saracens in 2004/2005 and is now carrying out more commercial engagements.

Kyran starred in and won ITV1′s celebrity ice dancing competition ‘Dancing On Ice’. In the semi-final he received the highest score in the history of ‘Dancing on Ice’ so far (29.5 out of a possible 30) and was voted into the final alongside actress Clare Buckfield and former Blue member Duncan James. He won the final on 17th March 2007 after a performance which included the required element of “flying” on wires and a final performance of Bolero. On the 24th March 2007 he won the special edition of Dancing On Ice ‘The Champion of Champions’, after repeating his record 29.5 point score.

CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS

Club Level

Bristol RFU 1992-96
1992-93 Northern Division (tours of Zimbabwe, Namibia)
Saracens 1996-Present RFU
90 Appearances 10 Tries 

International Level

England

3 Tries 51 Caps
England A (1994)
England Under 21
England Schools 16 Group (1988-1990 as captain)

British and Irish Lions

South Africa (1997)
Barbarians (1997)

Honours

South West Division Championship (1993)
Tetley Bitter Cup (1998)
IRB Rugby World Cup (2003)
Awarded MBE in New Year’s Honours List (2004)

L. Vaughan Spencer is the spot-on satirical creation of comedian Neil Mullarkey. Neil has been in double acts with Nick Hancock and Mike Myers, improvised around the country with Eddie Izzard, appeared in hilarious cameos in Austin Powers movies and co-founded Britain’s top improve troupe, The Comedy Store Players, with whom he still performs.

Best selling author of Feel the Fear and Think About Doing it Next Week, The Tao of Shaving and Men are From Mars – Vaughan is from Surrey.

L. Vaughan Spencer a lifestyle coach, gangsta motivator and self help guru. Or is he a corporate charlatan?

L. Vaughan Spencer – or L-Vo to his friends and followers – helps executives find their inner Succeeder through a process of easy exercises and break-through techniques. He revels the significance of Tong Shui (a little like Feng Shui), Spellology (a little like numerology) and repetition of the word “Yes!” L-Vo deftly weaves all your conference messages and key learnings into his performance and incorporates all your favourite jokes and lingo.

L-Vo’s words have special resonance for anyone who can ever encountered management training, personal development or someone who’s too big for their boots. He will inspire, motivate, entertain and, most of all, make you laugh.

Client Comments:

The appearance of L. Vaughan Spencer was the highlight of the two days. The session was a totally different approach to our business mindset and the feedback we received from everybody has been phenomenally positive. Your ability to keep the audience awake and entertained (notably after a gruelling previous day) was absolutely fantastic, and you managed to deliver the key business messages in a unique and memorable way.

LEVER FABERGE

Your performance as L Vaughan Spencer is not only hilarious, it’s also far more inspirational than Tony Robbins, Tom Peters and Dale Carnegie combined. My team loved it, and said it did more to motivate them (not to mention entertain them) than anything else we served up as part of our “team-building” day.

THE HOSPITAL GROUP

L. Vaughan kept us giggling long beyond our hour in the presence of the great man and much of his unique wisdom has found its way into our group’s own idiom. It was just the thing after a hard day – making us laugh at ourselves and uniting us as a group. Among your many gifts, we found the pinpoint accuracy of your observations arresting. It was so refreshing to be entertained by someone who knows the absurd world we inhabit. So thank you for doing us what many rational and well-created process interventions just cannot do. We owe you.

ROFFEY PARK INSTITUTE.

Well-being Scientist At Cambridge University, Nick is co-Director of the newly created Well-being Institute, where he endeavours to understand how each of us can make profound progress in our everyday lives: psychologically, physically, and socially.

TV & Radio Presenter, Nick is the on-screen expert for each episode of a ten-part BBC television series about ‘dream careers’, hosted by Adrian Chiles (presenter One show, Match of the Day). Each episode of the series also has contributions from world-famous personalities representing the full range of careers.

Public Speaker Nick has a vocation to prove that ‘the skills of well-being’ can pay their way in the workplace, as well as in our personal lives. Recently he has given workshops and lectures on ‘Applying the Skills of Well-being’ to organisations ranging from The Royal College of General Practitioners to The Royal Mail, and from City investment banks to the BBC World Service and Oxford University Business School. Nick’s findings can also contribute to the research & development of products & services that helpfully anticipate the emerging requirements of 21st century life.

Therapist through the Media. Nick is a practicing psychotherapist, and as ‘Dr FeelGood’ for The Times, he wrote over 100 weekly columns, many of which have now been syndicated by The Australian newspaper.
From autumn 2005 onwards, Nick wrote a year’s worth of monthly columns about the healing and inspirational potential of feature films, for the successful new Psychologies Magazine. Nick’s first book written for a general readership, is ‘Learning from Wonderful Lives: Lessons from the Study of Well-being.

In 2003 Nick was invited to co-convene the first ever ‘Royal Society of London’ three day conference on ‘The Science of Well-being’, and then became co-editor of the multi-disciplinary collection of academic chapters by world-leading voices that comprise The Science of Well-being (Huppert, Baylis and Keverne, Oxford University Press, 2005).

Nick also chairs conferences and seminars and is a highly skilled conference facilitator and after dinner speaker. He has a wealth of experience hosting events and award ceremonies, both at home and abroad.

The Earl du Cardinal

Philip Holzberg is widely recognised as the connoisseurs’ ideal dinner guest, his knowledge, charisma and style have made him an honoured guest and raconteur at the greatest tables in the world. Holzberg has been in wines-and-spirits all his working life, beginning with his restaurants and wine bars in the 1970’s, in his native Toronto, Canada. “Ï knew from the beginning that I would move to France, the spiritual home of the finest wines and spirits in the world, and make my own”, he says. He is now a successful winemaker in both Burgundy and Bordeaux, living in the latter area with his wife and two young children at their family property, Chateau Franc-Cardinal in Tayac, not far from St. Emilion.

The love affair began in Cognac when he moved permanently to France in 1990 to become Export Director of Cognac Otard, based in the historic Chateau de Cognac, where King of France, François 1er, who hob-nobbed with Leonardo da Vinci, was born in 1494. “It was magnificent”, says Philip. “We didn’t have a lot of 15th-century castles where I grew up!”

It was here that he met his wife Sophie, of the fifth – generation family firm Cognac Hardy, known for the elegance of their very old eaux-de-vie. They thus have ready access to “the good stuff” when they want it.

As Philip says, “There’s always a bottle of the sixty-year-old around which, when the kids are at last in bed, or if a special friend is around, we dim the lights and enjoy.”

The Holzberg’s epitomise the French aspirational lifestyle, Bon chic, bon genre. Philip’s enormous character and strength of knowledge mean he is beloved of Frenchmen and all those gentlemen across the globe for whom eating, drinking, smoking and living the very best life possible is a task to be taken very seriously indeed.

“Wine is meant for lively discussion”, he says. “Cognac – the finest ones – are meant for contemplation. And what better accompaniment for contemplation, with a superb, aged cognac, than a fine cigar?”