The Leading Speakers Bureau

BBC’s Security Correspondent

Frank Gardner OBE is the BBC’s fulltime security correspondent reporting for TV and radio on issues of both domestic and international security, notably on Al Qaeda related terrorism. He was awarded an OBE in June 2005 for services to journalism and released his first book ‘Blood and Sand’ in May 2006 which reached number three in the Sunday Times Bestseller List.

“His work always reflects the true complexities of the stories he reports.”
Vin Ray

[expand title=”In detail”] Frank’s fascination with the Middle East began as a teenager when he had a chance meeting with Wilfrid Thesiger (who extensively travelled and photographed the Middle East). A fluent Arabist with a degree in Arabic and Islamic studies from Exeter University; Frank spent nine years as an investment banker in New York, London and Bahrain before switching to journalism and becoming the BBC’s Middle East correspondent based in Cairo. He has reported extensively on the so-called ‘War on Terror’ in Guantanamo Bay, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East. In 2004 he survived being shot six times at close range by Al Qaeda terrorists in the Riyadh suburb, Saudi Arabia. After many months in hospital he returned to the BBC to resume his job.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Frank draws on his experiences as a security correspondent to offer audiences remarkable accounts of his time in the Middle East. Having witnessed some truly terrifying situations his determination to return to his full and active life makes his story both fascinating and inspirational.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Frank is a good communicator, knows how to handle situations spontaneously and comes across really well.[/expand]
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Economics Editor of the Sunday Times

David Smith has been Economics Editor of The Sunday Times since 1989, where he writes a weekly column. He is also an assistant editor, policy adviser and chief leader-writer. He has won a number of awards, including the Harold Wincott award for Senior Financial Journalist of the Year (2004). David is a regular contributor to the CBI’s Business Voice and also writes a home economics column in the property section of The Sunday Times.

“Once again David Smith has demonstrated his talent for opening up the world of economics and finance to a general audience.” Gordon Brown

[expand title=”In detail”] Prior to joining The Sunday Times, he worked for The Times, Financial Weekly, Now! Magazine, the Henley Centre for Forecasting and Lloyds Bank. He was born and brought up in the West Midlands and studied at the Universities of Wales, Oxford and London. He is a visiting professor at Cardiff University.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]David offers audiences the benefit of his expertise and insights into the UK and current global economic outlook and also the bigger issues which affect financial markets. He demystifies complex economic issues and offers advice in a clear and easily understood format.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]David’s presentations are delivered in an articulate and relaxed manner, combined with his dry humour. David is an ideal speaker to address a wide range of audiences.[/expand]
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Author and Former editor of the Sunday Mirror and the Sunday Express

Eve Pollard is a journalist and media commentator and was only the second woman ever to edit a national newspaper. Eve is a regular reporter on BBC1’s The One Show. She also frequently appears on radio and TV from The News Quiz to You and Yours, This Morning, Have I Got News For You, Loose Women. Eve is also a published novelist and biographer.

“The First Lady of Fleet Street”

[expand title=”In detail”] Starting out in women’s magazines, Eve rose to edit the Sunday Mirror and Sunday Express, as well as magazine supplements for many of the national Sunday papers. Returning to women’s titles she also launched Elle magazine in the US as its first editor-in-chief. Eve has had a varied and colourful career that has seen her rise from junior reporter to editor in the male-dominated world of old-school newspaper journalism. A respected commentator on the media, its future, and its effects, Eve is a member of the Competition Commission’s Newspaper Takeover Panel.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]The all-round talent that is Eve Pollard has a wealth of experience in the corporate field and is especially interesting as an after dinner speaker. Eve is also an experienced and accomplished host and facilitator.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Eve is an extremely funny, interesting and insightful after dinner speaker and always well received by audiences around the country.[/expand]
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Explorer, Writer, Amazon Man – Inspirational Figure

Ed Stafford became the first person to walk the entire length of the Amazon River in August 2010. His adventure has been described as one of the most dangerous and difficult expeditions ever undertaken encountering venomous snakes, severe floods, electric eels, jaguars and hostile local tribes, one of whom held him for questioning about the murder of one of their tribesman. Since returning home to the UK his story has featured in over 300 articles around the globe.

Ed’s Amazon accomplishment has been described by Sir Ranulph Fiennes as being “..in the top league of expeditions past and present”

[expand title=”In detail”] On April 2nd 2008, Ed Stafford began his quest to walk the entire length of the Amazon River from source to sea. In 2009 he began writing a fortnightly blog for the Prince’s Rainforests Project. After leaving the military in 2002 he led expeditions in Belize and then supervised the building of a BBC base camp in Guyana.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Ed Stafford’s experiences of surviving adversity in some of the world’s most remote locations are simply unforgettable and highly inspiring. He uses his experiences to inspire and motivate audiences to achieve their own personal goals and shows that it is possible to succeed even when faced with seemingly insurmountable hardship.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Ed Stafford aims to motivate others to believe they can achieve their dreams and his laid back, humorous style educates and enthrals. His presentations are a mix of narrative and pictorial anecdotes with documentary footage filmed by Ed himself in the jungle. He takes the audience with him back to the jungle via his presentation and helps to inspire them to see life ahead as an adventure ready to begin.[/expand]
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Italian Tenor and Communication speaker

Vittorio Grigolo is a tenor who has developed a reputation as one of the most talented tenors of his generation. With a gold and platinum-selling solo album, a Grammy-nominated recording of Bernstein’s West Side Story and his last album The Italian Tenor reaching the number one position in the US Billboard Classical Album chart, Vittorio is already established as a successful recording artist. His second album Arrivederci released in autumn 2011, includes Vittorio’s personal selection of the most beloved Italian songs and opera arias ever written for the tenor voice.

“Vittorio’s exceptional dramatic and vocal talents have been widely praised by the world’s press”

[expand title=”In detail”] Having made his debut as the Shepherd in Tosca at the age of thirteen, at twenty-three he became the youngest tenor ever to perform at Teatro alla Scala. As one of the leading tenors of his generation, he now performs worldwide, and is renowned for his star quality as both a singer and actor. Vittorio has been honored with awards that include the European Border Breakers award and France’s 2010 Discovery of the Year award in recognition of his latest album The Italian Tenor. He has also won the Best Tenor category in L’Opera Magazine’s 2011 Opera awards.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Vittorio’s amazing voice has ensured him a place within the pantheon of great singers, and his drive and determination is virtually impossible to ignore with several hit albums and hundreds of concert appearances behind him.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Vittorio’s extraordinary “pure” voice has attracted the attention of many established artists from the worlds of pop and classical alike.[/expand]
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Multi-Award Winning Violinist

Nigel Kennedy is a multi-award winning and world-wide renowned skilful violinist. For over twenty-five years, he has been acknowledged as one of the world’s leading violin virtuosos and is, without doubt, one of the most important violinists Britain has ever produced. He made his reputation with Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. More recently he has concentrated on composing and more pop influenced work.

“He is the best selling classical violinist of all time”

[expand title=”In detail”] During his career Nigel Kennedy has undertaken countless international tours, performing with the world’s major orchestras and conductors, from Europe to the United States to Australia. Major debuts have included London’s Royal Festival Hall, the Berlin Philharmonic, his New York orchestral debut in 1987 and his 2004 French debut. His passion is jazz. He has a jazz quintet in Krakow, Poland, where he lives forpart of the year. He has attracted an enormous amount of worldwide media attention throughout his extraordinary career. His television appearances have been wide and varied and he has given numerous public and private performances for members of the British royal family.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Nigel’s virtuoso technique, unique talent and mass appeal have brought fresh perspectives to both the classical and contemporary repertoire. His strength is his remarkable sensitivity in caressing a melody to life.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Nigel is almost as well known for shunning classical-music traditions, his expletive-strewn “mockney” language and his shambolic attire, as he is for his fabulous, if sometimes controversial, interpretations of classical music.[/expand]
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Indian-born British TV Chef, Award-winning Author & Food Writer

Manju Malhi is the the UK’s leading spice pundit and expert on Anglo-Indian home cooking. As well as her own Simply Indian series aired on the Taste Network in 2001, she has appeared amongst several programmes, on ITV’s Saturday Cooks and This Morning, Channel 5’s Open House and The Terry and Gaby Show, Sky One’s Taste, UKTV Food’s Great Food Live, Food Uncut and Market Kitchen and BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen. In her cooking, she draws up on her past and combines it with the realities of urban Western life and has come up with her own unique Brit-Indi style of food.

“Manju Malhi won the BBC’s Food and Drink competition in 1999”

[expand title=”In detail”] Manju Malhi was raised in North West London where she grew up surrounded by Indian culture, traditions and lifestyles. She comes from a non-conformist Asian family. Her parents moved to England in the late sixties at a time when things were tough, not only for the host community but for people who were coming from the Indian sub-continent in search of a better life. Her foray into the TV world has taken her to India for a forty part series entitled Cooking Isn’t Rocket Science for one of India’s leading broadcasters NDTV, preparing British cuisine for India. She writes on Indian food for newspapers and magazines, voice overs and television continuity for BBC1 and BBC2 (her favourite channel) and is the voice of BBC Food.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Having spent several years of her childhood in India where she explored and experienced the vast and varied cuisines of the country, Manju Malhi loves hosting cookery theatres around the country promoting the easy ethos of Indian home cooking. Specialising in Anglo-Indian cuisine, she writes on Indian food for newspapers and magazines, voice overs and television continuity for BBC1 and BBC2 (her favourite channel) and is the voice of BBC Food.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Manju Malhi is very much at home in any media situation and is a natural, charismatic personality, very much in demand at prestigious cookery events.[/expand]
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Expert on Social Media, Technology & Digital Strategies

Tiffany St James is a social technologist and digital strategist advising governments and industry on greater digital competency. Her achievements in digital and social media: She launched the world’s first social media monitoring laboratory now used for a global advertising agency. The Former Head of Public Participation (Social Media) for the UK Government, the only role of its kind in the world. She wrote social media policy and guidance for the UK Govt and delivered civil service training.

“One of the UK’s leading Social Media experts”

[expand title=”In detail”] Now a social media digital strategist for leading technology companies and projects Tiffany works for The Guardian, Microsoft, Channel4 and Euro RSCG London. She also advises the Speaker of the House of Commons on Public Engagement and is Special Advisor to The British Interactive Media Association. Tiffany launched data.gov.uk the UK Government’s data repository and the largest in the world working with Sir Tim Berners-Lee[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Tiffany works with sponsors, producers and corporate clients to ensure her presentations take them on an interesting journey of discovery in digital and social media. She bringing campaigns to life, finds useful, entertaining and relevant examples, grounds technology and its application and inspires use through practical and useful strategy and guidance.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Tiffany is renowned for her clear and fluent speaking style and abundance of practical examples. She continues to be in great demand by corporate clients the world over.[/expand]
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Co-Founder of lastminute.com & Travelocity European Operations, Chairman at made.com

Brent Hoberman co-founded lastminute.com in 1998; three years after he had drafted the initial idea when working as a strategy consultant. Lastminute.com was the UK’s highest profile site and is one of Europe’s leading ecommerce companies. He was CEO until 2006 and then became the chairman and chief strategic officer of lastminute.com. He admits to being bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and has founded or backed a number of other companies since lastminute.com

“One of the most accomplished leaders in the rapidly changing E-commerce sector”

[expand title=”In detail”] Brent was educated at Eton and holds a MA in French and German literature from Oxford. After building revenues more successfully than his peers, he was hailed as a survivor of the dot-com crash, and remained as CEO of Lastminute.com Ltd. through 2005, when the company was sold to Sabre for £577m. Brent was also Head of Business Development and founding member of QXL. He is also an angel investor in several internet companies including Viagogo, erepublik, Wayn.com and academia.edu. In 2009, he joined The Business Council for Britain and co-founded PROfounders Capital.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Co-host of the European Founders Forum and non Executive Director at Guardian Media Group, TalkTalk plc and Time Out Group, 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. He will lead the way for countless E-businesses due to his first-hand knowledge on what gives a company the competitive edge to survive, especially in daily changing sectors such as E-commerce. His entrepreneurial vision ensures the customer experience is continually enhanced by the latest innovations in technology.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Strategy consultant and Internet entrepreneur, Brent is a dynamic speaker and a “Dot com icon”. He illustrates points from his own experiences and always seeks to be provocative and inspirational whilst using humour to add some fun to the occasion.[/expand]
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Leading UAE Media Personality, Former Member of the UAE Federal National Council

Najla Al Awadhi is a former Member of Parliament of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and a distinguished media leader in the Middle East. Her Excellency is also the first woman from a Gulf Cooperation Country to hold a chief executive post in a state run media organization. For over a decade Her Excellency served as CEO of Channels at Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI), previously serving as General Manager of Dubai One and Deputy CEO of Dubai Media Inc.

“Few can deny the force that is Najla Al Awadhi”

[expand title=”In detail”] Her Excellency is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders and also the Global Agenda Councils of the WEF. She is a Fellow of the Aspen Institute’s Middle East Leadership Initiative and acting Chairperson of the regional board of Young Arab Leaders. Her Excellency graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of New Hampshire where she was President of both the Muslim Student Association and the Human Rights Committee. Her Excellency is currently completing her graduate studies at Harvard University.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]One of the first women in the history of the UAE to become a member of the UAE’s Parliament, its youngest parliamentarian and the youngest female member of any Arab legislation body in Khaleeji history, Najla Al Awadhi covers a range of socio-political topics, broadly speaking about anything that falls under media, government, or the role and rights of women, in the context of the Arab and Muslim world. She is brimming with dreams to initiate positive change in society through the development of women’s rights in the region.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Energetic and dynamic, Najla represents the up-and-coming generation of passionately fired-up Arab women who take their role as enterprising and productive members of society very seriously. [/expand]
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