CIPR Inside leadership comms event this Thursday - new speakers just added

We have just confirmed two great new additions to the panel of business leaders and communicators lined up for the CIPR Inside leadership communication event taking place in London this Thursday (22 January).

In addition to the excellent speakers already confirmed (see below) we will now be joined by Simon MacDowall from HMRC and Nick Henderson from Guardian GS LLP.

Both Nick and Simon bring different and unique perspectives to the leadership agenda and will further strengthen the panel, promising a lively and informative debate. I, for one, am really looking forward to it.

Here's a little more about them:

Simon MacDowall is currently Director of Communications and Marketing for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), one of the largest government departments with 90,000 staff and a budget of £4.25 billion. Although responsible for both external and internal communications, the challenge of leading a programme to engage and motivate people at a time of restructuring, budget cuts and annual reduction of the workforce is probably the greatest.

Previously he was Director General of Media and Communications at the Ministry of Defence and Communications Director at the Department for Work and Pensions. Before joining the Civil Service in 1999, Simon was Chief of Public Information for NATO in North-western Europe; following on from a career in the Canadian Army, during which he saw service in Canada, Germany, Bosnia, Kosovo, Nicaragua and Honduras.

Nick Henderson is currently the CEO of Guardian GS LLP a strategic risk mitigation company. Guardian provides intelligence and information to large corporations and family offices on how to mitigate people risk.

Prior to joining Guardian Nick was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Coldstream Guards for 24 years. His last appointment was as Commanding Officer. In the course of 2005 he was responsible for all aspects of security, governance, reconstruction and communications in Basra City, Iraq which included the much-publicised rescue of 2 Special Forces operatives from the Iraqi Police in September of that year.

In Iraq Nick established a comprehensive and structured training plan for the Iraqi Police Force which included all military and civil agencies, national as well as international. This plan has subsequently been adopted by the British Army. Additionally, he established new procedures to combat the rising threat from roadside bombs and suicide bombers within the city. He specialises in evaluating threats and establishing teams to implement security measures to neutralize these threats.

Nick has extensive experience at the international and strategic level having worked in the UK Ministry of Defence, with NATO and with the UN.

In addition to these two new speakers, the session will also feature:

• Jonathon Scott, former Group Head of Internal Communication at Royal Sun Alliance
• Sally Costerton, Chairperson and CEO, Hill & Knowlton EMEA
• Richard Dennison, Senior manager - social media at BT plc
• Henri Forde, Head of Internal Communications, City & Guilds Group

The event will take place at Hill & Knowlton's offices (20 Soho Square, London W1A 1PR) from 1600-1830. Tickets cost just £25 + VAT (£28.75) for CIPR members; £35 +VAT (£40.25) for non-members. To reserve your place simply email ciprinside@ntlworld.com.

I hope to see you there.

Lee Smith on Jan 18 2009

0 Comments