Former First Minister of Wales

Professor the Rt. Hon. Carwyn Jones

Carwyn Jones is the former First Minister of Wales, a barrister and Professor at Aberystwyth University.  During his distinguished political career, he spoke at UK Parliament, European Parliament, the United Nations, and US Congress. Unsurprisingly, he is a wonderfully engaging speaker and presenter who, aside from his obvious leadership and management experience, specialises in:

Presentation Skills

• Public speaking training including how to prepare and present a speech for maximum impact
• How to ask and answer questions, particularly in a media context.
• How to pitch an idea and get attention quickly.

“You may have written the best speech ever, but if you don’t deliver it properly, the impact will surely be lost.”

Looking After Yourself

• Coping with stress and pressure.
• How to manage others effectively by managing yourself.
• How to seek support.

Working with Government

• How does government work?
• Understanding decision makers and advisors.
• How to get noticed.

Former Chief Special Adviser to the Welsh Government

Matt Greenough

Matt Greenough is the former Chief Special Adviser to the Welsh Government. In addition to being the top adviser on policy and media, Matt wrote all of Carwyn Jones’ political key-note speeches in his last five years as the First Minister of Wales.

Prior to becoming the chief special advisor, Matt held senior posts in Government advising on media and strategic communications, and in education policy.

He has worked on successive and successful UK and Welsh General Election campaigns, and the referendum on further powers for the National Assembly for Wales.

“Not everyone can easily find the right words for each situation, but it’s a skill that can be learned.”

Matt is the European Speechwriter of the Year for 2020. He can help you choose the right words for the right time and the right place, providing bespoke speechwriting, communications advice and training. All the way from writing key-note speeches, to editing drafts, and right down to the nuts and bolts of social media.

Chief Executive Chwarae Teg

Cerys Furlong

Cerys Furlong is Chief Executive of Chwarae Teg, Wales’s leading economic development agency for women, and a charity that campaigns for gender equality. Prior to joining Chwarae Teg, Cerys was Director for Wales at the Learning and Work Institute, and has over ten years’ experience working in the education and skills sector whilst holding a number of non-executive roles.

In 2018 Cerys was appointed to the Cardiff City Region Economic Development Board, and also runs a number of successful businesses, including a small group of pubs and restaurants in Cardiff.

“It has never been more important to demonstrate good governance and embrace the underlying principles of equality, diversity and inclusion.”

Cerys was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of Cardiff University in 2017 for her services to gender equality, and delivers related sessions covering:

– Equality, diversity and inclusion, together with equality driven leadership

– Leadership development and authentic leadership; building your personal brand

– Working with (and influencing) government, including local government

– Governance

– Developing commercial enterprise in the public or third sector

Experienced rugby coach and leader

Mike Ruddock OBE

Mike Ruddock is vastly experienced rugby coach and leader, having worked at club, regional, provincial and international level. His highlights include coaching Swansea RFC to two Welsh Championships and a Welsh Cup triumph, as well as being at the helm when Swansea RFC had an historic win over Australia in 1992.

Mike is probably best remembered though, for being the Head Coach of the Wales team that won the 6 Nations in 2005, achieving their first Grand Slam in 27 years.

During his extensive time in Ireland, Mike helped Leinster to win the Irish Interprovincial Championship in 1997 before steering the Ireland Under 20 International team to their first ever World Cup top four finish in 2014. He also coached Lansdowne RFC to three All Ireland league titles, the All-Ireland cup and numerous Leinster league and cup victories.

“When it comes to team dynamics, and what makes them work, there’s not much that I haven’t seen.”

Mike has won the Welsh Coach of the year award on two occasions, and he was the All-Ireland League coach of the year in 2018.

Mike now works as the Development Director for Ospreys Rugby and brings all his experience to the fore in talking about change management and developing high performance teams.

Retired Divisional Commander Police Officers

Professional Together

With new societal threats facing people in their professional and personal lives, have you wondered where your organisation’s vulnerabilities lie, what safeguarding issues you should be considering, or how staff in certain positions can be targeted, compromised and exploited by those who wish to manipulate them for their own benefit?

Professional Together’s offering centres around these very considerations and is the essence of experiential training.

Tim Jones and Phil Davies are two recently retired and vastly experienced police officers, having both been Divisional Commanders.

“There are many emerging threats to business, and poor behaviours or decisions can have catastrophic consequences.”

Their delivery style is open, engaging and with appropriate humour drawn from their experiences. Ahead of any event, they consult with their clients and identify areas of transferrable learning and skills that they then build into bespoke sessions, including presentations, group sessions and role-play.

Their sessions are supported by relevant legislation and current case studies, and where necessary written material. The aspiration is to help people keep safe and make good choices for themselves, and ultimately to protect the security and professional reputation of their organisation.

The sessions, supported by specially selected retired officers of mixed gender, last one hour and cover the following subject areas:

• Understand your responsibilities – “Protecting professionalism”
• Use of social media – “Safeguards for social media”
• Confidentiality – “Need to know not nice to know”
• Inappropriate associations – “Are you keeping good company?”
• Sexual conduct and pornography – “Respect and legality”
• Managing conflict – “Avoiding confrontation and risk”
• Gambling – “Don’t gamble your future away”
• Substance misuse – “The real cost of substance misuse”.
• Responsible driving – “Keeping safe behind the wheel”

Retired Royal Marine Commando

Jed Stone

Jed Stone specialises in embedding a philosophy of ‘Mission Delivery’, and in doing so aligning organisational ambition with high-performing behaviours.

It is founded on many military principles and headed up by Jed Stone, a Royal Marine Commando of some 25-years’ service. As well as a number of ‘operational’ roles, Jed spent 4 years at the Joint Services Mountaineering Training Centres, a total of 8 years at the Commando Training Centre, and 3 years at the Royal Naval School of Leadership & Management and the Royal Navy Engineering Centre for Resource & Initiative Training.

“So many military principles transfer readily to the workplace and can be adopted to enhance any organisation.”

During this time, he also led teams that broke 2 Guinness World Records and represented Great Britain at sport.

Unsurprisingly, Jed can draw on many associates and military contacts to support delivery, as well as his wealth of experience delivering consultancy services globally to clients such as Walmart, KPMG, Estee Lauder, Diageo, Barclays, Kenya Airways, Bacardi, Kenya Commercial Bank, Panasonic and New York University. He has also worked with professional sports teams including Worcester Warriors, Newport Dragons and Wales Hockey.

Jed has a real passion for enabling others to achieve higher levels of performance. His sessions are hugely enjoyable, using exercises and presentations to support group learning about the fundamentals of mission delivery and the requisite associated behaviours.

World class sportsman and leader

Phil Davies

Phil is a world class sportsman and leader with a career in rugby union that has spanned over 35 years.  His career has so far encompassed over 1,400 matches as a player and coach, including 46 caps for Wales along with winning 22 trophies, plus participation in 6 World Cups, whilst playing and coaching in 20 different countries around the world.

He has a demonstrable track record of nurturing and developing talent to perform at elite level, whilst building high-performing teams.

“I am passionate about leadership and its role in developing talent and high performing teams.”

Phil specialises in leadership and has developed a number of presentations and programmes that address the values, mindsets and behaviours of good leaders; exploring what makes them effective and the qualities that set them apart from others.

Former Chief Constable

Jackie Roberts

Jackie is a former Chief Constable of Dyfed Powys Police, who is now delivering leadership and coaching sessions for companies across the country.

She is an ILM Level 7 coach and advanced executive coach and mentor, who has applied experience of coaching and mentoring throughout a 30-year career in policing. She works internationally with ‘C’ suite executives, boards, senior leaders and senior teams.

“Coaching and mentoring are important skills for a modern and effective leader, and together they make for much more productive relationships.”

Jackie’s coaching develops emotionally aware leaders, who lead with heart and conscience. Using a variety of tools to achieve positive outcomes, she specialises in helping clients become inspirational leaders through simplification of strategy, effecting change, improving performance, better decision making and productive relationships. Her sessions will ensure that leaders have the resilience and knowhow to deal with the complexities of leadership challenges in the ever changing 21^st century, thus creating a legacy of good practice for others to follow.

She has recently qualified to undertake psychometric assessments.

Jackie’s approach will work well for those who prefer to:

– Achieve greater self-awareness and emotional self-regulation, resilience and coping strategies

– Find meaning and purpose

– Create clarity

– Grow strategic impact

– Develop new perspectives and thinking

– Understand strengths and values of self, team and organisation

– Undertake self-reflection

– Make a difference to others and their organisation

Former CEO Newport Gwent Dragons

Stuart Davies

Stuart has held senior management positions in multiple sectors and a variety of specialist roles, having originally qualified as an Environmental Health Officer.

His highest profile appointment perhaps was that of Chief Executive Officer at the then Newport Gwent Dragons professional rugby team. He orchestrated a key moment in the region’s history, having identified the need to separate the Dragons from the group structure, and then formulating a strategy for the delivery of that major objective.

He led the Board through many financial and procedural considerations, and fronted the whole process, whilst maintaining ‘business as usual’ against a background of uncertainty, speculation, media scrutiny and contentious stakeholder meetings. Transformational and historic change was achieved, and professional rugby sustained in East Wales.

“This is an incredible collection of speakers that could have an invaluable impact on any organisation.”

During his formative professional years, he also played top flight rugby, representing Swansea RFC and gaining 17 Welsh caps. He was invariably in a leadership role, and captained Swansea to an historic win over world champions Australia in 1992.

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In pulling these two worlds together, Stuart delivers sessions on the parallels between business and sport, drawing on how his experiences during 14 years of playing sport at elite level shaped his own approach in key areas such as leadership, management, motivation and team dynamics.

He explores the behaviours of high performing teams and the founding principles on which success is based, underpinning his delivery with humorous and interesting real-life anecdotes that might help shape or challenge behaviours in your organisation, just as they did his.

As an experienced sports broadcaster, writer and after-dinner speaker, unsurprisingly Stuart is also accomplished at hosting presentations and sessions, and facilitating discussions. He will ‘hold the day together’ and do so with a light touch and a ready wit, ensuring that all delegates enjoy the day and get the most from their attendance.

BBC Broadcaster

Phil Steele

Known to thousands of rugby fans throughout Wales as a knowledgeable,  mirthful and passionate rugby reporter and commentator for the BBC, and a brilliantly witty and entertaining after dinner speaker, Phil Steele’s sunny demeanour and humorous disposition mask an almost unbearable truth.

For two thirds of his life Phil has battled against crippling bouts of depression and anxiety, as well as having to cope with several personal and family tragedies along the way.

“The importance of mental health cannot be overstated, and I hope that my story inspires, as well as helping people to recognise the signs and get or provide the required support.”

Despite the dealing of such cruel life cards, Phil’s determination and positive attitude have enabled him to live a full and rewarding life, which includes becoming loved and respected by players and fans alike as one of BBC Wales’ favourite broadcasters. (Indeed, Phil passes on all his broadcasting experience as part of our media training offering, majoring on how ‘soft skills’ play such an important part in the interview dynamic.)

With mental illness thought to affect 1 in 4 people in the workplace in Wales though, Phil’s story will resonate with everyone. It will give a searing insight into the importance of mental health, as well as providing hope for the future to anyone affected.