.jpg)
Stef Reid
Former Team GB Track and Field Paralympian
New Additions – Winter 2023
It has been a busy start to the year for our New Talent Manager here at JLA with some fantastic conference speakers, awards hosts and performers being added to our website. Below is just a selection of the top talent to add to your consideration ahead of your next event.
It has been a busy start to the year for our New Talent Manager here at JLA with some fantastic conference speakers, awards hosts and performers being added to our website. Below is just a selection of the top talent to add to your consideration ahead of your next event.
Stef Reid
Stef is a British Paralympic long jumper and sprinter. She is World Champion, four-time Paralympian, triple Paralympic medallist, and five-time world record holder. She also has a degree in biochemistry and was the first amputee to walk the London Fashion Week catwalk.
View Stef Reid‘s speaker profile here.
Dr Adam Kucharski
Dr Adam Kucharski’s Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Sir Henry Dale Fellow at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. He focuses on the dynamics of infectious diseases, and is interested in how social behaviour and immunity shape disease transmission.
View Dr Adam Kucharski‘s speaker profile here.
Winnie Awa
Winnie is a tech entrepreneur and the founder & CEO of Carra, an AI-driven digital hair health platform. She began as an Analyst for IBM and then was a Senior Consultant for Ernst & Young. She has worked with a variety of start-up companies, helping to build cutting-edge consumer apps.
View Winnie Awa‘s speaker profile here.
Pete Heat
Magician Pete Heat has appeared at the world’s most prestigious events. He’s performed for David Beckham, Carey Mulligan, The Libertines, and Elle Macpherson, and NME dubbed him “The Rock & Roll Magician”.
View Pete Heat‘s performer profile here.
Kamali Melbourne
Kamali started his career as a foreign news reporter on Channel 4. He has also worked for Bloomberg and the BBC. He presents the Early Rundown on Sky News every weekday from 5am.
View Kamali Melbourne‘s speaker profile here.
Marita Cheng
Roboticist Marita Cheng founded Robogals to get girls interested in engineering through visiting schools and teaching robotics. At twenty-two, leading a team of four thousand people across thirteen countries, she was named Young Australian of the Year, and was one of Forbes Top 50 Women in Tech.
View Marita Cheng‘s speaker profile here.
For further information or to book any of the above speakers please contact us.
Speaker Bureau in the Fast Lane – JLA’s Formula 1 Speakers
The eagerly anticipated 74th Formula 1 World Championship is just around the corner and if you’re looking to add excitement and inspiration to your next event, booking an F1 speaker could be the perfect solution.
The eagerly anticipated 74th Formula 1 World Championship is just around the corner and if you’re looking to add excitement and inspiration to your next event, booking an F1 speaker could be the perfect solution.
As well as being one of the most exhilarating and dramatic sports in the world, F1 requires an extremely high level of strategic thinking and tactical decision-making. The races are often full of drama and last minute changes – with unexpected mechanical failures and crashes, as well as weather conditions that can switch in an instant. As a Speaker Bureau, we know all too well that these experiences make for plenty of captivating stories and insights!
From their expertise in the sport, F1 speakers are able to offer unique and hugely valuable content which translates to a wide range of different businesses and event topics. They know what it takes to work under pressure and succeed at the very highest level and they can offer unrivalled perspectives on all important topics such as leadership, high performance & teamwork, and overcoming challenges. They have what it takes to keep audiences engaged, enthralled and entertained as well as providing all important takeaways for delegates.
The eagerly anticipated 74th Formula 1 World Championship is just around the corner and if you’re looking to add excitement and inspiration to your next event, booking an F1 speaker could be the perfect solution.
Christian Horner
Although he started out as a racing driver, Christian is now best known as the team principal of the Red Bull F1 team. As a leadership speaker he offers brilliant tips on management, teamwork and inspiration through his anecdotes of success both on and off the track.
View Christian Horner‘s speaker profile here.
Peter van Manen
As the former managing director of McLaren Electronic Systems where he worked for over a decade, Peter is very well respected in Formula 1. In his speeches he draws on his expertise in motorsport technology and automotive engineering and is excellent at captivating audiences.
View Peter van Manen‘s speaker profile here.
Nicolas Hamilton
Younger brother of seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, Nic is an accomplished and well respected racing driver in his own right. He has overcome major challenges in his life and is also a passionate advocate for disability rights in sport and beyond.
View Nicolas Hamilton‘s speaker profile here.
David Coulthard
As a driver, David completed 15 F1 seasons and has remained a fundamental part of the sport since his retirement through his involvement in commentary and analytics. He is a huge inspiration to many and is widely regarded as one of the most successful and iconic drivers of his generation.
View David Coulthard‘s speaker profile here.
If you’d like to enquire about any of the names above, or would like some more examples please contact your JLA Account Manager.
Conference Speakers who are Amazing Authors
With the 26th anniversary of World Book Day coming up in March, for this month’s feature I thought I would highlight some amazing authors who are on the speaking circuit.
Given World Book Day typically highlights the best in children’s literature, and there aren’t a huge number of speakers on the circuit who write children’s books, this list really focuses on non-fiction authors. Unless there are some children out there who can appreciate and enjoy the intricacies of the gender data bias gap or want to hear more about a prince that may or not sweat – then read on!
Sam McAlister
Sam’s brilliant book ‘Scoops’, which covers amongst other things the backstory about how the infamous Prince Andrew interview came about, has been picked up by Netflix and the film detailing the whole affair is due to be released with an A-list cast soon.
Alongside being an amazing storyteller, Sam is also a brilliant conference speaker and talks around a huge range of topics such as trust, communication and leadership.
View Sam McAlister‘s speaker profile here.
Tim Harford
In the intro I made a point to say how everyone here is really a non-fiction author, and that’s still very much the case with Tim as he has written some incredibly influential pieces of investigative journalism and economics books, but his latest book ‘The Truth Detective’ is squarely aimed at inquisitive young children who are interested in learning more about how the world works.
More relevant to us in the corporate world though, Tim is second to none in his storytelling ability, and gets his message across in an incredibly natural and easy way – at the end of his speech you will have learned a lot without even realising it!
‘The Truth Detective’ is due out on the 16th March, keep an eye out for it!
View Tim Harford‘s speaker profile here.
Matthew Syed
There aren’t many speakers on the circuit who have changed their careers quite so drastically as Matthew. From an Olympic and Commonwealth competitor in Table Tennis, to one of the UKs leading thought leaders it really is quite the shift and gives him a unique perspective of “performance” in general.
The lessons in his books ‘Bounce’ and ‘Black Box Thinking’ are quoted by execs all over the country and are great examples of how to attract, foster and retain exciting young talent and how to learn from mistakes. In his latest book ‘Rebel Ideas’, Matthew looks at cognitive diversity and how employers need to have more of an open mind when it comes to hiring, to ensure that everyone isn’t simply singing off the same hymn sheet and brings fresh ideas to an organisation. All lessons which any company would massively benefit from hearing about.
Matthew also has also written a range of children’s books to help young readers find their voice, and speak up with kindness and confidence. The latest of these ‘What Do YOU Think?’ was released last year.
View Matthew Syed‘s speaker profile here.
Caroline Criado Perez
A list talking about authors who speak wouldn’t be complete without Caroline. Her book ‘Invisible Women’ has genuinely changed scientific discourse around the way data and statistics have always typically discriminated and ignored women, and will hopefully lead to some major changes in the way that data is gathered.
As the book covers so many different real life examples of the gender data bias, she can draw on a massive range of stories in her speeches which makes her an absolute must have at any International Women’s day event, or any other event which looks at diversity and/or women’s issues.
View Caroline Criado Perez‘s speaker profile here.
Caitlin Moran
Caitlin is one of the UKs most prolific and best loved feminist authors, and is able to talk about incredibly serious topics in an approachable and humorous way.
With corporates, she typically prefers the Q&A format rather than a standard keynote – sometimes I personally think that can be a bit of a copout, but with Caitlyn it allows her (and whoever is interviewing) to get into such a huge range of topics in a more natural way and works so well.
View Caitlin Moran‘s speaker profile here.
Obviously this is just a small sample of some of the top authors that are on the speaking circuit. If you’d like to enquire about any of the names above, or would like some more examples please contact your JLA Account Manager.
Presenters & Conference Speakers recognised in this year’s New Year Honours
Another year has begun and once again The New Year Honours kick it off on a positive note as we recognise those who have dedicated themselves to society, their community or their area of work.
This year’s list is significant as it is the first to be signed off by King Charles III after the passing of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II in September. Over 1100 people across the UK have been honoured this year, 50% of them being women, and we would like to congratulate them all for their hard work and commitment.
Many of the honours have been bestowed on members of our communities, that would never normally want to draw attention to themselves however there are some whom we know very well here at JLA and we are very pleased to see them recognised for their achievements.
Former Olympic gold medallist and current Commonwealth Games president Denise Lewis was made a Dame for her services to sport after the resounding success of the 2022 Games in Manchester. Denise Lewis says becoming a Dame feels “like going full circle” after her gold in Sydney 22 years ago and recognises that she is one of few women in athletics to have received a Damehood, “I’m just so proud and incredibly beside myself.”
Grayson Perry, Turner Prize-winning artist was Knighted for his services to art, 8 years after being awarded a CBE by the then Prince of Wales and now King. One of the UK’s most popular modern artists and conference speaker Sir Grayson is best known for primarily working with ceramics however he has also sought to popularise art and social commentary through his various television projects.
After their exceptional performances at last summer’s Women’s European Championships where they “brought it home”, four members of the England football squad received honours. Lionesses captain Leah Williamson who lifted the trophy after the 2-1 victory over Germany received an OBE, whilst all-time leading goal scorer Ellen White received an MBE.
%20(6)%20(1).jpg)
Chairman of Zoo Digital, Gillian Wilmot was singled out for her services to business, entrepreneurship and to the prevention of problem gambling and was awarded a CBE for her contributions. Gillian is also a conference speaker who can speak about many business topics such as leadership, culture and risk as well as the importance of diversity within an organisation.
Countdown star and presenter Rachel Riley has been made an MBE for her efforts to raise awareness of the Holocaust and to educate against antisemitism. The mathematician, whose mother is Jewish, dedicated the honour to all those fighting against anti-Jewish racism.
In publishing Vanessa Kingori, chief business officer at Condé Nast Britain and publishing director at British Vogue, the first female to hold the position in the company’s long history, was honoured with an OBE for her services to the Media Industry. Vanessa is a diversity proponent and youth advocate who is able to speak on business transformation, change management and how to embrace digitalisation.
Presenter, comedian and radio DJ Frank Skinner has been made an MBE for his services to entertainment. Frank whose real name is Christopher Graham Collins said he held off on telling those closest to him about the honour in case it turned out to be the result of “some sort of administrative error”.
You certainly shouldn’t choose a speaker for your event based on their title, we have an abundance of highly skilled and inspirational speakers, presenters and performers to offer who don’t have one. However, if you wish to have one of the newly honoured individuals above at your 2023 event, please contact your JLA agent now.
Keynote Speakers for International Women’s Day 2023
This is one of my favourite times of year in the JLA calendar in the run up to International Women’s Day, where we are inundated with enquiries for inspiring and trailblazing women and I get to speak all day about the brilliant female keynote speakers that we work with!
This year’s IWD theme is #EmbraceEquity. Striving for equity differs from striving for equality, as it recognises that every person has a different set of starting circumstances and so we must adjust and allocate the resources & opportunities needed to reach an equal end outcome for all, rather than everyone just being allocated the same set of resources & opportunities.
I’ve put together some of my favourite female keynote speakers below, who I believe would be a perfect booking for an International Women’s Day event.
Caroline Criado Perez
Caroline is probably one of my most enquired about speakers for IWD, and it is no surprise why! Her hugely successful book ‘Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men’ explores the systematic bias that is behind the data & assumptions that underpin all aspects of our everyday lives; from healthcare, to crash-test dummies, to the way in which our cities are designed. It’s a brilliant and shocking read. As a keynote speaker, Caroline’s sessions always provoke discussion and provide a real opportunity to go away and think about what potential bias & assumptions might exist in your own working environments.
Laura Bates
As the Founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, Laura makes for a fantastic IWD keynote speaker. In her many books on the subject, including ‘Fix the System, Not the Women’, Laura looks at the systematic issues rooted in society & the workplace, and the structural change that will be needed to tackle misogyny.
Zing Tsjeng
Zing has had an impressive career as a journalist & author, culminating in her appointment as Editor in Chief of Vice. Her ‘Forgotten Women’ book-series looks at the untold stories of marginalised women throughout history, and Zing makes for a perfect IWD keynote speaker specialising in women’s and LGBTQ+ rights & equity.
Caitlin Moran
An incredibly charismatic and energetic speaker, Caitlin is brilliant for IWD events – there’s always an excitement in the air when she is about to take to the stage. Caitlin’s books and columns centre around feminism and equity, looking at what it means to be a woman in the modern world, making her a heavyweight addition to any IWD panel discussion.
Sonita Alleyne
Sonita has had an inspiring, varied career that includes sitting on the board of the National Employment Panel, serving on the BBC Trust for five years, and director and founder of the Yes Programme, which aims to show children how classroom skills can translate to real-world careers. She is also the Master of Jesus College, the first black woman to hold the post at any Oxbridge College. Sonita is a hugely engaging speaker and speaks all about equity, representation and inclusion.
Jill Scott
After the incredible Lionesses’ success last Summer, and speaking about her career and the hurdles she’s had to overcome playing a sport traditionally associated with men, Jill would make for an exciting addition to any IWD event.
For further information or to book any of the above speakers please contact us.