Born in Roscommon, Ireland, I studied Japanese & International Marketing at Dublin City University. After graduating in 1992 I moved to live in Japan where I spent two years in the public sector in Kawaguchi City (30 mins north of Tokyo), as a Coordinator of International Relations for its City Hall. There I was a link between the local government and the foreign population in that industrial city, as well as an interpreter for visiting dignitaries and cultural groups. It gave me ample opportunity to organize different types of cross-cultural events and to hone my sense of humour.

I spent a further two years in Japan with a small consulting & training organisation tailoring business communication programs for executives from Japan’s top 100 companies. During these years I also gained experience in journalism, covering Japanese events for local and Irish newspapers.In 1996, I saw an opportunity in Japan for a speaker bureau that would provide not just Japanese but also local and overseas-based foreign guest speakers for Japanese conferences and events. Our clients have included all of Japan’s major newspaper groups, the larger Japanese corporations as well as local government institutions throughout Japan and multinationals with branches in that country.

Four years later I moved to the Netherlands and established a base near Amsterdam from where Speaker Ideas has expanded its network of clients and speakers. Since then we have worked with clients and speakers on every continent. I’m proud of our track record in bringing together speakers and MCs who can deliver outstanding results with the clients and audiences that trust us to do so.

Life is good.