GREAT COMMUNICATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Writing Team
- Senior Coach and Trainer
Alys Wallinger's background is in both writing and acting for theatre, film and TV. As a writer, she trained under the prestigious Royal Court Young Writer's Programme and Criterion New Writer's Programme and has since written plays which have toured nationally to critical acclaim. As an actress, she has worked in the West End and has played a range of interesting roles over the years. Alys understands what it is to feel the pressure of performing and can empathise with those feeling nervous about delivering a speech. Her experience, however, has enabled her to learn key tools and tricks to manage nerves, channel pressure and ultimately deliver an optimum performance.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Writing Team
- Senior Manager
Anna O'Kennedy previously worked as a business consultant and an English teacher. Combined with her love of the written and spoken word, this meant she was perfectly positioned to offer our clients a unique set of qualities in terms of coaching, consultancy and project management. She has a rare ability to see through complex communication conundrums (from tone of voice and strategy to ensuring huge amounts of copy are delivered against challenging deadlines). She has an upbeat, pragmatic approach to getting the job done and adds huge value in the process. Anna's at her happiest when she's working with companies and organisations on big projects, ensuring they receive the team and support they need.
Job Titles:
- Company Secretary
- Member of the Writing Team
Anna Quayle is our Company Secretary. She has a background in fundraising, working most recently for the NSPCC. She joined the Great Speech Writing team on a part-time basis in 2009.
Job Titles:
- Communications Consultant
- Member of the Writing Team
Ben Timpson spent over 13 years in the armed forces as a strategic communications specialist and advisor to senior leadership teams around the world. He has a wealth of experience delivering communication campaigns in high pressure, politically complex circumstances. As a former spokesperson he also understands the unique pressures placed upon those tasked with speaking on behalf of an organisation - and what it takes to succeed. Alongside consultancy, Ben is also a speechwriter who loves nothing more than the challenge of winning over a difficult audience with a dry subject! When he's not writing your speech, he can be found in the test match special box commentating on his favourite sport.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Writing Team
- Senior Writer
- Senior Speech Writer
Dolan Cummings is our senior speech writer. He has been writing and delivering speeches and copy for many years. He began his career at the BBC and went on to write comment pieces for the Scottish press. He went on to organising and chairing public debates in London and elsewhere on everything from the arts to international politics. The eclectic range of speakers he admires include Martin Luther King and Chris Rock. Dolan works on a huge range of speeches. He has an extraordinary knack of drawing the right information from clients in a short period of time!
Job Titles:
- Member of the Writing Team
- Operations Manager
Katie Hedges joined us in 2014. She runs the accounts and manages our online business projects. She previously worked for eleven years as a Digital Account Manager at a German web agency and has an extraordinary eye for detail and impeccable calmness under pressure. She may be found at weekends playing tennis, watching football and baking banana cake.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Writing Team
Lawrence Bernstein, Director. After graduating in History from Peterhouse, Cambridge, Lawrence worked for Kleinwort Benson and Merrill Lynch, leading to six years running a strategic London-based brand consultancy. He had always wanted to spend more time writing, and in 2006 he placed an advert in Private Eye Magazine for a new speech writing service. After four years he dedicated his time exclusively to building the speech writing business. As ‘Great Speech Writing' has evolved, Lawrence's career has come full circle, and he has created ‘Great Speech Writing & Communications'. This pulls together strategic advisory services alongside a speech writing team. He stays involved in every part of the business, and remains true to his original promise that no speech, client or piece of business is too big or too small.