Max Atkinson

Max Atkinson's original research into public speaking and presentation skills training first came to public notice when a televised experiment showed how he coached a novice with no previous experience of public speaking to win a standing ovation at a political party conference (the film of which can now be seen HERE).

He was formerly a Fellow of Wolfson College, and a lecturure at the Universities of Lancaster and Manchester. He has also held visiting professorships at the Henley Management Collage and other universities in Europe and the USA. He has acted as a consultant on presentation skills, public speaking and speech writing for numerous companies and organisations in the UK and abroad, often working individually with CEOs and other board level executives.

In 1985, he ran a training seminar on speech writing in the Reagan White House and, from 1987-1999 was a close advisor on presentation and speech writing to Paddy Ashdown, former leader of the Liberal Democrats.

His books include Our Masters' Voices: the language and body language of politics, London & New York, Methuen, 1984; Lend Me Your Ears: All You Need to Know about Making Speeches and Presentations, London, Vermilion, 2004 & New York, Oxford University Press, 2005; Speech-making and Presentation Made Easy: Seven Essential Steps to Success, London, Vermilion, 2008.