2007 Keynote Speakers

Bill Cullen - How to Be a Winner - 15.00

Bill Cullen, legendary head of Renault Ireland, will be sharing his experiences of how he moved from selling apples on the streets of Dublin to owning a company with an annual turnover of over €350 million. Bill’s story was told in his best-selling memoir ‘It’s a Long Way from Penny Apples’ in 2004.

In his keynote seminar Bill will condense his experience into Six Simple Steps to Success. Under his inspirational guidance, you will find out how to create your own future, master an attitude for achieving and formulate a dynamic plan of action. You should leave the session with a toolbox including key selling skills, the art of persuasive communication and the ability to make a name for yourself and your organisation.

Bill promises to inspire, challenge and motivate with his keynote seminar on ‘How to be a Winner’

Born and bred in the rough inner city slums of Summerhill in Dublin, Bill was one of fourteen children. Selling on the streets from the age of six, was a means of putting food on the table for Bill and his family. He finished school at thirteen to go on the street full-time. In 1956 Bill got a job as a messenger boy for a pound a week at Waldens Ford Dealer in Dublin. Through hard work and unrelenting determination, Bill was appointed director general of the company in 1965. Bill went on to set up the Fairlane Motor Company, which became the biggest Ford dealership in Ireland. In 1986 he took over the troubled Renault car distribution franchise from Waterford Crystal. His turnaround of that company into what is now the Glencullen Group is a business success story.

Solutions Focus is a positive and pragmatic approach to change. Used by a worldwide community of managers, coaches and consultants, this proven and simple approach looks to avoid problem analysis in favour of building on what’s working. Solutions Focus author and pioneer Dr Mark McKergow will show how this approach can help you to grow your business by making the most of what you have, rather than worrying about what’s missing. Mark has led the creation of the worldwide SF community and will use his experience to illustrate how the principles of SF can help you in building a worldwide audience and marketplace.

Dr Mark McKergow is an international consultant, speaker and author. Many people around the world have been inspired by his work in Solutions Focus - he is a global pioneer applying Solutions Focus ideas to organisational and personal change. His book 'The Solutions Focus: the SIMPLE Way to Positive Change' (co-authored with Paul Z Jackson) was published in 2002 and declared one of the year's top 30 business books in the USA. The second edition was published in 2006, and is now in seven languages. His latest book ‘Solutions Focus Working: 80 real-life lessons for successful organisation change’ (with Jenny Clarke) was published in May 2007.

A scientist by training and by nature, Mark continues to seek simplicity and reliability in learning and change. His influences range from systems thinking and brain research to language, narrative and philosophy. He has presented on every continent except Antarctica, and is an international conference keynote presenter. Mark was instrumental in the founding of the SolWorld (Solutions in Organisations Linkup) conference series, is a member of the SolWorld international steering group and founded Solutions Books with Jenny Clarke in 2005. He has been elected to membership of Jack Canfield's Transformational Leadership Council - the only British-based person to be so honoured.