Central Staff

Jez Sweetland - Chief Executive

Jez is a former corporate lawyer who turned his back on the City to work as an operations manger for a youth work charity. He read Law at university, followed by a post-graduate legal practice course and two years with the solicitors Eversheds in Norwich. He moved to London and spent four years with the City law practice Berwin Leighton Paisner, working on corporate finance clients.His unusual combination of speech and drama experience, legal training and practice and charity sector work encouraged the SpeakersBank team to offer him the position of Chief Executive in September 2006.

Sophia Koniarska - Development Manager

Sophia joined SpeakersBank in July 2008. After graduating from Newcastle University with a degree in history, Sophia enjoyed a year of independent travelling before beginning her career with a barristers chambers in the Inner Temple. Prior to joining SpeakersBank Sophia worked for Merrill Lynch in Campus Recruitment for their Investment Banking Division. Sophia is currently undertaking an MA in Charity Management.


Jessica Broome - Office Manager

Jessica joined SpeakersBank in November 2009 having just graduated from the University of Leeds with First class honours in Linguistics & Phonetics. Prior to joining SpeakersBank, Jessica carried out work placements at the BBC and St Matthew's Children's Fund Ethiopia. 

Jack Petchey's "Speak Out" Challenge! Team

Julie Holness - Project Director

Julie has over 20 years international experience in management and training within the academic and corporate sectors. Her inspiration lies in the principle that "The greatest waste in the world is the difference between what we are and what we could become". 




Becky Griffiths - Project Coordinator 

Becky has been with the programme since September 2008. She is involved with the day to day coordinating, supporting trainers when necessary. Before the "Speak Out" Challenge , Becky worked in the music business for 10 years.  

Board Members

Sue Warner - Founding Director

Sue Warner is the founding director of SpeakersBank, and has worked in the voluntary and not-for-profit sectors for over 20 years. She headed training and regional development for the National Centre for Volunteering. She also coordinated volunteer training for the Directory of Social Change and led the ‘People: a Force for Change’ conference.

Her own fears drove her belief in personal development through speaking: “I lacked confidence. I died speaking - couldn’t face an audience. At meetings I stayed silent even if I had a point of view”. Her first visit to a SpeakersClub changed everything “ But it’s a long time to wait until your 40s to find you have a voice. I resolved there and then that everyone has something to say, and to devote time to giving a voice to the silent - to promote active citizenship”.The result was that she founded the Speak Up! Speak Out! initiative, from which grew SpeakersBank.

To read a recent interview with Sue click here


David Thompson - Chairman

David brings a wealth of experience in business, training and volunteer leadership, combined with a determination that nobody should feel unable to speak in public.
For the last 25 years he has worked for Linguarama, developing business with clients in government and corporate sectors who need to communicate more effectively in their international work.
In 1995 he crept tentatively into a public speaking club. Over the last 10 years he has been elected to many volunteer leadership roles at local, regional and national level across Britain and Ireland. In his enthusiasm to provide more opportunities to learn confident public speaking, David has successfully sponsored, supported and mentored more than 30 new clubs.    

Tony Breslin - Vice Chairman

Dr. Tony Breslin has been Chief Executive at the Citizenship Foundation since September 2001. He has a background in teaching, and is now a qualified OFSTED inspector. Tony joined the SpeakersBank board in March 2007.

Unlike most people associated with SpeakersBank, Anne has no experience or qualifications in training and counselling others. Her background is in academic publishing, having worked for 12 years for Oxford University Press and more recently for Faber & Faber. Work assignments took her frequently to Eastern Europe during the Cold War period and to Egypt and the Middle East.

She has been working as a volunteer for SpeakersBank since its inception. She was a founding shareholder, and joined the Board in 2006.

Anne grew up in Norfolk and moved to London in the Swinging Sixties. Apart from one year in Italy she’s lived there ever since. She and her husband have two grown up children.


Sean Kennedy - Non-Executive Director

Sean is a trainer, speaker and businessman who now devotes an increasing proportion of his time to public speaking and vocational training work with young people.

Sean came to the UK in 1987, working on building sites in London before starting his own successful construction company, subsequently a property development business and latterly a property investment company. He was appointed to the board of SpeakersBank in September 2007 and was the driving force behind the creation and early success of SpeakersBank's largest programme, Jack Petchey's “Speak Out” Challenge!

The SpeakersBank Timeline:

• 1998/9 - Sue Warner's vision (to read a recent interview with Sue click here)
• 2001 - UN International Year of Volunteers – Speak Up! Speak Out! (SUSO) becomes a central part of the theme in England. Home Office secondee appointed.
• 2002 - SpeakersBank launch at the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund offices. Millennium Commission contract commissioned to run national training programme.
• 2003 - Sue Warner receives Individual National Training Award. The start of the education programme in Islington - “Find a Voice Find a Job”.
• 2004 - National Exemplar Fund grant from the Home Office. First part-time Programme co-ordinator appointed, Dale Rees-Bevan (consultant).
  
• 2005 - 35 Associates and 40+ potential associates in place. Close to 10,000 trained.
  
  • Citi Foundation funds "Financially Speaking" training programme.
• 2006 - Jack Petchey Foundation grant received to take training into London secondary schools.
  
  • SpeakersBank Australia launched.
  • SpeakersBank and Speakers Trust merger.
  • Jez Sweetland appointed as part-time CEO (September) and Jennifer Earle appointed as first Office Manager.
    
• 2007 - 40 Associates in place. Over 20,000 people trained.
  
  • Core funding provided from the Rank Foundation for 3 years support.
  • Jack Petchey programme grows to train 15,000 young people in the year.
    
• 2008 - 50 Associates in place. 28,000 people trained.
• Sophia Koniarska appointed as first full-time Office Manager.
  
• New website launched.
• Caroline Clark announced as the inaugural "Trainer of the Year".
  
• 2009 - 55 Associates in place. 1,414 workshops delivered in one year.
   
• Sophia Koniarska promoted to Development Manager.
• Jessica Broome appointed as full-time Office Manager.
• Alastair Brunker announced as "Trainer of the Year".
• Continuation of key funded programmes: Jack Petchey Foundation "Speak Out!" Challenge and Citi "Financially Speaking".
• Further funding from the Joseph Rank Trust to provide "Seeing is Believing" training.
  
• 2010 - To be continued...