Sharing the stage with Astronaut Chris Hadfield, Dublin, January 2014

Looking forward to January 2014 when I will be sharing the stage in Dublin with Commander Chris Hadfield, whose amazing tweets and images broadcast from the International Space Station during 2012 were topped by a stunning ‘cover version’ of David Bowie’s classic ‘Space Oddity’ which he performed brilliantly!

It will be hard to match Chris’s story, but as a conference aimed at motivating Irish entrepreneurs and business people I will be giving insights into how Ireland has punched above its weight in an industry such as Formula One; not only from my time spent on the management board of Jordan Grand Prix, challenging for the Formula One World Championship in 1999, but going on to found Status Grand Prix and winning the World Cup of Motorsport for Ireland in 2009. I remember being told by one journalist that we’d never win a race, never mind a championship; nice to show what can be achieved if you put your mind to it! Leadership, innovation and team work will be among my themes, not to mention taking Ireland’s reputation for being a welcoming country and turning that into great customer service – and the best hospitality around.

Here’s the organisers official press release;

ASTRONAUT TO LAUNCH IRISH DELEGATES TO NEW HEIGHTS IN 2014

Renowned astronaut Colonel Chris Hadfield to deliver keynote address at inaugural Laya Healthcare Pendulum Summit

Colonel Chris Hadfield, the famous Canadian astronaut who was singing from space and tweeting ‘as gaeilge’ will be the keynote speaker at the inaugural Laya Healthcare Pendulum Summit that will take place at the Convention Centre, Dublin on 9th January 2014. With a conference tagline of Wisdom from Inspirational Minds, the speakers at the Laya Healthcare Pendulum Summit will focus on how they achieved mastery in their own lives and their approach to striving for a healthy work life balance. The underlying goal of the Laya Healthcare Pendulum Summit is to be the catalyst to help Ireland return to prosperous times.

Looking forward to coming to Ireland for the inaugural Laya Healthcare Pendulum Summit, Colonel Hadfield said: “I cannot wait to meet everyone at what will be a remarkable journey of embracing your inner pendulum and reaching for new heights in all areas of your life.” Speaking on the topic ‘The Sky is NOT the limit’, Colonel Hadfield will focus on how he kept himself inspired and motivated in solitude.

Guest MC, RTE broadcaster, Miriam O’Callaghan, will be present on the day. Other guests include renowned motivational speaker Frank Dick OBE; leading authority on personal development Jack Black; Formula One industry expert, Mark Gallagher; Performance & Leadership Specialist, Gurra Krantz; and former Bord Gais Chief Executive John Mullins. Diaspora member, Kingsley Aikens will be MC on the day and more exciting speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Title sponsor Laya Healthcare, Ireland’s second largest health insurer, is a proud partner of the Pendulum Summit. Dónal Clancy, Managing Director at Laya Healthcare, said: “At Laya Healthcare we are obsessed with ‘looking after you always’, and, for us, this starts from the inside out. Achieving a healthy work-life balance can be a challenge, which is why I am delighted to be part of such an innovative event that has the potential to realign our priorities and help us to be more efficient and effective in our daily working lives. In achieving this, we can positively impact on our overall business, bringing renewed energy and focus to every touch point with our customers.”

The Laya Healthcare Pendulum Summit is a day-long forum for discussion that will take place at the Convention Centre, Dublin on the 9th January 2014. It was born from the premise that everyone from the hard-nosed businessman to the aspiring academic strives for something more, something bigger, and, in essence, tries to find the magic ingredients that will allow them to maximise their potential in every aspect of their life.

At the heart of the conference is a diverse range of world-renowned international and homegrown speakers and guests who have reached the pinnacle of their industry. Through a series of interactive presentations and discussions, the speakers will demonstrate through real-life examples how they used hard work, innovation, inspiration, and motivation to overcome adversity and maintain a successful, balanced life while keeping their eye on the end goal.

The speakers will be experts in business, technology and organisational development and will be invited to dig a little deeper into the areas of psychology to demonstrate the mind-set behind their achievements. It’s an ideal platform to focus priorities and get Ireland back on track.

For more information on the Laya Healthcare Pendulum Summit visit www.pendulumsummit.com