John is a media and communication specialist. He helps people – from individuals to global organisations, including ten FTSE 100 companies – to connect better and more effectively with their audiences.
An insightful, provocative and entertaining speaker, John delivers compelling and witty talks on issues of leadership, trust, the media revolution and how to persuade and influence people.
John’s talks include topics such as:
- improving communication
- connecting emotionally with clients, teams and audiences
- his experience as a father of an autistic child
He is particularly fascinated by the powerful lessons that people with autism can teach all of us when it comes to effective communication. Based on family experience and his work with the National Autistic Society – where he sits on the national advisory board – John delivers powerful talks that: explore what autism is and how it affects interpersonal communication; debunk the myths around the condition; and highlight the incredible achievements made by autistic people when the environment is right for them.
Most of all he provides insights into how our understanding can not only help people with autism but can help us all become more empathetic, convincing and trusted speakers with all audiences – especially in the world of work.
Audiences will learn that a message is what is received, not what is sent. They will also discover that emotion is more powerful than fact and that most communication is noise rather than signal. How we use these insights to everyone’s benefit is the core of John’s talk.
John began his career in the 1980s as a European equity analyst with Charterhouse Tilney before joining the Financial Times as European editor of the Investor’s Chronicle.
He has worked at a senior level as a journalist, columnist and editor on national newspapers (including the Financial Times, Scotsman, Times, Scotland on Sunday and Sunday Herald) and has been editorial director of two national magazine groups. John also worked as head of media relations for FTSE-100 company ScottishPower. He is currently director of Second City Communications.
As an editor, John Hatfield was twice been winner of the Magazine of the Year award and is author of Maximise Your Media Impact and The Sniper On the Bouncy Castle. He is also an established speechwriter, conference speaker and screenwriter with two independent movies to his credit.
