Biographies

 RUSSELL WARDROP 

Russell Wardrop, BSc (Hons) BArch ARIAS who is the Co-founder and CEO of Kissing with Confidence Ltd, an award-winning, specialist communication skills training company.(http://www.kissingwithconfidence.com/).   He is a dynamic, charismatic speaker who is passionate about communication. 

An internationally experienced keynote speaker, trainer, coach and facilitator, he works at the highest levels of government, academia and commerce with high performing individuals and teams to make them passionate, charismatic and unforgettable communicators.

A Chartered Architect who studied at Strathclyde University, Russell moved on from this profession to academia, where he held both lecturing and management positions, delivering academic papers on design quality, graduate employability and communication. 

Russell co-founded Kissing With Confidence in 2002. Oral communication has been taught for 5000 years: it is nothing new.  But the way Kissing With Confidence approaches training in this area is.  Passionate and committed, our trainers, coaches and speakers are exceptional and inspirational communicators; and our training is dynamic, challenging, and focused on results. 

In just five years the brand has become synonymous with outstanding quality in delivery to the highest levels in both the private and public sectors, thus establishing the company as a leader in its field with a client base comprising over 50 organisations, many global businesses, in a variety of sectors including financial services, legal services, construction, and oil and gas.  Kissing With Confidence continues to expand rapidly, with turnover set to double again in 2007 and new clients this year including Aggreko International, Apple, BP, Deloitte, Dundas & Wilson and Standard Life.

Russell's creative architectural training, his passion for communication, and more than 15 years experience of lecturing, training and academic course development, combine to create a unique blend of skills and experience which underpin the design and delivery of all Kissing With Confidence training. 

Russell inspires and motivates all who hear him.  Whether listening to what he has to say about oral communication in the Internet Age, or to his unforgettable Immortal Memory to Robert Burns, we guarantee you will be entertained.

CAMERON GRANT

Cameron Grant, Director of 3x1 Public Relations. (http://www.3x1.com/). Cameron is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). He is a past chair of CIPR Scotland and served on the national executive for three years latterly as chair of the Professional Practices Committee.

In 2001 he co-founded Glasgow based 3x1 Public Relations which was recognised by PR Week as the UK's "Ones to Watch" in 2006. Award highlights include winning the 2005 Marketing Excellence awards Best PR and Cause Related campaigns for Jon Mark & Robbo's Easy Drinking Whisky Company and Highland Spring, the national CIPR Excellence Award for Best Use of Media Relations 2004 for Whisky Without the Waffle and the Grand Prix in the Scottish PR Awards 2003.

With over 17 years consultancy experience, Cameron has extensive B2B, consumer, corporate, planning and crisis/issue management experience.

3x1 clients include: First ScotRail, Highland Spring, Atkins plc, Scottish & Newcastle UK, Sunrise Senior Living, Investors in People Scotland, SeaFish, Scottish Friendly, Scottish Press Photography Awards, Lees Foods Plc and the Entrepreneurial Exchange