"To see how a town could be brought to its knees
By the armoured cars and the bombed out bars
And the gas that hangs on to every breeze"
The Town I Loved So Well

Phil's words- not mine! And they may have been right at the time but, my, how the town he loved so well has changed.

£100m of public sector funding for regeneration projects and initiatives has helped attract £150m of private sector investment in the last 10 years or so.

The city centre is unrecognisable, with former factories making way for retail ventures and new hotels and restaurants.

Whereby, in the past, the loss of textile production may have been met with despondency, IT and financial sector companies have moved quickly to fill the void.

Instead of gas, confidence now hangs on every breeze.

The talent has always been there- where else are you likely to bump into not one but two nobel prize winners- but there's a palpable air of confidence that's so refreshing.

But there's still work to be done if the North West is to reach it's true potential. It's time for leadership in the North-West to flex its muscles. Join René Carayol, Aideen McGinley and Dr John Gilliland for a masterclass in Inspired Leadership.

René Carayol

Internationally renowned business guru and media personality. René is the presenter of BBC2's flagship business programme, Pay Off Your Mortgage In 2 Years. He has also presented the critically acclaimed documentary for Channel 4 on the challenges that faced Lord Stevens at the helm of the Metropolitan Police, the prominent BBC series Mind of a Millionaire and a Money Programme special on Lord John Browne. He is the best selling author of the influential Corporate Voodoo and My Voodoo books, a frequent voice on Radio 5 Live, a regular fixture reviewing the press on Sky News, a former Non-Executive Director of the Inland Revenue and a former Director of IPC Media and Pepsi.

Aideen McGinley

Permanent Secretary of the Department for Employment and Learning. In her 25 years in local government, Aideen has worked as a Town Planner and in Community Services and Economic Development. She has successfully completed the Leadership Challenge and a United States Information Agency Programme on Sustainable Economic Development and is a graduate of the Harvard Women in Power Leadership Programme. In 2000 she was awarded an OBE and in 2004 became an Honorary member of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects. She has been involved on a number of UK and Regional bodies, including the University for Industry, the National Lotteries Charities Board, Rural Development Council, Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust, Bank of Ireland, NI Millennium Company, Verbal Arts Centre, BBC Appeals Committee, the Omagh Fund and the 2010 Steering Group among others.

Dr John Gilliland

Chair and a Director of Rural Generation Ltd. After studying agriculture in Scotland John returned to the family farm at Brook Hall Estate, on the banks of the River Foyle, where he has established a thriving agri-business demonstrating new sustainable and alternative land uses. He farms on both sides of the Irish Border and has won numerous awards for innovation and environmental advances in its farming practices. A former President of the Ulster Farmers' Union, John played an active role in managing the Foot and Mouth crisis and stood as an independent, cross community candidate in the last EU Parliament elections. In 2005, having been appointed the N. Ireland Sustainable Development Commissioner, he was asked to co-chair the DEFRA, Rural Climate Change Forum, with the Minister of State, and participated in the Joint EU Agriculture and Environment Informal Council, under the UK Presidency. In 2003 John was awarded an OBE for Services to the Environment.

This event is being supported by:

• Ilex
• The School of International Business - University of Ulster

Office of Innovation - University of Ulster

DETAILS:

Date: 22 November 2007 at 12.30pm

Venue: The Great Hall, University of Ulster, Magee Campus

Special Event Price: £65.00 Plus VAT in association with Londonderry Chamber of Commerce.

To purchase tickets online go to: http://www.inspiredleaders.com/site/events_section_detail.php?id=117

Or contact may@inspiredleaders.com or on 07729 636 976.