Meet the Speakers
The Fort 2024 is proud to present our team of experienced, professional speakers who are dedicated to making this year's conference a success. They bring a wealth of knowledge from various industries and backgrounds, ensuring a dynamic and engaging experience for all attendees.
Roger Caesar
Roger Caesar has earned international recognition as a professional speaker, captivating audiences worldwide with over 5,000 speeches and numerous workshops. His expertise and impact extend from prestigious platforms like TEDx to achieving a top-three placement in the 2021 World Championship of Public Speaking. Roger's dynamic presentations resonate deeply, consistently leaving audiences inspired and eager for more. In the realm of business, Roger is at the helm of a thriving family-owned logistics company, a legacy initiated by his father over four decades ago. His entrepreneurial spirit is matched by his commitment to community engagement and enrichment. Additionally, Roger co-hosts the "Great Convos" podcast every Monday alongside fellow speaking champion Alexandre Matte, available on LinkedIn and Facebook. This platform further showcases his talent for meaningful dialogue and thought leadership. With more than ten years of experience in motivating individuals in various settings, including corporate environments, Roger founded Caesar Empire Speaking and Coaching. In this venture, he excels as a coach, helping others discover and harness their unique voices; as a trainer, he imparts the nuances of effective communication; and as a speaker, he forms deep connections with his audience through impactful storytelling and profound messages.
Thérèse Kinahan
Thérèse Kinahan is a DTM and is a member of this year's Conference Committee. She is also a member of PowerTalk Advanced Speakers. Thérese has served in almost all officer positions and has been an Area Director and Division Director. Therese has many years of experience in a variety of voluntary organisations - national and international, in Europe and Africa. She is an experienced facilitator with an Honours Degree in Training and Education from NUIG.
Expert Panel Discussion: Judging in Fairness
09:30– 10:15
On the stage will be: Lorraine Howard, Kildare Toastmasters Martin Farrell, Toastmasters 4 Golf and Phoenix Tara Toastmasters, Peter McAuley, Toastmasters 4 Golf and Kildare Toastmasters and Chief Judge District 71 2023/24
Vincent Delaney
Vincent has been working as a management consultant for the past 15 years after many years in the corporate environment. “Ultimately, it is all about communication - listening and speaking”, says Vincent. He has assisted hundreds of businesses and individuals in achieving their goals. His primary degree was in electrical engineering followed by postgraduates in accounting & finance and project management along with his studies in psychology. These, coupled with his vast experience in various areas of management, gives him the expertise to advise almost any type of business. Vincent achieved his DTM just before today’s Pathways replaced the previous system. He has had various levels of involvement and success in Toastmasters during his time in as a member.His real love of Toastmasters is in watching - and sometimes helping - new members take their first few steps on the Toastmasters journey.
Workshop 3 Friday 09:30—10:30 Stagecraft Room 2
Called Stagecraft, It is all about using the area around you as a powerful resource that can add that extra dimension when you are delivering your speech. It works, whether you want to move around or whether you're standing behind a lectern. There is nothing like it anywhere in pathways and never has been in toastmasters. Now by, extension I'll be training you, from the audience point of view, on how to move, with purpose and with grace, rather than moving your hands around without any particular purpose. So join me on Friday morning for my Stagecraft workshop.
Patricia Radley
Patricia Radley has been a Toastmaster since 2018 when she initially joined Cork Toastmasters. She served as President during the 2020/21 season when the club was online due to the Covid 19 pandemic. That year the Club earned Presidents’ Distinguished Status. Patricia has also served as Assistant Area Director and Area Director for Area 23, Division A. She is currently a member of 3 clubs, Powdermills Toastmasters, Cornerstone Communicators and Sunday Speakers, a hybrid club in San Antonio Texas. Patricia has completed 5 pathways and enjoys sharing her knowledge of Pathways with members.
Workshop 3 Friday 16:45—17:30 Exploring Pathways Room 2
Patricia’s workshop will address the changes coming in Pathways, how to make Pathways work for all members and to inspire members to think about Pathways differently so that members can reach their potential with Pathways.
Louise Burchall
Meet Louise Burchall, Ireland’s foremost authority on laughter yoga. With a passion for spreading joy, Louise has collaborated with top companies like Zipyard, Deloitte, Bayer, and the Happy Pear, offering engaging and authentic laughter yoga workshops. Her expertise has been featured in the Sunday Business Post, and she’s a regular fixture at Ireland’s premier music festivals, including Electric Picnic, Altogether Now, and Body and Soul. Louise’s journey with laughter yoga began as a personal quest for mental well-being, leading her to discover its transformative benefits. Now, she’s on a mission to share these skills and prevent others from experiencing similar struggles. Trained by master instructors across the globe—from the UK and the US to India and Australia—Louise’s adaptable style caters to diverse groups, from children to seniors, and everyone in between. Recognised as a Laughter Ambassador by Dr. Kataria, the founder of laughter yoga, Louise is dedicated to promoting this practice worldwide. In the stress-filled landscape of 2024, she recognizes the urgent need for joy and connection. Louise offers a practical remedy through her laughter yoga sessions, bridging emotional divides and fostering a sense of unity. After all, as she believes, laughter is the shortest distance between two people.
Workshop 5 Saturday: 09:00—09:45: Laughter Yoga
Louise invites you to experience the pure joy of laughter yoga - join me for an hour of playful activities designed to induce genuine laughter and boost your energy levels. No special clothes or equipment needed— just bring a willingness to laugh and connect with others. This session is open to all, regardless of ability or fitness level. Through playful laughter, exercises and deep breathing techniques, you will feel light, energised, and ready to conquer the day ahead - I guarantee you will even make a few friends!
Anthony Garvey
Anthony has 30 years’ experience working in international public relations, ranging from technology and telecommunication blue chips to educational and local government organisations. Anthony runs Confident Presenting, which provides management training to companies throughout the UK and Ireland. Anthony is an award-winning presenter and public speaker and is the current District 91 International Speech Champion. Anthony has also written seven children’s books, including the popular.
Workshop 4 Friday 16:45—17:30 Club Growth & Member Retention Dunamase
Anthony claims to be a member of "two of the best Toastmasters clubs in the world". Tralee Toastmasters, an in-person club in County Kerry, in District 71 and Shilling Speakers, an online club, in District 91. Whether your club meets in-person or online, is a community or a corporate club, is in rude good health or struggling to make the numbers, Anthony will share some tips and tricks during this workshop he has learned which are proven to help clubs grow, while developing club members. This is an interactive session, so come armed with any questions you have and we will find the answers for you.
Dr. Gary McDarby
Dr. Gary McDarby is a serial entrepreneur with a background in Electronic Engineering and Neuroscience. He has a 1st Class honours degree in Electronic Engineering (UCD 1988), a Master’s Degree in Engineering Science (UCD 1995) and an MIT endorsed PhD in Biomedical Engineering (UNSW 2000). He spent 4 years as Principle Investigator leading the MindGames group in MIT Media Lab Europe focusing on technology and Neuroscience. This group was responsible for notable inventions including the relax to win concept – a novel gaming strategy for stress management (now commercialised), Aura-Lingua – a new way of getting sensory information into the brain (now commercialised) and the Cerebus Brain Computer Interface - the first ever wireless, configurable, portable brain computer interface. He spent 3 years in Australia (2016-2018) where he ran Enterprize Tasmania, the early stage technology incubator for the State. As CEO of Enterprize, he successfully helped early stage companies get into accelerator programs on the mainland. One company, Bitwoke technologies, successfully got into Cicada (who many consider to be the top deep tech incubator accelerator in the Asia Pacific region). This was the first time a Tasmanian startup had succeeded in getting into Cicada. He was responsible for the rollout of the first Citywide Open Innovation IoT platforms based on LoRa for Launceston and Hobart and he established the Advanced Sensor Manufacturing Facility with Definium Technologies in Launceston. He won the Pearcy Tasmanian Entrepreneur of the year award for 2018 – the first non-Tasmanian to do so. Now back in Ireland, he is currently CEO of Edgeliot, a small Irish Company developing an intelligent sensing platform for Internet of Things Applications. There is a strong focus on Edge Computing and AI at the sensor layer itself. He lives in Greystones with his wife and 4 children.
Workshop 6. Saturday 10:55 Artificial Intelligence, Should we be concerned?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has really come to the fore in the last couple of years. The combination of powerful computing, huge datasets, extensive connectivity and new powerful algorithms has created what has been described as the most powerful analytical tool ever conceived by humanity. AI can perform many tasks way better than humans, never gets tired or bored or ill (unless somebody turns off the power) and so the question emerges – should we be concerned? In this talk, Dr. Gary McDarby discusses the emergence of AI, how it came to be, what it can and cannot do, where it has great potential but where most importantly where we need to be careful.
Sean Dwan
Having gone to University College Dublin for 2 years, I managed to fail my exams. As a result I worked on building sites –jobs in Ireland were scarce at the time! Using a cement mixer changed my life – it gave me the desire to do something more fulfilling with my life. I went to London and worked with an Engineering Machinery Supplier in London for five years. I returned to Dublin and worked in a similar engineering machinery sales company - selling machinery to multinational organisations and SMEs for twenty six years. I am a Toastmaster since 2001 and a DTM since 2012. With the experience and confidence of Toastmasters, I went to Oregon in the U.S.A. in 2009 to train as a professional trainer in communication, presentation and Public Speaking Skills Training to Multinational Organisations, SMEs and individuals.
Workshop 7 Presentation Skills: 12:00 How to be an Influential, Dynamic, Riveting and Confident Presenter Dunmase
The Workshop I will deliver is the Highly Rated “SpeakersTrainingCamp® (S.T.C.) workshop. During this condensed Workshop that I will deliver at the D71 Conference in Portlaoise will include some elements of the ( S.T.C.) will be: a) The THREE Core Principles you must have when speaking b) The SEVEN Steps to organising your Presentation c) The NO 1 Requirement when Presenting d) EIGHT Voice Check List e) Powerpoint, quick Tips f) TOP TEN Terrible Turn Offs g) KEY TAKE AWAYS The Workshop will be interactive, energetic and fun. “Humour is mankind’s greatest blessing”