Geoff Thompson M.B.E. FILAM Hons. FRSA, Conference Chairman

Geoff is one of the country's leading sports politicians. He served as a member of the GB and English Sports Council for 11 years, was a member of the New Opportunities Fund and President and Chairman of the Sports Aid Foundation NW Region. Geoff was heavily involved in promoting Manchester's bid for the 2000 Olympics and the 20002 Commonwealth Games. As Founder and Executive Chairman of the Youth Charter, a U.K. registered charity and United Nations Non Governmental Organisation, Geoff also translates his sporting achievements in engaging, motivating and inspiring leading executives, middle management and corporate work forces. Geoff is a former five times World Karate Champion and was honoured in 1995 in the Queens New Year's Honours list with an M.B.E. for his services to sport.

Ann-Marie Stagg, Chair, CCMA (Call Centre Management Association) and founding partners of the Acoustic Safety Programme in 2004

Ann-Marie is currently leading the customer contact centre for Co-operative Insurance and has managed a variety of contact centres for large organisations including the Brakes Group; Citi-Financial Europe; Scottish Power; the Automobile Association; Vertex Customer Management and North West Water. Ann-Marie is Chair of the Call Centre Management Association in the UK and VP of the European Confederation of Contact Centre Organisations (ECCCO). Already an award winning people manager her ability to consistently deliver positive change was once again recognised by industry experts with the award of 'European Call Centre Professional of the Year 2003' and recently the 'Call Centre Champion of the Year 2006' at the Call Centre Expo.

Delia Henry, Director, RNID Scotland (Royal National Institute for the Deaf)

Delia has worked in the voluntary and statutory health sectors in Scotland for the last 20 years. While working in the NHS she has managed services in leaning disabilities and chronic disease. She spent 8 years working with Diabetes UK as their director in Scotland sector she developed her skills in campaigning and communications, significantly influenced the shape of services in diabetes across Scotland. She was the first layperson to chair the development process of a major health policy document "The Scottish Diabetes Framework". This shaped the delivery of all NHS diabetes services in Scotland. In 2006 Delia joined RNID Scotland as their director and she has responsibility for leading the development and delivery of the organisation�s communications strategy.

She is a member of the Public Liaison Committee of the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons Glasgow and is a lay representative on the UK Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Clinical Examining Board.

Lisa Fowlie, President, IOSH (Institution for Occupational Safety and Health)

Lisa is the President of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. Lisa graduated with an honours degree in Occupational safety and health from Aston University in 1983. Since then her involvement in Health and Safety has been in the fields of retail, wholesale, transport, industry, agriculture and academia. Currently employed by the University of Wales, Bangor, Lisa has a keen interest in the design, development and delivery of effective training and communication techniques and has completed an MSc in Training and Human Resource Management from Leicester University.

Andy Watson, MSc MIOA. Senior Partner, Acoustic Consultancy Services

Andrew has a significant list of accomplishments and qualifications in the field of noise and acoustics: Master of Science in Acoustics, Vibration and Noise Control (Heriot-Watt University), Member of the Institute of Acoustics (IOA) and IOA Diploma in Acoustics and Noise Control. Member of the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland and of the Institute of Acoustics' Advisory Committee for the Noise at Work Certificate of Competence. Andrew is also Noise Consultant to the Royal Automobile Club Motor Sports Association (MSAUK), Chairman of the Environmental Advisory group of the MSAUK and Member of British Standards Committee EH/1/2 Transportation Noise. Currently Andrew's Consultancy is involved with many environmental noise investigations throughout the U.K. and Ireland and have represented clients in discussions with Environmental Health Departments and at Public and Planning Inquiries.

Mr. Don McFerran MA FRCS (Orl-HNS), Consultant ENT Surgeon, Colchester Hospital and member of the ASP-NPL Research Advisory Board

Don is a Consultant Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon, working for Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust in Colchester, Essex. He studied Natural Sciences at Queens' College Cambridge and then Clinical Medicine at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. In addition to his NHS duties he is visiting Consultant to the Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Centre in London. He has written numerous scientific papers, and has co-authored a book: "Tinnitus: a multidisciplinary approach" (Whurr, 2005). He serves as Professional Advisor to the British Tinnitus Association and to the RNID Tinnitus Helpline. He is one of the co-organisers of the European Tinnitus Course and lectures twice yearly on the BTA's Counselling Course.

Dr. David Baguley PhD, Consultant Clinical Scientist and Head of Audiology and member of the ASP-NPL Research Advisory Board

David is a Consultant Clinical Scientist at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. He studied Psychology and then Audiology at Manchester University and became the Head of the Audiology Department at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge in 1989. He has over 90 peer-review publications and a Doctorate from the University of Cambridge, and has peer reviewed manuscripts for many learned journals including Brain. He is a co-author on the book: Tinnitus: a multidisciplinary approach (Whurr, 2005). He serves as Professional Advisor to the BTA, the RNID Tinnitus Helpline and has been appointed Raine Visiting Professor at the University of Western Australia.

Dr. Laurence McKenna PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital and member of the ASP-NPL Research Advisory Board

Laurence has worked as a clinical psychologist at the RNTNE Hospital for the past 22 years on the study and psychological management of tinnitus and other Audiological disorders. He is head of Adult Audiological Medicine and is a member of the cochlea implant team. He is an honorary lecturer at the Institute of Laryngology and Otology, UCL. Laurence is the author and co-author of a number of academic papers and chapters in psychology and audiological medicine and co-author of a recent book on tinnitus. He is a member of the professional advisory panel of the BTA, on a tinnitus advisory panel for the RNID and a co-director of the European Tinnitus Course.

Gill Gillett, Senior Health & Safety Representative for the Communication Workers Union - South West (Bristol)

Gill is a health and Safety Representative for the Communications Workers Union in Bristol and the South West of England and Wales. She is based at the BT call centre in Bristol and has worked closely with her employer on many of the noise issues being discussed at the Conference today. In particular Gill has written papers and studies on acoustic shock and noise interference and has worked closely to help some of the victims of hearing related injury through the difficulties that faced them post incident. At the Conference Gill will be presenting a case study on her first hand experience including the specific case of Mary Eason who has not worked since 2000 when she received a severe acoustic shock.

Adrian Fawden, Noise at Work Injury Lawyer, Simpson Millar Solicitors

Adrian joined Simpson Millar in 1992 and is partner in charge of personal injury and industrial disease within this nationwide firm. He became involved in acoustic shock as long ago as 1992 and has run well over 300 cases successfully since then, recovering damages in excess of one million pounds for his clients. Adrian is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.

Vince O'Brien, Sales Director BT Business Unit, GN Netcom

Vince is the Director of GN Netcom's BT Global Services account and has worked in this market leading company for 12 years securing and managing important global contracts for his company. In this role he works hand-in-hand with BT Global Services, the largest office telecoms supply and support service provider in the UK, to ensure that BT's customers are using safe, reliable and fully compliant communications equipment whilst enjoying optimum comfort and performance features. At the Conference, Vince will be presenting a paper on GN's experience with BT and it's customers and how his company have invested heavily in the improvement of safety technology within their products and in many cases led the way in the provision of new equipment, designed with compliance of the new Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 in mind. In particular he will be talking about their experience at implementing new technology into call centres and how acoustic shock and noise interference as well as daily noise exposure have influenced technology.

Dr Mike Goldsmith, Head of Acoustics, National Physical Laboratory

Mike is Head of Acoustics at the National Physical Laboratory, the UK's National Measurement Institute. NPL's Acoustics Group has world-leading facilities and carries out leading-edge research in a range of areas.

Mike and his colleagues have been working with the Acoustic Safety Programme since 2004. In 2005 he became a Co-Director of the ASP-NPL Research Management Board and is jointly responsible for the submission of research objectives to the Research Advisory Board and the management of project budgets and outcomes for the partnership.

Nigel Wilkinson, Communications & Media Specialist Group, Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)

Nigel Wilkinson is the Health, Safety & Environment Manager for T-Mobile, the mobile communications company that supplies voice and data services to 17 million customers in the UK. Nigel is a former Chairman of the IOSH Communications & Media Specialist Group (formerly Telecoms SG). T-Mobile employ 3000 staff in Call Centres that are all based in Scotland, Wales and England.

Dr Janice Milhinch, Specialist Clinical Audiologist, Milhinch Audiology, Australia

Janice is a Consultant Clinical Audiologist from Australia, now retired from her own business of 20 years, Milhinch Audiology, with which she had managed successful occupational health contracts with the likes of Telstra for many years. Janice now continues to lecture on the subject of noise at work in many Countries and is widely recognised as one of the first experts on acoustic shock in the World. She has also worked closely with the Australian Communication Industry Forum, the National Acoustics Laboratories (AUS) and the Australian Government to bring in new legislation to combat the risk of acoustic shock injury in the work place. Both Janice and Keith Broughton have worked closely together from different sides of the Globe for more than a decade now and are again delighted to have this opportunity to speak together and share their experiences and knowledge with the delegation.

Keith Broughton, MSc Acoustics, MIOA, MIMM, Director of Health & Safety Acoustic Safety Programme

Keith started as a Mining Engineer with British Coal and went onto equivalent degrees in Mining Engineering and science related subjects, the Open University and an MSc in Acoustics. Moving from management to research saw him attain the position of head of production acoustics with British Coal and then after joining HSE as a specialist inspector he became Principal Specialist Inspector (Noise & Vibrations) in 1994. He was part of the UK negotiating team for the recent EU directive on noise in the workplace and is still a member of the executive committee and Honary Treasurer of the Institute of Acoustics and sits on the board of the National Physical Laboratories (NPL/Dti).

David Joyce, National Health Safety and Environment Officer, Communication Workers Union

David is the National Health, Safety & Environment Officer of the Communication Workers Union, one of the UK's largest Trade Unions. He is a qualified Safety Professional and the Union's lead spokesperson and negotiator on all Health, Safety and Environmental issues dealing with employers, government departments and enforcing authorities. He is a member of the TUC's Union Health and Safety Specialists Committee. He leads the CWU's long-standing campaign for the recognition of Acoustic Shock.

Alan Simpson, Partner Eversheds LLP

Alan is a partner in Eversheds' claims management group. He specialises in claims litigation, in particular disease claims.Recommended as a leader in his field by "The Legal 500", Alan has wide experience of dealing with deafness, HAVS, WRULD, manual handling and stress claims.

Alan has been involved in groundbreaking deafness litigation and has experienced the operation of the union/insurer deafness scheme. Alan is a member of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers.

Dr Andrew Graham-Cumming, MB BS MRCS LRCP MFOM DAvMed MRAeS, Consultant Occupational Physician, Chairman ASP-NPL Research Advisory Board

Andy is a graduate of St Mary's Hospital, London. He served in the RAF Medical Branch from 1973 in a variety of posts at home and overseas. On leaving the RAF in 2000, in the rank of Group Captain, he joined BMI Health Services, a leading private sector provider of specialist occupational health services. He worked with call-centre workers and recognised that acoustic shock could have long-term, devastating effects on susceptible individuals. In August 2005 he moved into independent practice and to become Medical Director of the Acoustic Safety Programme. He has also been appointed Chairman of the ASP/NPL Research Advisory Board with the aim of developing a programme of research into the cause, effects, management and prevention of acoustic shock.

Sarah Crozier BSc Hons MSc Psychologist, Work Psychology, Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL)

Sarah is a psychologist for HSL. She is experienced in the psychological aspects of health and safety, within many different industry sectors. Sarah led the project for re-writing the HSE guidance for best practice in Call Centres and has an active interest in the psycho-social manifestations of health and safety issues within such work environments. Sarah has experience working on: behavioural change; gender issues in health and safety; evaluating safety management culture and workplace stress. She regularly delivers training on human factors issues to different industry sectors and has presented her research findings at national and international conferences.

Paul Jenkins, Specialist Industrial Hygiene Consultant

An Industrial Hygiene graduate from Aston University, Paul lectured on the Institute of occupational medicine course at Manchester University for a number of years. He joined Exxon Chemical in 1988 as their UK Corporate Hygienist. In 2002 he was appointed MD of CIS Ltd where his focus was on headset management and maintenance programmes and call centres, specifically the emergency services where acoustic shock protection is essential in order to improve communication quality.

Sean Reddington, UK Sales Manager, Atlantic Link Ltd

Sean has worked for Atlantic Link for 12 months, and is the most successful salesperson in the history of the company. Sean has been involved in major e-learning initiatives for major corporations including: Everyday Financial Services, Capita, Hays, Ashurst, Barclays, News International...and now Acoustic Safety. Having won many industry awards for innovation, design and technology Atlantic Link will now deliver the Programme's specialist independent acoustic safety and headset management, maintenance and hygiene courses.