Baroness Catherine Ashton

Baroness Catherine Ashton is a distinguished politician, who has left an undeniable mark in the history books of British politics as the former High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy. Also renowned for having been the First Vice President of the European Commission in the Barroso Commission, Catherine has been highly commended throughout her career for her ability to negotiate difficult international situations and her prowess in international diplomacy. Now hired as a keynote speaker for corporate events, Catherine is highly sought after to share her expertise on politics, geopolitics and international affairs.

Initially forging success working for the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Catherine entered the world of politics in 1999 when she was created a Labour Life Peer – Baroness Ashton of Upholland. In 2001, Catherine became the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department of Education & Skills. Later becoming the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department of Constitutional Affairs, Catherine was later appointed to the Privy Council and made the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of the Ministry of Justice. She was later appointed as the Leader of the House of Lords and the President of the Council in Gordon Brown’s Cabinet, signifying her authority in the realms of politics.

Other prominent roles of Catherine’s have included being the inaugural High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy, and outside of politics – Chancellor of the University of Warwick. Over the course of her illustrious career, Catherine has claimed various accolades, such as being named one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the UK by Woman’s Hour and recipient of an Honorary Degree from the University of East London. She has also gained honours such as Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael, and most recently, Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. She has also been named Minister of the Year by The House magazine, Politician of the Year at the Stonewall Awards and Peer of the Year by Channel 4. Aside from her political commitments, Catherine has also dedicated time to authoring her debut book titled And Then What? Inside Stories of 21st Century Diplomacy.

A politician with such a decorated career to her name, Catherine Ashton is now highly sought after to share her detailed expertise in international affairs and politics at corporate and public speaking engagements. As a seasoned speaker, Catherine has already been sought to share her expertise by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the American European Business Association, the Woodrow Wilson Center and Lancaster University to name but a few happy clients. Renowned for having brought Serbia and Kosovo to an agreement in 2013 and a lead negotiator in the P5+1 talks with Iran about their nuclear programmes, Catherine is highly acclaimed as an excellent negotiator and translates such negotiation skills into business contexts. If you are looking to hire a keynote speaker with detailed expertise in international relations, geopolitics and current affairs, don’t hesitate to hire Baroness Catherine Ashton.

Having made a substantial impact on British politics, Catherine Ashton is highly regarded as an inspirational female role model. Given her inspirational stature, Catherine was recently named as one of the top 10 Female Inspirational Speakers to Make Your Event a Success - discover more today!