Emily O’Reilly, European Ombudsman, EU (keynote address)

Emily O’Reilly was elected as the European Ombudsman in 2013. She is an author and former journalist and broadcaster who became Ireland’s first female Ombudsman in 2003 and in 2007 she was also appointed Commissioner for Environmental Information and Freedom of Information Commissioner.

As former political editor, broadcaster and author, her career attracted significant domestic and international recognition including a Harvard University Fellowship in 1988 and multiple national awards.

Dr Richard Murray, Deputy Chief Medical Office, MSD (known as Merck & Co. Inc. in the US and Canada)

Richard K. Murray, MD, is currently Deputy Chief Medical Officer at MSD (known as Merck & Co. in the US and Canada). Previously he was Head of the Global Center for Scientific Affairs (2010-2014), and Vice President for US External Medical and Scientific Affairs (2007-2010).

Dr. Murray joined MSD in November 1994, and helped found the US Regional Medical Director Program. He held positions of increasing authority in US External Medical and Scientific Affairs until assuming its leadership in 2007.

Dr Neil James

Dr Neil James is Executive Director of the Plain English Foundation in Australia, which combines plain English training, editing and evaluation with a campaign for more ethical public language.
Neil initially worked in government, the media and publishing before completing a doctorate in English at the University of Sydney. He then applied this blend of academic, literary and professional experience by establishing the Foundation with Dr Peta Spear in 2003. It has since trained more than 15,000 professionals in plain language.

David Berman, FGDC, R.G.D.
David helps organizations get great things done, through the motivation and techniques he provides for applying strategy, design, ethics, and creative branding and communications to business problems.

Inez Bailey, Director of the National Adult Literacy Agency

Inez Bailey has been the Director of the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) since 1997. NALA is a non-profit membership organisation concerned with national co-ordination, training and policy development in adult literacy work in Ireland.

Deborah Bosley, The Plain Language Group, Professor Emerita of technical writing
UNC Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Deborah S. Bosley is Principal in The Plain Language Group and Professor Emerita of technical writing at UNC Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. As an international expert in the use of plain language, she has spent the past 20 years working in technical and financial regulatory environments helping attorneys, corporations, government agencies, and non-profits create technical and financial written information that exceeds compliance standards and that is easy for people to understand and use. Using evidence-based writing and design strategies, training tools, usability testing, and research results, she helps Fortune 100/500 companies and government agencies achieve a number of critical goals including:

Colm Kincaid

Colm Kincaid is the Head of Consumer Protection for Policy and Authorisations at the Central Bank of Ireland. He was previously Deputy Head of the Legal Division at the Central Bank, and prior to that Regulatory Counsel at Merrill Lynch International Bank. Colm practised as a solicitor at Linklaters in the City of London and A&L Goodbody in Dublin, specialising throughout in financial services regulation.

David Marsh

David Marsh is the production editor of the Guardian, which he joined in 1996 after previously working in local newspapers and a range of national newspapers in the UK from the Sun to the Financial Times. He edits the Guardian style guide and the Guardian’s Mind your language blog.