“The reaction of everyone standing up at the end of your keynote delivery at our Senior Management Conference was a massive tribute - I have never seen that before!”
Sharon Dance
[Director of Communications & Corporate Affairs]
DHL UK & Ireland

“As our disABILITY Champion your presentation was superb … inspiring, impressive, highly charged and engaging”
Wolfgang M. Neumann [President]
Hilton UK & Ireland

“Michael is an inspiration"
Sir Richard Branson [Chairman]
Virgin Group

MICHAEL McGRATH – Inspirational Business Speaker

BIOGRAPHY

Michael McGrath is no ordinary person. Forget the fact that he has Muscular Dystrophy for a moment, that he was included as part of The Queen’s 2004 Christmas Day Broadcast reinforcing diversity as a strength and that in May he received the prestigious ‘2005 Business Traveller of the Year’ Award in Dubai.  British born and educated by the Jesuits, he is above all a father, leader, motivator and a true inspiration.  His remarkable life story is one of consistently challenging adversity.  He is not only inspirational in terms of his daily battle in overcoming his physical limitations, but driven in the way he communicates his can-do philosophy to his audience.  Articulate in delivery, he is living proof that the remarkable power of the human spirit is alive and well.

His undefeatable will to succeed and his constant desire to push himself to even greater achievements led him in April 2002 to successfully reach the North Pole and in January 2004 to Antarctica.  His polar experiences are laced with danger, incredulity and excitement.  After a near fatal aircraft incident on arrival and enduring 14 days on the ice, he and his team reached the South Pole having been man-hauled in the horizontal position the last 5kms. He ‘walked’ the final leg, a distance of 310 metres.  Facing his worst fears head-on and feeling the cold terribly due to a woefully inefficient circulatory system and despite severe walking difficulties having lost 65% of his muscle bulk, Michael became the first disabled person in the world to have conquered both North and South Poles.

Now established on the international speaker circuit and in the age of new adventurers, his infectious spirit is personified by the example of self-improvement he continually sets.  In valuing difference, engaging presentations move people from diverse backgrounds and at all levels to make a tangible difference in both their workplace and personal lives.  One of his key learning’s is to recognise what he refers to as the power within and that the journey towards achieving one’s goals is considerably more important than the final destination.

Undaunted by his debilitating condition, this truly inspirational achiever has firmly grasped life head on. He continues to make things happen his way and has had many radio and TV appearances.  Numerous magazine and newspaper articles have covered his extraordinary exploits.  He is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of The Muscle Help Foundation whose vision is to see a world free of muscle disorders.  Sound commercial experience drawn from a background in performance improvement, employee motivation and sales development enable him to customise his delivery by inspiring both small and large groups to reach beyond. His qualities of self-belief, determination, resilience and purpose of mind ensure all parties with whom he connects achieve positive outcomes. Beneath his personable disposition and appealing sense of humour, there lie profound messages that provoke, stimulate and inspire change.

***

“The two most important things I’ve learnt are that you are as powerful and strong as you allow yourself to be, and that the most difficult part of any endeavour is taking that first step”
Michael McGrath

SPEAKING TOPICS INCLUDE

Leadership in Action	Ice, Slice & Adrenalin	
Motivation & Connectivity	Look at ME, not my disability	
Diversity & Teamwork	ABILITY, not disABILITY	
Accessibility in line with DDA Compliance	Triumph over Adversity	
Discovering Degrees of Difference	Inspiring others to Reach Beyond	
Challenging Preconceptions about disABILITY	The Disability Business Case	
Flexing 21st Century Corporate Muscle	Beyond Boundaries	

Contact details for Michael McGrath
Tel:	+44 [1] 763 274658
Mob:	+44 [0] 7958 463434
Email:	michael_mcgrath@btopenworld.com
Web:	musclehelp.com

Michael McGrath Management Services Ltd
Registered in England: 4634771
VAT Registration No: 845 5592 93

Client Testimonials	     	        Michael McGrath – Inspirational Business Speaker

“Michael is an inspiration. He has a thoroughly positive outlook for somebody facing such adversities"
Sir Richard Branson [Founder of Virgin Atlantic, Chairman of the Virgin Group]

“A superb presentation – keeping a lively audience like our Senior Managers & Executive captivated for 45 minutes is no mean feat! Feedback was overwhelmingly positive – your delivery was ‘inspiring’, ‘impressive’, ‘highly charged’, and ‘engaging’.  The honest and direct partnership we enjoy with you as our ‘disABILITY Champion’ is the best way to ensure that we’re doing all that is practicable to make the Hilton experience even better for our disabled guests.
Wolfgang M. Neumann [President] – Hilton UK & Ireland

I have received fabulous feedback from those who attended our Senior Management Conference – delegates were inspired/moved/challenged.  I think the reaction of everyone standing up at the end of your keynote delivery was a massive tribute - I have never seen that before.
Sharon Dance [Director of Communications & Corporate Affairs] – DHL UK & Ireland

“Our keynote speaker at the recent 6th annual Fast Track 100 Conference and Awards Dinner, held at Richard Branson's private home in Oxfordshire was Michael McGrath.  I would have no hesitation in recommending Michael as a passionate and practiced speaker. He articulates with immense authority, engaging his audience both emotionally and intellectually”
Dr Hamish Stevenson [Founder & Director] - The Fast Track 100 Organisation

Michael communicates with power, sensitivity and humour in a measured, eloquent, humble and controlled style. He left our business both awestruck and honoured to have met a man who has not just overcome adversity but had the ability to completely remove adversity from his dictionary!”
Jeremy Tipper [Managing Director & CEO] - Capital Consulting

“Fascinating, inspirational and extremely well received, giving the team much to think about. The audience were captivated”
Neil Jagger [Circulation Director MNCD] - Daily Mail & The Mail on Sunday

Michael’s engaging style and infectious personality added real drama to his presentation.  His powerful impact had staff truly captivated.  He has since been the talk of GOSE – his messages will be remembered for a very long time.  
Paul Martin [Regional Director]- Government Office for the South East [GOSE]

Michael McGrath’s keynote presentation at our Diversity Conference called ‘All Different, All Equal’ was inspiring, enlightening and highly informative.  The audience of NHS professionals including senior HR and Healthcare delegates were captivated by his engaging delivery that focused on leadership, disability and teamwork
Norfolk, Suffolk, & Cambridgeshire NHS Diversity Conference, Jan Togher [Director]

Michael’s delivery at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts [BAFTA] in London was inspirational.  There is no doubt that Michael has an incredibly positive attitude.  He speaks with great eloquence and inspires the listeners to want to do more with their lives rather than just sit there and listen to a great adventure.  He developed a ‘can do attitude’ in his listeners”
Nortel Networks, Helene Bard [Director Global Mobilty EMEA]

“A skilled communicator able to work the audience and tailor his delivery to the company's message.  After listening to Michael, my employees without exception [and that is something] felt more motivated, and left with a belief that if they put their minds to it, they could achieve anything!  We were looking for a speaker who epitomised determination and teamwork. Michael undoubtedly fits this bill and I would highly recommend him to any organisation looking to motivate a team”
IPS Resourcing, Ivan Greenwald [Managing Director]

“It was obvious from the outset that Michael possessed the grit and determination to succeed … the presentation he gave to our Board of Directors and Senior Management in sharing both the excitement and hardships of his trip confirmed our expectations.
The Mayflower Corporation plc, John Simpson [Chief Executive]

Michael presented with humour and humility to 250 senior executives in the marketing, branding and PR worlds.  He is an inspiration and truly living proof that ability [and disability] is as much in the mind as it is in the body.  He came across clearly and succinctly and with a modesty rare for someone who has achieved such a great personal and physical challenge as reaching the North Pole
Bill Colegrave [Director – Superbrands]