Annie Machon worked as an intelligence officer for the UK domestic Security Service, MI5, in the 1990s. During that time she was responsible for investigating political and terrorist targets, before resigning to help her former partner and colleague, David Shayler, blow the whistle on the crimes, incompetence and lack of accountability of the spies. The story made headlines around the world at the time. They had to go on the run around Europe and live in exile in France for 3 years.
Drawing on her varied experiences, she is now a media pundit, author, journalist, international tour and event organiser, political campaigner, and PR consultant.
She has a rare perspective both on the inner workings of governments, intelligence agencies and the media, as well as the wider implications for the need for increased openness and accountability in both public and private sectors.
She is also a recognised international public speaker on a variety of issues:
- security and intelligence
- ethics and citizenship
- the war on terror
- press and media freedoms
- secrecy legislation
- civil liberties
- totalitarianism and police states
- accountability in government and business
- "On the Run" - the personal story
She can also provide relatively pain-free and fun training in public speaking and media skills,
Contact: annie@anniemachon.com
Sample Venues:
As well as having done hundreds of media interviews in the UK and internationally, over the last 14 years her speaking experience includes:
- "Using Our Intelligence", Aiglon College, Switzerland, January 2012
- Keynote at SAS.com conference, Scotland, January 2012
- Keynote at The Big Dig journalism conference, Copenhagen, November 2011
- Guest lecture, Maastricht University, NL, November 2011
- MediaFabric conference, Prague, 2011
- Keynote at Global Investigative Journalism Conference, Kiev, October 2011
- Centre for Investigative Journalism summer school (keynote), London, July 2011
- "How the Light gets In" festival, Hay-on-Wye, May 2011
- Frontline Club whistleblower debate with Julian Assange, London, April 2011
- British Womens' Club, Duesseldorf, March 2011
- Durham University Union Society, February 2011
- British Businessmans' Club, Duesseldorf, February 2011
- Cambridge Union Society (CUS), January 2011
- "Boiling Frogs" - post-play talk about civil liberties, London, October 2010
- "Ethics and Citizenship", Bishops Stortford School, UK, October 2010
- Bits of Freedom, digital civil liberties campaign, Amsterdam, September 2010
- INN New York Symposium "How the world changed after 9/11", September 2010
- CCC Sigint technology conference, Cologne, 2010
- Understanding Deep Politics conference, California, 2010
- ETH-0 technology conferences, NL, 2009 and 2010
- Vers la Verite conference, Paris 2009
- WikiLeaks Discussion Panel, HAR NL, 2009
- National speaking tour across Canada, 2009
- The Campaign to Make Wars History National Tour, 2009
- Speaking tour, California, 2008
- IT Defense Conference, Hamburg 2008
- CCC international hackers’ conference, Berlin 2007
- Introducing US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, European Tour, 2007
- International Islamic Fair, Malaysia, 2007
- William Rodriguez European speaking tours, "Last Man Out" 2007 -2008
- Oxford Union Society, 2006
- Festivals: Big Green Gathering 2006, Eastern Haze 2007, Hacking at Random, NL 2009, Secret Garden Party 2008 and 2010
- Huddersfield University Intelligence Studies course, 2006
- Cardiff University Journalism course, 2006
- “An Evening with...” at UK theatres, Clive Conway Celebrity Productions, 2005
- Cafe Diplo - La Monde Diplomatique, 2005
- Sheffield University investigative journalism course, 2003
- MPs in both the Houses of Parliament and the Scottish Parliament
- Fringe meetings at political party conferences + a bit part here with Mark Thomas, 1998
- Rotary Clubs
- Schools
- National Union of Journalism national UK conferences
- Foreign press corps
- Political rallies
- Anti-war rallies
- Trades Union branch meetings
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