Member Article

Extreme negotiator Claire Smith to speak at Cicada November lunch

An extreme negotiator who led diplomatic discussions with the Taliban is heading to Harrogate to be guest speaker at Cicada Communications’ Autumn lunch.

Claire Smith is a former Foreign Office diplomat who regularly found herself in high pressure environments, none more so than Islamabad during the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Guests will hear about her time in government, and how lessons learnt negotiating in a hijack situation can help their business to prosper.

The ever-popular Cicada lunch takes place at Hotel du Vin, Harrogate, on Friday 28 November. Aperitifs will be served from noon followed by a two-course lunch with wine and coffee.

Claire said: “Extreme negotiations are about building a relationship in a difficult set of circumstances. People have a preconception that the Taliban would not speak to a woman. I will talk about how I achieved a successful conclusion. “The key to successful negotiation is allowing enough time. Use your imagination and put yourself into the shoes of the person you are negotiating with.”

Claire is an experienced public speaker and lecturer with a deep understanding of government policy formulation. She is a member of the government’s Security Vetting Appeals Panel, which hears appeals from those who have lost their security clearance and exhausted all other appeals procedures. She speaks fluent Mandarin, German, French and Spanish. She is also a trustee of Ampleforth Abbey in North Yorkshire.

The lunch takes place from 12.30pm to 2.30pm. Tickets are £33 each, which includes VAT. Please contact Vicky Carswell at Cicada on vicky@cicada-comms.com to make a booking.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Cicada Communications .