Speaking

Conferences, panels, literary festivals, dinners

Christina has been described as a “spellbinding” and “inspirational” speaker, often praised for her honesty, warmth and wit. In her speeches, as in her book and her journalism, she certainly tries to keep it real. Life, she believes, is too short for bullsh**. Let’s try and look at things with a cool, fair eye, but let’s also try to have a nice time.

Christina is an experienced keynote speaker. She has talked at international conferences, AGMs, employee engagement events, universities, council chambers, literary festivals and at venues ranging from rock festivals to the Cambridge Union and the House of Commons.

She currently speaks on the following themes:

 

  • Building resilience – in work and life
  • Women in leadership
  • Adapting to an age of disruption
  • Compassion in healthcare

Chairing

Christina has been chairing public events for most of her professional life. She has chaired conferences, literary festivals, panels for businesses and in think tanks, and public engagement events on issues like the future of the NHS.

If you would like to ask her to speak,  or chair your event, contact her here.

You can watch the panel on Stop the press: the media after Leveson at the Battle of Ideas, thanks to online Citizen TV station, WORLDbytes.

Here's Christina taking part in a panel at the Cambridge Union on YouTube.

Here's Christina talking about her adolescent experiences as a born-again Christian, and about what she has learnt about religion.

People Say:

Christina's keynote speech at the Chief Nurse of Wales's annual conference was spellbinding. It takes great courage to speak to 300 nurses and midwives about the failings in their care but she did that with such honesty, wit and sensitivity. The feedback from the delegates was that she was touching, tender, inspiring, articulate, intelligent and brave.

Polly Ferguson Nursing Officer Maternity Services and Early Years, Wales

Christina gave the keynote speech at our annual conference, held in Edinburgh, to an audience of over 400. It was a tremendously poignant,moving, passionate speech centred around Christina's own health and healthcare experiences, which captivated and moved us all.

Giles Webster Chief Financial Officer Benenden

Christina Patterson is an eloquent and sensitive speaker and writer who has a passion for people. At the core of her, beats the passion and heart of someone who understands people, their nuances, their differences and most of all, their emotions. She moves with her unique speaking style.

Fiyaz Mughal OBE Founder and Director Faith Matters

Christina has been a very engaging and elegant host of our intimate salon suppers, bringing a great mix of insight and opinion alongside sophisticated chairing of discussion.  In addition, as a speaker at one of our conferences, she imparted knowledge and experience in an accessible way, appreciated by our diverse audience.

Emma Fisher Managing Director Editorial Intelligence

You were brilliant. Many people commented on how good your speech was.

Donna Green Chief Operating Officer Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

I have heard nothing but praise for the way in which you got such a disparate bunch of varying backgrounds, intellect and capacity for self-reflection to think seriously about what they do and how they do it. It was such an inspiring session and inspiration is a rare quality in the current REF obsessed climate in University land.

Carl Thompson Professor, Department of Health Sciences University of York

We keep asking Christina Patterson to speak at Institute of Ideas events because we know she will be not only be intelligent and articulate, but bring a different, nuanced and thoughtful approach to a wide range of issues.  Christina is passionate about a range of topics, and has a real warmth and empathy with audiences of widely diverse backgrounds.  Book her now if you want a speaker who will make an impact and make your audiences think and smile.

Claire Fox Director Institute of Ideas

It was standing room only in the Council Chamber to hear Christina speak. People have been buzzing all week and spreading a kind of 'viral fun', picking up on the mood Christina set. One line manager even went out and bought some (non-alcoholic!) cava and dips for her team after the story Christina told. It was such an inspiring, simple, cost-free message and if everyone did just one little thing each day, the work place would be a much nicer place to be in.

Carmel Millar Director of People & Development East Sussex and Surrey County Councils

Christina mesmerised the Future of Work is Human Literary Festival with her very personal story of work and identity, resilience and recovery. Heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure. You could have heard a pin drop.

Robert Phillips CEO Jericho Chambers