David Proud, actor, heading up UK's first symposium for leaders of Disabled Employee Networks

David Proud, most known for his role as Adam Best in BBC’s Eastenders, will be heading up the UK’s first annual symposium for the leaders of Disabled Employee Networks. Making Waves – Leaders Showcase organised by Kate Nash Associates in association with Ernst & Young will take place on 17th November 2011 in central London and will bring together the key stakeholders running Disabled Employee Networks from across the UK.

David was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. His first professional acting role was as a wheelchair basketball player in the children’s TV series Desperados. 

David was picked by BBC producer Ewan Marshall to play one of the leads in the 2007 CBBC series Desperados, a children's drama starring the paralympic wheelchair basketball player Ade Adepitan. As David had not had any drama training since leaving school, the BBC sent him for coaching to prepare him for television work. In the series he played Charlie Johnson, a teenager dealing with the impact of becoming paralysed by a spinal injury suffered during a school football match.

Since Desperados, David has obtained the services of a mainstream agent and has gone on to be involved in various other projects. He co-presented an episode of the BBC Three documentary series Mischief, 'Is it cos I is Black', in 2007. He appeared as the character Blake in the second series of ITV's Secret Diary of a Call Girl in 2008.

At the symposium Making Waves – Leaders Showcase David Proud will explore the characteristics of great leadership with some of the UK’s most well known leaders – in business, human rights and political change. In the morning the stage will be set for a Parkinson's style chat show, crossed with Question Time.  David will invite guests, including Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty as well as Andrew McDonald, Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, to examine their leadership style and key “life moments”; the moment when they were driving change and could choose between “fight or flight”. Guests will share with the audience what they learnt about themselves and others, and whether they changed their style as a result.  In the afternoon delegates will network with their contemporaries in a series of ‘speed-dating’ sessions debating the characteristics of good leadership in the context of disabled employee networks.

Says David, “I am delighted to have been asked to head up the UK’s first ever symposium for the leaders and key individuals that do so much to develop disabled employee networks. Network leaders are often the unsung heroes that help motivate and inspire their organisation to celebrate their disabled talent. This symposium offers a unique opportunity for them to reflect on leadership styles that support the process of change.”

Contact us for further information and booking form.