Proposed themes:

• Online communications in Europe
• Lobbying the European Union
• Ireland and Europe: problems and paradoxes

Julian Oliver

Julian has worked as an economist, diplomat and consultant in Asia, America and Europe. He is a recognised speaker and moderator on EU affairs, world trade, intergovernmental regulations and communications. Born and educated in Ireland, he is now based mainly in Brussels and London. He came to Belgium in the early 1970s as an economist with an international chemical company and, after four years, was assigned to Malaysia, where he coordinated the investment plans of 25 companies across the ASEAN region.

On secondment to the British Diplomatic Service, Julian served as commercial secretary in Mexico City in the early 1980s. Shortly after the adoption of the Single Market programme in 1986, he returned to Brussels with American Express, whom he represented for eight years. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was active in AmCham EU, the leading voice of European companies of American parentage, where he was instrumental in setting up the coalition of Chief Executive Officers of these companies.

In recent years, Julian has represented the global express association in several intergovernmental regulatory circles and is currently Secretary General of EurActiv, the online network of EU policy portals.

He is a regular facilitator in international conferences and events: recent appearances have included the European Business Summit in 2006 and 2007, the International Conference on Mercury 2006 sponsored by the European Commission and ‘How does the European press corps regard communicators?’.