Here’s the new web site, with a list of the upcoming speakers:

http://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/directory/orgprofile/default.aspx?objid=61932

Tony Blair took Britain into Iraq.

Lord Browne, ex CEO of BP, lied in court about where he met his boyfriend.

Matthew Broderick, head of the operations centre responsible for crises in the US, reported, 12 hours after Hurricane Katrina had flooded New Orleans, that the levees had not been breached and went home for the night.

Jo Whitehead will explain why capable leaders make these kinds of dumb decisions and asks if we can do anything to help reduce their frequency.

Jo Whitehead has been Director of Ashridge Strategic Management Centre, part of Ashridge Business School, since 2005. Previously, he was on the faculty of London Business School and a consultant at Boston Consulting Group. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School, has a PhD from London Business School in business strategy and organizational behaviour and was a Fulbright Scholar.

He is co-author of “Think Again: why capable leaders make bad decisions and how to stop it happening to you.”

Jo will be speaking at Robinson College at 6pm on June 10th. The event is free, but you need to register at http://cambridgenetworksocialnetwork.ning.com/events/andrew-campbell-on-why-good

Along the way de Botton skilfully raises the big questions we all tend to ask of our work: What is the right job for me? How can I make the most of my talents? What should I be aiming for in my career?

The book and de Botton’s talk amounts to a celebration and investigation of an activity as central to a good life as love – but which we often find remarkably hard to reflect on properly. As de Botton points out, most of us are still working at jobs chosen for us by our sixteen-year-old selves.

Alain de Botton was born in 1969 and is the author of essays on themes ranging from love and travel to architecture and philosophy. His bestselling books include Essays in Love, How Proust Can Change Your Life, The Art of Travel, Status Anxiety and The Architecture of Happiness. His work has been published in twenty-five countries. He lives in London. He is a founding member of The School of Life. For further information, see www.alaindebotton.com

Alain will be speaking at 6pm at Robinson College on May 14th. The event is free, but you need to register at http://cambridgenetworksocialnetwork.ning.com/events/alain-de-botton-at-cambridge

You can find out more and book a place at http://cambridgenetworksocialnetwork.ning.com/events/andrew-campbell-on-why-good

[Update: Jo Whitehead will be giving this talk, not Andrew Campbell]

Since leaving SAS, David has consulted with organisations including American Express, Johnson and Johnson and the CIA.

The foundations of SAS’s success are built on finding, hiring and keeping good people. David Russo will be talking about this in his talk “Why they come and why they stay” at the Judge Institute at 6pm on April 8th.

There will be a free bar after the event.

The event is free, but you need to book a place at http://www.regonline.co.uk/CBL0409

Louise led the winning team of the 2008 Three Peaks Yacht race and will draw fascinating parallels between winning this prestigious race after only three attempts and turning around a business.

Louise will also talk about her experience of acquiring Protherics plc in the middle of the credit crunch.

Louise will be speaking at 6pm on March 4th at Robinson College. The event is free, but you need to register your interest here:

http://cli.gs/WzbG08

To find out more, go to:

http://www.cambridgebusinesslectures.com/louise-makin-on-leading-teams-in-challenging-times/

Alain will explore the joys and perils of the modern workplace and raise the big questions we all tend to ask of our work: what is the right job for me? How can I make the best of my talents? What should I be aiming for in my career?

The event is free, and there will be an open bar afterwards. To find out more, go to:

http://www.cambridgebusinesslectures.com/alain-de-botton-on-the-pleasures-and-sorrows-of-work/

David was Head of HR for the SAS Institute, the world’s largest privately held software company. David helped grow SAS from a handful of people into a world-class employer with over than 5,000 employees and a billion dollars of annual revenue, all the while consistently keeping SAS in the top 100 companies to work for. Since leaving SAS, David has consulted with organisations including American Express, Johnson and Johnson and the CIA.

To find out more and book a place, go here.

If you’ve got any ideas for speakers for next year then let me know.