This is Greg Ros, Immediate Past President of St Paul’s Speakers. Greg joined the club at its relaunch in March 2009, and was elected as Club President in February 2010, serving until June 2011. Greg now oversees the Club's Mentoring programme, as well as furthering his leadership skills as Area Governor for the Canary Wharf clubs.
Where do you work?
I’ve been Business Continuity Technology Manager for Nomura in Europe for 2.5 years (having previously worked for Lehman Brothers in a similar role for close to a decade)
What are your interests?
On the sporting front, my passion would be skiing, having started at the age of 5 and continued to make my annual pilgrimage to the mountains in search of white powder ever since. The rest of the year, I attend Yoga and BodyBalance classes – a great way to destress and maintain core strength & flexibility. I’ve also recently been introduced to taichi and meditation. In my time off, I use my significant holiday allowance and travel the globe. I hope to take advantage of a potential 3 month sabbatical to explore my last undiscovered continent… South America.
When did you join Toastmasters and what was your motivation for joining?
I remember being introduced to Toastmasters 4 years ago, with a keynote speech from Simon Bucknall (former UK & Ireland Competition winner) in front of a packed auditorium of 400 people which definitely gave me a benchmark to measure myself against. I also was seeking to improve my ability to handle impromptu speaking situations – learning the art of how to remain cool, calm & collected.
What was your first Toastmasters experience like?
My first Toastmasters meeting was… intense! It was our club’s inaugural session, and I had taken on the position of VP Education, as well as leading the meeting as Toastmaster. There was pressure and nerves, but I felt immense satisfaction at successfully launching a club.
Do you have any advice for new members?
You get out of Toastmasters what you put in. It’s only by pushing yourself that you truly understand what you can achieve.