Annie Machon worked as an intelligence officer for the UK domestic Security Service, MI5, in the 1990s.
During that time she was responsible for investigating political and terrorist targets, before resigning to help her former partner and colleague, David Shayler, blow the whistle on the crimes, incompetence and lack of accountability of the spies. The story made headlines around the world at the time. They had to go on the run around Europe and live in exile in France for 3 years.
Drawing on her varied experiences, she is now a writer, media pundit, political campaigner, and PR consultant. She has a rare perspective both on the inner workings of governments, intelligence agencies and the media, as well as a new-found love for all things geek and the need to protect digital freedoms.
As a result, she has an unusual take on the wider implications for the need for increased openness, accountability and justice in both public and private sectors.
She is also the Director of LEAP Europe, a global group of serving and former police officers, lawyers, judges, intelligence officers, prison governors, customs officers and former drug czars. LEAP speakers have worked on the front line of the failed “war on drugs”, recognise this abject failure, and as a result campaign for the end to prohibition.
She is a recognised public speaker and has delivered keynote speeches to conferences and universities around the world on a variety of issues:
- security and intelligence
- ethics and citizenship
- the war on drugs
- the war on terror
- the war on internet freedoms
- the war on whistleblowers
- intelligence agencies and the media
- secrecy legislation
- civil liberties
- totalitarianism and police states
- accountability in government and business
- “On the Run” — the personal story
She can also provide relatively pain-free and fun training in public speaking and media skills.
Contact: annie@anniemachon.ch
Sample Venues:
As well as having done hundreds of media interviews in the UK and internationally, over the last 15 years her speaking experience includes:
- NORML Conference, Bristol, UK, May 2013
- LEAP talk in Athens at drug harm reduction conference, May 2013
- LEAP talk, Chamber of Deputies, Italian Parliament, May 2013
- The Club of Amsterdam — the future for social media, April 2013
- Make Wars History, UK Parliament, April 2013
-
Die Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft, Heidelberg, March 2012
- Snarrotin (Icelandic Civil Liberties Union), February 2013
- Theology Faculty, University of Iceland, February 2013
- Social Sciences Faculty, University of Iceland, February 2013
- Reykjavik Crypto-party, February 2013
- Icelandic Centre for Investigative Journalism (ICIJ), February 2013
- Oxford Union Society, Sam Adams Award, January 2013
- Panel discussion after film screening, London, December 2012
- Drug policy conference, Parliament of the Czech Republic, November 2012
- Journalism symposium, National University of Ireland, November 2012
- Cannafest Expo, Prague, November 2012
- International Relations Society, Oxford University, October 2012
- LEAP talk — Symposium on Economic Crime, Cambridge, September 2012
-
Die Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft, Duesseldorf, August 2012 & Frankfurt, November 2012
- Occulture, Brighton, July 2012
- La conference regionale du journalisme d’enquete, Geneva, April 2012
- Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) conference, London, April 2012
- Tutki! investigative journalism conference, Finland, March 2012
- SKUP investigative journalism conference, Norway, March 2012
- Grav investigative journalism conference, Sweden, March 2012
- “Using Our Intelligence”, Aiglon College, Switzerland, January 2012
- Keynote at SAS.com conference, Scotland, January 2012
- Keynote at The Big Dig journalism conference, Copenhagen, November 2011
- Guest lecture, Maastricht University, NL, November 2011
- Senator Mike Gravel “Direct Democracy” European tour, November 2011
- MediaFabric conference, Prague, 2011
- Keynote at Global Investigative Journalism Conference, Kiev, October 2011
- Centre for Investigative Journalism summer school (keynote), London, July 2011
- “How the Light gets In” festival, Hay-on-Wye, May 2011
- Frontline Club whistleblower debate with Julian Assange, London, April 2011
- British Womens’ Club, Duesseldorf, March 2011
- Durham University Union Society, February 2011
- British Businessmen’s Club, Duesseldorf, February 2011
- Cambridge Union Society (CUS), January 2011
- “Boiling Frogs” — post-play talk about civil liberties, London, October 2010
- “Ethics and Citizenship”, Bishops Stortford School, UK, October 2008–2010
- Bits of Freedom, digital civil liberties campaign, Amsterdam, September 2010
- INN New York Symposium “How the world changed after 9/11″, September 2010
- CCC Sigint technology conference, Cologne, May 2010
- Understanding Deep Politics conference, California May 2010
- ETH-0 technology conferences, NL January 2009 and 2010
- Vers la Verite conference, Paris, September 2009
- WikiLeaksDiscussion Panel, HAR NL, August 2009
- National speaking tour across Canada, May-June 2009
- The Campaign to Make Wars History UK Tours, 2008–2009
- Speaking tour, California, September 2008
- IT Defense Conference, Hamburg, January 2008
- CCC international hackers’ conference, Berlin, December 2007
- Introducing US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, European Tour, 2007
- International Islamic Fair, Malaysia, July 2007
- William Rodriguez “Last Man Out” European speaking tours, 2006–2007
- Oxford Union Society, 2006
- Festivals: Big Green Gathering 2006, Eastern Haze 2007, Hacking at Random, NL 2009, Secret Garden Party 2008 and 2010
- Huddersfield University Intelligence Studies course, 2006
- Cardiff University Journalism course, 2006
- “An Evening with…” at UK theatres, Clive Conway Celebrity Productions, 2005
- Café Diplo — La Monde Diplomatique, 2005
- Sheffield University investigative journalism course, 2003
- MPs in both the Houses of Parliament and the Scottish Parliament
- Political party conferences + a bit part here with Mark Thomas, 1998
- Rotary Clubs
- Schools
- National Union of Journalism national UK conferences
- Foreign press corps
- Political rallies
- Anti-war rallies
- Trades Union branch meetings
