BOB GELDOF

Sir Bob Geldof

Known for:

Philanthropist; Political Activist; Musician and Frontman of The Boomtown Rats and Author

Bio:

Sir Bob Geldof is an industrious charity campaigner whose worldwide prominence is used to great effect when it comes to raising awareness. He focuses on a wide range of issues and causes, including famines in Africa, aid organisations, as well as global communications, politics, and business.

His music career started in 1975 with The Boomtown Rats, during which he has written, produced and recorded an array of albums and hit singles, both as part of a band and as a solo artist. Music is still one of his most beloved passions. He turned his attention to the troubles Ethiopia was having with famine in 1984, which is when he then decided to form Band Aid and the global charity fundraising event, Live Aid. As a reward for his endeavours, in 1986 he was knighted for his humanitarian work.

Sir Bob, after co-founding the production company, Planet 24, established himself as an incisive businessman. The company was responsible for launching The Big Breakfast in 1992 and in the late 90s, Sir Bob founded the online travel agent, Deckchair.com, which he later sold in June 2003.

Sir Bob and Alex Connock, having then sold Planet 24, started the all-new, Ten Alps Communications in 1999, which produced documentaries for a number of broadcasters including the BBC, Channel 4 and Sky, among others. Then, in 2005, he ran a TV series for the BBC, Geldof In Africa,  in which he travelled through West, Central and East Africa exploring the effects of Live Aid, 20 years on. A variety of notable publications, such as Time magazine, have had articles written by Sir Bob published and read across the globe.

In July 2005, Sir Bob organised another global fundraising event; the Live 8 concerts which, as with Live Aid, were intended to raise awareness for and actively help people in need.  Tirelessly, Sir Bob continues to campaign and as a result he has received a number of awards, including the Nobel Man of Peace Award, several nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and more than seven Honorary Doctorates.

Since 2010, Sir Bob has been working on a project called the 8 Mile Fund, which is a private equity investment fund for Africa. The plan for the fund is to support and help Africa in joining the likes of India and China in terms of economic stability, scale and future prospects.

Sir Bob is an inspirational and influential speaker; his insight and experiences allow him to talk in an entertaining, yet informative way on a variety of topics.

Topics:

Making a Difference

A Greener Future

Sustainable Business

The Boomtown Rats to Live 8

Dublin to Darfur

and more…