VIVIEN loved a meteoric rise to fame with BBC Television. Starting as a secretary she rose through the ranks to the position of Production Assistant for BBC Radio Drama, an abridger for BBC Radio 4s legendary A Book at Bedtime and culminating in newscasting for BBC1, BBC2, and BBC Radio 4. Vivien gained valuable reporting experience before reaching the national news, spending several years at BBC Bristol sharing a house with Penny Smith!

She was headhunted to join the multi award winning Sky World News as the anchor newsreader and The Sunrise edition of the show ibroadcast on Channel Five. Alongside news, Vivien also presented topical specials on health, business, world finances and conducted daily interviews with world leaders, Prime Ministers and Senior Statesmen.

A highly respected journalist, Vivien has worked for many years with the United Nations, often as a Goodwill Ambassador and is the only British Woman to be continually used to chair UN Conferences. These conferences often include large audiences, live satellite links and interviews via interpreters. She came to the attention of the worlds press when she was chaired a series of Womens Health Conferences for The World Health Organisation in Geneva and Beijing. In Beijing Vivien chaired over 5,000 delegates including Hillary Clinton, Benazir Bhutto, Jane Fonda and Baroness Shirley Williams.

She has written many amusing and informative articles for publications such as The Evening Standard and is a regular celebrity travel reporter for The Mail on Sunday, specialising in wildlife and conservation holidays.

Apart from current affairs, Vivien presented a live transport and travel series on BBC TV called Transit with Mike Smith. She also presented a 20 part series The Small Business Programme for BBC TV. Vivien is well-known for her wonderful voice and so its no surprise that she has been a favourite voice-over artist for numerous programmes and commercials, including Discovery Channels Those Who Dare and Mysterious Forces Beyond. She recently filmed a moving documentary about Cambodia for the UN, reporting on the rehabilitation of the sex slaves, landmine victims and orphans there.

Despite the often serious subjects that Vivien has to deal with, she retains a fantastic sense of humour and natural wit, something that she was able to show when she was questioned to compere for Victoria Wood live at The Lyric Theatre and in her dealings as a member of The British Academy of Film and Television Arts and on the board of The National Film School.

She was the presenter of the Millennium Child of Achievement Forum where the delegates included guests like John Major, Mo Molam and David Trimble. She is a highly accomplished chair person, apart from the UN conferences she has facilitated plenary sessions for IBM, Coutts, The Guardian, Malone Associates, Microsoft, Nortel Networks in Rome, The Millennium Technology Forum and conferences for Astra Zeneker to name but a few. Page and Moy, Microsoft, Saga, Office Angels, Hewlett Packard, Toshiba, B.T, Plessey, Norwich Union, Rolls Royce, Renault, Allied Irish Bank, the CEGB, AA, The Evening Standard Executive PA Show, The Manchester Media Forum for Granada, BAFTA and The Association of Convenience Stores.

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