About Media Train

Why choose us?

• Our media training consultants have reported on some of the most significant events of our time from scores of countries around the world. They know Latin America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa because they have lived and worked there as journalists.
• Between them they have given hundreds of workshops, in more than 50 countries on 6 continents. The company also uses independent consultants with a proven record of providing high-quality training based on solid media experience.
• We are likely to have a consultant who knows the location, subject and client, as well as the language required – we train in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
• All our consultants are practised at working with people from different cultures and nations. We understand the need to adapt to the very different media styles in different parts of the world, and can prepare you for Cameroon as much as for California.
• Media Train consultants work with the beginner, the out-of-practice and the super-slick. Whatever your level of experience and skills, we can make you better at it.
• We do not tell anyone what to say or do, you decide that yourselves. Then we work with you to put your messages across in the most effective way.
• Our workshops are tailor-made for the client, whether you are preparing for a special event, about to engage with the news media, or improving general skills in communication.
• Media Train clients are development agencies big and small, Not-For-Profits, governments and businesses. Whoever you are and whatever it is you have to say, we help you say it effectively.

Meet the team

Oliver Wates, MT Director

Since becoming a full-time trainer in 1998, Oliver has worked in more than 60 countries around the world. While at home in Asia, Africa and Europe, his specialist areas are Latin America and the former Soviet Union.

In recent years he has put more emphasis on training in Presentation Technique, Public Speaking and Writing Technique as well as our core business of Media Training.

Oliver was previously a staff correspondent for Reuters news agency for more than 20 years, with postings in Argentina, Brazil, Pakistan, Portugal, and in Moscow, where he was head of the bureau during the break-up of the Soviet Union.

His training record includes executives from banks, oil companies and other big businesses, staff of NGOs and development agencies, and the occasional government minister (Moldova, Kyrgyzstan).

“Communication comes in various forms. Certainly knowing how to cooperate with the news media and social media is crucial to any organisation with a public profile. But having staff who know how to put together a proper PowerPoint and what to leave out is also vital to the smooth running of any successful organisation.”

Andy Hill, MT Director

Andy uses decades of work as a Reuters correspondent and development professional to impress audiences with confidence and skill. “Information is a key tool to bring about change,” he says. “We help people approach the microphone or podium with the tools to change people’s minds, and to be remembered.”

He spent nearly 30 years for Reuters in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and south Asia and has first-hand knowledge of the difficult surroundings many of our clients operate. He spent four years working for Oxfam In Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories; then another four helping to break the public information logjam in Somaliland by streamlining how the government informed the pubic and how the media reported it. With TradeMark East Africa, he documented how improved regional trade can improve livelihoods and the quality of life in impact stories that were turned into two books.

For MediaTrain he has helped hundreds of people, both in person and online, to see media and public speaking as an opportunity, not a threat, and to prepare themselves in ways that can be used in any situation – the media, office meetings, job interviews or public meetings. “It’s a skill, a way of thinking about what’s important to say, and we can pass it on in a very short time.”  He lives in Ireland, and trains in English and French.

Marian Hens, MT Director

Marian is an international communications consultant with over 20 years of experience working across the public and private sectors. She has coached senior spokespeople and delivered training across five continents for UN agencies, multinationals, and NGOs. Marian also brings corporate expertise in managing high-profile communication campaigns, including digital strategy.

A former BBC correspondent, editor, and producer, Marian covered global affairs from London, Jerusalem, Brussels, and Madrid. Before that, she wrote for The Guardian and was Assistant Foreign Editor at El Mundo.

Fluent in English and Spanish, Marian delivers courses in Media Training, Presentation Skills, Message Building, and Strategic Communication—always grounded in the belief that while platforms evolve, powerful storytelling remains at the heart of effective communication.

“A good story is always a good story—whether told in front of a microphone, spelt out in a blog post, or flagged on social media. Effective communication is about combining the ancient art of storytelling with the skill of knowing how best to present it.”