Melanie has been writing speeches for almost ten years and considers it an immense privilege. She spent almost three years as Chief Speechwriter to the former President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso.  She worked on his high-profile State of the European Union speeches, as well as on speeches covering a wide variety of topics, from environmental to industrial policy. She has also worked for UNESCO Special Envoy and former first lady of Qatar, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, crafting her speeches for the UN General Assembly and World Education Forum. Melanie is now based in Cambridge and writes for the Chief Executives of Cambridge Assessment – a branch of Cambridge University.