About Maureen McCowen
Most people I work with are already good at what they do. They don't need someone to teach them their subject. They need someone to help them communicate it as well as they know it.
That's the gap I work on - between what someone knows and how it comes across when they present or speak up.
I'm Maureen McCowen, a public speaking and presentation skills specialist based in Ireland. I work with individuals who want to present with more confidence, and with organisations whose teams need to represent the company well in front of clients, senior leaders, or the board.
Why I do this work
What I see, again and again, is capable people who are frustrated. They watch colleagues progress - people who aren't necessarily more capable - and they know that what's holding them back isn't their ability. It's how they come across when they present or speak up.
That's why I do this work.
How I Work
Before we do any work together, I want to understand what you - or your team - are actually dealing with. What situations are difficult, what has been tried before and what a good outcome looks like.
That shapes everything that follows. There are no off-the-shelf programmes here.
The work is built around the real challenges the person or team is facing - the industry they're in, the audience they're presenting to, the situations that catch them out.
I've worked with people preparing for board presentations, sales conferences, client pitches, industry conferences, and the kind of high-stakes meeting where getting it right matters. My starting point is the same every time: understand first, then build from there.
Clients leave with something they can actually use - a clear way of approaching any speaking situation, rather than a set of techniques to remember under pressure.
This is all I do.
What I'm working toward, with every client, is that their speaking reflects the quality of their thinking.
Experience and Recognition
Experience
My background is in teaching. I spent over twenty-five years in secondary education, where the daily reality was communicating clearly under pressure, holding the attention of a room, and adapting to how different people learn. That experience taught me what makes something stick, and what it takes to build real confidence over time.
I've worked with individuals and teams across engineering, finance, technology, and energy. My work ranges from one-to-one coaching with professionals preparing for high-stakes presentations, to team training for organisations including Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Sky, EirGrid, Bord Bia, Lakeland Dairies, Fortinet, and the HSE, as well as through ISME Skillnet and other Skillnet networks.
Recognition
Winner – Speaker Factor Ireland 2024
Professional Speaking Association UK & Ireland
Best Sole Entrepreneur 2025
Kildare Business Awards
"I needed to make convincing presentations to senior leaders, customers and partners. I wanted to develop gravitas, be in control of the conversations, and be confident even if I didn't have confidence. The experience profoundly changed my approach and made me very confident in having effective executive conversations. Soft Skill Success does what it says on the tin."
— Jack McCarthy, Enterprise Adoption Manager Europe, HPE Financial Services
Featured in
THAT GREAT BUSINESS SHOW with Conall O'Moráin
Podcast interview on public speaking confidence and presenting with impact.
THE IRISH TIMES - July 2026
Featured in the Irish Times Business Special Report on workplace communication and meetings
Frequently Asked Questions
-
I work with professionals and teams who want to communicate their ideas more clearly and confidently.
Many are experienced in their field and know their subject inside out, but find it harder to communicate that expertise when presenting to clients, senior leaders or the board, speaking at a conference, or contributing in an important meeting.
I've worked with clients across engineering, finance, technology, energy and other sectors, from emerging leaders to senior executives.
-
Yes. You don't need to be nervous about public speaking to benefit from coaching.
I often work with experienced professionals who are comfortable presenting but want to be more concise, structure complex information more clearly, engage their audience better or have greater impact in high-stakes situations.
The starting point is always what you already do well and what you want to improve.
-
Yes. I provide one-to-one public speaking and presentation skills coaching for professionals, as well as tailored presentation skills training for organisations and teams.
One-to-one coaching is built around your particular speaking situations and goals. Team training is designed around the situations your people actually face at work, so the examples and practice are relevant to them.
I work with clients in Ireland and internationally, with coaching and training available online as well as in person.