Profile

Michael is a marketing communication expert. His background combines professional careers in the areas of Finance, Journalism and Marketing. Business knowledge gained as an investment analyst together with communication skills honed during his time as a financial journalist gives Michael an insight into business communication issues that can be duplicated by few public relations or marketing consultants.

Michael's clients include global facility management company ISS, professional services firms Ernst & Young, Pitcher Partners, Dibbs Stillman & Wilson, Lander & Rogers, financial services companies AXA, Blackrock (formerly Merrill Lynch Investment Managers), BOS International and a range of other large organisations including Austrade and Museum Victoria.

Prior to becoming a consultant Michael was employed by two of Australia's largest professional services firms to provide national communications and marketing advice. At law firm Minter Ellison Michael was responsible for marketing the firm's national Finance division. At accounting firm Ernst & Young, Michael was in charge of the firm's national marketing communication strategy.

During his time working in professional services Michael specialised in developing and producing issues-based marketing solutions and is acknowledged as one of the few experts in this field of professional services marketing in Australia. Although much of his time was spent working on marketing communication projects Michael's eight years experience as a financial journalist meant he was a natural choice to also provide advice and assistance to these firms on public relations and internal communications.

As a financial journalist for global newswire organisations Reuters and Dow Jones Michael reported on Australian companies and financial markets. The experience of monitoring and writing about markets and listed companies was invaluable for Michael’s understanding of issues that impact on Australian business at the highest level.

During this time Michael interviewed many of the chief executives of Australia's largest companies and broke many exclusive stories that impacted markets including a story that resulted in the New Zealand dollar falling by more than one cent against the Australian dollar. This experience was equally important in building Michael's communication skills, particularly in the area of structuring written communication.

Michael spent the first four years of his career working in financial markets as a research analyst for the Australian Stock Exchange Research Department during the late 1980s and as an investment analyst and money market dealer with the Australian Gaslight Company. Underpinning this experience is a degree qualification in Business (Marketing) from the University of South Australia and a Master of Finance from the University of Technology Sydney.