Michael is an experienced and professional press officer, with a background in both the public and volunteer sectors. His work includes everything from handling major council stories to promoting local cultural events and events management.
PR Coordinator, Rebellion
2011 - present
Coordinating PR across the Oxford-based games developer and publishing house - covering everything from up-and-coming computer games to legendary comic book 2000 AD and the company's two book imprints, Solaris and Abaddon Books.
Press Officer, Leeds City Council
2005 - 2011
As one of a team of press officers for the country's second largest city council, Michael provided press support for the Environment and Neighbourhoods portfolio area.
His work included: writing targeted proactive press releases, working with officers to organise media opportunities and interviews, preparing communications strategies for long-term major projects, taking daily reactive calls from the media and responding to complex and difficult enquiries to tight deadlines, monitoring council’s social media profile, producing promotional videos about council services, creating and maintaining strong relationships with both local and trade media contacts, strong working relationship with partner agencies.
National and regional media coverage secured includes cases of Leeford Walker, the first person in Britain to have their Anti Social Behaviour Order ended early, and Lisa Walker, who turned her life around after being branded "scum mum" by the Sun.
Thought Bubble
2007 - 2008
Pro bono work to promote Leeds' largest ever comic book/sequential art festival in November 2007 and 2008, including developing promotional opportunities, including The World’s Biggest Comic Book Store - a ‘bookcrossing’ event with hundreds of graphic novels left around city centre for people to read, take home or swap.
Lisa Wood, Thought Bubble organiser: "The Thought Bubble Festival managed to go from a 500 attendee festival in 2007 to a 1,500 attendee festival in it's second year 2008 and I believe this is down to Michael's innovative marketing campaigns and press releases.
"Without his support on these two vital years our festival would not be what it is today, the UK's largest sequential art festival which now attracts over 4,500 people throughout the event every year.
"His ideas for our book drop (to turn Leeds in to the largest comic book shop in the world) and creating superhero characters who identify with the area we are promoting earned us enormous amounts of press coverage and really engaged with the public, all this culminated in us being able to bring a huge arts festival to Leeds in 2009 and 2010."
Public Relations Officer, The Earl of Manchester’s Regiment of Foote
2009 - present
Event management, website design, marketing and promotion for a regiment of the Sealed Knot English Civil Wars re-enactment society. Michael organises and runs annual weekend re-enactment events at the prestigious Royal Armouries and Temple Newsam House in Leeds, and Peterborough History Festival.
PR Coordinator, Rebellion
2011 - present
Coordinating PR across the Oxford-based games developer and publishing house - covering everything from up-and-coming computer games to legendary comic book 2000 AD and the company's two book imprints, Solaris and Abaddon Books.
Press Officer, Leeds City Council
2005 - 2011
As one of a team of press officers for the country's second largest city council, Michael provided press support for the Environment and Neighbourhoods portfolio area.
His work included: writing targeted proactive press releases, working with officers to organise media opportunities and interviews, preparing communications strategies for long-term major projects, taking daily reactive calls from the media and responding to complex and difficult enquiries to tight deadlines, monitoring council’s social media profile, producing promotional videos about council services, creating and maintaining strong relationships with both local and trade media contacts, strong working relationship with partner agencies.
National and regional media coverage secured includes cases of Leeford Walker, the first person in Britain to have their Anti Social Behaviour Order ended early, and Lisa Walker, who turned her life around after being branded "scum mum" by the Sun.
Thought Bubble
2007 - 2008
Pro bono work to promote Leeds' largest ever comic book/sequential art festival in November 2007 and 2008, including developing promotional opportunities, including The World’s Biggest Comic Book Store - a ‘bookcrossing’ event with hundreds of graphic novels left around city centre for people to read, take home or swap.
Lisa Wood, Thought Bubble organiser: "The Thought Bubble Festival managed to go from a 500 attendee festival in 2007 to a 1,500 attendee festival in it's second year 2008 and I believe this is down to Michael's innovative marketing campaigns and press releases.
"Without his support on these two vital years our festival would not be what it is today, the UK's largest sequential art festival which now attracts over 4,500 people throughout the event every year.
"His ideas for our book drop (to turn Leeds in to the largest comic book shop in the world) and creating superhero characters who identify with the area we are promoting earned us enormous amounts of press coverage and really engaged with the public, all this culminated in us being able to bring a huge arts festival to Leeds in 2009 and 2010."
Public Relations Officer, The Earl of Manchester’s Regiment of Foote
2009 - present
Event management, website design, marketing and promotion for a regiment of the Sealed Knot English Civil Wars re-enactment society. Michael organises and runs annual weekend re-enactment events at the prestigious Royal Armouries and Temple Newsam House in Leeds, and Peterborough History Festival.
