Michael Acott

Cape Town, South Africa
Email: michael.acott@bairdscmc.com
Linkedin: michael-acott

Michael Acott, associate at Baird’s CMC, has had a lengthy career in journalism and in public relations. His journalism career has spanned covering politics and business, and took him from Johannesburg to London and Cape Town, before returning to Johannesburg as senior assistant editor at the financial daily Business Day.

He then spent 14 years at Baird’s Renaissance in Johannesburg, which subsequently became part of Edelman, the world’s largest PR company.

Michael combined his journalism and communication skills to become a specialist in reputation and crisis management, and an experienced media trainer. This has included training CEOs and other top executives in media, crisis and issues management.

He is now an independent consultant living in Cape Town.

Roles

• Associate at Baird’s CMC
• Independent communications consultant
• Freelance writer and editor

Expertise

• Communications strategy and management
• Crisis management
• Media training
• Writing and editing

Client examples

Tata, Absa (now Barclays), Bayer, Evraz and Eskom