Mike Sergeant

Mike Sergeant is an award-winning communications consultant, media coach and author who specialises in helping CEOs and senior executives master powerful, human communication. A former BBC correspondent with nearly two decades of frontline journalism across CNN, Reuters, Sky News and the BBC, where he reported from war zones, Westminster and global financial markets, Mike founded Sergeant Leadership Communications to transform how leaders connect and influence. He is the author of *PR for Humans* and hosts a podcast of the same name, whilst moderating major global conferences for organisations including McKinsey, Allianz and the Global Family Office Community. Audiences leave his sessions with practical tools to navigate high-stakes interviews, craft authentic messages and lead with clarity, confidence and lasting impact.

When Mike Sergeant walked away from 13 years at the BBC in 2014, he carried with him something most communications consultants never possess: the muscle memory of thousands of live broadcasts, the instinct honed in war zones and Westminster corridors, and an unshakeable understanding of what makes messages land under pressure. His journey from CNN in 1996 through Reuters and Sky News, where he became the first e-commerce correspondent, to reporting from the Middle East, decoding financial markets and navigating the political frontline for BBC Breakfast and the flagship news programmes, forged a rare combination of journalistic rigour and strategic communication insight. After a stint as Director at Headland, a City of London corporate and financial PR agency, he founded Sergeant Leadership Communications to transform how CEOs and senior executives connect, influence and inspire in an era of relentless digital noise and instant judgement.

Mike's expertise spans the full spectrum of high-stakes communication, from crisis management and IPO positioning to M&A communications and personal reputation building for chairs, ministers and senior partners. A Cambridge economics graduate, he channels his frontline reporting experience into advising clients across financial services, banking, investment, retail, energy and transport, equipping leaders with the clarity and confidence needed to command attention when it matters most. As author of *PR for Humans*, published by Practical Inspiration Publishing, and host of the podcast bearing the same name, he explores the principles that drive authentic storytelling in business through conversations with leading communicators. His work as a moderator for major global conferences, including events for McKinsey, Allianz, SLB, PIF, Saudi EXIM, ESF Hong Kong and the Global Family Office Community, demonstrates his ability to elevate content and conversation whilst creating memorable experiences that resonate long after the event concludes.

Mike's sessions deliver practical, immediately applicable tools that help leaders navigate challenging interviews, craft messages that resonate authentically, and communicate with the humanity that builds trust and influence. Whether delivering media training, public speaking coaching or reputation advice, he works with executives to develop the skills that separate competent communication from genuinely compelling leadership presence. As a conference chair and awards host, he combines energy, insight and wit to create moments that audiences remember, whilst his coaching helps leaders tell powerful stories that cut through complexity and land with impact. Audiences leave equipped not just to speak, but to connect meaningfully, influence decisively, and leave the lasting impression that defines effective leadership in today's scrutinised, fast-moving business environment.