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Michael Abrahams Joins Sard Verbinnen & Co as Managing Director
[July 16, 2020]

Michael Abrahams Joins Sard Verbinnen & Co as Managing Director


Sard Verbinnen & Co ("SVC"), a leading strategic communications firm, today announced that corporate, crisis and change communications expert Michael Abrahams has joined SVC as a Managing Director. He will lead the firm's expanded Employee and Transformation Communications practice and work with SVC clients around the world on corporate reputation, transactions, restructurings, crises, litigation, activism and other special situations. Michael was previously a Partner at Finsbury, where he worked across communications specialties and founded and led the global Employee and Change Communications practice. He will be based in SVC's New York office.

"Strong, strategic communications with employees have always been a cornerstone of SVC's work with clients, and we are thrilled Michael is joining the firm to deepen and grow this important capability across our global platform," said Co-Founders and Co-CEOs George Sard and Paul Verbinnen. "More than ever, authentic internal communications and workforce engagement are critical to an organization's reputation and success, especially while navigating special situations like crises, restructurings and M&A. Michael is one of the leading senior practitioners in this field. He also brings a broad range of international strategic communications experience relevant to our other key practice areas. Our ability to continue attracting top talent like Michael and other recent hires underscores our momentum as we continue to grow and expand our relationships with clients around the world."

Michael Abrahams said, "Never before has the way organizations treat, listen to and engage with their employees had a more significant, fast-moving and lasting impact on corporate reputation, trust and bottom-line results. In an environment in which historic barriers between internal and external communications have essentially disappeared, a sophisticated, strategic commitment to employee communications has become an increasingly important focus for top organizations and those who lead them. Ilook forward to partnering with the entire SVC team to help clients see around corners and - with SVC's strong strategy, media, research, digital and design capabilities - working together to help companies build momentum, drive cultural change and achieve their most critical business objectives."



SVC's Employee and Transformation Communications practice, which builds on the firm's long-standing employee engagement work, operates across all nine of the firm's offices and leverages SVC's in-house capabilities in research, digital communications and design to support clients. Under Michael's leadership, the practice will be deployed on distinct, standalone employee assignments and as a seamless part of the firm's fully integrated strategic communications offering, including on M&A, post-merger integration, crises, litigation, restructuring, corporate and leadership positioning, and IPOs as well as shareholder, union and employee activism. Advising clients on remote working, workplace return plans and internal reputation issues around diversity, equity and inclusion are important near-term focus areas as clients continue to navigate communications opportunities related to the pandemic and vital social justice concerns.

About Michael Abrahams


Michael Abrahams works with senior leaders at multi-national companies on complicated reputation, litigation, financial, public affairs and workplace issues. He has deep experience managing major corporate crises in the U.S., Europe, Middle East and Asia as well as a range of high-profile special situations, including mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, litigation, union and activist campaigns, business transformations and leadership transitions.

Michael joined SVC from his role as a Partner at Finsbury, where he advised top clients in manufacturing, retail, transportation, energy, media, financial and professional services, digital technology, robotics and higher education - and where he also founded and headed the firm's global Employee and Change Communications practice. Additionally, he has served in interim global communications leadership roles at Fortune 500 companies in the Netherlands and Switzerland. Earlier, Michael worked in Washington, DC, overseeing communications for National Public Radio (NPR (News - Alert)) and before that in electoral politics and legislative affairs. He holds a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin and an M.A. in Politics and Public Policy from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University.

About Sard Verbinnen & Co. ("SVC")

SVC is a leading strategic communications firm focused on supporting companies through complex, high-stakes situations affecting reputation and value, including transactions, proxy contests, IPOs, litigations and crises. Headquartered in New York, SVC has offices in Chicago, Washington, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, London and Hong Kong. The firm has 200+ professionals, including 20+ partners. SVC has been widely recognized for its leadership in its focus areas. Mergermarket ranked SVC the #1 Global PR Firm by deal count and value in 2019. The firm is also recognized as a Top Tier - Band 1 PR Firm by Chambers & Partners Litigation Support guide and was named 2018 Financial PR Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report. For more information, please visit www.sardverb.com.


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