Michael Stopford
Michael Stopford serves as Executive Vice President and global corporate strategist for Weber Shandwick, the world’s leading international communications and public affairs agency. He focuses on international strategic communications, global public affairs, stakeholder engagement, public/private partnerships and multi-sectoral Corporate Social Responsibility as core platforms for sustaining and enhancing corporate reputation.
His professional background spans strategic communications for the international private and public sectors. Through his work with NATO, the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation and the United Nations, as well as the UK foreign service, he brings a wide understanding of the international political, security and development arena, while with The Coca-Cola Company, ExxonMobil and Syngenta Michael developed comprehensive corporate reputation, government affairs and issues management programs. His geographical experience covers North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and South America. He established signature programs and partnerships for corporations with international governmental (IGOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), engaging stakeholders across diverse continents and constituencies.
Amongst his key assignments have been: Chief of Staff for the UN Director-General and Under-Secretary-General for Human Rights, Geneva; Director of the UN Information Center in Washington, DC; Chief of Media and Public Relations for the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation; Senior Advisor for ExxonMobil Corporation at its Dallas Headquarters; Head of Global Public Affairs and Government Relations for the Swiss-based agribusiness multinational, Syngenta; and Group Director of Corporate Reputation for The Coca-Cola Company at its Atlanta Headquarters. As Dep. Assistant Secretary General for NATO in Brussels, he headed Strategic Communications and the Alliance’s Science for Peace and Security (SPS) program. He introduced new communications technologies to the Alliance and its civilian and military agencies. Under the SPS program, he developed close ties between NATO and non-NATO partners on shared research and technology activities.
He has long experience in international higher education, both professionally (at American University, Washington DC, he served as Senior Assistant to the President and Director of International affairs) and in the academic arena. He has taught undergraduate and Master’s courses on international communications and political affairs at Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service, Washington DC; Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, Washington DC; American University, School of International Service, Washington DC; and New York University of Tirana, Albania. He has also served on numerous college and university Boards and is currently a Board Member of the Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.
He has published numerous articles on international organizations, communications and reputation issues. He is fluent in German, French, Italian and Spanish, with some Russian.
