Mike is an experienced expert in executive communications strategy, speechwriting and leadership messaging. For more than two decades, Mike has created thought leadership and executive communications plans and written speeches, articles and other major messaging for Fortune 100 CEOs, elected officials, and other top leaders. His clients have included then-Washington Gov. Gary Locke, and top executives from American Express, Boeing, Starbucks, Amazon.com, Barclays Bank and other companies.

Mike leads the Nyhus consulting practice counseling corporate and government leaders on effective communications planning, strategy, and key audience engagement. He is the firm’s senior writer for speeches, op-eds, creative marketing copy and other thought-leadership communications.

Prior to joining Nyhus, Mike served as executive speechwriter and senior writer for the communications and marketing organization of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA). He wrote speeches and other leadership messages for top BCA and other company executives, and provided counsel on public speaking, presentation techniques, and executive communications strategy and management. Mike also developed and authored major brand and marketing communications, business strategy documents and online content for BCA.

Working closely with Locke’s communications director, Roger Nyhus, Mike served as deputy communications director, executive communications, for the governor from 2002-2004. Mike led executive communications planning and strategy, and wrote hundreds of the governor’s speeches, op-ed pieces, and other executive messages. Mike also created and served as managing editor and writer of “Working Capitol,” the governor’s weekly electronic newsletter.

Before joining the Office of the Governor, Mike worked for The Boeing Company for 13 years as an executive speechwriter and writer for a wide variety of company publications.

Mike has also worked extensively as a freelance executive communications consultant, speechwriter and business article author. His clients have included American Express, Starbucks Coffee Co., Amazon.com, Barclays Bank, InnoCentive, and Davis Wright Tremaine LLP.

Mike has taught university courses in public speaking, argumentation and debate, speechwriting and composition. He has presented seminars on speechwriting at several conferences and professional events, including Public Relations Society of America programs. In his spare time, Mike writes poetry, short fiction and nonfiction. His work has appeared in numerous print and online literary journals and anthologies. He also enjoys playing guitar, singing and weight-training, although not all at the same time.

Mike has bachelor’s degrees in speech and English, a master’s degree in speech communication, and a law degree, all from the University of Washington. He also completed two years of doctorate coursework in communication arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.