Michael Benis
Biography
Born in London in 1958, I was educated at Christ’s College Finchley and York University. To get fancy, I’m Michael Benis BA (Hons), FCIL, MITI.
The letters after my name tell you that my professional credentials include full membership/fellowship of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, the Chartered Institute of Linguists, and the Society of Authors and its Translators Association.
I lived and worked in Italy from 1984 until 1989 and then from 1991 until 1993, when I moved to Brighton. In 2010 I moved closer to the sea and centre of the city in Hove.
Working as a teacher, translator and what would later come to be termed a transcreator in Bologna in 1985, Lamborghini changed my life by asking me to write and record a video script for them and I became a copywriter.
In-house positions followed, as copywriter and later creative director, working at agencies in London and Leeds, Bologna and Modena. This was interspersed and has now been superseded by a freelance career, working directly with leading companies, consultants and service providers worldwide, providing support that ranges from copywriting to brand strategy, creative direction and cross-cultural consulting - often in combination since they are so frequently interconnected.
Having lived in Italy for around 10 years, I speak Italian fluently. By dint of circumstance I have come to occupy an almost unique niche, liaising in Italian with leading Italian companies on a daily basis to help them achieve the most effective branding and international communications. At the same time, I continue to work with companies across the UK and Europe, providing board-level consultancy and effective solutions to support their communications strategy development and implementation.
My interests range from backpacking, camping, cooking, coffee and espresso in particular, to motorcycles, an embarrassingly eclectic range of music, Old English Sheepdogs, running, walking and writing.
Brand and Communications Consultant
Branding • Creative Concepts & Strategy • Copywriting
• Creative Direction • Speechwriting