Michelle Gillie Barnes

I am an accomplished marketing and communications professional with extensive experience spanning advertising, copywriting, media strategy, and senior account management. My career journey began as a PA at Toyota Marketing and SABC (TV 1), leading to client service roles at prominent advertising agencies like Hunt Lascaris, Ogilvy & Mather, Ammirati Puris Lintas, Gavin Reddy Hawn, and The Jupiter Drawing Room.

I have further honed my creative skills as a copywriter, involved in conceptualization, art direction, and production at Ebony & Ivory, and later established my own freelance copywriting business, Write Brain.

My tenure at SABC as a Marketing Specialist / Media Strategist expanded my expertise across the full sales and marketing process, traditional and ambient media, and invaluable time/people management and presentation skills. I have continued to upskill through various roles including Sponsorships & Promotions Executive at United Stations, Contract Account Manager at Stratitude, and Head of PR, Marketing and Communications at Serengeti Golf & Wildlife Estate, gaining exposure to diverse sectors like golf, residential, conferencing, and banqueting.

Prior to my current role, I served as an Account Director at PR Worx, Communications Manager at Agility Group (encompassing medical scheme, employee benefits, loyalty programs, and insurance), and engaged in further freelance consultancy.

Currently, I am a Senior Account Manager at PR Worx, which has seen me consistently retain my core skills in copywriting, content creation, public and media relations.