Mikey Hoare

Mikey has extensive experience handling communications on sensitive and critical issues, engaging audiences to help organizations deliver their mission.

His experience in UK Government has seen Mikey lead work across the range of communications disciplines, including media relations, strategic communications, countering disinformation, and contingency planning. Some of his highest-profile engagements include public messaging on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the evacuation from Afghanistan, complex cyber incidents, and hostage crises. He trained people across Government on leading communications teams in a crisis.

Most recently, Mikey was Director of National Security Communications at the UK Cabinet Office. Before that, he was Director of Communications at a British national security agency. He ran the Foreign Office’s press and digital team through multiple crises, and has been Head of Communications at the British Embassy in Washington, and Press Secretary at the UK’s Mission to the United Nations.

Mikey started his career as a financial journalist focused on Equity Capital Markets and M&A, winning the 2003 British Chambers of Commerce Business Journalist of the Year in the Corporate Finance category.

At Kekst CNC, Mikey has a particular focus on crisis preparedness and handling, cyber incidents, and geopolitics.

Crisis and Issues Management

• Led UK Government’s messaging on the war in Ukraine, driving a high-volume campaign designed to counter Russian disinformation, informing and influencing global audiences throughthe full spectrum of tools from declassified intelligence to digital content.
• Oversaw communications on the 2021 evacuation from Afghanistan, from scenario planning to day-to-day media handling.
• Ran the UK Foreign Office’s press and digital team through hostage crises, evacuations, and the shooting down of flight MH17.

Corporate Reputation and Positioning

• Drove the repositioning of a British national security agency, designing and implementing a communications strategy to use external and internal engagement to help the agency deliver its mission.
• Established the UK’s Government Information Cell to counter Russian disinformation.
• Delivered cross-Government activity to promote UK’s Integrated Review of foreign and security policy in 2021 and its 2023 update, with a high volume of positive sentiment in global reporting.

Cybersecurity

• Coordinated cross-Government messaging on complex cyber incidents affecting central departments and local authorities.
• Played a central role in designing and implementing the Government’s use of communications to improve cybersecurity in the UK.

Regulatory and Public Affairs

• Worked in UK Government for 20 years, helping principals and organizations navigate political issues across national security and foreign policy.
• Ran UK messaging in the US as Head of Communications at the British Embassy in Washington. Delivered a program to raise communications capabilities in UK embassies across the Americas.
• Advised on global media handling and geopolitics as Press Secretary at the UK Mission to the UN.