Michael MacLennan

Strategic Communications Leadership Meets Practical AI Implementation

IN BRIEF

Hi, I’m Michael.

I bridge two worlds that rarely meet: strategic communications leadership and practical AI/ML implementation.

With training from Imperial College London and two decades driving digital transformation for global brands and purpose-driven organisations, I help leaders navigate complexity with confidence, creativity, and cutting-edge capability.

Whether as interim executive, strategic advisor, or board member, I deliver immediate impact where technology meets human connection.

A Pioneering Combination of Practical Skills & Leadership Experience

Most communications leaders talk about AI. Few can actually implement it.

I completed Imperial College London’s rigorous Practical Certificate in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in October 2025, receiving an Exemplary Award for my final technical project. This wasn’t theoretical study: it was hands-on training in Python, statistics, model design, and deployment. I can now design, build, and evaluate AI systems that solve real communications challenges.

But technical capability means nothing without strategic context. That’s where two decades of leadership experience comes in.

At Brunswick, I spent five years as Director of Digital and Communications, helping reshape how one of the world’s leading advisory firms upskilled its award-winning workforce and tell its own story. The firm achieved double-digit revenue growth throughout my tenure as I transformed client digital strategies and launched internal platforms that became invaluable for global operations.

At Red Bull, I led global content strategy reaching 100+ million fans and launched their pioneering VR channel, managing a cross-departmental team of 70+ people. At Barclaycard, I architected a digital operating model that transformed how millions of customers engaged with the brand.

This combination– practical AI capability plus proven strategic leadership – positions me to help organisations navigate the genuine opportunities (and real risks) of AI-powered communications.

CURRENT WORK

Grayling UK

Since May 2025, I’ve been Freelance Digital & Social Director at Grayling UK, coming in at a crucial time following a national restructure to quickly provide for critical major client needs.

Operating three days per week, I provide senior strategic leadership across Grayling’s UK portfolio, working on projects spanning multi-billion regeneration developments, corporate financial services, professional membership bodies, and high-profile events.

My work includes:

  • Leading full digital and social media strategies for multi-billion pound infrastructure projects
  • Chairing cross-stakeholder steering groups to ensure strategic alignment across complex partnerships
  • Developing governance frameworks including social media playbooks and crisis communications guidelines
  • Providing executive communications counsel to C-suite leaders at global corporations
  • Supporting new business development with digital audits and strategic proposals
  • Delivering internal workshops on AI integration, digital trends, and reputational risk management

The role combines hands-on strategic delivery with senior oversight, helping Grayling evolve into a more digitally native, insight-driven communications consultancy.

Faur

In 2024, I launched Faur, a communications consultancy built differently. Rather than a traditional agency model, we assemble the right specialists for each challenge, blending strategic insight with technical sophistication.

Our clients range from ParalympicsGB (digital platform evaluation) to multinational lottery operator Allwyn (corporate content strategy) to national membership bodies like ACOSVO. We deliver what traditional consultancies can’t: strategies that account for AI capability, digital audits that map transformation pathways, and content workshops that drive real implementation.

The model works because it’s flexible, senior-led, and technology-informed. Clients come to us when they need more than generic advice—they need partners who understand both the strategic imperative and the technical reality.

PROVEN EXECUTIVE DELIVERY

Theory doesn’t interest me. Results do.

As interim CEO of Cancer Support Scotland (January-October 2023), I navigated severe financial challenges and delivered more than 50% of annual projected income within the first quarter. I restructured operations, managed legacy construction issues, and developed transformational digital service proposals.

At Victim Support Scotland (November 2024-April 2025), I served as Service Delivery and Efficiency Lead, conducting process evaluations, implementing workflow improvements, and introducing automation to reduce administrative burden on frontline staff.

These weren’t consultancy projects: they were hands-on leadership roles requiring immediate impact. I’ve walked into complex situations, diagnosed core issues, and delivered measurable improvements under pressure.

That’s what interim executives do. And it’s what boards need: directors who can roll up sleeves when required, not just attend quarterly meetings.

BUILDING FOR IMPACT

When I founded Covid Aid in 2021, we used digital innovation to create an online community that supported 385,000+ people and raised over £250,000. The platform earned Rising Chief Executive nominations at the Third Sector Awards and won at the CMX Community Industry Awards.

We built partnerships with the NHS, Scottish Government, Asthma & Lung UK, and Marie Curie. We created a members’ community of 2,000+ people. We deployed counselling services, expert Q&As, courses, and a dedicated mobile app.

Then we closed it down.

Not because it failed, but because the acute need had passed. That taught me something: the best organisations know when their mission is complete. Not everything needs to scale forever.

This blend of commercial innovation and social purpose defines my approach. Technology should amplify human impact, not replace it. Whether advising global corporations or national charities, the best solutions emerge when we combine technological possibility with human empathy.

WHERE AI MEETS COMMUNICATIONS

In early 2025, I launched Applied Comms AI, a platform that bridges the gap between AI hype and AI reality for communications professionals.

The premise is simple: most AI content for communicators is either too theoretical or too promotional. I got tired of reading endless articles about AI’s potential with no practical guidance on what actually works. So I built something different.

What Applied Comms AI Does:

Through weekly newsletters and in-depth articles, I:

  • Test AI tools ruthlessly: Taking platforms through actual communications challenges and telling the truth about what’s worth your time and budget
  • Share real implementations: Case studies from organisations successfully using AI in communications, plus the failures that teach us more than the wins
  • Build practical workflows: Step-by-step guides with prompts, templates, and processes you can implement immediately
  • Document transparent experiments: Building AI tools for specific communications use cases and sharing the entire process—including what goes wrong

The approach is practical over theoretical, honest over promotional, and communications-focused rather than generic AI content with a comms angle tacked on.

Why This Matters for My Work:

Applied Comms AI serves dual purposes. It advances my own technical skills through constant hands-on experimentation while sharing knowledge that helps the wider industry. Every tool I test, every workflow I document, every failure I analyse makes me better at implementing AI for clients.

It’s also credibility. When I advise organisations on AI implementation, I’m not theorising—I’m drawing from documented, public experimentation. Clients can read my honest assessments before we ever meet.

The Technical Foundation:

My Imperial College training provides the rigorous foundation:

  • Supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning
  • Deep learning architectures (CNNs, transformers)
  • Bayesian optimisation and hyperparameter tuning
  • Model evaluation, calibration, and interpretability
  • Explainable AI, bias detection, and responsible deployment
  • Python, pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn, PyTorch, XGBoost

The capstone project demonstrated practical application: I built an AI moderation system for online communities, trained on toxic comment detection, achieving F1 = 0.77 with strong calibration. I used SHAP values to analyse bias, developed Model and Data Cards for responsible deployment, and positioned it as a prototype for ethical, assistive AI moderation.

This combination – rigorous technical training plus continuous public experimentation – means I can help organisations navigate AI implementation with both strategic insight and practical capability. These aren’t thought experiments. These are working systems.

GOVERNANCE & LEADERSHIP

As a board member of ScotlandIS since September 2024, I help shape Scotland’s digital technology sector with specific governance responsibility for marketing and communications.

Previously, as a trustee of international water charity Just a Drop (2018-2021), I helped guide the organisation through digital transformation and a severe financial crisis during COVID-19. The charity didn’t just survive—it thrived, growing income substantially to reach over £1 million by 2024.

Board service isn’t about attending meetings. It’s about bringing strategic insight when it matters, asking difficult questions with empathy, and rolling up sleeves when the organisation needs hands-on support.

THE FOUNDATIONS

Innovation requires depth. My formal education combines:

  • Imperial College London (2025): Professional Certificate in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence—rigorous six-month postgraduate programme combining mathematics, programming, and applied AI. Top-quartile performance.
  • University of Oxford (2020): Executive Leadership Programme at Saïd Business School—intensive eight-week course on strategic leadership, organisational change, and adaptive leadership.
  • Chartered Institute of Marketing (2016-17): Diploma in Digital Strategy (Distinction)—150-hour programme covering marketing strategy, digital channels, analytics, and campaign optimisation.
  • University of Strathclyde (2003-04): MLitt in Journalism
  • University of Aberdeen (1998-2002): MA (Hons) in Philosophy—Upper Second Class, joint highest in year group.

But education is just foundation. Two decades of hands-on leadership—from launching Scotland’s first digital platforms for The Herald and STV to pioneering Red Bull’s VR strategy—is where real expertise develops.

WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR

The communications industry stands at an inflection point. AI, data intelligence, and digital transformation are reshaping how organisations connect with stakeholders. The firms that thrive will be those bold enough to embrace change while staying true to the fundamentals of great communication.

I’m interested in opportunities where my unique combination matters:

  • Interim Executive Roles: CEO, COO, or Chief Communications Officer positions in organisations facing transformation, crisis, or transition. I deliver immediate impact, stabilise operations, and build foundations for sustainable growth.
  • Strategic Advisory: Helping organisations implement AI-powered communications, navigate digital transformation, or build executive presence in complex environments.
  • Board Positions: Non-executive director roles where AI literacy, communications expertise, and operational experience add genuine value—particularly in tech, purpose-driven organisations, or companies navigating digital disruption.
  • Consulting Projects: Through Faur, working with ambitious organisations that need more than traditional PR. Clients who want partners that understand both strategic imperative and technical reality.

I’m based in South Queensferry near Edinburgh, but work UK-wide and internationally. I’m passionate about organisations that blend commercial success with genuine social impact.

Let’s Talk

Ready to explore what’s possible? Find me on LinkedIn or reach out through Faur.