Biography

Michael Watras

 

After graduating from Columbia University, Michael Watras became an analyst at Booz Allen, until after a trip to Tokyo, struck by the omnipresence of the Sony brand, he founded CGI, specialized in corporate communication and investor relations, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London and Hong Kong, and clients like British Airways, Pfizer, JP Morgan, Chase, Swire Group, Prudential, Tesco, Sara Lee.

 

Watras is now considered a brand guru, defined as “Mr. corporate identity“, behind which lie strategies and rebranding of numerous companies. President and CEO of the Straightline consulting firm, founded in 1996, Michael Watras is one of the world’s leading experts in strategic branding and corporate communication.

 

Michael Watras has become a world renowned opinion maker on the themes of brand orientation and on how it should be addressed by the various captains of industry. During almost forty years of activity, Watras and his team have built and re-launched brands of thousands of companies, in every continent and in every sector, working exclusively with top managers and collaborating with thousands of managing directors at the top of leading brands. Among the many companies worldwide that have benefited from its contribution we cite, as an example, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Pfizer, Wyndham, Bausch & Lomb, Xerox, HCA, T-mobile, Chrysler, Lloyds Bank, Tyco, Thomson Reuters and Bupa.

 

Straightline, the consulting firm founded by Micheal Watras, has offices in New York, London and Singapore, with a total of 100 professionals of the highest level.