The Michael Macfarlane Associates team engenders the values of trust, intelligence and discretion from offices in London and Hong Kong.
Our multidisciplinary international team of specialists and trusted principal advisers build creative and holistic solutions to achieve private, commercial and philanthropic outcomes.
Our team
Michael Macfarlane
Principal Partner
Michael is a consigliere to UHNWIs and closely advises some of the world's wealthiest families on how to achieve private, commercial and philanthropic outcomes, especially during periods of challenge and change. Michael was formerly a principal advisor at a multi-family office in London; and prior to that founded a global communications agency where he remained as Managing Partner following a buyout. Michael has appeared as a guest speaker at major events in London, Hong Kong, New York and Moscow speaking on issues ranging from ‘reputation management as risk management’ for family offices to ‘transaction marketing for pre-IPO companies’. Michael is also the founder of the 2030 Sustainable Development Collective Fund and is a Board Member at Team Vitality in Paris.
Laura Hearn
Partner
Laura Hearn is an Associate with 17 years of experience working as a BBC journalist and producer across multiple platforms. Laura has worked with some of the BBC’s leading talent producing sensitive and highly detailed content as a producer and journalist. An astute communicator, Laura has extensive experience working with UHNWIs, Family Offices and Foundations. Laura is a believer in the power of storytelling to connect communities and is highly adept at translating complex matters into relatable and compelling content.. Laura is also a passionate mental health advocate and speaker, and draws on her own experience to reimagine mental health narratives within the workplace. Laura is also the founder of journalist-led storytelling platform 'A-Way-With-Words' and is the host of the 'Flip It' podcast.
Luke Severn
Associate
Luke is an Associate with a diverse background and many years of experience within a Family Office where he was responsible for managing the global reputation of a prominent UHNWI, including through periods of challenge. Luke is primarily focused on public relations, reputation management and strategic communications for the curation of reputation for UHNWIs online and in the global media. He is adept at cultivating highly trusted client relationships with clients and developing close partnerships with Family Offices, Lawyers and other principal advisors. Luke's journalism background also provides him with an extensive network of contacts and a solid understanding of the current media landscape. Luke has also previously led global communications for a major philanthropic Foundation.
Katie Ansell
Associate
Katie Ansell is an Associate specialising in content creation and strategic communications and with a robust background in news journalism, B2B marketing and philanthropy. With a keen eye for detail and a strategic approach, Katie excels in managing and delivering high-quality content for UHNWI and Family Office clients. Katie's primary focus is on the protection and curation of client image and reputations online. She is specialist in leveraging deep data analytics and analysis to elevate and enhance the impact and strategic value of creative communications and campaigns and to inform strategic decisions, especially on social media. Katie draws from many years of experience to address the bespoke needs of clients and is a highly trusted advisor.
Rasika Sittamparam
Associate
Rasika is an Associate Content Writer with over a decade’s experience as a writer and editor in print and online journalism. During her career Rasika conducted numerous high profile interviews with UHNEI and prominent individuals. She spent eight years as a senior researcher at Spear’s, a media brand specialised in reporting on UHNWIs, Family Offices and private client advisors worldwide. As an MA Science Journalism graduate with a scientific background, Rasika is particularly skilled at producing quality, in-depth content which requires the synthesis of complex information into highly accessible and engaging articles online. Rasika is also an astute networker within the UHNWI advisory space and organises flagship events dedicated to the private client community.
Enrose Ramos
Associate
Enrose is an Associate Creative Director and Producer who honed her skills as a theatre producer under the mentorship of industry leaders. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the arts, she received the Thelma Holt Award for Excellence in Theatre in 2021. Enrose specialises in creating emotional connections through storytelling and naturally transitioned into video production and creative when producing documentaries that highlighted initiatives associated with The World Ocean Council and the United Nations. Her work as a film producer has been featured on several major platforms. Enrose has a profound commitment to modern content creation and to developing memorable narratives for UHNWI, Family Office and corporate clients that resonate with their values and goals.
Stephanie Chen
Analyst
Stephanie Chen is an Analyst with a diverse professional background in PR, fashion and management. Stephanie is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese and is also a highly proficient writer in all these languages. Her strong language skills support effective communication with clients and the ability to engage with Chinese media outlets and journalists and to create compelling content for Chinese social media. Stephanie excels in building and maintaining relationships with clients, leveraging her multi-language proficiency to bridge cultural gaps and to foster deep collaboration and an international approach. With a deep understanding of the UHNWI and Family Office world, Stephanie develops and executes successful strategies tailored to international and Chinese audiences.
Pankaj Thapa
Associate
Pankaj is an Associate with over ten years of experience working in newsrooms, advertising agencies, PR firms, international development agencies and Family Offices. Pankaj began his career in Australia as a PR manager for an education group, and has since worked roles in Nepal, India and Ghana. He is currently based in London and in his role as an Associate assists in a wide range of activities with a focus on strategic content planning and liaising with team members and external partners for problem solving and effective strategy implementation. Pankaj was also previously responsible for the on-the-ground content generation activities of a substantial philanthropic Foundation operating across Africa and Asia. He studies MA Strategic Communications at the London School of Economics.
Sam Harding
Associate
Sam is an Associate Filmmaker with many years of industry experience in post production and filmmaking. Sam started his career as a production assistant in Canada working in post production for television shows such as Schitt's Creek, Reacher, The Expanse, Big Door Prize and The Handmaid's Tale. Sam is expert in adopting video and filmmaking into client solutions and also enjoys writing and directing music videos in his spare time.
Avis Cheng
Associate
Avis is an Associate based in Hong Kong and working extensively in Beijing and Shanghai. Avis brings more than a decade of agency experience in PR and communications with a focus on technology, arts and culture. Avis has worked with the Government, foreign and Hong Kong companies to develop, implement and manage a wide range of communications and campaigns for brands, including the Hong Kong Development Bureau, the Hong Kong Housing Society, TTM Technologies and Emerson. She also specialises in crisis management and strategy for building and protecting reputation during special situations, and has extensive experience, and is extremely well connected with the media throughout Asia, with an emphasis on Hong Kong and mainland China.
Dev Debashis
Analyst
Dev is an Analyst with over 19 years of experience in SEO, SERP management and Digital Marketing enabling companies to attain a better footing in the digital world with improved SEO and enhanced digital marketing across multiple sectors including real estate, finance, travel, healthcare, and eCommerce. Since 2019 Dev has worked extensively for Single Family Offices and their principal families on matters of reputation, with a focus on digital strategy, planning, and implementation. As a reputation management expert, Dev has extensive experience curating search results to build reputations. He has also worked extensively on strategies to remove adverse content from Google and on crisis preparedness and mitigation strategies.