Executive Communication &
Pitch Strategy
Executive communication moments when there's no second chance
Helping founders and leaders navigate critical moments when failure is costly.
Executive Pitch Coaching and Training
Clear, confident communication is not a nice extra. It is leadership. When senior leaders speak to clients, teams, or investors the room must follow. The message must land. Decisions must move forward.
Michael Rickwood works with executives and leaders to sharpen their narrative, strengthen their presence, and communicate with authority under pressure. His approach blends fifteen years of hands-on coaching with a practical use of AI that helps leaders explore ideas quickly, stress test assumptions, and uncover the message that truly matters. The work remains fully human led. AI simply widens the field of view and speeds up clarity.
This is applied coaching. Leaders bring their real moments. A funding pitch. A strategy rollout. A conference keynote. A sensitive internal message. Together, you refine the structure, shape the story, and build the behavioural presence needed to hold a room without strain. The work focuses on clarity, not performance. The goal is not to polish. The goal is trust, alignment, and impact.
Michael has helped leaders in global organisations and fast-growing scale-ups become more compelling, more credible, and more aligned in how they communicate.
Individual Executive Coaching or Team Workshops
Individual coaching supports leaders preparing a high-stakes message or moments where outcomes matter. Group programs help leadership teams build a shared language for clarity, delivery, and audience awareness.
Coaching can be delivered in person in Paris or across Europe, or remotely for geographically distributed teams.
The Vortolo Method
The Vortolo Method is a structured approach to preparing leaders for high-stakes communication. It is designed for moments where clarity, authority, and timing matter, and where there is little room for misalignment.
The method is pragmatic by design. Leaders bring real situations. Real pressure. Real consequences. The work focuses on sharpening thinking, simplifying structure, and preparing delivery so messages land as intended when it counts.
At the core of the method is a practical framework used to navigate these moments with speed and precision.
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The Pitch Navigator
(Core framework within the Vortolo Method)
High-stakes communication often happens under time pressure. Leaders need to move fast without becoming vague, defensive, or over-engineered. The Pitch Navigator provides a reliable way to do that.
It is a three-part framework that helps leaders clarify what matters, test their thinking, and prepare for real-world delivery. The process remains fully human-led. AI is used selectively to widen perspective and accelerate insight, not to replace judgement.
1. Message and Story Structure
We identify the real message and the real audience. Then we explore angles, stress-test assumptions, and surface blind spots. This accelerates the search for the story that truly lands. Clarity comes in minutes, not hours.
2. Visual and Structural Design
We simplify the narrative using principles that make messages accessible, relevant, and easy to follow. Early structural options allow leaders to see multiple clean pathways before choosing the one that serves the moment. Human judgement stays central throughout.
3. Leadership Delivery
Presence cannot be automated. Delivery work is entirely human. Preparation focuses on confidence under pressure, difficult questions, and audience dynamics so leaders enter critical moments steady, composed, and credible.
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The Vortolo Method combines experienced human guidance with the right level of AI support so leaders can prepare faster, think more clearly, and communicate with authority when it matters most.
Executive Pitch Coaching FAQ
What makes your executive communication coaching different?
It combines senior level communication expertise with a simple and reliable framework for clarity under pressure. The Vortolo Method blends human coaching with targeted AI prompts to accelerate clarity, stress test assumptions, and prepare messages that land. The focus is on leadership communication, not presentation tricks.
Do you work with founders as well as executives?
Yes. The same clarity and presence that matter in the boardroom also matter in funding pitches and strategic presentations. Michael works with founders, scale-ups and senior leaders preparing investor pitches, product narratives, and high-visibility keynotes.
How long does a typical coaching program take?
Most leaders see meaningful improvement within the first few sessions. A standard engagement is ten hours, usually delivered in ninety-minute sessions. For critical or urgent moments, shorter intensive preparation is also available.
Do you provide virtual coaching?
Yes. Remote coaching maintains the same depth and quality as in-person work. Leaders refine their message, structure and delivery, including strong on-camera presence. Virtual formats are particularly effective for distributed teams.
