Barbara Kracht
Managing Director, BMK Strategies

Barbara Kracht has a long experience in Media Relations and Communications. Having started her career with Airbus Industrie, in Toulouse, south west France, in the Public Relations sector in early 1974, she moved to ?Media Relations? a few months later, to start building up and developing the company?s non-existing ?Press Department?. In this role she developed many communication strategies, and established an outstanding relationship with the world media*, ranging from the aviation trade publications to the general media. During the development of the various aircraft programmes, Barbara had to advise on, and manage many kinds of crisis, be it internal management issues, delays in programme developments, promotion of new trend setting technologies, and also aircraft accidents. Amongst the most successful media events she had to manage, were the ?A340-200 World Ranger?** during the Le Bourget Airshow in June 1993, which ensured full media coverage and headlines throughout the Show, and the first flight of the Airbus A380 on 27th April 2005 which led to unique worldwide media interest.

In September 2008, Barbara moved to Madrid, Spain, to join what was shortly after to become Airbus Military. There she also led and further developed the Media Relations department till the summer of 2011. During this period, she was also involved in, and continues to coordinate advertising, public relations events, restructuring the company?s website, while strongly contributing to the re-positioning of the company?s products. Based on her A380 first flight experience, she staged the first flight of the all-new military A400M airlifter, on 11th December 2009.

Following her formal retirement at the end of 2011, Barbara has created BMK Strategies. What Barbara can bring you is a unique experience in Communications and Media Relations, as well as crisis management. In particular, she has an outstanding understanding of how the world media and information world work, and how to best address their needs. Her experience covers the most varied aspects of an industry as complex as aviation, ranging from very technical issues, to marketing and commercial aspects, to international relations and trade issues such as the WTO, and the knowledge of international media, both trade and business/general. She will help you develop an effective and pragmatic Communications Strategy to meet your specific needs.

Of multicultural origin, Barbara is fluent in English, French, German and Spanish.

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*) See related stories published by Kaji-San in Wings Magazine of Japan, Flight Global, and other testimonials under ?Testimonials?
**) The A340-200 toured the world in less than 48 hours with one single stop, breaking five world records.