Speechwriter for Executives and Public SpeakingConference talks, presentations and team addresses in English or Russian. Speech text written for your voice and time slot, without rehearsal coaching.
A speech lifted from a company report can look perfectly respectable on paper and still leave the speaker wishing for a translator from corporate language into human. Long sentences with three subordinate clauses become an ordeal out loud, for the room and for the person at the microphone.I’m Olga Sverchkova, a writer and lawyer. As a speechwriter, I write for executives, business owners and public figures: conference talks and keynotes, project presentations, and addresses to staff or partners. The text is written for the ear and for your voice, with your speaking style, audience and time slot in mind.You work with me throughout, and I write the text myself. I live in Tbilisi and work remotely. For English-language projects, all communication is in writing. I write business and public speeches, not speeches for private celebrations. I prepare the text; I don’t run rehearsals or provide delivery coaching. I give you a fee and timetable after we discuss the project, before work begins.
Why a speech isn’t an article read aloud
A reader can go back a line. A listener can’t: there is no chance to reread a difficult sentence or check a footnote while you carry on speaking. A speech therefore needs a clear central idea, transitions the audience can follow and pauses placed as carefully as the words. A long introduction has to earn every minute you spend on it.Legal practice has given me a simple order of things: listen first, then build the structure, then test every argument. In court, it isn’t enough to make an argument; it has to be heard. The same rule applies on a conference stage and in front of your own team.
Speeches for executives:
conferences, keynotes and addresses
Conference talks and keynotes
A plenary talk, a session slot or a panel contribution. I help you choose the main idea, build a clear line of argument and consider the questions your points might raise.
Addresses to your team or partners
End-of-year results, a new strategy or difficult news. What matters most here is clarity: what has happened, what it means for the people in the room and what comes next.
Speeches for presentations and business events
Project launches, product presentations and a new strategy presented to partners. These are short formats where every sentence counts. They need to bring people and their work to life, rather than announce that “over the years, the team has achieved remarkable success”.
If your company’s story deserves more than one speech and a place on the shelf, we can discuss a corporate history book.
A plenary talk, a session slot or a panel contribution. I help you choose the main idea, build a clear line of argument and consider the questions your points might raise.
Addresses to your team or partners
End-of-year results, a new strategy or difficult news. What matters most here is clarity: what has happened, what it means for the people in the room and what comes next.
Speeches for presentations and business events
Project launches, product presentations and a new strategy presented to partners. These are short formats where every sentence counts. They need to bring people and their work to life, rather than announce that “over the years, the team has achieved remarkable success”.
If your company’s story deserves more than one speech and a place on the shelf, we can discuss a corporate history book.
Who will be your speechwriter?
I’ve been practising law in St Petersburg for more than twenty years, including criminal cases. I’m a recipient of the Golden Pen of Russia award and the author of a legal column whose title translates as A Lawyer to the Rescue. You can read the prologue and first five chapters of Nobody Told Me About Tbilisi for free to get a sense of my writing.
But your speech should sound like you, not me. We check not only what it says, but whether you feel comfortable saying it without constantly wanting to replace the words with your own.
But your speech should sound like you, not me. We check not only what it says, but whether you feel comfortable saying it without constantly wanting to replace the words with your own.
How I write your speech
You tell me about the occasion: who will be in the room, how many minutes you have and what the audience should take away. I send you questions in writing, and you answer in your own time, keeping a record of everything we agree. If you already have a recording of a past speech, you can share it as a reference for your pace and speaking style. Our discussion stays in writing.I then write a draft for your time slot, with pauses marked. You read it aloud on your own and tell me which parts feel awkward to say. I make the agreed revisions, and you receive the final text in a format that’s easy to speak from.
How much does a speechwriter cost?
The fee and timetable depend on the format and length of the speech. I give you both after we discuss the project, and we confirm them before work begins. If the event is soon, mention the date straight away.
If you need a piece to be read rather than spoken, see Bylined Articles and Op-Eds. All my writing services are on the Ghostwriting Services page.
Author Olga Sverchkova
I’m a writer and a Russian lawyer with more than twenty years of legal practice in St Petersburg. I write about relationships, choices, memory, cities and everyday life.
Frequently asked questions
What does a speechwriter do?
A speechwriter writes the words someone else will deliver: finding the main idea, building the structure and shaping the rhythm to the speaker’s voice and time slot. You take the stage; I write the text.
Will anyone know we worked together?
We agree in writing on confidentiality and whether I receive a credit. I do not publish commissioned work or include it in my portfolio without your permission.
Who owns the rights to the speech?
We agree on credit before work begins; I can write without being named. Our contract sets out the transfer of exclusive rights to the text and how it may be used. Under Russian law, authorship itself is not transferable.
Can you work on a speech I’ve already written?
Yes. I’ll look at what it needs: cutting, shifting the emphasis or rewriting it to be spoken.
Do you help with rehearsal and delivery?
No. I write the text and mark it up for delivery, but I don’t run rehearsals or provide coaching.
Do you write speeches for court hearings?
This page covers business and public speaking. Court representation and preparing a legal position are part of my work as a lawyer and are arranged separately, under a legal services agreement.
Which languages do you write in?
English and Russian. A speech can be written in one language or both, for an international audience, for example.
What’s included?
The agreed text in the agreed format. We settle the scope and revisions before we start. Layout, illustrations and posting on a website aren’t included.
Tell me about your speech
SSend me a few lines: what the occasion is, who will be listening, how long you have and what the main message should be. I’ll reply with my first questions.