Identify and manage the risks
I assess the issue, the people involved and how it could escalate. This can include readiness reviews, warning signs, stakeholder analysis and response options.
Issues & Crisis Communications
The best time to prepare for a crisis is before you’re in one.
Most crises do not begin as crises.
An issue keeps returning. A decision is drawing criticism. A journalist starts asking questions. Leadership knows something may be wrong, but people do not yet agree on how serious it is or what should happen next.
I help organizations identify the risk, prepare the people who will respond and manage the communications when a situation is already unfolding.
Why organizations call me
An issue is attracting attention and you are not sure how serious it is.
A decision or announcement is drawing criticism.
Your crisis plan is outdated, generic or has never been tested.
People are unclear about who would take charge or approve the response.
Your leaders or spokespeople have not prepared for difficult questions.
Before a crisis
Preparation is more than a crisis plan. It means knowing what could go wrong, who takes charge, how decisions are made and what happens in the first hour.
I help organizations find the gaps while there is still time to fix them.
Build the plan and response team
I develop plans and short playbooks that fit the organization. Roles, approvals and first-response materials are settled before people are under pressure.
Prepare the people
I prepare leaders and spokespeople to answer difficult questions clearly without saying something the organization cannot later defend.
Test the response
Tabletop exercises and simulations show where the response works, where it slows down and what needs to change.
When a crisis is already unfolding
The pressure to respond is immediate.
The risk is responding before the organization understands what happened.
I help leaders establish what is known, decide what needs to happen first and manage the communications that follow.
This can include
- Advice to leadership on priorities and strategy
- Statements, messages and Q&A
- Spokesperson preparation
- Media, employee and stakeholder communications
Experience in difficult situations
I have been in the room when the facts were incomplete, public attention was intense and the cost of a poor decision was real.
My experience includes political crises, international financial controversy, sustained media pressure, layoffs, public health response and institutional protest.
Emerging criticism with commercial consequences
An international company faced criticism from researchers and advocacy groups that threatened its reputation and customer relationships. I helped leadership assess the risk, agree on a response, develop messages and prepare for media attention.
Sustained negative media attention
A company faced repeated local coverage driven partly by information from inside the organization. I helped leadership understand what was driving the story, decide when to respond and avoid giving it more momentum.
Institutional controversy and protest
A high-profile institution faced politically charged allegations, public criticism and protests. I advised leaders, developed messages and managed international media as the situation changed.
Get in touch
Tell me what you are facing. Your message comes directly to me and will be treated discreetly.
For urgent matters, begin your message with URGENT.