Executing Crisis: A C-Suite Crisis Leadership Survival Guide

Business leaders would be better served by understanding key crisis concepts and applying them to their own situation rather than relying on crisis advisors to swoop in to take care of a problem once it has become a crisis.

Loaded with Case Studies! How leaders deal with crisis can clarify character and strengthen reputation. On the other hand, the wrong words and actions from the C-Suite can worsen the crisis spiral. Crisis management does not begin on the day the fire erupts, the hurricane barrels through, or the accident happens. Dr. Jo Robertson, a leading expert in heading off and containing crisis, lays out the key concepts that business leaders need to apply to their own organizations so they don’t have to rely on outside crisis advisors to swoop in and save the day.

About the Author

Dr. Jo Robertson has a doctoral degree in crisis management and more than 20 years of experience keeping companies out of crisis. As Global Director of Emergency Preparedness for Capital One, she was responsible for orchestrating the creation of a coordinated universal emergency preparedness program with a strong and consistent process as well as the leadership of 2500 life safety team members. As Director of Crisis Preparedness for Arkema, she rebuilt and reenergized US crisis preparedness initiatives for France's leading chemicals producer. She was responsible for creating an effective corporate crisis management team process and strategy, media training and community relations assistance for the plants as well as acting as a trusted advisor to C-Suite executives. At Deloitte Services, Dr. Robertson led the national crisis management program for 100+ offices of 45,000+ professionals. She developed Deloitte's enterprise crisis management and crisis communications plans as well as hundreds of local office business continuity plans. As Vice President for Marsh Crisis Consulting (formerly the Corporate Response Group) she designed, developed and delivered a wide array of services for senior corporate and C-Suite clients, including crisis communications planning, media training, real-time support for clients currently in crisis, and complex crisis management exercises for global and domestic pharmaceutical, petroleum, chemical, energy, banking, hotel, distribution, manufacturing, consumer goods, food service, and government sector clients. Dr. Robertson spent the first half of her career as a television journalist. She is experienced in all aspects of television news, including producing, writing, and editing. She covered the White House, Pentagon, State Department and Capitol Hill and was responsible for news stories which initiated change at the highest levels of government, including a reversal of policy at the Pentagon. Dr. Robertson has a doctoral degree in Crisis Management (George Washington University), an M.A. in Journalism (American University), and a B.A. in Communications (Pennsylvania State University).