CorpComms Magazine

Gerald Ratner, whose public criticism of his own products led to the virtual collapse of his jewellery business, and spawned the phrase 'doing a Ratner' for gaffe-prone bosses, is the guest speaker at CorpComms Magazine's inaugural conference 'Crisis Management: Cause, Effect, Recovery'.

Ratner, who will discuss the infamous speech that led to his downfall, will be joined by an unprecedented line up of communications specialists, including  Lucas van Praag, global head of communications at Goldman Sachs; Nick Hindle, vice president communications at McDonald's Restaurants; and Howell James, corporate affairs director at Barclays.

The event, which takes place on 23 June, features communications specialists from 13 leading brands, including BBC, Eurostar, Hertz, Southern Water, Toyota Motor Europe and Virgin Group.

Each speaker will provide a unique insight into crises that have affected their brands. Zoe White, director of public affairs, Hertz will speak on the problems faced by the global car rental company in the wake of the Icelandic earthquake, while Mary Walsh, director of communications at Eurostar, will discuss the crises that taught the train company to embrace social media as a means of communicating with stakeholders.

Fraser Hardie, senior partner at corporate PR agency Blue Rubicon, will offer practical advice on the importance of communications during a crisis and how, done effectively, it can create long term shareholder value for a business.

Sponsors Precise, the media intelligence group, will offer unique insights into the news cycles of crises. Its findings will be debated by a panel of financial journalists.

Helen Dunne, editor of CorpComms Magazine, said: 'Our research indicated that potential attendees wanted to hear war stories from brands that had been at the centre of crises, and the eventual lessons they learned.

'When we started putting together the programme for our first ever conference, little did we think that we would attract some of the biggest brands in the world, and that we would offer an unparalleled line up of speakers.'

Click here to view the full programme

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