Robert C.

Senior Crisis Communications Advisor | Executive Counsel | Reputation & Litigation Strategy If your organization is dealing with a crisis, litigation, an allegation, an accident, a damaging story, or another situation where the wrong communication decision could make matters worse, I can help you determine what to do next. I am a senior crisis communications advisor and former Burson-Marsteller executive with extensive experience counseling organizations through complex, high-pressure situations. I work comfortably with CEOs, senior executives, attorneys, and communications teams when decisions need to be made quickly, carefully, and with an understanding of both immediate consequences and longer-term reputational risk. My crisis experience includes corporate litigation, industrial accidents, plant closings, security breaches, supply-chain failures, sensitive HR matters, product-liability issues, and complex incidents involving cruise lines in international waters. In these situations, the challenge is rarely just writing the right statement. It is determining what to say, what not to say, when to say it, who needs to hear it, and what the consequences of each communications decision may be. I help clients address questions such as: • What should we say now, and what should we not say? • How do we communicate when facts are incomplete or still evolving? • Which audiences and stakeholders can materially affect the outcome? • How are the media, employees, customers, investors, regulators, or other stakeholders likely to interpret our actions? • How do we keep executives, attorneys, and communications teams aligned? • How do we respond without unintentionally creating a larger reputational problem? • What communications decisions need to be made immediately, and what can wait? Clients have particularly valued my ability to remain calm, analytical, and focused when the pressure is high. I am comfortable stepping into complicated situations, quickly identifying the communications risks and priorities, advising senior decision-makers directly, and working alongside legal counsel when communications and litigation considerations intersect. How I can help Crisis Strategy & Executive Counsel Rapid situation assessment, communications strategy, scenario planning, stakeholder analysis, executive decision support, and crisis-team counsel. Crisis Messaging Holding statements, media statements, executive talking points, Q&A documents, employee communications, customer communications, and other sensitive stakeholder messaging. Litigation & Reputation Communications Strategic communications surrounding lawsuits, disputes, allegations, investigations, and other matters where legal considerations and public perception intersect. Media & Stakeholder Strategy Media-response strategy, spokesperson preparation, message discipline, narrative analysis, and coordination across Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned channels. Broader Corporate Communications Experience My background also includes corporate reputation, executive positioning, thought leadership, corporate storytelling, social-media strategy, annual reports, sustainability communications, and integrated communications programs. My Burson-Marsteller experience provided a foundation in sophisticated corporate communications and reputation management, but my work today is particularly focused on situations in which organizations need experienced judgment, clear thinking, and disciplined communications counsel. If you are facing an active crisis or see one developing, I can step in quickly, assess the situation with you, identify the immediate communications risks, and help determine the safest and most effective path forward.