Advanced Module Crisis Management and Communication for Supervisory Board Members and Regulators

Morning – Crisis management from a supervisory perspective

In the morning, José Tijssen – director at Hill+Knowlton, specialist in complex issues surrounding crisis, reputation, and stakeholder management – will lead an interactive session on crisis management from the perspective of supervisory board members and regulators.

You will gain insight into:

• the different phases of a crisis
• the specific responsibilities of the supervisory board/supervisory committee
• the tensions between supervision, management, and external pressure
• typical dilemmas such as: when to intervene, when to give space?

Using practical cases and scenarios, you will learn how, as a regulator, you can offer calm, clarity, and direction when emotions, interests, and time pressure are running high.

Afternoon – Crisis communication and reputation

In the afternoon, Rob Huisman – management consultant, author of Communicator and former journalist (including for FD and De Telegraaf) – will take you through the dynamics of crisis communication.

You will gain insight into:

• how the media, stakeholders, and the public respond in crisis situations
• which communication choices influence the outcome of a crisis
• the role of the supervisory board/supervisory committee in relation to management, spokesperson, and reputation

We will zoom in on the core of crisis communication: weighing when and how you, as a supervisor, should be visible, how responsibility and blame develop in the public debate, and when intervention is necessary in the event of communication failure in order to protect trust and reputation.

Closing – Learning from a real crisis

The day will conclude with an experienced supervisory board member who will speak candidly about a crisis he or she has experienced and the difficult decisions that had to be made. The name and case study will be announced on the day itself.

Afterwards, participants will receive the book Communicator by Rob Huisman.

Advanced modules Governance and Supervision programs

Our in-depth modules are developed for alumni of the TIAS Supervisory Board and Supervisory Programs, but are also open to other interested parties.

TIAS alumni benefit from a special discount. Discover the conditions.

About the speakers

José Tijssen

José Tijssen is an all-round communications professional with over twenty years of experience in corporate and financial communications. She has broad experience in various markets and business models and has worked in various roles as a consultant and as an in-house corporate professional. As a boardroom consultant, José supports management teams with various strategic communication challenges, such as (re)positioning issues, reputation management, and crisis management. She advises management teams on creating support among stakeholders in the event of mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations and transformations, and financial, strategic, and governance-related communication challenges. José is a trusted advisor, coach, and sparring partner with a constructive and results-oriented approach.

José began her career at ABN AMRO corporate finance, followed by positions in investor relations and corporate communications at Wolters Kluwer, KPN, and ING Group. After ING, she was managing director at CFF Communications, where she was twice named best PR advisor at the M&A awards in the Netherlands. Before joining Hill & Knowlton, she was Group Director of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at Mediq. José studied Business Administration at Erasmus University.

José sits on the Supervisory Board of the Stedelijk Gymnasium Leiden, the Supervisory Board of Hulphond Nederland and the Supervisory Board of VCC (Stichting Voor Collectieve Claims – formerly Stichting voor Collectieve Consumentenbelangen).

Rob Huisman

Rob Huisman is a management consultant. He works for management boards, directors, and supervisory board members, sometimes in collaboration with those primarily responsible for legal affairs, corporate communications, and investor relations. His core activity is providing personal advice on strategy and communications.

From his own independent practice (www.bestuursadviseur.nl), Rob Huisman works primarily for clients in the national and international business community. After a career in journalism (De Financiële Telegraaf, Het Financieele Dagblad), he established himself as an independent management consultant in 2002. Since then, Rob Huisman has advised roughly half of the companies listed on the AEX and Midkap indices.

Rob Huisman is the author of Communicator, a book containing 72 practical insights into management and communication at the highest level. Communicator offers a revealing glimpse into what really happens in boardrooms. It contains entertaining stories about successes and failures, the surprising mechanisms behind them, and compelling descriptions of the obstacles and pitfalls.