Designed as a practical resource for board members across sectors, the guide - Crisis Communications for Boards: A Handbook for Good Governance - examines what constitutes a crisis, the potential impact on an organisation, and best practice in communications at each stage of the crisis lifecycle. It advises boards on how to predict, protect, prepare, respond, recover, and build enduring resilience.

The handbook is supported by a practical toolkit and in-depth recommendations for wider reading and practical resources. It also identifies case studies from leading academics and practitioners, examining recent and high-profile crises and the lessons they offer for boards looking to strengthen their preparedness, upskill their personnel, and scrutinise existing plans.

Emphasising how, in a crisis, ultimately the buck stops with the board, the handbook also examines how the modern reputation management landscape is evolving, and with it the crisis risks which boards face. These range from an increasingly turbulent geopolitical context to the growing challenges and opportunities presented by AI usage: a detailed section examines the emerging governance risks of AI and how, as its capabilities expand, so too do the associated ethical, legal, operational, and reputational risks.

The handbook also sets out to address a persistent gap: while reputation is increasingly becoming a standalone discussion point on board agendas, very few boards in fact include communications professionals or understand fully the role they can play.

• Download the best practice guide “Crisis Communications for Boards: A Handbook for Good Governance”
• Log 10 CPD points for reading the guide

• Steve Baker - former minister and Chief Provocation Officer, The Provocation People
• Professor Paul Dolan - Professor of Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics and Chief Provocation Officer, The Provocation People
• Dr Alison Edgar MBE - Motivational Business Speaker
• Dr Rebecca Harding - CEO, Centre for Economic Security
• Amil Khan - Co-founder and CEO, Valent
• Dwain Reid - Business Growth Specialist
• Louise Thompson Davies - Global Head of External Communications at Jaguar Land Rover

• Find out more and book your tickets for the CIPR's 2026 Annual Conference

• CIPR members can download 'How to avoid PR disasters on Wikipedia' for more guidance and information.

The new resource – Crisis Communication and Social Media – is the second in a series from the Network designed to equip PR and communications professionals with knowledge, strategies, and insights needed to prepare for, mitigate, and manage organisational crises across digital platforms. 

Built around the five-stage model of a crisis, the guide combines real life case studies with expert contributions including chapters from: 

• Philippe Borremans on using AI-powered predictive analytics to monitor and mitigate risk
• Paul Quigley covering the three steps to effectively use technology to understand or predict a crisis 
• Shayoni Lynn on disinformation and how it differs from misinformation  

The guide also introduces tools for monitoring public sentiment, strategies for proactive engagement, techniques for effective communication before, during, and after a crisis, examples that highlight the power and speed of social media in amplifying and creating crises, and common pitfalls to avoid when responding to them. 

• Download the guide on Crisis Communication and Social Media
• Download the guide to Drafting a Crisis Communication Plan
• Find out more about the CIPR Crisis Communications Network
• Learn more about the CIPR's on-demand Crisis Communication training
• Take the CIPR’s Specialist Diploma in Crisis Communications

Episode 17 - Leadership, preparedness and managing reputation in a crisis - features in-depth discussions on navigating challenges in today's complex communication landscape. From missing airplanes to Novichok poisonings, the episode explores real-world crisis scenarios, offering practical insights for PR professionals facing diverse and interconnected risks.

Hosted by Charlotte West, VP of Global Communications at Lenovo, the podcast examines key areas of crisis communication and reputation management. It delves into the importance of crisis preparedness, the role of data in decision-making, the evolving relationship between communications leaders and senior management, how to integrate resilience into PR strategies, and more.

Joining host Charlotte are:

• Rod Cartwright, Visting Fellow and MA Advisory Panel Chair at Cardiff University and Special Advisor to the CIPR's Crisis Communications Network
• Sarah Thomas, Group Account Director at See Media

• Listen to the Engage Podcast on Apple or Spotify
• Find out more about the CIPR's Engage podcast
• CIPR members can log 5 CPD points for listening to this episode
• Find out more about our on-demand Crisis Communications training, free for CIPR members
• Download the CIPR's guide to Drafting a Crisis Communications Plan

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations' (CIPR) Crisis Communications Network today launched a new skills guide to help public relations professionals develop effective crisis communication plans.

The guide - Drafting a Crisis Communication Plan - is the first in a series from the Network providing CIPR members with practical steps and advice to prepare for and manage organisational crises. It explores the stages of a crisis and takes readers through the steps to include when writing a crisis communications plan as well as outlining how to define a crisis, map stakeholders, prepare messaging, run simulations, and conduct after-action reviews.

The CIPR Crisis Communications Network was established in 2021 and has over 650 members globally. Through events, online resources, and publications, it aims to promote excellence in crisis communication.

Download Drafting a Crisis Communication Plan.

The findings have been published (data below) as the UK economy slumps towards a recession, a period often associated with heightened reputational risks as consumers pay closer attention to the activity of companies with which they spend.

 Despite the risk, the research found a lack of dedicated communications expertise on boards, with:

• Just three FTSE 100 companies having a dedicated communications director;
• only twenty-nine having a non-executive with clear communications experience;
• and just over half – 52 – having a dedicated communications or corporate affairs expert in their executive leadership or management teams

By contrast, 80 of the FTSE 100 companies have a dedicated HR figure on their executive leadership team or management committee. The data suggests that the need for devoted senior communications expertise is still not seen as a board level issue by companies.

The analysis also finds inconsistent representation by sector: just one construction company has a dedicated communications figure in its management team, despite the significant health and safety risks faced by the sector. Meanwhile, under half of all consumer brands have such a figure.

CIPR FTSE 100 Audit – Sector Data

Aviation (1)

• 0 companies have a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms, Director of Corporate Affairs (or similar) on the board
• 0 companies have NEDs or Senior Independent Directors with PR/comms background (either as a previous appointment or specified as a key skill)
• 1 company has a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms (or similar) on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 1 company has a stand-alone dedicated head of HR or people on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 1 company has a stand-alone dedicated head of ESG, head of sustainability or sustainability officer on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee

Chemicals (1)

• 0 companies have a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms, Director of Corporate Affairs (or similar) on the board
• 0 companies have NEDs or Senior Independent Directors with PR/comms background (either as a previous appointment or specified as a key skill)
• 0 companies have a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms (or similar) on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 1 company has a stand-alone dedicated head of HR or people on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 0 companies have a stand-alone dedicated head of ESG, head of sustainability or sustainability officer on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee

Construction (6)

• 0 companies have a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms, Director of Corporate Affairs (or similar) on the board
• 2 companies have NEDs or Senior Independent Directors with PR/comms background (either as a previous appointment or specified as a key skill)
• 1 company has a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms (or similar) on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 4 companies have a stand-alone dedicated head of HR or people on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 3 companies have a stand-alone dedicated head of ESG, head of sustainability or sustainability officer on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee

Consumer (31)

• 2 companies have a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms, Director of Corporate Affairs (or similar) on the board
• 13 companies have NEDs or Senior Independent Directors with PR/comms background (either as a previous appointment or specified as a key skill)
• 13 companies have a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms (or similar) on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 25 companies have a stand-alone dedicated head of HR or people on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 15 companies have a stand-alone dedicated head of ESG, head of sustainability or sustainability officer on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee

Finance (20)

• 1 company has a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms, Director of Corporate Affairs (or similar) on the board
• 7 companies have NEDs or Senior Independent Directors with PR/comms background (either as a previous appointment or specified as a key skill)
• 15 companies have a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms (or similar) on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 16 companies have a stand-alone dedicated head of HR or people on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 9 companies have a stand-alone dedicated head of ESG, head of sustainability or sustainability officer on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee

Finance/Real Estate (4)

• 0 companies have a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms, Director of Corporate Affairs (or similar) on the board
• 0 companies have NEDs or Senior Independent Directors with PR/comms background (either as a previous appointment or specified as a key skill)
• 1 company has a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms (or similar) on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 1 company has a stand-alone dedicated head of HR or people on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 1 company has a stand-alone dedicated head of ESG, head of sustainability or sustainability officer on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee

Industrial and mining (22)

• 0 companies have a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms, Director of Corporate Affairs (or similar) on the board
• 6 companies have NEDs or Senior Independent Directors with PR/comms background (either as a previous appointment or specified as a key skill)
• 10 companies have a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms (or similar) on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 18 companies have a stand-alone dedicated head of HR or people on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 14 companies have a stand-alone dedicated head of ESG, head of sustainability or sustainability officer on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee

Pharmaceutical and healthcare (5)

• 0 companies have a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms, Director of Corporate Affairs (or similar) on the board
• 1 company has NEDs or Senior Independent Directors with PR/comms background (either as a previous appointment or specified as a key skill)
• 3 companies have a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms (or similar) on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 5 companies have a stand-alone dedicated head of HR or people on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 4 companies have a stand-alone dedicated head of ESG, head of sustainability or sustainability officer on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee

Telecoms (3)

• 0 companies have a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms, Director of Corporate Affairs (or similar) on the board
• 1 company has NEDs or Senior Independent Directors with PR/comms background (either as a previous appointment or specified as a key skill)
• 3 companies have a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms (or similar) on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 3 companies have a stand-alone dedicated head of HR or people on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 2 companies have a stand-alone dedicated head of ESG, head of sustainability or sustainability officer on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee

Utilities and energy (7)

• 0 companies have a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms, Director of Corporate Affairs (or similar) on the board
• 0 companies have NEDs or Senior Independent Directors with PR/comms background (either as a previous appointment or specified as a key skill)
• 5 company has a stand-alone Director of Corp Comms (or similar) on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 1 company has a stand-alone dedicated head of HR or people on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee
• 6 companies have a stand-alone dedicated head of ESG, head of sustainability or sustainability officer on their Executive Leadership team or Management Committee

Methodology

A website audit of the Board of Directors and Executive Leadership/Management teams of the UK’s 100 largest companies was conducted to establish how many have dedicated communications professionals on the board. Individuals were assessed on the basis of job title and stated responsibilities as published on both the company websites and respective LinkedIn profiles. NEDs were assessed on the basis of clear communications or corporate affairs experience.

The research was conducted between the 1^st and 7^th of September 2022, with the FTSE constituents list and individuals being correct as of that date.

The one day conference gathers like-minded professionals from a broad range of industries - including government and academia - to share views, experiences and cutting edge insight on the latest in crisis management thinking.

This year’s theme “Beyond the response” will explore the entire duration of a crisis, from prevention and response through to the challenges organisations face after the peak of a crisis and the lessons that can be learnt.

CIPR members are entitled to a 15% discount, which can be applied to the early-bird rate of £295 plus VAT (ends 1 August 2018). Members must quote CIPR15 when purchasing tickets.

Speakers include:

• Lord Robert Kerslake former head of the civil service and chair of the independent review into the preparedness for, and emergency response to, the Manchester Arena attack
• Charles Messervy-Whiting, Regional Manager Crisis Readiness for Europe at Shell
• Helen Graham, Group Chief Privacy Officer at Shell
• Sara Todd, Deputy Chief Executive at Manchester City Council
• Dr Robert MacFarlane, Head of UK Resilience Training, Doctrine and Standards at The Cabinet Office

Find out more