Heather Blundell (CEO, Grayling UK) and James Clothier (Head of Crisis, Grayling UK) joined Phillip Grindell to discuss how reputation management has become essential protection.
Key insights: Most crisis failures stem from human behaviour under pressure, not poor messaging. Female executives face different reputation attacks requiring specific strategies. Social media breaks stories before traditional media responds. Video responses are replacing written statements as authenticity matters more than polish.
Heather revealed that proactive reputation management creates a competitive advantage, not just damage limitation. The conversation covers timing challenges, the importance of an external perspective, and why lawyers often make statements worse by stripping out emotion. They discuss how social media has transformed crisis response - young people get news from Snapchat, stories break on Twitter first, and video content is becoming essential.
The practical advice focuses on being honest, letting the light in, and demonstrating genuine change rather than just promising to "learn lessons."
Heather Blundell’s Biography:
Heather is the award-winning UK CEO of Grayling, a global PR firm, responsible for 200 employees across nine offices.
She has spent more than 16 years as a trusted adviser to some of the world's largest companies and prominent CEOs, guiding them through periods of significant change, disruption, and complex reputation and crisis issues.
Heather is also a regular media commentator in the national media.
James Clothier
James is Head of Crisis at Grayling UK, responsible for leading the crisis and reputation practice, alongside the firm's corporate division.
Before joining Grayling, James spent two decades in senior editorial positions at The Sun and the Daily Mail.
Phillip Grindell Biography:
Philip Grindell MSc CSyP
Philip is the founder & CEO of Defuse®
Philip has become one of the UK’s most trusted leaders & advisors when it comes to fixated persons & threats to prominent people.
Philip served as a senior Scotland Yard Detective for the Metropolitan Police for almost 30 years in specialist roles, including time spent seconded to British Intelligence on counter-terrorist investigations.
Philip set & ran the Parliamentary Liaison & Investigation Team (PLaIT). The team responsible for the protection of politicians in the UK Parliament.
Philip has a MSc in Security Management and is a Chartered Security Professional
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