Academics Business

UM School of Business Administration Partners with Burson-Marsteller

December’s Crisis Management Course is the first such partnership between Burson-Marsteller and an academic institution.

For the first time, Burson-Marsteller, the leading global strategic communications firm known as the go-to partner when an organization needs to safeguard its reputation before, during and after a crisis, has partnered with the University of Miami’s School of Business Administration to present a one-day accredited crisis management course.

Scheduled for Wednesday, December 6, the course is suited for communications, public affairs, legal, security, and other corporate executives and stakeholders involved in managing a crisis.

“This year's hurricanes have sadly reminded us of the need for crisis management contingency plans…not just for emergency response agencies but also for corporations whose supply chains can quickly be disrupted,” said John Quelch, dean of the School of Business Administration.

Led by Burson-Marsteller’s prominent crisis experts and Quelch, participants of the Crisis Management Course will learn how to create a top-performing crisis team; hear from leading crisis experts about the core principles of managing today’s crises; participate in MBA format case study discussions; and engage in crisis simulation exercises with Burson’s latest real-time software. Quelch has a wealth of senior leadership experience, having previously served as the dean and senior associate dean at three internationally-recognized business schools.

“For the first time we are making our world class crisis training available in a one-day MBA format course for executives from diverse industries,” said Jorge A. Ortega, Burson-Marsteller’s managing director. “This course will prepare crisis leaders and other executives managing in today’s hyper-connected, fast moving business environment where consumers and advocates have unprecedented power over incidents and issues.”

One of the course instructors, Ortega has more than two decades of strategic communications, corporate and brand reputation experience. As general manager of Burson Miami, Ortega leads client engagements and provides strategic counsel for companies such as FedEx, Visa, ESPN, Ford and others. He has led crisis and issues management engagements for clients in diverse industries including banking, pharma, consumer products to government agencies, and has advised executives in the areas of brand marketing, corporate communications, issues management and public affairs.

Additional course instructors include Karen Doyne, an acknowledged industry leader in issues and crisis management with more than 30 years of experience at global public relations agencies, on Capitol Hill and in the media world, and Sarah Tyre, a managing director in Burson-Marsteller’s Public Affairs & Crisis practice with more than seventeen years’ experience.

The day’s agenda includes a social media crisis panel, crisis simulation exercise and discussion, case review and various presentations.

The Crisis Management Course participation fee is $1,750. Online registration is required. Those who register by November 15 with the promotional code EARLYBIRD will obtain a $250 discount. Additional tickets for participants from the same organization may be purchased at $1,350 per ticket.