White Swan

In episode 5 of White Swan: The Crisis Podcast, we speak with David Davis MP, former Secretary of State for Exiting The European Union and member of parliament for Haltemprice & Howden.

In a wide-ranging, open and honest conversation, host Gavin Megaw talks with David about how the Government has got its approach to the Covid crisis wrong by focusing on how to cope with the impending problems of the pandemic, rather than how to solve them.

David tells us about his career in politics, and how his seventeen years at Tate & Lyle helped inform his political career. He talks us through the difference between slow motion crises and quick moving crises, and his three-step approach to dealing with a crisis: gather information, gain insight, take action.

It’s a fascinating insight from how someone who has been at the centre of many of the political crises that have unfolded in the last 30 years has managed to cope.

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In episode 4 of White Swan, The Crisis Podcast, Gavin Megaw talks with Sarah Binder, Chief Development Officer at Pizza Hut. 

When the Covid-19 crisis first hit, every business had to react quickly to cope with a changing business environment. Pizza Hut were no different – with restaurants closed and an increased demand for takeaway food, they had to shift focus, educate and reassure delivery staff, and implement new processes in double-quick time. 

Gavin and Sarah talk about how the business has managed to cope with a very different year, from understanding the new language of a pandemic, to juggling the many elements of a fast-moving crisis for a business with so many different global elements – starting with the importance of that very first message to stakeholders.

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For episode 3 of White Swan: The Crisis Podcast, we’re joined by Ian Walker, Executive Editor, MailOnline.

Ian talks about his early days in journalism and how a quest to be the first to publish the results of the local darts league helped shape his approach to journalism as a young reporter.

He talks to us about how businesses can get it wrong when responding to press enquiries, and how building a relationship of mutual trust is a vital tool in helping to get the right messaging out there when a crisis hits.

It’s a fascinating chat about how honesty and proactivity can help tap into the power of the press, and how a civilised glass of Sauvignon Blanc really is the best way to take yourself out of it all at the end of a busy day.

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In episode 2 of White Swan: The Crisis Podcast, we’re joined by Emma Tottenham, Group Director of Corporate Communications and Sustainability of Virgin Money. 

Emma talks about her own journey to the top table at Virgin Money, how she and her team work to spot the trends that might ladder up to eventually become a crisis, and how in her view it is absolutely vital for businesses to get their purpose, values and sustainability agenda in check to help prevent crises arriving.

It’s a fascinating chat about how prevention really is better than any cure, via some life-affirming and calming crisis mantras, and huge shout outs to tea, Mini Cheddars and the value of taking half an hour out to watch Friends.

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This week we’re joined by former Chief Operating Officer of Virgin Atlantic, Phil Maher. Phil talks us through his crisis approach, and explains his “three c’s” of crisis management. We’ll hear in depth about how a trip to the ice skating rink with his son was interrupted to deal with an emergency landing at Gatwick – and how Phil and his team managed the communications around a story that led news coverage for hours in the run-up to Christmas.

You can see the videos of the VS43 emergency landing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDP-FMgTy8 (from the runway) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R87xvvUQ6VE (from inside the plane).

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