Pete Austin
Former Director of Communications & newspaper Deputy Editor

From managing press for Presidential engagements (US President Trump State Visit to the UK, 2019), Royal visits (Duchess of Cambridge, 2021) and Secretaries of State (Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove, 2013) — to guiding organisations through their responses to terrorist attacks, culture wars, national scandals, aircraft crashes and violent student protests, I have more than 15 years’ experience of front-line, high pressure crisis communications.

I’ve worked for some of the most scrutinised organisations in their sectors - including the NHS, Imperial War Museums, University of the Arts London and the UK Government (Department for Education).

I’m a former news journalist, and newspaper deputy editor, so I understand the fast-paced nature of the media landscape and how to manage crises effectively, ensuring your message is clear, controlled, and credible.

And effective crisis communications isn’t just about managing the media — it’s also about navigating complex stakeholder relationships at the highest levels. I’ve managed relationships with CEOs, Trustees, Government Ministers, regulators, donors, board members - they all have a vested interest in how a crisis unfolds and how it is handled.

I’ve held stakeholder crisis meetings in Ministerial offices in Whitehall, boardrooms, a battleship and even Winston Churchill’s secret Second World War bunker.

Throughout it all, I’ve learned a lot. But the biggest lesson is that in any crisis you need to act fast.

Message me or send me an email to arrange an informal chat.