Crisis Communications Boot Camp – Winnipeg 2

Real-Time Crisis Management in the AI Era: What Leaders Get Wrong in the First 30 Minutes
In the first 30 minutes of a crisis, leaders often make decisions that define the outcome—yet in the AI era, many still get it wrong. This session explores how real-time crisis management has evolved as AI, deepfakes, algorithmic amplification, and instant misinformation reshape the speed and scale of reputational risk. Drawing on real-world experience, the session unpacks the most common leadership missteps in those critical first moments, from delayed responses and overreliance on technology to failing to align legal, operational, and communications teams. Participants will gain practical, actionable insights into how leaders should think, decide, and communicate at speed—using AI as a strategic enabler, not a crutch—to protect trust, credibility, and organizational resilience.
Saeed Selvam, President, Selvam Public Affairs

Responsible AI in Crisis Communications: Guardrails, Judgment & Trust
AI can dramatically enhance speed and insight during a crisis—but without clear guardrails, it can just as quickly amplify risk, bias, and misinformation. This session explores how communications leaders can use AI responsibly in high-pressure crisis situations, from social listening and scenario modeling to drafting statements and advising leadership. Scott Tabachnick will focus on where AI should support decision-making, where human judgment must remain non-negotiable, and how to set ethical, legal, and reputational boundaries before a crisis hits. The goal: using AI to strengthen trust, not undermine it, when stakes are highest.
Scott Tabachnick, Corporate Communications Lead, Canada, Accenture

Trade Wars, Tariffs & Trust: Communicating in an Age of Economic Disruption
This session explores how trade wars, tariffs, and sudden economic policy shifts quickly escalate into reputation, trust, and leadership challenges for organizations. As global tensions drive market volatility, supply-chain disruption, and stakeholder uncertainty, communicators are expected to respond with clarity under pressure. The session will focus on how to translate complex economic developments into credible, human-centered messaging, advise leadership during periods of instability, and maintain trust with employees, customers, investors, and the public when economic disruption becomes a communications crisis.
Sharan Kaur, Principal, Navigator Ltd.

Crisis Overload: How Communications Leaders Stay in Control When Everything Hits at Once
In today’s always-on media environment, crises rarely happen in isolation—and when they overlap, the real challenge becomes communication control, not issue management. This session explores how communications leaders can run multiple crisis narratives in parallel without losing clarity, consistency, or credibility. Tammy Scott will share practical approaches to prioritizing messages, sequencing disclosures, aligning internal and external communications, and protecting trust when attention, resources, and leadership focus are stretched thin. You’ll learn how to avoid message collisions, manage spokesperson fatigue, and maintain a clear communications center of gravity—so one crisis doesn’t amplify another.
Tammy Scott, ICD.D, VP Brand & Communications, FCC / FAC

Key Strategies for Internal Communications During Major Incidents
In times of major incidents and crises, a solid internal communications strategy is essential for organizational resilience and employee engagement. Recent years have shown that effective internal communications not only empower employees to deliver exceptional results but also play a critical role in ensuring that an organization can withstand unexpected disruptions. In this session, Dustin will share proven strategies for managing internal communications during major incidents, focusing on preparing your teams for crises, maintaining productivity, and fostering a culture of transparency and trust. Participants will learn practical techniques to keep their teams informed, aligned, and motivated in the face of challenging circumstances.
Dustin Sternbeck, Chief Communications Officer, City of Denton

Leading Through Chaos: How Modern Communicators Build Trust Under Pressure
When pressure is high and expectations are conflicting, communicators are expected to lead with clarity—even when information is incomplete and the environment is volatile. Drawing on experience at the heart of Ontario’s innovation ecosystem, this session examines how senior communicators navigate crisis-level issues, sensitive announcements, and high-stakes moments while balancing government relations, public expectations, industry interests, and media scrutiny.
This session will explore how to:
- Lead and advise decisively when facts are still emerging
- Use practical, real-time decision frameworks to set priorities
- Balance government, stakeholder, media, and public expectations
- Communicate credibility and empathy during sensitive or controversial moments
- Rebuild trust when confidence in institutions is under strain
- Practice “quiet leadership” to steady teams and maintain focus under pressure
Alicia Pereira, Vice President of Communications and Marketing, Ontario Centre of Innovation

Media & Narrative Control During Crisis: Managing the Message When Everyone Is Talking
When crises unfold in a fragmented media environment, narrative control is no longer linear or predictable. This session examines how communicators manage media and narrative control in real time—fighting disinformation as it spreads, responding to social media escalation, and working with journalists under intense pressure. It focuses on making smart decisions when creators, influencers, employees, and critics are all shaping the story at once, including how to correct false information without amplifying it, monitor and respond to viral content, and maintain message discipline when speed, scrutiny, and uncertainty collide.
Marina Jimenez, Director, Communications, Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, UHN

Communicating Trust in a Divided Society: The Communicator’s Role When Audiences Polarize
In today’s fragmented social, political, and media landscape, trust is no longer automatic—it requires intentional effort to establish, protect and restore. This session provides practical guidance for corporate communicators on navigating polarization, conflicting narratives and heightened public skepticism without compromising credibility or consistency. Drawing on real-world examples, the discussion will outline actionable strategies for delivering messages with empathy, clarity. Participants will learn how to:
- Segment your audience to ensure your messages resonate and cut through the noise.
- Manage internal and external tensions during periods of organizational or societal strain.
- Use storytelling to evoke emotion and leverage tangible proof points to earn trust.
Kelsey Rutherford, Director, Corporate Communications, Sun Life

From Global Shock to Local Reality: A City of Ottawa Case Study on Communicating Economic Disruption
When global trade tensions and tariff decisions ripple down to cities, municipal communicators are often the first line of explanation—and reassurance—for residents, businesses, and local institutions. This case-study session examines how economic shockwaves translate into real local impact, from rising costs and procurement challenges to infrastructure delays, public anxiety, and political pressure. Drawing on the experience of the City of Ottawa, the session explores how public-sector communicators turn complex global forces into clear, credible, and human-centered messaging. Attendees will learn how to communicate financial impact without amplifying fear, manage expectations when services and timelines are affected, brief elected officials under intense scrutiny, and protect public trust when the causes of disruption are global—but the consequences are felt locally.
Jamie Hurst, Program Manager, Economic Development, City of Ottawa