We have a heritage in the tough end of public relations and corporate affairs, and can guide you through crises, or sustained and potentially crippling issues.
Peter Wilkinson is a crisis management & recovery expert with over 17 years of experience in this field. Previously, Peter was one of Australia’s most respected TV journalists with over 30 years working on programs including the ABC’s This Day Tonight and Four Corners, and then Channel Nine’s ACA and 60 Minutes.
Peter is the Chair of the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom, advocating for media freedom in Australia and Asia.
He is past Chair of the Global Communications Alliance, an organisation of corporate and public affairs agencies that specialise in crisis.
He is also past regional president (Asia/Pacific) of IPREX, one of the world’s global largest PR corporations.
He has been a member of four industry task forces, strengthening relationships between industry and government.
Since leaving journalism in 2002, he has managed successful crisis outcomes in many sectors including countering cyber-security attacks, freeing journalists’ imprisoned overseas, sexual abuse/harassment, media and social media attacks, industry restructures, product recalls, a food poisoning, mergers and acquisitions, court cases, judicial inquiries and royal commissions, countering or creating activist campaigns, pollution spills, extortion and blackmail threats, and fires/explosions.
A lot of these crises are exacerbated by social media; others, as companies’ struggle to cope with the rapid changes brought about by structural, cultural or digital transformation. The ‘recovery’ part of a crisis often involves significant change management – transformation; always with a focus on protecting and improving reputation.
When it comes to helping people or brands improve their reputation, Peter’s experience allows him to quickly identify the known and potentially unknown aspects of a situation, and propose non-inflammatory solutions through the eyes of an investigative journalist turned experienced PR and crisis management expert. He strategically oversees all elements of execution, has a careful eye, and is always a phone call away.
Sam is one of Australia’s leading specialists in reputation management. In addition to being the Head of Digital at Wilkinson Butler, he heads up the online reputation management division and is the point of contact for all clients seeking to improve the online component of their reputation.
Sam understands how critical it is that an individual or brand’s reputation remains positive across all channels and touch-points. When it’s not, he knows how to best repair, improve and protect that reputation from future incidents.
He has extensive experience developing communication and reputation strategies and running campaigns for clients of all sizes and industries, including global FMCGs, listed companies, law firms and class actions, leading medical professionals, venture capital firms, startups and more.
Sam is an expert in web development, search engine optimisation (SEO), digital marketing, advertising and social media; he has a keen eye for detail and an astute understanding of the ‘ins-and-outs’ of the changing digital landscape.
Combined with his experience in managing crises and complex issues, Sam is able to quickly analyse the moving parts in a given situation, and with an awareness of the various stakeholders and other factors that could affect certain outcomes, build a comprehensive strategy that uses both digital and traditional means to influence reputational change.
Prior to working in corporate affairs and issues management, Sam worked in the advertising industry for 8 years, employed by major multinationals including Viacom and Disney to work on world-class brands such as MTV, National Geographic, Nickelodeon and ESPN. Through this time, Sam has serviced almost all major advertising agencies, and many of the smaller independent or direct agencies.
While Peter and Sam are the primary points of contact for online reputation management, the strategy and execution are underpinned by a team of heavyweights. Wilkinson Butler's experts have a wealth of highly valuable experience, and their networks span a wide variety of sectors.