Over the last few months, WPNT has been privileged to coach many of our clients’ most senior leaders – giving them the confidence and skill to drive business results. Thank you for your support this year and we wish you the best in the new year. Below are some highlights from the final quarter of 2011*:
- Eileen Wixted and Lauri Freking worked with a leading medical trade association to prepare its leader for a presentation on transforming healthcare and healthcare providers. The Presentation and Stakeholder Engagement Trainings allowed the participant to strengthen their executive presence and confidence speaking in front of groups all while communicating information in a way that resonates with their audience and accomplishes a business goal.
- The Emergency Preparedness Group of an exploration and production company conducted a major crisis exercise in Cody, Wyoming and invited WPNT associates to assist with its simulated crisis. Ray Thompson, Dimitri Schildmeijer, Kelly Cripe and Osama Khalifa tested team members’ responses through interactions with external stakeholders and the media. The following month, WPNT assisted the same client with a phone bank drill involving 20 employees. To test and enhance the group’s communication skills, Kelly Cripe telephoned into the bank acting as impacted employees, government agencies, affected community residents and news media.
- The chief technology officer of this Midwest headquartered Fortune 40 company received a series of Executive Communications Coaching sessions from WPNT, in preparation for his keynote address to the worldwide R&D function. His speech included a live audience and was streamed to countries across the globe.
- Developing strong internal leadership candidates is essential to the well-being of any organization. John Getter and Eileen Wixted worked with a large Midwestern healthcare organization to train current employees for future leadership roles with a series of Leadership Communication trainings. Participants learned what it meant to communicate in a leadership position, as well as skill that can be used to ensure that each and every conversation—from internal meetings to press conferences—meets objectives and achieves business goals.
- An investment banking firm engaged WPNT for a two-day Advanced Media Training program. Ray Thompson and Rhonda Hughes trained on-site with analysts and researches of the firm. Randy Sumner and Greg Clock provided simulated interviews with Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and other top tier media.
- An eight-person marketing team of a Fortune 40 company’s business units participated in a WPNT Executive Presentation Skills Training program. Finally, in another separate session, Executive Media Training was provided to two executives with franchising and product marketing responsibilities. Strategies for addressing land use/environmental issues, and recapturing market share were covered.
- A leading international company sought Executive Speech Coaching in Houston from WPNT for its Regional President. The program was led by WPNT’s Ray Thompson. The senior executive was preparing for an all-employee town hall meeting.
- With recent natural disasters, nuclear energy leaders need to be well versed in their communication techniques—in both good times and in bad. Lauri Freking and Eileen Wixted worked with several national nuclear clients to provide Media Training and Crisis Communication Training at sites across the United States. This training honed the participants crisis communication skills with intense, on-camera interviews that simulated the pace, tone and hostile nature of many reporters covering a crisis today.
- Half a dozen WPNT Associates helped with a training simulation for Communicating Under Duress. The full-day program at this Chicago area Fortune 100 Company immersed executives in simulations forcing them to respond to victims, regulators and news media during catastrophic events.
- Ray Thompson and London-based associate, Neil Chapman, teamed up to provide a series of programs, including Advanced Presentation Skills Training, Executive Communications Coaching and Advanced Media Training in Dubai. Participants included residents of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt.
- Two executives of this international airline carrier participated in WPNT’s Executive Media Training. The U.S.-based executives strategized and rehearsed on topics such as international hub improvements and labor relations.
- Against the backdrop of the Occupy movements, Lauri Freking, Jeff Johnson and Eileen Wixted worked with one of the nation’s largest home mortgage providers to help them communicate their message with clarity and consistency to their customers. The Stakeholder Engagement Training provided the team members with tangible skills to communicate consistently across a multitude of interested parties, from community groups, to activists, to customers concerned about the future of their investment.
- In preparation for meetings with limited partners, lenders and target company management, WPNT spent a week on the West Coast assisting this private equity firm with Executive Presentation Skills Training. In addition, a day was dedicated to a Communications Clinic. The ‘office hours’ concept allowed those individuals who had participated in both WPNT’s Basic and Advanced programs previously to ‘walk in’ for counsel and rehearsal on a pending or anticipated speaking assignment.
- Dimitri Schildmeijer and Ray Thompson trained in The Netherlands, where a Dutch-originated energy company had the executive management committee and communications leader sharpen their presentation skills. Especially when times are tough, clear and empathic communications with stakeholders is key. The participants found the training to be very relevant.
- As modern day healthcare continues forward on an uncertain path, everyone from providers to healthcare executives need to focus on honing effective and meaningful communication skills. Executive leaders from one of Illinois’ largest healthcare providers participated in an intensive Leadership Communication Training program. The highly engaging and repetitive on-camera exercises conducted by Eileen Wixted and Randy Sumner helped participants achieve marked improvement in their ability to build common ground and handle difficult questions.
- Another round of Executive Media Training for the Content Expert was conducted for specialists of this well-known, financial & consumer website. The program was conducted in Chicago and included a WPNT Press Corps member. As subject matter experts, these individuals are routinely placed on CNBC, CNN, Fox Business and other business news programs to provide insights on topics including credit card & bank fees, financing college and refinancing a home.
- The Media, Issues and Crisis Manager of a multinational company, one of the world’s largest among its industry, requested Spanish speaking trainers to coach individuals from the Dominican Republic and Chili. An Executive Media Training program in Miami was led, in Spanish, by bi-lingual associates, Monica Steiner and Erika Olivares, and overseen by senior associate, Alison Freeman. We offer our media and presentation training programs in multiple languages.
- Communicating change was the focus of a series of Communication Training sessions conducted for a global insurance company located in the Midwest. Management leadership teams participated in a full day program of communicating change in a changing environment. The on-camera exercises and multi-scenario develops assisted Lauri Freking and Jeff Johnson in helping leaders improve their understanding and ability.