Areas of Crisis Expertise
What is a crisis? Any issue, problem or disruption which triggers negative stakeholder reactions that can impact the organization’s reputation, business and financial strength. That’s why you need a firm with crisis expertise.
Crises may be situations threatening or doing harm to people and property, serious disruptions to operations, product recalls, labor issues, social media attacks, lawsuits, highly negative media coverage or allegations of wrongdoing against employees or leaders.
Using our crisis expertise, we’ve helped our clients deal successfully with a multitude of crises and issues, including:
- Activist threats against company or executives
- Boycotts and picketing
- Bankruptcies and corporate reorganizations
- Controversial development projects
- Criminal prosecutions and civil investigations
- Crude oil spills
- Cybercrime, hacking and data breach
- Discrimination allegations
- Employee malfeasance
- Employee and customer fatalities and casualties
- Executives facing indictment
- Foodborne illness and safety
- Government investigations
- Harassment allegations
- Highly contagious illness or pandemic
- Illegal or unethical employee behavior
- Investigative media reports
- Investor activists and class actions
- Large-scale organizational change projects
- Layoffs and reductions-in-force
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Natural disasters, including wildfires, hurricanes and earthquakes
- Negative news stories and fake news
- Online reputation attacks
- Pandemics
- Plant closings and downsizings
- Product recalls and related issues
- Serious incidents involving multiple victims
- Social media attacks
- Social and political issues
- Sudden death or incapacitation of a key executive
- Unfounded rumors that disrupt operations
- Violent strikes and labor disruptions
- White collar crime
- Workplace shootings, assaults and violence
- Wrongful death and patient abuse investigations

Deborah Hileman, SCMP
ICM President and CEO
CEO Expertise for Every Client
Deborah Hileman, SCMP, President and CEO. A globally-certified strategic communication management professional (SCMP), business leader, coach and consultant with more than 35 years’ experience in public and private companies and non-profit organizations, Ms. Hileman has led high-performing teams in health care, manufacturing, insurance and financial services, nonprofits and higher education. Her most significant areas of expertise include strategic communications planning, reputation and crisis management, change management, employee engagement, media relations and communication training.