Tell me about the work you do as an integrity and reputation management consultant.
Corporates have a long list of legislation that they should adhere to, and society and the industry in which they operate have genuine expectations of them. The expectations include who to do business with, how to do business, care for the community and the environment, and their contribution to economic growth and job creation. We advise them on how to meet all legal and societal expectations, how to prevent reputational crisis and, if there were to be an attack on their integrity or reputation, how to limit the risk on their continued existence.
What led you to setting up your consultancy?
I was once exposed to tender irregularities and saw first-hand the impact of a reputational crisis on a company's ability to meet its obligations.
I realised that not many established companies know about the Protected Disclosures Act and the obligations it places on corporates, and not many workers know about the protection it offers them.
Soon thereafter, I helped a client with a whistleblower policy and strategy, and I then decided to professionalise the work I did for them by starting these companies.
You have been a journalist and government communicator. How does this help you in the work you do today?
Through my exposure to the policy environment, I am able to advise clients on how to utilise parliament as a policymaker. I am also able to inform government and its agencies of developments that have an impact externally and how to align strategies to the goals and ambitions the executive and legislative arms have set. As a journalist who retained contacts, I can broaden the media's understanding of a particular matter, and hopefully this will show in their reportage.
What do you find most meaningful in the work you do?
Helping a company avert a potential crisis, so they are able to employ more people, expand their operations and generate the kinds of profits that keep their investors and shareholders happy.
Bosasa has recently gone bust, but there are plenty of other local companies that could do with advice on how to repair their reputations. What is some of the advice you would give, hypothetically?
Best advice is obviously never to get into trouble in the first place. Always do things right. But, once in trouble, inform your shareholders, service providers and clients and keep staff informed because these are the people most directly affected by a crisis. The board should act against the executives who are implicated, and management should act against those lower down who had a hand in it. People want to see action. They are not interested in promises of action or investigations. Then, proactively report possible breaches to the industry bodies and law-enforcement agencies...