Crisis Designer Podcast

Conducttr Crisis Exercise Platform

This new season is tailored around insightful conversations with a diverse lineup of subject matter experts and crisis designers. We discuss their experiences and share best practices in crisis design, so you can enhance your own strategies and methodologies. If you are passionate about creating remarkable exercises in crisis management, reputational risk, business continuity, risk management, information warfare, or high-fidelity simulations, this is the perfect show for you!

  1. APR 23

    Master of Disaster: Designing Exercises That Stick - A conversation with Tim Klaassen

    In this episode, we’re joined by Tim Klaassen, Senior Crisis Management & Business Continuity Consultant at PwC Netherlands, to explore what it really takes to design exercises that go beyond ticking a box and start changing behaviour. From defining meaningful objectives to creating realism that drives immersion, Tim breaks down the thinking behind effective crisis simulations and why the scenario itself is only part of the story. We discuss how to translate organisational complexity into exercises, how to balance pressure during live play, and what it takes to ensure learning sticks beyond the session. This episode explores four key ideas: designing exercises around real business challenges rather than generic scenarios, using realism to create immersion and engagement, applying the right level of pressure to mirror real decision-making, and turning exercises into lasting organisational change through strong follow-up. If you design, run, or take part in crisis exercises, this conversation will challenge how you think about preparation, realism, and what “good” actually looks like.

    37 min

  2. APR 16

    Designing Risk Awareness Around People, Not Policy - A conversation with Janette Bonar Law

    In this episode of the Crisis Designer Podcast, we’re joined by Janette Bonar Law, Information Security Manager for Culture & Awareness at Channel 4. Janette brings a human-centred approach to risk and resilience. Rather than focusing on policies and frameworks alone, her work is grounded in behaviour, culture, and how people actually operate inside organisations. In this conversation, we explore how to design awareness and training that people genuinely engage with, from immersive simulations and interactive formats to unexpected, creative approaches that spark curiosity and conversation. We cover: Why traditional compliance-driven approaches often failHow stress and pressure shape decision-makingDesigning awareness programmes people actually engage withThe role of conversation in building awarenessThis episode offers a different way of thinking about resilience. If you’re designing exercises, awareness programmes, or training, it challenges you to move beyond policy and start designing for how people really think, feel, and act.

    31 min

  3. APR 10

    Building Muscle Memory: Preparing Teams for Cyber Incidents - A conversation with Bartosz Misiuro

    In this episode of the Crisis Designer Podcast, we speak with Bartosz Misiuro, Global Security Incident Management Lead and CERT Process Service Manager at Atos, about how organisations can better prepare for security incidents before they happen. Drawing on years of hands-on experience in global incident response, Bartosz explains what it means to work inside a Computer Emergency Response Team and why preparation matters just as much as response. He shares how tabletop exercises and crisis simulations help teams build muscle memory for the pressure, uncertainty, and coordination challenges that come with cyber incidents. We explore how to design realistic scenarios, how to adapt simulations for technical and non-technical audiences, and why it is so important to align objectives, roles, and responsibilities before the exercise even begins. Bartosz also talks about using real-world threat actor behaviour, ransomware materials, and current attack trends to make exercises feel tangible and relevant. The conversation also covers participant engagement, evaluation reports, practical follow-up actions, and the importance of turning lessons learned into something simple and usable, especially for senior leaders under pressure. If you’re interested in cyber incident preparedness, CERT operations, or designing exercises that genuinely help teams perform better when it counts, this episode is packed with practical insight.

    41 min

  4. 12/19/2025

    War Room Design: Training Leaders to Decide Under Pressure - A conversation with Scott Campbell

    In this episode of the Crisis Designer Podcast, we’re joined by Scott Campbell, founder of NXUS, where he designs fully immersive war room simulations that test decision-making, collaboration, and self-awareness in high-stakes environments. Drawing from a career that spans journalism, disaster response, cyber incidents, and leadership coaching, Scott shares how real pressure changes behavior and why most leaders are never truly trained for the moments that matter most. We explore how immersive simulations can recreate cognitive overload, emotional stress, and uncertainty in a safe but intense setting, allowing participants to experience crisis before it happens. If you’re designing crisis exercises, training leaders, or exploring how to build confidence and clarity under pressure, this episode offers a deep look into the psychology and craft behind high-impact simulations.

    33 min

  5. 12/05/2025

    What Would Hurt You The Most? Designing Cyber Scenarios That Matter - A conversation with Marc Avery

    In this episode of the Crisis Designer Podcast, we talk with Marc Avery, CISO and Managing Partner at Cyber Chain Alliance. Marc has spent his career leading security transformation across critical infrastructure, shaping resilient programs, and putting people at the centre of cybersecurity. Marc explains why the human factor is still the foundation of security, why boards often struggle to truly engage with cyber risk, and how his team designs cyber crisis exercises that go straight to business impact. From worst case scenarios that deliberately “hurt where it counts” to emotionally charged moments that make executives think about their families and their responsibilities, he shows how storytelling, realism, and pressure create learning that sticks.

    39 min

  6. 11/28/2025

    You Don’t Want To Be the Next Case Study - A conversation with Jason Flint

    In this episode of the Crisis Designer Podcast, we sit down with Jason Flint, a crisis management and corporate security leader with more than 15 years of experience helping global organizations navigate disruption. He shares how he approaches day-to-day crisis readiness, what different industries—from aviation to tech to luxury goods—taught him about risk, and why resilience is a long-term discipline rather than a compliance milestone. Jason also breaks down the current threat landscape, including the rise of AI-driven deception, deepfakes and the challenge of verifying what’s real in real time. We explore what strong crisis management looks like behind the scenes: stakeholder engagement, preparedness, realistic exercises, gamified scenarios and the need to test vulnerabilities rather than rehearse safe assumptions. Jason walks through how he designs exercises, how he keeps teams engaged, and why the recovery phase is often the most revealing part of any simulation. This conversation is packed with practical insights, candid reflections and a reminder that crisis leadership is as much about people as it is about plans.

    27 min

  7. 11/21/2025

    When Every Word Counts: Inside High-Stakes Crisis Comms - A conversation with Tassilo Stave-Lins

    In this episode of the Crisis Designer Podcast, we speak with Tassilo Stave-Lins, Associate Director at FGS Global, about how crisis communication works behind the scenes when pressure, speed and scrutiny collide. Tassilo explains what it means to prepare organisations for critical moments, from running crisis simulations and media training to managing live incidents across complex stakeholder landscapes. Drawing on his experience with FTSE 100 and DAX companies, he shows how storytelling, clarity and timing shape the outcome of a crisis long before the operational response is complete. Across the conversation we look at why clear communication matters more than ever in the age of social media, how to design simulations that feel real without overwhelming participants, and the role of personas, uncertainty and red herrings in good scenario design. Tassilo talks about building muscle memory for leadership and comms teams, what makes a debrief meaningful, and how to turn insights from an exercise into concrete improvements rather than a forgotten report. If you work in crisis management, strategic communication or resilience planning, this episode offers practical ideas you can apply immediately.

    38 min

  8. 09/12/2025

    Designing Holistic Crisis Exercises - A conversation with Maura Santunione

    In this episode of the Crisis Designer Podcast, we speak with Maura Santunione, Global Business Continuity Manager and Leader of the BCI Italy Chapter. With over two decades of experience across security, crisis preparedness, and operational risk, Maura has helped shape international resilience strategies that turn theory into action and foster true organizational capability. We dive into what a holistic crisis exercise programme really looks like, and why it goes far beyond a one-off tabletop. Maura explains how aligning with ISO standards, designing from the After-Action Review backward, and engaging the right stakeholders leads to meaningful, measurable progress. We explore: Why capability (not just compliance) must be the goal How to select realistic but challenging scenarios What makes a good simulation truly engaging How to design with After-Action Reviews in mind The art of facilitation and participant preparation Her most complex exercise: 3,000 people and no disruption Why many organizations are more resilient than they think This episode is packed with practical insight and deep experience, and a powerful reminder that active listening is just as important as operational readiness.

    26 min
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About

This new season is tailored around insightful conversations with a diverse lineup of subject matter experts and crisis designers. We discuss their experiences and share best practices in crisis design, so you can enhance your own strategies and methodologies. If you are passionate about creating remarkable exercises in crisis management, reputational risk, business continuity, risk management, information warfare, or high-fidelity simulations, this is the perfect show for you!

Information

  • Creator
    Conducttr Crisis Exercise Platform
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Conducttr Crisis Exercise Platform
  • Show Website
    Crisis Designer Podcast