Crisis communication, planning and business continuity

Chris is the former Director of Media and Communication at the Metropolitan Police Service and has considerable and widespread experience in managing the response to a number of disasters and emergencies. He is recognised as one of the UK's leading experts in crisis management and crisis communication, and continues to play a leading role in advising and influencing central Government, public and private sector organisations.

Throughout 2020 and the early part of 2021, Chris led the Covid-19 communication response on behalf of the Local Resilience Forums in London and Surrey and worked with a number of academic institutions. Through his work with EPiCC (Emergency Practitioners in Crisis Communication) he has delivered training and workshops to universities across the country.

As a communications practitioner, John is experienced in issues and all aspects of crisis management, and has acted as a trusted advisor and coach to senior public and private sector managers in strategy, proactive and reactive communications.

Often working on high profile topics and sensitive subjects, as a qualified trainer John has delivered coaching and mentoring at boardroom level as well as to operational staff and groups throughout the UK and internationally. He maintains contact with national, regional and local press, as well as broadcast media, to help provide up to date, reliable PR support to positively influence outcomes and to represent the needs of complex organisations.

Paul Blewitt has a background in UK policing, serving for thirty years in the cities of Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham. On leaving the police he took up the position of team leader in the Strategy Department of Abu Dhabi Police. He was subsequently appointed Industry Fellow at the School of Policing Studies, Charles Sturt University, Australia. He moved back to the United Arab Emirates as a lecturer at Rabdan Academy in Abu Dhabi, with responsibility for disaster management and business continuity. Since September 2019 he has been a lecturer at the Institute of Policing, Staffordshire University.

Joan Concannon, Director of External Relations at the University of York, is responsible for a portfolio that spans key aspects of reputation and income generation across four teams: Marketing, Recruitment, Admissions, and Outreach; International Recruitment, Mobility and Partnerships, Office of Philanthropy Partnerships and Alumni (OPPA) and Communications. These teams have responsibility for driving student recruitment, outreach including widening participation, and admissions in UK/EU and international markets; philanthropy and alumni engagement. She is also responsible for marketing and brand development, communications and media relations as well as the York Festival of ideas, international and public relations and partnership development.

Dr Justin Varney the Director for Public Health at Birmingham City Council. Leading on strategic plans to improve the health and wellbeing of its citizens in the largest local authority in the UK. Dr Varney originally trained as a General Practitioner before specialising in Public Health Medicine. He has worked at local, regional, national and international levels of the public health system and has experience as a clinician in both primary and secondary care.

Prior to joining Birmingham City Council, Dr Varney led national programmes at Public Health England on physical activity, health and work, sexual and reproductive health and HIV prevention, pharmacy and allied health professionals. Dr Varney has a special interest in lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans health inequalities and domestic violence as a public health issue.

Louella leads the central communications teams at Newcastle University. After 10 years in print journalism, she took up a position as Senior Communications Manager at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust before moving to Newcastle University as Head of Media Relations. She is Co-Chair of the Russell Group Communications Directors Network.