Doha, Qatar: On April 21st, 2020, the US-Qatar Business Council (USQBC) hosted a virtual panel discussion via Zoom on “Business Communication During Disruptive Periods” featuring leading public relations and corporate communications experts. The event was attended by mid and senior-level Qatari and American business professionals.
The discussion was moderated by Dr. June West, Associate Professor at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Panelists included Ken Askew, Managing Director of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group; Steve Soltis, Senior Advisor at MAS Leadership Communication; and Tim Beecher, former Senior Partner at FleishmanHillard.
“It is critical to effectively communicate with key stakeholder groups during business disruptions,” said Mohammed Barakat, Managing Director of USQBC. “This panel of communications experts provided attendees with important information to manage their communications flows during times of crisis.”
The panel discussed a variety of communications topics and accompanying strategies that can be used by both multinational organizations and SMEs to help identify key stakeholder groups, analyze their perceptions of the disruption, and how to develop effective messaging.
“Recent events have presented unique challenges to international organizations which is why I wanted to host this event,” said Sheikha Mayes Al-Thani, the Managing Director of USQBC Qatar. “By bringing senior-level public relations experts with experience guiding multinational communication strategy, attendees from both Qatar, the U.S., and elsewhere will be better equipped to handle any communications challenge.”
“Employees, investors, and clients are all greatly affected by business disruptions,” said Dr. June West, Panel Moderator and Associate Professor at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. “How business leaders communicate the impact of the crisis to key stakeholders and their plan to overcome it will largely define both the short-term and long-term success of the organization.”