It’s after midnight when allegations of financial fraud involving a senior executive surface—and by morning, the executive is out. A reporter is calling, employees and clients want answers, the board is demanding a response, and the facts are still developing.

In this interactive crisis response lab, participants will step into the roles of legal counsel, communications advisors, business leaders and board members to navigate the critical first hours of a high-stakes leadership crisis. Through a series of escalating developments, from media inquiries and leaked internal communications to regulatory scrutiny, participants’ decisions will shape how the scenario unfolds.

Facilitators Andrea Christman and Megan Paquin, PhD, APR, CPRC, will challenge participants to balance legal risk, reputational impact, stakeholder expectations and incomplete information in real time. The session concludes with a practical debrief focused on the decisions, disciplines and communications strategies that help organizations protect trust when there is no perfect answer and no time to waste.