Director – Corporate - Issues & Crisis
About the job
- Proven background leading corporate, issues, and crisis management in both agency and in-house settings, with strong exposure to complex, high-stakes scenarios and strategic media relations.
- Sector expertise in Energy & Industrials, Healthcare, or Technology, with a strong understanding of the issues shaping these industries.
- Experience designing and delivering media training and crisis simulation exercises, alongside wider reputation management initiatives.
- Skill in managing communications across media, government, employees, investors, and consumers during sensitive, high-pressure moments.
- A track record of independently identifying and converting new business and managing client relationships end-to-end.
- Experience advising senior communications leaders and C-suite executives, with credibility at senior levels.
- Experience as a collaborative team leader, including resourcing, commercial oversight, and building high-performing, resilient teams in agency and client-side environments.
- Full professional proficiency in Dutch and English, including the ability to counsel clients and present in both languages.
- Develop Burson’s corporate, issues, and crisis work in the Netherlands by retaining existing clients and growing new business.
- Advise clients and add strategic value during sensitive, high-stakes, and reputational moments.
- Lead issues and crisis programmes for clients in Energy & Industrials, Healthcare, or Technology, anticipating risks and developing proactive response plans.
- Design and deliver media training and crisis simulation exercises for clients.
- Build the team’s visibility and reputation to win new business and attract talent.
- Manage and mentor client teams, nurture talent, and contribute to a collaborative agency culture.
- Monitor budgets, forecast revenue, manage resourcing, and negotiate fees to ensure profitability.
- Represent Burson in relevant specialist forums, network groups, and speaker platforms across the Dutch and EU market.
About the company
Burson is a global communications firm that uses reputation management to create value for clients. It helps clients build and protect their public image to gain competitive advantage by guiding how they communicate with audiences, stakeholders, and the market. By aligning reputation with business goals, Burson helps clients lead today and into the future. Its goal is to turn reputation into a strategic asset that supports sustainable leadership and growth.
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Burson bought Limbik on August 12, 2026, owning Decipher's technology roadmap.
- Meagan Fitzgerald joined Burson UK on September 1, 2026, strengthening crisis advisory.
- Ross Hall's August 2026 promotion targets EMEA retention and organic growth.
What critics are saying
- WPP hired Goldman Sachs in April 2026 to explore selling Burson.
- Senior exits hit Burson in August 2026, including Kate Hopper and David Vindel.
- Limbik integration risks product delays if Burson cannot absorb engineering and research quickly.
What makes Burson unique
- Burson's Decipher predicts message resonance across 60 markets before campaigns launch.
- Burson combines crisis counseling and AI products under Corey duBrowa's 2026 strategy.
- Burson's WPP network gives global scale across reputation, media, and creative services.
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Benefits
Training Programs
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Company News
Tom Malcolm returns to Burson as UK chief growth officer. Malcolm rejoins the agency after 16 months as UK group managing director of MSL and Salterbaxter. LONDON - Burson has appointed Tom Malcolm as UK chief growth officer, marking his return to the agency after he left in June 2025 to lead MSL and Salterbaxter in the UK. Malcolm will lead Burson's UK growth team, working with its EMEA and global counterparts to develop new business, strengthen client relationships and bring together the agency's specialist capabilities around client challenges. He was previously Burson's UK group managing director for consumer and brand, and EMEA consumer and brand practice lead, where he led the agency's integrated consumer offering across the region. Most recently, he was UK group managing director of Publicis agency brands MSL and Salterbaxter. Last month, Sam Corry was promoted to CEO of MSL UK as well as continuing as CEO of sister agency Taylor Herring. The move follows Burson's promotion of Helen Searle to a global growth role and Ross Hall to EMEA chief client officer this summer. Burson UK CEO Simon Redfern said: "Tom knows Burson incredibly well, but he also brings a strong external perspective shaped by his experience across the wider communications industry. "During his previous time with us, he played an important role in building some of our strongest client relationships. Since then, he has gained an even broader perspective on agency growth, client expectations and the opportunities facing our industry. That combination of deep knowledge of Burson, valuable external perspective, client insight and proven leadership in driving growth makes him a brilliant fit for our business and our ambitions for the future." Malcolm has more than 20 years' experience across consumer, retail, FMCG, finance, leisure, food and beverage, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, leading integrated campaigns and multidisciplinary teams in the UK and internationally. He said: "Burson has built a genuinely global growth engine that puts client reputation at the centre. That's only possible with the best talent working together globally. "I know first-hand the calibre of thinking, craft and innovation at Burson, which is why I jumped at the chance to return. Working with Simon and our best-in-class team, we couldn't be better placed to help clients navigate a new era in which reputation and growth are more intertwined than ever." Article tags News direct to your inbox The agency playbook. The PR industry's most comprehensive listing of firms from every region and specialty.
Highwire adds Barrasso, Saleh to senior leadership team. Kona Barrasso joins as managing director of business services, while Nyla Saleh has been named executive VP, executive client partner. SAN FRANCISCO - Highwire has expanded its senior leadership team with the appointments of Kona Barrasso as managing director of business services and Nyla Saleh as executive VP, executive client partner. Barrasso will lead the development of Highwire's business services practice, with responsibility for the agency's work across B2B, financial and professional services and impact. She brings 20 years of experience across agency and in-house roles. Before joining Highwire, Barrasso held senior positions at WE Communications, Burson and Makovsky, working with clients including SAP, PwC, Accenture and Capgemini. She also previously worked in-house at Kearney. Saleh joins Highwire after most recently serving as a brand practice and North American retail sector lead at Weber Shandwick, where she was also senior client relationship lead for The Home Depot. Earlier, Saleh spent eight years at Edelman, where she led the TJX Companies business, and began her career at Ogilvy working across corporate and technology communications. At Highwire, Saleh will serve as a senior executive partner to major clients, working across the agency's strategy, creative, media and marketing capabilities. "Kona and Nyla exemplify the caliber of senior counselor that clients operating in high-stakes markets require," said Highwire CEO Michael O'Brien. "During their careers, they have earned the trust of leading brands, grown complex client relationships, and built strong teams capable of navigating today's most dynamic news cycles." Article tags News direct to your inbox The agency playbook. The PR industry's most comprehensive listing of firms from every region and specialty.
Simon Shaw moves on from Chief Communications & Marketing Officer role at King Salman Park. At King Salman Park Foundation, his remit spanned corporate and brand strategy, communications, marketing, governance, stakeholder alignment and opening readiness. Simon Shaw is moving on from his role as Chief Communications & Marketing Officer at King Salman Park Foundation in Riyadh, where he built a multidisciplinary team and strengthened the Foundation's corporate, brand, marketing and communications capabilities. His remit spanned corporate and brand strategy, communications, marketing, governance, stakeholder alignment and opening readiness, supporting one of Saudi Arabia's most ambitious Vision 2030 urban transformation projects. Having worked across the Middle East as a consultant for several years, Shaw's move to the Foundation marked a transition into full-time, in-house leadership in the region. "It was a great honour to contribute to a landmark project of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and to make Riyadh my home," said Shaw. "The experience deepened my appreciation of Saudi Arabia's rich and beautiful culture and my understanding of the ambition driving the Kingdom's transformation." He added, "With my background in strategy, creativity and architecture, the opportunity to help shape a place that brings together nature, culture and community was particularly meaningful. I leave proud of what we built: a clear direction for the brand, stronger marketing and communications capabilities, and a talented team equipped to support the Park's next stage of development. I'm excited to see what they achieve next." Shaw previously served as Global Chief Creative Officer at Burson and Global Chief Creative Strategy & Innovation Officer at Hill & Knowlton. In these roles, he advised CEOs, executive teams and marketing leaders on corporate, brand and reputation strategy, alongside communications and marketing. He also led global transformation programmes, integrated strategy, creative and content capabilities, and built international innovation hubs at the agency. His experience spans the Middle East, China, Europe, the UK and the US. As he considers his next chapter, Shaw will now move into an independent advisory role, bringing together his international consulting background and in-house leadership to advise organisations on strategy, building brand and corporate reputation, creative transformation, communications and marketing strategies. "The Middle East remains close to my heart and an important part of my plans," he concluded. "I'm enjoying applying the experience gained across consultancy and in-house leadership to new challenges and look forward to reconnecting with colleagues and exploring new collaborations and opportunities across the region and beyond." Anup Oommen is the Editor of Campaign Middle East at Motivate Media Group, a well-reputed moderator, and a multiple award-winning journalist with more than 15 years of experience at some of the most reputable and credible global news organisations, including Reuters, CNN, and Motivate Media Group. As the Editor of Campaign Middle East, Anup heads market-leading coverage of advertising, media, marketing, PR, events and experiential, digital, the wider creative industries, and more, through the brand's digital, print, events, directories, podcast and video verticals. As such he's a key stakeholder in the Campaign Global brand, the world's leading authority for the advertising, marketing and media industries, which was first published in the UK in 1968.
Burson hires NBC correspondent as UK crisis lead. Former foreign correspondent Meagan Fitzgerald joins Burson UK from NBC News to head its crisis and issues practice. LONDON - Burson has appointed former NBC News foreign correspondent Meagan Fitzgerald as UK head of crisis and issues, strengthening its offer to clients navigating geopolitical uncertainty, fast-moving reputational threats and an increasingly fragmented media environment. Fitzgerald (pictured) joins the WPP-owned agency after nearly two decades in broadcast journalism, most recently as a foreign correspondent for NBC News Worldwide. A twice Emmy-nominated journalist, she has reported from the front lines of major global events, including wars, geopolitical crises and political and economic developments. In her new role, Fitzgerald will lead Burson UK's crisis and issues team, advising clients on anticipating risk, responding under pressure and communicating clearly when scrutiny is at its most intense. "Clients are facing unrelenting pressure and continuous disruption, from geopolitical turbulence to a hyper-fragmented media landscape," said Burson UK CEO Simon Redfern. "Meagan's considerable experience provides a unique perspective on how narratives form in real time and how brands can communicate effectively when the stakes are highest. "This expertise will be invaluable in helping our clients build and protect their reputations in this new intelligence era." Redfern added that Fitzgerald's ability to distil complex issues into clear narratives across broadcast, digital and social platforms, along with her experience building high-performing teams, made her "the perfect fit" to lead the agency's crisis and issues practice. Before becoming a foreign correspondent, Fitzgerald was an anchor and reporter at NBC-owned Washington DC station WRC-TV, where she led live coverage of breaking news and produced original reporting for broadcast and digital audiences. She began her career as an investigative reporter in Louisiana. "Issues can become crises in minutes. I've seen it firsthand, reporting live as stories unfolded," said Fitzgerald. "The strongest crisis counsel starts well before that moment - helping leaders anticipate risk, make sound decisions under pressure and communicate clearly when every word matters." Article tags News direct to your inbox The agency playbook. The PR industry's most comprehensive listing of firms from every region and specialty.
Burson promotes Ross Hall to EMEA Chief Client Officer. Ross Hall, Chief Client Officer, Burson Burson, the global communications agency purpose-built to create value for its clients through reputation, has promoted Ross Hall to EMEA Chief Client Officer. This first-ever dedicated regional role brings together the agency's approach to client leadership, retention, and organic growth, with a clear mandate to strengthen its most important client relationships across EMEA. Hall will oversee the region's client leadership strategy, ensuring senior leaders maintain a razor-sharp focus on client service and opportunities for long-term partnership and growth. Working in partnership with Burson's Global Client Excellence team and market practice leaders across EMEA, Hall will focu