Leading in a Crisis

Participants will learn practical techniques to:

• Avoid predictable surprises
• Discern facts from fragmented, conflicting information
• Make defendable decisions under pressure
• Apply a crisis management organizational structure
• Communicate in the worst of times
• Heal your organization and return to normal

• Board members
• Senior business executives
• Risk managers
• Leaders in research, education, government and business

John Duber

John Duber is an Emmy Award-Winning Director in New York City. As a director for the FOX News Channel and the FOX Business Network he's helped to launch several new shows for the network. John recounts the passion that got him into live directing in the first place: “I originally wanted to direct film, but fell in love with the pace of live television...there's nothing quite like the rush of directing a show that’s live to millions of viewers.”

Prior to moving to New York, John was living in Southern California where he was the Production Manager / Sr. Director for the FOX affiliate in San Diego. He also helped to launch “The Boomer Show,” a high definition, late-night show for the Wealth TV Network.

John attended Chapman University in Orange, CA, and a few years later he returned to his Alma matter to teach Film and Television Production as an adjunct professor. John enjoys kayaking, dancing, traveling, and a good Hitchcock flick.

Chris Holmes

Chris Holmes is an epidemiologist whose medical career spans pediatric practice, academic preventive medicine, and U.S. Navy medical service. He holds a B.A. in History from the University of California, Riverside; an M.D. from the University of Cincinnati; and an M.Sc. in Public Health from the University of Utah.

Chris has authored over fifteen professional articles in peer-reviewed journals on topics as diverse as pediatrics, occupational medicine, biomedical ethics, and the history of medicine. He was a consultant for the 19th Edition of Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, and has served as a reviewer for several professional journals. He is also a consultant to the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency.

John L. Sexton

Upon graduation from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1972, Dr. Sexton served in all 3 combat arms of the Marine Corps before earning 2 Masters degrees and a Ph.D. in psychology. He became a Navy clinical psychologist, and following a Congressionally-directed program, he became the first psychologist in the world to independently prescribe medications. After 32 years as a Naval officer, he became a staff psychologist at the Counseling and Psychological Services of the University of California, San Diego, where he now serves in a number of roles. Dr. Sexton brings to the Rady School of Management experience from his involvement in the psychological recovery of organizations following the loss of lives from suicides, aircraft accidents, a shipboard fire, an earthquake and shooting rampages.

Phillip Van Saun

Prior to serving as the Director of continuity & emergency services at UC San Diego, Phillip Van Saun was an assistant chief in the emergency operations section of the California Governors Office of Emergency Services. He has served in the field of crisis response since 1987 when he was a Marine assigned to the White House emergency response mission. Following military service, Phillip served as a consultant to the White House Military Office, providing emergency response training to White House support personnel. In 2003 he served as an advisor during the evacuation of American oil company employees in Venezuela and in 2002 as a trainer and evaluator to the security and safety elements of the Panama Canal Authority. In 1990 Phillip was awarded the Presidential Service Award by President George H. W. Bush for his service to the White House. He is a graduate of the National Interagency crisis communications program, the White House Military Office’s executive support program and the executive seminar in crisis management at Harvard University.