Cross Function Event - In the Shadow of the Decision-Maker, at the Heart of the Crisis

18:30 - participants arrival

19:00 - conference

19:30 - networking with members and preferred partners

Aurore Chatard is a specialist in crisis management, security, and business continuity. A former officer in the French Navy, she has more than twenty years of experience in international environments, including within the United Nations, NGOs, public organizations, and large corporations. She has led complex crises, security arrangements in numerous countries, and has designed crisis simulation exercises to prepare people and organizations. She currently holds national and regional responsibilities for continuity and security within SRG SSR.

In a crisis situation, the quality of decisions depends not only on the information available, but also on the ability to convey it to the right person, at the right time, and in the right form.

Executive and Personal Assistants hold a unique position in this respect. They know the leader's priorities, key contacts, the best way to reach them, and how a request should be presented to secure a quick decision. When the CEO or leader is not directly embedded in the crisis management unit but acts as an escalation point, their role becomes decisive.

Drawing on concrete experiences of managing complex crises, this conference will highlight their pivotal function: gatekeepers of access to the leader, facilitators of decision-making, connectors between the various stakeholders, and essential partners to the crisis unit.

It will also offer practical approaches for better anticipating this role, clarifying escalation pathways, and strengthening the contribution of Executive Assistants to their organization's resilience.