Hong Bao Media launches exclusive crisis communications workshops with former SMRT VP Corporate Communications Patrick Nathan

SINGAPORE, April 24, 2018 – Hong Bao Media, the homegrown provider of a new generation of communications services for a new era of communications, today launched crisis communications training in collaboration with former VP of Corporate Communications of SMRT, Mr Patrick Nathan.

Together with ex-CNBC TV anchor and principal coach Mr Mark Laudi, Mr Nathan will share his in-depth knowledge of social and traditional channels with Senior Leadership Teams to train them in proven in-depth concepts, and to provide the most rigorous hands-on practise in realistic crisis scenarios tailored to client organisations.

During his time at SMRT, Mr Nathan spearheaded the company's social and traditional media responses during difficult times. He had a unique communications window view to an organization that was undergoing significant transition with its renewal and upgrade programmes.

While at SMRT, Mr Nathan has also shared his wide-ranging experiences with university students through workshops, and with his communications peers at conferences and seminars.

As VP of Corporate Communications, he was responsible for Internal Communications and Employee Engagement, Corporate Branding and Reputation Management, Media Relations and Marketing Communications, Social Media and Digital Media Management as well as the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Engagement programmes.

Mr Nathan helped shape and evolve the strategic narrative and key messages for a company that provides an essential, public service to several million commuters on a daily basis.

The issues he handled cut across the strategic, operational and tactical domains, and included, in particular, crisis communications.

On his new role with Hong Bao Media, Mr Nathan said, “I would like to promote an active exchange of ideas on corporate communications and, perhaps more importantly, on crisis management and crisis communications. I think we can all benefit from each other’s experiences so that we can all be better prepared. I certainly look forward to working with Mark and his team at Hong Bao Media.”

Hong Bao Media Managing Director Mark Laudi said, "We are thrilled to form this exclusive collaboration on crisis communications with Patrick. “For comms people, Patrick is a star: when you talk to other communications professionals, they look to him as an authority.”

For further information:

McGagh Communications

Tel (+65) 6570 9139

Audrey McGagh

audrey.mcgagh@mcgaghcomms.com

Claire Tupaz

claire.tupaz@mcgaghcomms.com

Annex – Biography of Patrick Nathan

Patrick Nathan

Consultant, Crisis Management and Crisis Communications

Patrick retired as a Colonel from the Singapore Armed Forces. He has gained considerable experience in senior positions in research & intelligence, strategic policy development, risk management, security management, and crisis management and crisis communications.

As Vice President for Corporate Communications at SMRT from 2013 to early 2018, Patrick oversaw the Corporate Marketing and Communications, and Customer Relations Departments. Up till Apr 2017, he led the Information Fusion Centre which was set up as a new capability to enhance data fusion and analysis within the Company. As part of his Communications remit, he was responsible for Internal Communications; Media Relations and Marketing Communications; New Media; Community Engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility; and Corporate and Investor Communications. He has won a number of awards and regularly speaks on communications-related topics at conferences. He is also a regular resource person to communications programmes at universities in Singapore.

Prior to this, Patrick was Director for Security and Emergency Planning at SMRT from 2011 to 2013. He helped SMRT to fundamentally review its security and emergency planning framework, structures and processes. Patrick introduced major changes at the company in relation to Emergency Planning and the full spectrum of Crisis Management functions. He led a wide-ranging and fundamental review of SMRT’s Rail Incident Management Plan and pioneered a realignment of processes for both Transport Disruptions and Security Incidents. He was also a member of the Advisory Board that provided external guidance to a European Commission Project on Securing Urban Transportation (called SECUR-ED).

In government, Patrick was a Deputy Director at the National Security Coordination Centre at the Prime Minister’s Office from 2004 to 2011. He oversaw the strategic policy development group and helped author the Strategic Framework for Singapore’s National Security which paved the way for a strategic review of Singapore’s national security structures and processes. He provided policy coordination support to committees chaired by the Coordinating Minister for National Security, and the Permanent Secretary for National Security and Intelligence Coordination.

He subsequently led the Risk Assessment and Horizon Scanning group and was the project manager for the RAHS system, a unique research and development undertaking for the government of Singapore to establish a government-wide network and put in place a strategic system to provide early alerts to decision makers and operational agencies of potential significant changes to the environment.

Patrick graduated with an Honours degree in Political Science from the National University of Singapore and a Masters degree in Strategic Studies from the Nanyang Technological University.