Skill: Crisis Management

Oleg Ilyin

Oleg Ilyin is a seasoned public relations professional with over 20 years of experience in corporate communications, crisis management, and media training. His background includes projects for over 100 Russian and international brands, state institutions, and NGOs since 2000 in the roles of both consultant and project leader. Holding degrees in political science and business psychology, Oleg has also extensive track record as a media coach, helping business owners, leaders, and comms teams take the most out of every public and/or media appearance. Oleg is an award-winning author and experienced facilitator, able to combine profound expertise and effective teamwork frames.

Tim Scerba

Tim works with companies and other organizations in developing and protecting their reputations, especially when they are facing a crisis or other sensitive situations. This work includes executive positioning and training, content creation, internal and external communications, B2B and B2C marketing, and all aspects of crisis management such as team preparation and active situation management.

During his career, Tim has worked with a wide variety of clients in such diverse sectors as consumer products, construction, technology, food and beverage, health, energy, tourism, automotive, financial services, legal, consumer electronics, and entertainment. These have included such well-known companies as Walmart, The Home Depot, 3M, Starbucks, Nestle, Netflix, Volkswagen, Petrobras, MasterCard, Samsung, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, ArcelorMittal, Turner Broadcasting, Grupo Apasco, and Grupo FEMSA.

A frequent speaker on international communications, he is a graduate of Yale University and has completed specialized course work in Managing Corporate Change at the Stanford Business School; Public, Corporate and Financial Relations at New York University; and graduate course work with the Life Management Institute in New York. He also has been a guest lecturer at universities such as the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey and the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico.  He is a native English speaker and fluent in Spanish. He currently lives in Lima, Peru.

Catherine Ogilvie

Catherine has 35 years’ experience in global marketing and communications working with blue-chip businesses around the world and has lived in both Europe and the US. Positions have included senior international management roles with Harrods, Motorola, Napster, Edelman, Almond Board of California, and Dolby. Most recently she held leadership positions within higher education at the University of Leicester. Her experience in building and mentoring teams, developing corporate/brand narrative and effective marketing strategy across a range of industry sectors from start-ups to multinationals, provides invaluable support to business leaders and entrepreneurs alike.

She understands the challenges of a global business working in multinational, diverse teams and the importance of maintaining brand integrity whilst acknowledging local culture and market conditions. Catherine has also worked on many major team reviews and reorganizations developing models for efficient work streams and personnel development within global marketing teams.

Currently a member of Authentic Vision’s European Advisory Board, she also works with C-suite executives on crisis, marketing and communications strategy and leads highly effective, results orientated “Brand Bootcamps” which help businesses develop brand frameworks and tools to align their position and messaging.

Catherine grew up in the UK and has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and communications and an MA in strategic marketing. She speaks fluent German and good French and lives near Bordeaux in France.

Carolina James Bajaj

Carolina has been leading integrated marketing and communications efforts for over 18 years and has spent her career developing insight-driven campaigns with emphasis on marketing communications, digital communications, financial communications, leadership change management and global reputation programs. She has led teams across a range of corporate, financial, lifestyle, FMCG, sports and technology brands.

Skilled in creating high-impact communications campaigns within fast-paced, complex, regulated sectors in support of operational goals, Carolina has been a trusted emissary for brands and Corporate houses and is known for her authenticity, integrity, crisis management capabilities and the leverage to engage at all levels, internally and externally proficiently.

Peter McKillop

Peter focuses on working with management teams on corporate messaging, media relations, marketing and, public affairs strategies. He supports global clients on building strong sustainable brands focused on ESG, impact, sustainability, and climate change. He also counsels financial services clients developing and executing global communication programs with particular expertise in asset management, Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs), and index strategies. Until April, Peter was Managing Director and Global Head of Communications for BlackRock’s iShares ETF business. In this role, he led the communication strategy and oversaw senior media relations, public affairs, issues management, executive communications and internal communications for the world’s largest provider of ETF and Index investment solutions.

Prior to joining BlackRock, Peter held senior communication and public affairs leadership at J.P. Morgan, UBS, KKR, The Clearing House, and Bank of America. He also served as Managing Director of the Japan office of Burson-Marsteller and APAC Regional Media Director for its Asia-Pacific operations, where he provided strategic marketing, public affairs and crisis communications counsel to leading Fortune 500 companies.

Peter was a senior correspondent and bureau chief for Newsweek from 1983-1995 in New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong covering key social, political, cultural and financial events.

Peter is active in civic affairs. He is President of Foundation Hirondelle, a foundation that supports social justice reporting in conflict and post-conflict nations. He is also a board member of the Africa-America Institute, America’s oldest NGO supporting educational programs between the United States and African nations. Peter is also a trustee at Eaglebrook School, in Deerfield, MA.

Peter received his bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University in 1981 where he majored in African Studies.