Crisis Communications in Times of Pandemic

How a business communicates in this era of the COVID-19 pandemic is key to its future success and sometimes its very survival.

As consumer behaviour changes, supply chains become disrupted and employees and employers navigate uncharted territory and potentially uncertain futures, the importance of a well-crafted crisis management plan is becoming ever clearer to Canadian enterprises.

Join us on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. ET for an interactive webinar with guest speakers Mark Boutet and Larry Markowitz of NATIONAL Public Relations, Canada's leading public relations firm.

We will discuss the basic principles of crisis communication, and focus on maintaining your brand during these challenging times.

Mark Boutet, Financial Communications and Investor Relations Corporate Communications

Mark Boutet joined NATIONAL Public Relations as Vice-President Financial Communications and Investor Relations in May 2017. He has over 25 years of experience in financial and corporate communications with a track record of effective strategic counsel to CEOs, senior executive teams and Boards of Directors.

He previously served in senior communications roles with two of Canada largest pension investment managers: PSP Investments and La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. During his first term with NATIONAL, he led all communications activities for the Crawford Committee and the ABCP restructuring, the largest financial restructuring in Canada. During his career, he has been involved in mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, IPOs and has helped raise capital for both public and private companies.

Larry Markowitz, Senior Advisor, Financial Communications and Investor Relations

An experienced business and securities lawyer, and an active investor in entrepreneurial ventures, Larry brings leadership and analytical skills, along with strategic planning abilities, to his role as trusted advisor to his clients and colleagues. 

Larry spent 15 years as a business lawyer practicing securities law, competition law and foreign investment law. More recently, he has helped launch several businesses, including an award-winning social enterprise that finances clean energy projects. 

Involved in the community, Larry serves on the Board of YES Montreal, which provides English-language support services to help Quebecers find employment and start businesses, and as a mentor to start-ups at La Fondation Montréal inc. He is also a member of the Securities Law Committee of the Business Law Division of the Canadian Bar Association (Quebec Branch).

He is a past president of a prominent Montreal-based lawyers’ association that organizes gala dinners featuring prominent guest speakers on matters of professional, topical and cultural interest, while addressing issues relating to the protection of human rights.

Larry holds bachelor’s degrees in Civil Law, Common Law and Commerce from McGill University.