HONG KONG—Ruder Finn has formed a new reputation and risk management practice to be led by Charles Lankester, who is promoted to executive vice president, global reputation and risk management. Lankester will be based in Hong Kong and will be tasked with developing the resources, network and capabilities for the firm’s clients.

The new practice will focus on developing Ruder Finn’s leadership across four core business areas: predictive analytics (using data to identify client issues at the earliest possible stage), intelligence (understanding why corporations fail and succeed in crisis situations), preparedness (advising clients on every aspect of risk management and crisis avoidance) and precision response (delivering a global team that can work alongside clients as they manage through emerging or actual high risk/crisis situations).


Executive vice president Christine Dusek and director of connected communications Robin Grainger will lead Ruder Finn’s US and European capabilities respectively and serve as senior advisors.

According to Ruder Finn CEO Kathy Bloomgarden, "Reputation risk is a primary issue for all our clients and is accelerated by their increasingly international operations and the instant social circulation of news, images and data. Corporations now operate in a real-time response environment and traditional ‘crisis management’ techniques, protocols and practices simply do not work in 2016.”