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Crisis Masterclass

Australia's premier crisis communications online course and 12-month program

Built for PR and communications professionals, business and not-for-profit leaders and managers, media spokespeople, marketing and HR professionals, and all who need to lead with clarity when a crisis hits.

  • Become the crisis leader who resonates and connects with those you are leading
  • Overcome common (often seemingly impossible) crisis communication challenges
  • Learn the major hindrances, and how to gain more buy-in and support from your team
  • Access 12 months of personal interaction with world-leading crisis communications experts
Enrol nowDownload course outline
In partnership with Crisis Ready Institute (USA)Australian owned and delivered

100% online

Learn anywhere in Australasia

12-month access

Go at your own pace

Expert trainers

Australian and international

Exclusive and unique

First in Australia

Certificate of completion

Endorsed by CRC Public Relations

Overview

Become your organisation's trusted crisis communications leader

Don’t expect the usual. This course doesn’t build plans – it builds YOU.

Crisis Masterclass is a 12-month online course built for Australian organisations that can't afford to get crisis communications wrong. Whether you are a communications professional, business leader or manager, media spokesperson, or are involved with marketing, HR or legal and support your company or clients in managing a crisis, this program gives you the practical skills, formulas and expert guidance to handle any reputation threat with confidence.

The program blends CRC Public Relations' 20+ years of Australian crisis consulting experience with the globally recognised Crisis Ready® methodology from Crisis Ready Institute CEO Melissa Agnes, and is available exclusively through My PR Partner in Australasia. You'll learn not just how to develop the right plan, but how to lead and connect with those who are most important during an issue or crisis, and you'll get ongoing support from our expert panel.

Key learnings in this online course

  • How to take the right action, with the right communication, in the right timeline
  • A messaging framework for public-facing communication that centres truth, empathy, and strategic clarity
  • How to meet stakeholders in the emotional landscape of a crisis and guide them toward clarity and trust
  • Identify high-risk scenarios and take decisive action before escalation becomes unavoidable
  • Overcome the five Crisis Ready® hindrances that stop you and others from being effective
  • Align leadership, legal, HR, and comms functions to speak with one coherent, values-based voice

What you'll get

A high-impact online program, not a passive video library

You don’t just learn, you experience! Every session is rich with exercises and offers workbooks and additional resources to support you.

Exclusive Crisis Ready® 12-month course presented by Melissa Agnes

Each month you’ll receive a comprehensive video session exclusively tailored to the Australasian region. This course is rich with exercises, workbooks, additional resources and “homework”. You don’t just learn, you experience!

Video resources from My PR Partner crisis experts

Powerful and practical ‘reputation and crisis specific’ training resources, presented by crisis expert and My PR Partner co-founder Lyall Mercer, other experts in reputation management, crisis communications, and specialists in areas of vulnerability.

In-depth discussions & Q&A

Discussions with Melissa Agnes and Lyall Mercer and opportunities to submit questions every month.

“Spotlight” email resource

Regular email resources, providing practical training, tips and advice covering reputation management and crisis communications; designed to support you on your journey.

Crisis Ready course for public-facing crisis readiness, with Melissa Agnes

Your 12-month online program breakdown

Go at your own pace. Content unlocks progressively with regular updates. (Topics are current at this time but are subject to change and some modules may be substituted during the 12 months.)

  1. 1

    Month 1

    Redefining crisis readiness

    Mindset before methodology — shift from reactive to proactive and lead from presence, not panic.

  2. 2

    Month 2

    Issue vs. crisis: getting the distinction right

    Distinguish issues from crises, learn the six thresholds of impact and calibrate your response.

  3. 3

    Month 3

    Emotion and escalation

    You can’t beat emotion with logic — meet stakeholders in the emotional landscape of a crisis and guide them toward trust and resolution.

  4. 4

    Month 4

    Owning accountability without fuelling liability

    The art of the public apology — high-integrity communication that honours stakeholders and strengthens trust.

  5. 5

    Month 5

    Layering and long-term trust

    Strategic communication in cascading events — anticipate next steps, maintain transparency and foster lasting trust.

  6. 6

    Month 6

    Governing the message internally and externally

    Align leadership, legal, HR and comms to speak with one coherent, values-based voice.

  7. 7

    Month 7

    Timelines of response & owning your narrative

    Tactical frameworks for proactive, strategically reactive, and layered crisis responses.

  8. 8

    Month 8

    Navigating the modern noise: AI, disinformation, misinformation & deepfakes

    Own truth in an age of manufactured doubt — monitor, verify and respond to AI-generated content and coordinated disinformation.

  9. 9

    Month 9

    Building your crisis response program

    From insight to infrastructure — scenario playbooks, activation criteria, roles, workflows and a template library.

  10. 10

    Month 10

    Moving through resistance: the five Crisis Ready® hindrances

    Recognise and neutralise the five forces that derail capable teams in a crisis.

  11. 11

    Month 11

    Post-crisis: from surviving to strengthening

    Rebuild brand equity and leadership credibility — turn crisis into your next credibility milestone.

  12. 12

    Month 12

    Capstone tabletop simulation

    Practice. Pressure-test. Embody. A facilitated, real-time drill applying every framework from the year.

Who it's for

Built for Australian leaders and communicators who carry the reputation load

PR and communications professionals, business leaders, spokespeople and all in your team who care about protecting your people, your brand and your community.

PR and communications professionals

Take your crisis communication and crisis leadership skills to new heights and hone your skills.

Business leaders and managers

Understand exactly what to do, and not do, when your brand, team or customers are under pressure.

Media spokespeople

Learn not just how to communicate, but to connect with those most important in high-stakes moments.

Marketing, HR and legal teams

Learn your role in handling a crisis, and how to all speak with one coherent, values-based voice.

Your instructors

Learn from Australia's and the world's leading crisis specialists

Every module is developed and delivered by practising consultants who live this work every day, not academics.

Lyall Mercer

Lyall Mercer

Co-founder, My PR Partner | Lead Strategist, CRC Public Relations

Former journalist with a 25+ year PR career spanning six continents. Lyall has consulted to national and international companies, governments, executives and industry leaders in crisis communications and reputation management.
Melissa Agnes

Melissa Agnes

Founder, Crisis Ready Institute (USA)

Globally recognised authority on crisis communication and crisis leadership. Creator of the Crisis Ready® Model and best-selling author. Presenting exclusively through My PR Partner in Australasia.

Plus other expert trainers from Australia covering specialist areas.

Real results

What former students say about the Crisis Ready course

Don’t hesitate to sign up for this course. Whether you have years of experience or are just starting out in crisis communications, you will gain insights to help you prevent, prepare for, and respond to any emergency.

Anita J. Foster

Executive Director Of Communications

Really outstanding and very useful for the day-to-day of a Crisis Management consultant!

Miriam Omedes Archanco

Founder

A very informative and broad selection of topics that narrow down into protecting your brand in a crisis.

Chris Derby

Chief Marketing Officer

The value you'll walk away with

Strategically, over the 12-month period, you will learn how to:

Adopt a mindset

That transforms crises and challenges into opportunities for growth, evolution, and connection

Strengthen relationships

With those who matter most to your brand and business, when it’s most challenging to do so

Develop communication strategies

That resonate emotionally, powerfully connecting you with those you are leading (whether internally and or externally)

Apply different Crisis Ready® formulas

To effectively develop your crisis response strategies over the long-term

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The Crisis Masterclass is designed for PR and communications professionals, media spokespeople, business and not-for-profit leaders and managers, and anyone in your organisation who plays a role in crisis communication and issue management needs. It’s also for PR agency teams.
Yes. Every module is self-paced online, with a training video, workbook and downloadable resource released monthly. This includes the monthly Q&A.
Enrolment runs for 12 months from the day you join. You keep access to all modules, templates, case studies, Q&A recordings and updates (after they are released) until the end of the 12 months. If new Australian case studies or Crisis Ready® content lands during your year, you get it at no extra cost.
Crisis Ready® is the world-leading crisis communication and leadership methodology developed by Melissa Agnes, CEO of the Crisis Ready Institute in the United States. My PR Partner is the exclusive Australasian partner, so your enrolment gives you direct access to her material. The Crisis Masterclass is not available through any other Australian provider.
Yes. We offer group enrolment rates for organisations of any size. Get in touch and our team will put together a plan that fits.
On completion, you receive a My PR Partner Crisis Masterclass certificate of completion, endorsed by CRC Public Relations. It acknowledges that you have completed the full 12-month program, including Crisis Ready® modules. The certificate is not a nationally accredited or formally recognised industry training qualification.
Payment is by annual subscription that can be paid in monthly instalments or annually. Payment is billed through our secure learning platform at checkout. You'll receive a tax invoice by email and immediate access to your course dashboard. Annual subscribers receive one month free and have the option of paying by invoice.
Melissa Agnes and Lyall Mercer, co-founders of My PR Partner
Melissa Agnes and Lyall Mercer, co-founders of My PR Partner

From the Crisis Masterclass leaders

A message from Lyall and Melissa

I’ve always been disappointed with the lack of specialist, world-class crisis communications training available in Australasia. So we created the My PR Partner Crisis Masterclass, and as part of the masterclass we are thrilled to exclusively offer the Crisis Ready® course with an Aussie twist, presented by Melissa Agnes. Melissa is a such a captivating communicator, and this course will not just upskill you, but take you to deeper levels of learning and transform your mindset about crisis leadership – whatever your level of experience.- Lyall Mercer

This course is designed to take your crisis communication and crisis leadership skills to soaring new heights. Over the next 12 months you will learn crisis communication best practices that stem from the Crisis Ready® Team’s deep pool of expertise — and that are not taught anywhere else, giving you a strategic competitive edge. If you have a passion for crisis comms and/or leadership, and if you’re interested in taking your skills to the next level, then you’re in the right place.- Melissa Agnes

Lyall Mercer and Melissa Agnes, Co-founders

Group and corporate enrolments

Train your whole leadership team at a group rate

Get your executive team, board, comms team or HR, marketing and legal on the same page with group enrolment pricing.

Enquire about group enrolment

We'll reply within one business day.

Australia's premier crisis communications online program

Don't wait until you're already in a crisis

Enrol today and start building the skills, plans and confidence to lead your organisation through whatever comes next.

Enrol nowTalk to our team

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