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BBC correspondent Greg Ward is New Zealand’s leading media trainer.
Greg is an expert in media relations and reputation/crisis management. He is available for conference presentations and training workshops, throughout New Zealand and Australia.

Greg has media coached hundreds of executives, managers and entrepreneurs as well as leaders in sport, politics and entertainment. In his speaking roles, Greg offers valuable insights and expert advice. You’ll learn how to respond when reporters come calling, and how to get your message across during a typical news interview.

Greg’s past clients include NZ Trade and Enterprise, Air New Zealand, Vodafone, Sony, Carter Holt Harvey, Ford, Nokia, Weight Waters, Sydney YMCA and Tourism Australia. Greg has also coached party leaders from National and The Greens during recent elections.

Whether you’re promoting a new product or defending a controversial decision, the prospect of a media interview can be unsettling. Saying the wrong thing (or failing to say anything at all) can cause long lasting damage to your reputation. Greg’s advice is to engage rather than avoid the media. Most encounters are routine and non-threatening. But there’s no point ducking for cover during a crisis. As Greg will explain, effective media management during a crisis can actually strengthen your brand, not weaken it.

In his presentations and workshops, Greg offers a comprehensive introduction to the media, with entertaining anecdotes and invaluable advice from the reporter’s perspective. Topics include: how to respond to reporter cold calls; how to prepare for an interview, how to become a valued commentator, body language and wardrobe for television, managing a crisis and media tricks of the trade.

Greg has 3- years experience in the newsrooms of New Zealand, Australia and the UK. He’s held reporting and news reading roles with TVNZ, TV3 and Australia’s Network Ten. For the past 18 years, Greg has been New Zealand’s correspondent for BBC World Service.

Greg’s early radio career began in the 1980’s with live coverage of Springbok Tour protests and anti-nuclear demonstrations. He was a London foreign correspondent for Radio New Zealand and Australia’s 2GB. And he’s been a radio producer for media heavyweights Paul Holmes and Larry Williams.

In 1999 Greg was appointed as a media ambassador to assist visiting White House media covering the APEC visit to President Clinton. In more recent role as a Tourism New Zealand media guide, Greg frequently toured the country assisting documentary makers from ITV, the BBC, CBS and CNN. During 2002, Greg accompanied Prime Minister Helen Clark on a national tour, coordinating her presenting role on the Discovery Channel/Tourism New Zealand Royal Tour documentary. Greg is also a voice and presentation coach for television reporters, newsreaders and presenters.

The rewards of media engagement include valuable free publicity for you and your organization. But media training and improved communication skills have benefits beyond the media. If you can sell your ideas and key messages to a newsroom, you’ll certainly be more convincing in front of a client or during a boardroom presentation.

Greg is a dynamic and informative keynote speaker. He will teach you how to make the media work for you and in times of crisis or adversity will tell you how to pull your company through it with their head held high. Why wait until something happens to get your team ready? Act now and be prepared for anything.