Where's My Umbrella, A Crash Course in Crisis Management

Welcome to Where’s My Umbrella?

Since the publication of Never Say Never, much has changed; and much has stayed the same. We have seen more cataclysmic weather-related events that, though not preventable, taught us the value of preparation. And we have witnessed more startling human events, such as the financial crisis, which could have been prevented had more attention been paid to early warnings. Cyber security now has risen to the top of the concerns, as hackers and phishers threaten our global information highway.

Where’s My Umbrella? incorporates the best of Never Say Never while taking a fresh look at recent events, such as Hurricane Sandy and the financial crisis. Never Say Never has been prelude to the events since publication five years ago. If only a crystal ball existed that could have predicted the superlatives that accompanied recent crises—the biggest Ponzi scheme; the biggest global financial crisis; the biggest oil spill; Hurricane Sandy, the biggest storm to hit the northeastern United States; Japan’s catastrophic earthquake and nuclear problems; and the never-ending war on terror.

Despite tough challenges and tragic loss of life and property, the most resilient businesses, governments and communities pick up and renew, some sooner, some later.

As Where’s My Umbrella? took shape, I reflected on the word “umbrella” and what it means for any business that may face multiple crises. It is a symbol of protection for a business and its reputation. And the umbrella brings together what for many companies are a number of efforts that should be united under one umbrella.


Len Biegel, President of The Biegel Group, is a widely recognized expert in crisis communications, training and management. He played a key role in the Tylenol product-tampering cases and, subsequently, other crises ranging from environment to product safety. He created the most extensive emergency preparedness program in the cruise vacation industry and has authored numerous post-9/11 white papers for The Business Roundtable.  He was formerly Executive Vice President and head of Weber Shandwick’s Global Crisis Management Practice, encompassing senior experts in principal offices worldwide. He personally was involved in assignments connected with Homeland Security and speaks frequently before industry groups on the lessons learned from 9/11. 

A former Emmy award-winning television broadcaster, Len served in senior media and crisis management positions at Rowan & Blewitt and Burson-Marsteller. He also has served as a consultant to the White House Conference on Small Business, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, AT&T, IBM and Israel Broadcasting Authority. He is based in  Washington,  DC. and is a member of he editorial board of McGraw-Hill’s Homeland Security magazine.