John Bailey

Chief Operating Officer, GoCrisis

John Bailey has spent more than 30 years helping companies around the world to prepare for, and respond to, reputation challenges and crises. He joined GoCrisis as Chief Operating Officer in March 2023, having served for a number of years as a Senior Associate and member of the Advisory Board.

John offers an unrivalled breadth of international experience, having worked with more than 100 clients in over 50 countries. He is the author of the Best Practice Guidelines on Crisis Communication and Reputation Management in the Digital Age, published by the International Air Transport Association. This is the definitive guide for the global aviation industry on adapting crisis response plans to meet the challenge of an “always on” media environment.

John has worked extensively across the aviation industry, including with more than 70 airlines, airframe and engine manufacturers and airports. He created the successful IATA Crisis Communications consultancy service (1998-2004), which helped to define “best practice” in this specialized field. He has also worked with several large hotel groups and with companies in multiple other industry sectors, including UEFA, governing body of European football.

Before moving back to Europe in 2019, John built the largest independently-owned PR agency in Singapore, which was acquired by Omnicom Inc and became the regional headquarters for Ketchum Public Relations.

John has been involved in the response to numerous crisis situations, including several airline accidents, the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and more recently, advising companies affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In March 2014, he led a team advising Malaysia Airlines after the loss of flight MH370, a crisis unprecedented in aviation history.

John is a regular speaker at conferences around the world and has been a guest lecturer at the Singapore Management University, National University of Singapore, the Singapore Institute of Management and the prestigious Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), the world’s leading hotel school. He is also a frequent guest presenter at the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Training Center in Ashburn, Virginia.