Communications training expert Jeff Ansell is the author of When the Headline is You: An Insider's Guide to Handling the Media (Jossey-Bass) www.whentheheadlineisyou.com.
Drawing on his nearly 40 years as both a journalist and media adviser, Jeff has created a unique process for newsmakers and public speakers to be compelling communicators. His counseling enables clients to better manage crises, deal comfortably with media, and speak in a trustworthy way. Thousands worldwide have been coached in Jeff’s process.
Prior to his consulting career, Jeff was an investigative reporter, nightly news anchor, Queen’s Park correspondent and talk show host. In one year-long investigation, Jeff posed undercover as a drug addict to expose doctors pushing drugs. He also dedicated twelve months to tracking down Nazi war criminals resulting in the arrest and extradition of a man who ordered the deaths of eleven thousand innocent people. Jeff received the Radio and Television News Directors Association Award for the Most Significant Contribution to the Improvement of News Gathering in the country and was nominated for Canada’s Governor-General’s Award for public service in journalism.
Wanting to build on what he learned as a journalist, Jeff moved into public relations and served as senior vice president of Hill and Knowlton, one of the world’s largest PR firms. After creating a media training department for Hill and Knowlton, Jeff started his own consulting practice – Jeff Ansell & Associates (www.jeffansell.com), which serves a cross section of Fortune 500 clients in sectors such as financial services, packaged goods, oil and gas, airline, sports and retail.
With expertise in helping newsmakers manage tough, high profile, no win situations, Jeff advised Pacific Gas & Electric in the Erin Brockovich case and trained White House spokespeople on how best to respond to media questions.
Jeff is an instructor for the MIT-Harvard Public Disputes Program “Dealing with an Angry Public,” sponsored by Harvard Law School. Annually, he lectures on media skills to Harvard Business School MBA students in the “Negotiating Complex Deals and Disputes” course.
Jeff Ansell is based in Toronto, Canada.