Last week, members of our Senior Leadership Team took part in an intensive Crisis Leadership Training programme, delivered by Alistair Sutherland QPM & John Campbell LLB, MBA , QPM.
The value of this training lay not just in the content, but in the experience of those leading it. Alistair Sutherland, CIS Client Relationship Director, former Assistant Commissioner of the City of London Police, Deputy Chief Constable of British Transport Police and Commander of the Metropolitan Police, brings unparalleled operational & strategic leadership experience from across all three London forces. His career spans frontline policing, firearms command, counterterrorism, major incident response and the delivery of policing at the highest national and international levels.
Alongside Alistair, the course was co-delivered by John Campbell, former Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police. With more than 35 years of policing experience, including leadership of counterterrorism and CBRN responses, service on the UK Counter Terrorism Committee, and experience as a hostage and crisis negotiator, John brought deep insight into decision-making under pressure and leading organisations through the most challenging of circumstances.
The course took senior leaders through the full crisis lifecycle, combining theory with realistic, scenario-based exercises. The interactive phases challenged participants to think critically, collaborate effectively, and lead with clarity when information is incomplete and pressure is high.
Alistair stated, “In today’s world, with an increasingly complex range of global and local risks, preparing leaders to respond effectively in a crisis has never been more important. Organisations that invest in exercising and testing their strategic crisis leadership capability before a real incident occurs build the strongest foundation for success, enabling confident decision-making, business continuity under pressure and the protection of trust and reputation. Campbell Sutherland Crisis Leadership delivers highly realistic, immersive exercises for senior leaders, combined with the insight and guidance needed to navigate the most challenging crisis scenarios”
CEO, Neill Catton stated; “This was an outstanding piece of training. Learning directly from leaders who have commanded real crises brings an authenticity and credibility that simply cannot be replicated. The insight, challenge and practical application provided by Alistair and John will have a lasting impact on how we lead, make decisions and support our customers in complex and high-pressure situations.”
Crisis Leadership training is just one element of CIS’ integrated service delivery model, which combines intelligence-led operations, advanced technology, and highly trained people to protect customers in complex and evolving environments.
CIS is proud to invest in leadership development that strengthens our organisation and enhances the resilience we deliver to our customers every day.