Oliver S. Schmidt has more than 25 years of consulting, training, and executive coaching experience in the areas of strategic communication, crisis management, and organizational leadership. He speaks multiple languages and has lived and worked in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Mr. Schmidt routinely advises business leaders including the CEOs and members of the board of directors of publicly listed and privately held corporations regarding high-stakes business issues. On the consulting side, his focus is on working with domestic and international client partners in the areas of crisis and risk communication, issues and reputation management, and risk and crisis management.
In confidential executive coaching sessions, Mr. Schmidt helps senior managers improve their crisis management, communication, and leadership skills. His holistic coaching approach is geared toward enhancing important leadership capabilities including effective decision making, winning over key stakeholders, public speaking and media interview skills, and becoming a more confident and successful leader.
Mr. Schmidt is frequently invited to make presentations and conduct management training. He has addressed professional audiences in more than 40 countries. While he often speaks at conferences that focus on corporate communication and crisis management, Mr. Schmidt is also invited to present to corporate boards and senior leadership teams in the areas of strategic communication, crisis management, and organizational leadership. Additionally, Mr. Schmidt conducts recurring Continuing Legal Education (CLE) classes on crisis communication and crisis management and teaches online courses on topics such as "Harnessing the Power of Social Media in a Crisis."
During his career, Mr. Schmidt has been active in a number of professional organizations including the Association of Contingency Planners (ACP) and the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). He is currently serving as a member of the Global Affairs Task Force within the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and a member of the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) for Allegheny County in Pennsylvania.
Mr. Schmidt possesses a Master's degree in Business Administration and in Communication Science and has been a guest lecturer at leading universities in several countries. A Japanese Foreign Ministry fellow, Friedrich Naumann scholar, and recipient of a Fulbright Grant, Mr. Schmidt has been interviewed by various industry and mainstream media and contributed to trade and peer-reviewed publications including Bulldog Reporter, The Business Communicator, Communication World, Continuity Insights, Disaster Resource Guide, PR Week, Risk and Resilience HUB, and Smart Business Magazine.
In his free time, Mr. Schmidt enjoys fishing, reading, and soccer. His interest in learning about and exploring foreign cultures has turned him into a fan of travel literature. An avid fly fisherman, Mr. Schmidt can be found wading the streams feeding Lake Erie, preferably going after steelhead.
