Peter Wilkinson is one of Australia’s most experienced crisis communications consultants, reputation management advisers, and issues management specialists. Based in Sydney, Peter has spent 24 years guiding CEOs, internal PR, boards, and general counsel through Australia’s most complex crises. He leads Wilkinson Group, not a crisis PR agency in the traditional sense, and advises on CEO reputation management, drawing on 30+ years as a journalist before that.
Peter is MD, Wilkinson Group; past-Chair, Wilkinson Butler; past-Chair, Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom; past-Chair, Global Communications Alliance; GAICD, Member, Reputation Advisors International.
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
Peter has led crisis communications (crisis PR) responses to cyber-security attacks, sexual abuse and harassment allegations, damaging industry or activist campaigns, media and social media attacks, product recalls, court cases and judicial inquiries, pollution spills, and extortion and blackmail.
Learn more about crisis communications here – https://www.wilkinson-group.com.au/crisis-communications/
Reputation Management
Peter is direct and outcomes focused. His long-term retainer clients include NFPs and for-profits, including internal and external comms.
As an expert in communication strategy, Peter also advises boards and executives on governance and restructures.
Peter specialises in CEO reputation management across Australia and issues management advisory for boards and executive teams. He works directly with chief executives on personal brand positioning, executive reputation strategy, and managing reputational risk at the leadership level, before a situation becomes a crisis.
Learn more about reputation management here – https://www.wilkinson-group.com.au/reputation-management/
Background
Peter started out in journalism in the early 70’s on the ABC’s 7:30 (earlier versions) and Four Corners. He then transitioned to Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes and ACA.
In 2002 Peter co-founded Wilkinson Group with Claire Wilkinson, having foreseen the disruption by the Internet on television. Peter and Claire, later, sold much of the business to employees who set up Wilkinson Butler. Peter joined as Chair in 2013.
AFFILIATIONS & RECOGNITION
Wilkinson Butler. Past Chair. Crisis and reputation management, sustainability and energy transitions, and digital, across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. wilkinsonbutler.com
Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom. Past Chair for eight years. Advocates for a free press and journalists’ safety across Australia and the Asia Pacific. journalistsfreedom.com
Global Communications Alliance. Past Chair. A global network of independent corporate and public affairs agencies. globalcommsalliance.com
Reputation Advisors International. Member. A crisis-specific network that keeps practice aligned with international best-practice. reputationadvisors.net
Recent Commentary
Mumbrella – Victoria’s new premier Ben Carroll needs straight answers (August 2026): Peter applies his Trust = Truth + Transparency + Traceability formula to Victoria’s new premier, and sets out the three messages, incident, organisation, and personal, every leader under pressure needs to control. See the three messages every leader under pressure needs
Mumbrella – The opposition leader people can’t quote: What you can learn from Angus Taylor (July 2026): “Leaders who can’t articulate what they stand for, in language their stakeholders can repeat, get replaced by people who can. It doesn’t matter how smart they are.” Read why vague leaders get replaced
Mumbrella – ‘Silence is expensive’: How leaders should talk about AI (July 2026): Peter’s take on how leaders should communicate with staff about AI’s impact on jobs, without false certainty or corporate fog. Read Peter’s playbook for talking to staff about AI
Mumbrella – Trust breaks down in a predictable order: Big challenge for Big Four (July 2026): Peter’s read on the KPMG scandal, why cover-ups always outlast the original failure, and the exact sequence, truth, then transparency, then traceability, that decides whether a crisis stays contained or becomes a parliamentary inquiry. See how the sequence decides the outcome
Frequently Asked Questions
A crisis communications consultant guides organisations through media crises, reputational threats, and complex stakeholder challenges. Peter Wilkinson provides senior crisis counsel to CEOs and boards across Australia, helping them control the narrative and protect their reputation.
Unlike a large agency, Wilkinson Group provides direct senior access. Peter personally leads every engagement, with no account managers and no junior staff. Clients work directly with 24 years of crisis and reputation management experience.
Yes. While based in Sydney, Peter provides crisis communications consultant services, CEO reputation management, issues management advisory, and reputation management counsel to organisations across Australia and internationally.
Issues management proactively identifies and manages emerging risks before they escalate into a full crisis. Peter Wilkinson provides issues management advisory across Australia, working with boards and CEOs to monitor, assess, and neutralise reputational threats early. Crisis communications is reactive; issues management is preventative. Peter provides both.
Peter’s skill is ensuring boards and executives can handle a crisis with confidence.
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