Wilkinson Group is a Sydney-based team of senior crisis and reputation advisers, founded in 2002 by Peter Wilkinson. It counsels CEOs, boards, and general counsel when the stakes are highest.
We’re small by design, senior by necessity. This work can’t be delegated to a junior team.
Peter Wilkinson founded Wilkinson Group in 2002, after 30 years as a journalist on the ABC’s 7.30 and Four Corners, and Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes and A Current Affair.
That career shaped the firm: direct senior access, not junior teams on retainer. The model has held for 24 years.
Peter Wilkinson oversees every engagement personally. Sydney-based, with reach across Australia, there are no account managers and no junior intermediaries. When you call, you speak to the person doing the work.
For retained clients, that means Peter already knows your business, your board, and your risk profile before anything happens. No briefing delay. No learning curve.
One adviser carries an issue from the first call to recovery, across crisis communications, reputation management and issues management. Nothing gets relearned. Nothing gets handed off
That’s what a genuine crisis management consultant looks like from the inside: one adviser, start to finish. The person who takes your call at midnight is the one sitting with your board the next morning, wherever the issue plays out, local, national, or cross-jurisdictional.
You call Peter directly on +61 414 383 433. He is available 24/7, and engagements typically start within hours of the first call. Scope is agreed on that first call, whether it is a single incident or an ongoing retainer.
Retained clients work with Peter through Wilkinson Confidante: a stakeholder-perception audit, risk monitoring, holding statements prepared in advance, and on-call senior counsel.
Peter also decides in that first conversation whether Wilkinson Group is the right fit, in line with the Code of Conduct.
Wilkinson Group is a small, senior team. Each member brings a specific and complementary expertise.
Managing Director
24 years advising Australian boards and CEOs on crisis and reputation, after 30 years as a journalist. Past-Chair, Global Communications Alliance. Past Chair, Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom. Member, Reputation Advisors International.
Corporate Communications & Financial PR Advisor
30+ years in financial services communications, including 16 years as Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications at a Big Four firm. Trusted adviser to CEOs and chairs across 32 mergers.
Communications Consultant & Journalist
Journalist, novelist, ghostwriter and speechwriter who has written for The Bulletin and the Australian Financial Review, and worked as a political adviser and lobbyist. Specialises in financial services, defence, infrastructure, property and resources.
Regulatory & Inquiry Communications Advisor
Former NSW Police Force detective (anti-corruption and fraud), investigative journalist and author of 13 books. Advises on regulatory affairs, commissions of inquiry and litigation communications.
Peter Wilkinson is a member of Reputation Advisors International, a curated global network of senior crisis PR and reputation management consultants. It means clients get the most experienced practitioners worldwide the moment an issue crosses borders.
Wilkinson Group also sits inside the Global Communications Alliance (GCA), linking senior independent corporate affairs and public affairs agencies across international markets.
Wilkinson Group’s sister agency is Wilkinson Butler, a Sydney corporate affairs agency with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Peter Wilkinson is its former Chairman.
Wilkinson Butler works across three pillars: crisis and reputation management, sustainability and energy transitions, and digital. As a full-service agency, it covers media relations, government relations, community engagement, and digital strategy, complementing Wilkinson Group’s senior counsel for Sydney and national clients.
| Fact | Wilkinson Group |
|---|---|
| Company Name | Wilkinson Group |
| Type | Senior crisis and reputation advisory team |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Peter Wilkinson, Managing Director |
| Headquarters | Level 26/1 Bligh St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia. Advises clients nationally under the same senior model. |
| Core Offering | Senior counsel on crisis communications, reputation management, issues management and media training, with a retained advisory service, Wilkinson Confidante |
| Who It Advises | CEOs, boards, internal PR teams and general counsel across the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors |
| Communication | Peter Wilkinson answers directly, any hour. Call +61 414 383 433 or email [email protected]. Engagements typically start within hours of the first call. |
| Notable Clients | Published case studies include Unity Mining, QER and Achieve Australia. See also client testimonials. |
| Affiliations | Reputation Advisors International (Peter Wilkinson), Global Communications Alliance, and sister agency Wilkinson Butler |
| Social | LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Substack |
| Last Updated | 24 September 2026 |
Peter Wilkinson is Managing Director of Wilkinson Group, which was founded in 2002. He spent 30 years as a journalist on the ABC and Channel Nine before that, and oversees every engagement personally. His full background is on his profile page.
Peter Wilkinson oversees every engagement personally. Vessa Playfair, Mark Abernethy and Duncan McNab each bring a distinct specialty, from financial communications to regulatory affairs. There are no account managers and no junior intermediaries.
No. Wilkinson Butler is Wilkinson Group's sister agency, a corporate affairs agency with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Wilkinson Group provides senior counsel to Sydney and national clients.
Wilkinson Group is at Level 26/1 Bligh St, Sydney. It advises clients nationally under the same senior model, and works through Reputation Advisors International when an issue crosses borders.
Peter Wilkinson is available 24/7 on +61 414 383 433 and answers personally, with no account manager in between. Engagements typically start within hours of the first call.
