Reacting to crises is a losing proposition; it cuts away at your reputation
But too many leaders are caught unprepared for crises. And the cost to companies and people is far too high.
For 25 years, I’ve fought the fires of public crises.
For 25 years, I’ve fought the fires of public crises.
From political campaigns to global Fortune 500 firms…
I’ve seen teams that operate at the highest levels of success continuously lurch from critical moment to critical moment.
Again and again, I’ve come in as a firefighter.
Some leaders had built teams that were crisis ready. Others had not, with dire implications.
Those who handled crises reactively lived with the fallouts: people who trusted them lost their jobs; campaigns and businesses failed; leaders’ professional reputations were scarred.
When I founded Kith in 2013, it was with a single-minded purpose:
Drawing on everything we’ve tested over decades in the trenches of public crises…
Leveraging the most sophisticated strategies for risk acuity and readiness…
And transferring to clients our very best reputation defense capabilities…
Kith empowers organizations to permanently step out of crisis reactivity.
When you do, you won’t need us for the urgent, expert crisis response Kith is known for.
You’ll know how to prevent crises and come through public disruptions with your reputation intact.
And you’ll have Reputation ResilienceTM because you’ve invested in growing your credibility with stakeholders.
That’s when we’ll know we’ve succeeded.
Until then, we’re here for you.
Bill Coletti
CEO, KITH
Kith is a boutique crisis communication and reputation defense firm
Operating out of Austin, Texas, we bring specialized expertise to leadership teams of US and global companies.
Kith’s sole focus: to defend corporate reputations in times of crisis — and grow Reputation ResilienceTM in times between.
Our firm is a nimble team of battle-tested crisis experts, with experience protecting the reputations of some of the world’s best-known companies.
Kith Leadership Team
Bill Coletti
Founder/CEO
People find us on their worst day. They’re in the flashpoint of a crisis they wish they could have avoided or been better prepared for. And they’re desperate for urgent help. At Kith, we can be nimble enough to come alongside within hours and start putting out the fire. But our purpose is to leave our clients stronger than they were before.
Kith founder, Bill Coletti is a crisis communications and reputation defense expert, keynote speaker, Wall Street Journal Risk & Compliance panelist, and best-selling author of Critical Moments: The New Mindset of Reputation Management.
He has more than 25 years of global experience managing high-stakes crises, issues management, and media relations challenges for clients including Amex, AT&T, College Board, Essilor, American Airlines, Valencia College, Cargill, and political campaigns.
Before founding Kith in 2013, Bill co-led the Global Risk Management and Crisis Communications Practice for Hill+Knowlton Strategies.
He created Kith to provide customized crisis solutions with the degree of personal dedication only a boutique agency can deliver.
As seen and heard in
Stephanie craig
President
Bill and I share a belief that no one is immune from crisis. It takes proper preparation and expert guidance so you not only weather a storm but actually come out the other side better. He has built a model that makes it possible for any size business to become crisis ready.
At Kith, I get the opportunity to help people on their worst days by helping them put out the fires and calmly pointing the way forward. ‘This is how we’re going to get through.’
I’ve always said I only look smart because people keep asking me questions I know the answers to.
And what I know is how to move out of crisis reactivity; how to solve structural and cultural challenges so leaders can address risks, be better prepared to respond to crises and protect their organizations’ reputations..
It’s so rewarding when our IP or thinking becomes part of our clients’ DNA. They’ve taken it to heart, and now they’re better prepared for the next situation.
Stephanie Craig has built her reputation as a crisis expert by guiding some of the world’s most prominent people and organizations through their most trying moments.
Before Kith, Stephanie founded the Apeiron Strategy Group where she counted former First Lady Rosalynn Carter and the mayor of the nation’s 10th largest city as clients. When not handling crisis, Stephanie used her company to support causes she cares about by helping to establish the groundbreaking group — I Am ALS and chairing the Force to End Harassment in Advocacy.
She is likely the only person to have ever worked in the House and Senate in the United States and Canada.
Jeff Blaylock
Vice President-Client Services
Joining Kith in 2018 meant reuniting with one of the most experienced, recognized and trusted authorities in our field.
Bill isn’t just trusted for his thought leadership and IP on crisis and reputation. He’s trusted because he truly cares about clients and that’s part of Kith’s culture.
At Kith, I get the opportunity to help people on their worst days by helping them put out the fires and calmly pointing the way forward. ‘This is how we’re going to get through.’
I’ve always said I only look smart because people keep asking me questions I know the answers to.
And what I know is how to move out of crisis reactivity; how to solve structural and cultural challenges so leaders can address risks, be better prepared to respond to crises and protect their organizations’ reputations..
It’s so rewarding when our IP or thinking becomes part of our clients’ DNA. They’ve taken it to heart, and now they’re better prepared for the next situation.
With nearly 30 years of strategic communications and public affairs experience, Jeff has advised clients from small businesses to Fortune 10 corporations to successfully navigate challenging media environments, political campaigns and reputation-impacting crises.
For seven years, Jeff served as Managing Director at the respected public affairs firm Public Strategies (now Hill+Knowlton Strategies), where he advised clients on legislative strategies, public affairs campaigns, strategic and crisis communication and reputation management.
Chris Gidez
Of Counsel
Communications is about engaging with stakeholders to influence attitudes and actions. I stress the use of measurable means for defining the effectiveness of that engagement.
Chris Gidez is a senior reputation and crisis counselor with more than 30 years of consulting and executive experience in corporate communications.
He has held senior communications leadership roles at Texaco, Chevron and Caterpillar and as a consultant has worked across numerous industry sectors and with companies in many countries.
As Executive Vice President at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, he led the firm’s global risk management and crisis response practice, as well as its global energy practice.
At Kith, Chris provides strategic direction for clients, most notably in the areas of risk management and crisis response.
Explore Kith Consulting and Crisis Readiness Training
Through Kith’s team Crisis Simulations and online Kith Academy, we train communicators to make smart decisions while the public is watching.
