Our team

Ben Curson

Partner
Ben is a Partner based in Dubai and leads Kekst CNC’s Middle East operation.

He has 25 years’ experience in corporate affairs, financial communications and crisis and reputation management. He has worked across a wide range of sectors, advising senior and board level executives on reputational risk and running multi-stakeholder campaigns for blue chip companies in the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

He has 25 years’ experience in corporate affairs, financial communications and crisis and reputation management. He has worked across a wide range of sectors, advising senior and board level executives on reputational risk and running multi-stakeholder campaigns for blue chip companies in the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

“Without a doubt, the best parts of my job are the variety and the people. It’s a cliché, but no two days are the same, and I am lucky to be able to work with smart, creative colleagues and fascinating clients from different countries around the world.”


As a former broadcast journalist who started his communications career in-house, Ben has subsequently spent his career in consultancy. He was a Partner at Penrose Financial, then Group Managing Director at H+K Strategies in London, before becoming Managing Partner at Instinctif Partner, responsible for the Corporate and Financial Services teams, advising clients on both corporate affairs and capital markets.

Ben has a BA (Hons) in English Language and Literature from the University of Newcastle – upon – Tyne, and a Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from John Moores University in Liverpool.

He is a regular conference speaker and contributor on crisis and reputation management issues, particularly around cyber security.

Ben is a member of MEPRA’s Strategy Board and is featured in the PR Week Middle East Power Book 2021.

 


Experience

Corporate Reputation and Positioning

  • Worked with corporates and government institutions to manage their reputation amongst multiple stakeholder groups, ranging from investors to employees and media to regulators.
  • Developed and implemented strategies to meet business objectives across sectors including energy, utilities, financial services, information technology, professional services, industrials and real estate.

Crisis Management and Preparedness

  • Conducted risk audits and developed detailed plans for senior management to prepare businesses of all sizes for reputational crises, and trained key staff to be able to manage these issues.
  • Worked alongside organisations to manage crises in real time and assisted with project management on a 24/7 basis.

Cybersecurity

  • Leveraged knowledge and experience to identify and assess vulnerabilities, prepared for high-impact events, communicated through uncertainty and worked closely with senior management, legal and forensic experts to minimize reputational damage for organisations under attack. This includes organisations in retail, professional services, education, financial services and transportation.

Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Advised companies involved in some of the largest transactions in the Middle East and worked with investors who acquired majority stakes in significant infrastructure projects.

 


Insights

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Blog

Bear Market Deal Communications: The GCC Perspective

Structured and strategic communications by business and leadership play a critical role in mergers and acquisitions, especially during an economic downturn.

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Blog

The State of Ransomware in 2022

January 28 marks Data Privacy Day, an international event created to raise awareness of data protection best practices. Following a particularly challenging 2021, when ransomware attacks hit record levels, it is an opportune time to reflect on the evolving cybersecurity landscape and lessons learned from a communications and reputation perspective.

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Blog

How To Avoid A Cyber Breach Nightmare Before Christmas

In the last month we’ve seen airlines, online retailers and local government suffer breaches in one form or another. So while there’s clearly a pressing need for companies to improve internal resilience and security, coping with the aftermath of a breach is almost as crucial. As many technical experts will tell you – for most it is a matter of when there is a breach rather than when.

Contact Information

Dubai

Office 404-405, Building 2

Dubai Media City

P O Box 502697

Dubai

UAE

Riyadh

Roshn Front Business Area

Building S4

Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 13413