Case Study: Fractional CCO - Seamless Leadership Continuity for Growing PR Agency
The Challenge
A boutique Sydney PR agency with an impressive client portfolio faced a common small business dilemma. The agency's founder and Senior Director had built strong personal relationships with high-value clients who expected her presence at key meetings and strategic discussions. After more than a decade of dedicated service without a proper break, she desperately needed time away—but feared the business impact of her absence.
The agency employed several talented junior staff members, but none had the strategic experience or client relationship skills to temporarily step into a leadership role. Clients expected senior representation, and the team needed guidance to maintain service quality.
The Solution
The agency engaged Fiona as a Fractional CCO to provide seamless interim leadership during the founder's two-month sabbatical. Fiona was fully integrated into the agency's systems with a company email address, maintaining brand consistency in all client communications. She remotely managed day-to-day operations and provided comprehensive team oversight while delivering senior-level representation at all client meetings and strategic discussions. Throughout the engagement, she offered mentorship and leadership for the junior team members to support their professional development, whilst ensuring strategic continuity for ongoing client campaigns to maintain their momentum and quality.
The Results
For the Agency Founder: The founder enjoyed her first proper holiday in over ten years without constant work interruptions. She had complete peace of mind knowing both clients and staff were receiving appropriate support, and returned refreshed to find the business in excellent condition.
For the Client Relationships: There was zero disruption to service quality or strategic direction. Clients continued to receive the senior-level counsel they expected and valued, with no awareness that interim leadership was in place—the transition was completely seamless.
For the Team: Junior staff received valuable mentorship from an experienced communications leader and had the opportunity to develop new skills under expert guidance. The team maintained productivity and morale during the founder's absence.
Long-Term Benefits: The arrangement established a viable succession planning model for future leadership transitions. Several operational improvements were identified that continued after the founder's return, and documentation of key processes was created that strengthened the agency's knowledge management.Having established how well it worked the first time, the founder of the agency has engaged Fiona again to manage the work flow during a second period of extended leave.
A boutique Sydney PR agency with an impressive client portfolio faced a common small business dilemma. The agency's founder and Senior Director had built strong personal relationships with high-value clients who expected her presence at key meetings and strategic discussions. After more than a decade of dedicated service without a proper break, she desperately needed time away—but feared the business impact of her absence.
The agency employed several talented junior staff members, but none had the strategic experience or client relationship skills to temporarily step into a leadership role. Clients expected senior representation, and the team needed guidance to maintain service quality.
The Solution
The agency engaged Fiona as a Fractional CCO to provide seamless interim leadership during the founder's two-month sabbatical. Fiona was fully integrated into the agency's systems with a company email address, maintaining brand consistency in all client communications. She remotely managed day-to-day operations and provided comprehensive team oversight while delivering senior-level representation at all client meetings and strategic discussions. Throughout the engagement, she offered mentorship and leadership for the junior team members to support their professional development, whilst ensuring strategic continuity for ongoing client campaigns to maintain their momentum and quality.
The Results
For the Agency Founder: The founder enjoyed her first proper holiday in over ten years without constant work interruptions. She had complete peace of mind knowing both clients and staff were receiving appropriate support, and returned refreshed to find the business in excellent condition.
For the Client Relationships: There was zero disruption to service quality or strategic direction. Clients continued to receive the senior-level counsel they expected and valued, with no awareness that interim leadership was in place—the transition was completely seamless.
For the Team: Junior staff received valuable mentorship from an experienced communications leader and had the opportunity to develop new skills under expert guidance. The team maintained productivity and morale during the founder's absence.
Long-Term Benefits: The arrangement established a viable succession planning model for future leadership transitions. Several operational improvements were identified that continued after the founder's return, and documentation of key processes was created that strengthened the agency's knowledge management.Having established how well it worked the first time, the founder of the agency has engaged Fiona again to manage the work flow during a second period of extended leave.
Crisis Management Case Study: Keeping Our Client Out of the Spotlight
Background
Our client, a well-respected organisation in their industry, found themselves in a precarious position when their name appeared in connection with an individual involved in a high-profile court case. They only became aware of this when a leading investigative reporter from a leading TV news programme reached out to request comments.
The Challenge
The client had no actual wrongdoing or direct involvement in the court case, but any association with the controversy could potentially damage their reputation. Any mention on the programme could lead to unwanted public attention, even if the coverage itself was neutral.
Strategic Approach
Our crisis management team immediately assessed the nature of the connection and potential media angles. We determined that maintaining distance from the story was the best strategy, then worked with the client to craft precise, measured messaging. We also provided emergency crisis media training to prepare for potential unplanned encounters.
Implementation
The team developed clear, concise statements that acknowledged the inquiry without providing unnecessary details that might get the client further caught up in the narrative. We also undertook rapid crisis media training sessions focused on bridging techniques to redirect unwanted questions, non-verbal communication strategies, appropriate response frameworks for potential "door-stopping" scenarios, and message discipline to avoid creating quotable material.
Outcome
Our approach was successful and the programme aired without any mention of our client. By carefully managing communication and preparing for contingencies, we effectively kept the client out of the media spotlight during a sensitive period. The client considered this absence from the programme to be the ideal outcome, as it prevented any reputational damage that might have resulted from even neutral coverage in connection with the controversial case. Sometimes the most effective crisis management strategy is ensuring no crisis materialises in the public eye. Proactive preparation combined with strategic restraint in communication is often more valuable than having to undertake reactive damage control after unwanted media exposure.
Our client, a well-respected organisation in their industry, found themselves in a precarious position when their name appeared in connection with an individual involved in a high-profile court case. They only became aware of this when a leading investigative reporter from a leading TV news programme reached out to request comments.
The Challenge
The client had no actual wrongdoing or direct involvement in the court case, but any association with the controversy could potentially damage their reputation. Any mention on the programme could lead to unwanted public attention, even if the coverage itself was neutral.
Strategic Approach
Our crisis management team immediately assessed the nature of the connection and potential media angles. We determined that maintaining distance from the story was the best strategy, then worked with the client to craft precise, measured messaging. We also provided emergency crisis media training to prepare for potential unplanned encounters.
Implementation
The team developed clear, concise statements that acknowledged the inquiry without providing unnecessary details that might get the client further caught up in the narrative. We also undertook rapid crisis media training sessions focused on bridging techniques to redirect unwanted questions, non-verbal communication strategies, appropriate response frameworks for potential "door-stopping" scenarios, and message discipline to avoid creating quotable material.
Outcome
Our approach was successful and the programme aired without any mention of our client. By carefully managing communication and preparing for contingencies, we effectively kept the client out of the media spotlight during a sensitive period. The client considered this absence from the programme to be the ideal outcome, as it prevented any reputational damage that might have resulted from even neutral coverage in connection with the controversial case. Sometimes the most effective crisis management strategy is ensuring no crisis materialises in the public eye. Proactive preparation combined with strategic restraint in communication is often more valuable than having to undertake reactive damage control after unwanted media exposure.
Case Study: Amplifying Community Voices in the Hawkesbury Flood Mitigation Debate
Background
For years, residents of the Hawkesbury region in NSW had faced recurring devastating floods, with their concerns repeatedly dismissed by local authorities. The pro-development council and State Government pushed a single solution: raising the Warragamba Dam wall, which conveniently would also enable further development on the flood plain.
Officials persistently ignored the critical "bathtub effect" - the fact that flooding in the region didn't solely result from dam overflow after heavy rainfall, but also from numerous river tributaries flowing into the basin. This crucial factor meant the proposed dam wall raising was not sufficient as a comprehensive flood mitigation strategy. In fact, reducing the water level in the dam, and emptying it sooner, would prove just as effective.
The Challenge
Hawkesbury Community Alliance, a grassroots organisation representing local residents, struggled to have their legitimate concerns heard against powerful development interests. They sought to elevate the conversation beyond dismissed complaints to evidence-based alternatives that demanded serious consideration. They proposed a community Forum but needed to ensure it got traction from the community and the media.
Strategic Approach
Hamann Communication partnered with the Alliance to develop a multi-faceted approach. We worked with them on the organisation of the community forum featuring a leading academic from the University of NSW who could authoritatively explain alternative flood mitigation approaches. We also arranged private tours of flood-affected areas for major TV networks, giving journalists firsthand experience of the region's vulnerability.
We invited media to attend the forum via a general Media Alert, with two networks attending to film for the 6pm National news. For those media who couldn't attend, we created comprehensive media materials including a media release, images from the event and a copy of the presentation that framed the issue as one of public safety and responsible governance.
The team also invited State and Federal politicians to take a tour of the region, which the opposition leader of the time, Labor's Chris Minns and NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann also attended. The Premier, Domenic Perrottet, declined the invitation.
Implementation
The centerpiece community forum successfully brought together more than 300 concerned residents, academic experts, federal, state and local government representatives and the media. By arranging interview opportunities between journalists and technical experts and affected residents, the narrative shifted from a simple "development versus environment" story to one about community safety and responsible flood management. The private media tours proved particularly effective, as they allowed journalists to visualise the "bathtub effect" and understand how tributaries contributed to flooding regardless of dam capacity.
Results
The campaign generated fantastic media coverage including extensive reporting across all major television networks during prime-time news, hundreds of print and online articles examining the limitations of the dam wall proposal (and of course some negative coverage from pro-development sympathetic media, which only increased the discussion in the public forum.) The project increased public understanding of comprehensive flood mitigation alternatives.
While multiple advocacy groups (and a change in government) contributed to the eventual policy shift away from raising the dam wall, the concentrated media attention played a crucial role in changing the conversation. Following the election, the new State government shelved plans to raise the wall in favour of exploring more comprehensive flood mitigation strategies that addressed the complex hydrology of the region.
Outcome
By combining credible academic expertise with compelling community stories and strategic media engagement, Hamann Communication helped transform a dismissed local concern into policy discussion. The campaign demonstrated that well-orchestrated community voices can successfully challenge entrenched positions when supported by evidence and effective communication strategies.
For years, residents of the Hawkesbury region in NSW had faced recurring devastating floods, with their concerns repeatedly dismissed by local authorities. The pro-development council and State Government pushed a single solution: raising the Warragamba Dam wall, which conveniently would also enable further development on the flood plain.
Officials persistently ignored the critical "bathtub effect" - the fact that flooding in the region didn't solely result from dam overflow after heavy rainfall, but also from numerous river tributaries flowing into the basin. This crucial factor meant the proposed dam wall raising was not sufficient as a comprehensive flood mitigation strategy. In fact, reducing the water level in the dam, and emptying it sooner, would prove just as effective.
The Challenge
Hawkesbury Community Alliance, a grassroots organisation representing local residents, struggled to have their legitimate concerns heard against powerful development interests. They sought to elevate the conversation beyond dismissed complaints to evidence-based alternatives that demanded serious consideration. They proposed a community Forum but needed to ensure it got traction from the community and the media.
Strategic Approach
Hamann Communication partnered with the Alliance to develop a multi-faceted approach. We worked with them on the organisation of the community forum featuring a leading academic from the University of NSW who could authoritatively explain alternative flood mitigation approaches. We also arranged private tours of flood-affected areas for major TV networks, giving journalists firsthand experience of the region's vulnerability.
We invited media to attend the forum via a general Media Alert, with two networks attending to film for the 6pm National news. For those media who couldn't attend, we created comprehensive media materials including a media release, images from the event and a copy of the presentation that framed the issue as one of public safety and responsible governance.
The team also invited State and Federal politicians to take a tour of the region, which the opposition leader of the time, Labor's Chris Minns and NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann also attended. The Premier, Domenic Perrottet, declined the invitation.
Implementation
The centerpiece community forum successfully brought together more than 300 concerned residents, academic experts, federal, state and local government representatives and the media. By arranging interview opportunities between journalists and technical experts and affected residents, the narrative shifted from a simple "development versus environment" story to one about community safety and responsible flood management. The private media tours proved particularly effective, as they allowed journalists to visualise the "bathtub effect" and understand how tributaries contributed to flooding regardless of dam capacity.
Results
The campaign generated fantastic media coverage including extensive reporting across all major television networks during prime-time news, hundreds of print and online articles examining the limitations of the dam wall proposal (and of course some negative coverage from pro-development sympathetic media, which only increased the discussion in the public forum.) The project increased public understanding of comprehensive flood mitigation alternatives.
While multiple advocacy groups (and a change in government) contributed to the eventual policy shift away from raising the dam wall, the concentrated media attention played a crucial role in changing the conversation. Following the election, the new State government shelved plans to raise the wall in favour of exploring more comprehensive flood mitigation strategies that addressed the complex hydrology of the region.
Outcome
By combining credible academic expertise with compelling community stories and strategic media engagement, Hamann Communication helped transform a dismissed local concern into policy discussion. The campaign demonstrated that well-orchestrated community voices can successfully challenge entrenched positions when supported by evidence and effective communication strategies.