Suzanne Bernier, CEM, CBCP, MBCI

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Biography

Suzanne is a certified, award-winning and internationally-recognized author, crisis management consultant, instructor and speaker, who has helped governments, communities and companies plan for and respond to disasters for... nearly twenty years.

She was recently awarded the global 2015 Innovation & Excellence Award – Excellence in Emergency Management (Canada), and named ‘Best Crisis Management Consultant – Ontario’ as part of Corporate Vision’s global 2015 Consultancy Awards. She is also the recipient of the 2014 International Business Excellence Award – Crisis Communications Consultant of the Year (Canada), as well as the 2014 Alumni Achievement Award from her alma mater, Cambrian College.

Throughout her career, Suzanne has been professionally and/or personally involved in responding to crises such as the 1998 “Ice Storm of the Century” in Eastern Canada, the 2003 Northeast Blackout, SARS, Hurricane Katrina, the H1N1 pandemic, Hurricane Sandy, as well as numerous floods, fires, severe storms and reputational crises.

Prior to her career in business continuity and emergency management, Suzanne was a news reporter and anchor, as well as government press secretary/communications advisor and speechwriter.

In 1997, Suzanne became Ontario’s FIRST female uniformed Emergency Management Field Officer for Emergency Management Ontario (EMO), where she helped coordinate the Ontario government’s response to floods, forest fires and severe storms. In recognition of her response work during the 1998 “Ice Storm of the Century” in Canada, she received the Amethyst Award for Outstanding Achievement on behalf of the Government of Ontario.

Suzanne is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) through the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), as well as a Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) through Disaster Recovery Institute International (DRII) and a certified Member of the Business Continuity Institute (MBCI).

Suzanne’s critically-acclaimed 2015 book, Disaster Heroes – Invisible Champions of Help, Hope, and Healing, tells the stories of ordinary men, women and children who have done extraordinary things to help respond, recover and rebuild following some of the world’s most significant modern disasters.

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Industry Expertise (10)

Writing and Editing

Utilities

Safety

Public Safety

Media - Broadcast

Social Media

Professional Training and Coaching

Public Relations and Communications

Management Consulting

Defense

Areas of Expertise (17)

Emergency Management

Crisis & Emergency Management

Crisis and Issues Management

Disaster Planning and Recovery

Crisis Communications

Disaster Communication

Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery

Crisis Communications Planning

Spokesperson training

heroism

Volunteer Leadership and Development

Pandemic Infections

Critical Incident Stress Management

Critical Business Survival Strategies

Crisis Management in Business and Life

Crisis Management

Crisis Management Communications

Links (5)

• August 2015 interview on Canada AM with Suzanne Bernier author of Disaster Heroes
• July 2015 interview on Politics with a Punch New Orleans LA
• November 2015 interview (in French) with Radio-Canada Saskatchewan
• Radio Interview with CBC Radio's The Current June 2015
• Interview on the Crisis Show with Rich Kein March 2014

Languages (2)

• French
• English

Style

Educational

Entertaining

Strategic

Tactical

Lecture Style

Interactive

Formal

Relaxed

Availability

• Keynote
• Moderator
• Panelist
• Workshop Leader
• Host/MC
• Author Appearance

Fees

2500 to 4500

Articles (4)

Planning for Cyber Attacks

Emergency Management Canada magazine

2015-03-31

See page 9

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Shifting the Focus – Infectious Disease Planning vs. Pandemic Planning

Business Continuity Institute, UK

2014-11-03

See page 5 for full page article

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Planning for Protests – Lessons Learned from the 2010 G20 Summit

International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Bulletin

2011-10-03

See page 9 for full article

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Disaster Heroes: 9/11 terror attacks and the Spirit of Louisiana

Ontario Association of Emergency Managers (OAEM) website

2011-10-16

Monthly blog on 'Disaster Heroes', based on the book of the same name, published in 2015 by Suzanne Bernier

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