Peter Firestein

Peter Firestein grew up in the Midwest and graduated from Stanford University with a degree in English and Creative Writing--an educational background he believes gave him an unparalleled grounding for a career helping companies understand how the public sees and hears them. He believes one great weakness many corporations face lies in the way they tell their stories. Limitations in a company's narrative often reflect weakness in the business, itself. Firestein began to address such questions by building a global consulting practice in financial communications, which evolved into his current platform in corporate reputation. For two decades he has advised senior managements about the ways their investors and other stakeholders think--and how to respond. His work in corporate reputation focuses not on how to advertise it, but how to earn it. He has published widely on this and associated subjects, and he has spoken before groups in the U.S. and half a dozen other countries. In "CRISIS OF CHARACTER--Building Corporate Reputation in the Age of Skepticism," Firestein gives a comprehensive and detailed perspective on why a corporation's survival depends not only on making a profit, but on aligning its actions with society's expectations of its conduct. On reading an advance copy of "CRISIS OF CHARACTER," one of Firestein's clients said: "Now I understand why you gave me the advice you did." The 7 Strategies Firestein sets forth in his book can help any company prepare for the unknown risks to come.