About Melisa Agnes
Melissa Agnes is a globally recognized expert, thought leader, and visionary in the field of crisis management and crisis communication. With a career dedicated to helping organizations prepare for and thrive through disruption, Melissa has advised top-tier global institutions including NATO,...
…the Pentagon (DoD), Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, leading financial firms, technology companies, healthcare organizations, municipalities, law enforcement agencies, aviation authorities, and nonprofits worldwide.
In 2020, she founded the Crisis Ready Institute, a public benefit corporation committed to building a crisis-ready, crisis-resilient world. The Institute provides industry-leading training, professional certification programs, and strategic guidance to help organizations protect people, brands, environments, and economies during times of crisis. Its mission is to elevate global standards in crisis preparedness and response.
Melissa is the author of the acclaimed book Crisis Ready: Building an Invincible Brand in an Uncertain World. It is taught in universities around the world—including Harvard University—and has been named one of the top ten business books of 2018 by Forbes, and among the best crisis management books of all time by Book Authority.
As the creator of the Crisis Ready® Model, Melissa’s framework is widely adopted and taught as a best practice for crisis leadership and organizational resilience.
A TEDx alumna speaker and internationally sought-after keynote presenter, Melissa has traveled globally to help organizations develop a crisis-ready mindset, enhance resilience, and build trust with stakeholders.
In 2019, she launched the Crisis Ready® Community, an interactive platform where crisis professionals collaborate, support one another, and develop crisis-ready capabilities.
Melissa currently serves on several high-impact boards, including:
- Board of Trustees at D’Youville University, where she also co-created and co-teaches a course on Crisis Leadership
- Board of Directors at ZeroNow, a nonprofit working to end violence in schools
She is also a proud member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and co-chaired a national committee in 2021 to address the U.S. trust crisis in law enforcement. Between 2019 and 2020, she contributed to the development of ISO 22361, the international standard for strategic crisis management.
Originally from Montreal, Canada, Melissa now resides in New York City, and enjoys traveling, rollerblading, sailing, and fitness when she’s not helping organizations navigate their most challenging moments.