Life or death judgement
Our Negotiation Cell is a crack team made up of phenomenal individuals, uniquely qualified to improve your communication skills on all levels. These are men and women who have worked for the Crown in some of the world’s most hostile, high-stake environments. Equally important, they’ve successfully transferred those skills to serve their own business interests on leaving Her Majesty’s service. (We’ve made one exception; we have an outstanding trainer who remains on active duty. As you’ll appreciate, we are not at liberty to reveal their identity on this forum.)
Meet our Negotiation Cell
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Sean Cunningham Awarded Order of the British Empire (OBE) for International Hostage Negotiation
Credentials
Sean advised the UK Government on all hostage-related issues from 2007 to 2011. This was the culmination of a police career that saw him serve on the Flying Squad and subsequently as Head of Technical and Conventional Surveillance. Sean was a crisis and kidnap negotiator for 10 years and was awarded an OBE for international hostage negotiation. He has an MSc in Critical and Major Incident Psychology specialising in the accountability of advisers.
Work abroad
Sean has worked globally as a trainer, mentor and investigator. He has engaged directly with government departments in Germany, Switzerland, Iraq, Mali, Kenya, the USA and Canada in respect of life at risk situations.
Noteworthy investigations
As a police officer Sean investigated serious sexual offences, kidnapping, contract killing and murder. In the private sector he’s led investigations into corruption, money laundering, threats of assault and suspicious death.
Current business interests
Sean works as a crisis management consultant for a London-based risk management business.
Training style
Practical, experience-based and good humoured.
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David Douglas Investigation Head - Princess Diana death conspiracy theories
Credentials
David was a crisis negotiation adviser to the Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBR) meetings in Whitehall. He also advised Counter Terrorism Departments (CTD) across London and headed up the Hostage and Crisis Negotiation Unit at New Scotland Yard. He’s an alumnus of the FBI National Academy Course in Quantico and received the QPM (Queens Police Medal) for distinguished service.
Work abroad
The Foreign Office deployed David on its most challenging kidnap and extortion cases worldwide, from Azerbaijan to Sierra Leone, and from Bangladesh and Iraq to the Yemen.
Noteworthy investigations
David headed up the investigation into conspiracy theories surrounding the death in Paris of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Current business interests
David is a director of TeamFusion, a London-based global security company.
Training style
Informed. Interactive. Intuitive.
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Philip Williams Counter Terrorist Command - London 7/7 suicide attacks onwards
Credentials
As former Director of the UK’s Hostage and Crisis Negotiation programme and specialist advisor to successive UK governments and global organisations, Philip gained unparalleled skills in the high-pressure world of crisis leadership, critical decision-making and life-at-risk negotiation. That experience was strengthened and informed by his exposure to the demands of a broad range of national and international commercial businesses, government and independent bodies, specialist professions and individual professionals.
Work abroad
Philip is one of the longest-serving Hostage and Crisis Negotiators and his experience includes deployments in some of the tensest, most hostile, high-stake environments across six continents.
Noteworthy investigations
Member of the senior leadership team for the Counter Terrorist Command that dealt with the first terrorist suicide attacks within the UK from 7/7 onwards.
Current business interests
Philip is a Practioner, Trainer and Coach for the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), London.
Training style
Creative. Transformational. Practical. The litmus test? If it’s 3am, pouring with rain and I’m on a roof trying to save a life; can I remember the technique and apply it successfully in the moment? In short, Philip’s training sticks.
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Stephanie Wiseman Sterile Corridor Commander, governing over 40 hostage negotiators
Credentials
Stephanie's trailblazing career in the West Yorkshire Police saw her working as:
- a Detective Inspector leading a team of 30 detectives investigating serious sexual and physical assaults, fraud and suspicious deaths
- the Lead for the Adult Safeguarding Team, investigating human trafficking
- a hostage negotiator for 13 years dealing with crisis intervention, kidnap and extortion; culminating in the role of Sterile Corridor commander, training negotiators at a regional, national and international level.
On leaving the police Stephanie worked with Richard as a consultant trainer at Mullenders working with clients from LinkedIn to Novartis.
Work abroad
Stephanie has delivered negotiator training to the Singapore Police and trained organisations from the European Defence Agency in Kosovo, to the United Nations in Kenya.
Noteworthy investigations
Responsible for a team of 40 hostage negotiators Stephanie ran the Sterile Corridor between them and Senior Command, giving her privileged access to classified intelligence. She had sole authority for filtering the level and relevance of intelligence passed to each negotiator cell.
Current business interests
Stephanie provides consultancy for the NSPCC, delivering safeguarding messages to school students.
Training style
Practical, facilitative and friendly.
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Active Service Agent Embargoed – skeleton information only, police interdiction in operation
This agent is currently on active service as a UK government hostage negotiator. They’ve been granted dispensation at the highest level to deliver training on our behalf. The police have, however, stipulated that we do not promote this agent’s services in a public forum. We are sure you can appreciate the factors necessitating this decision.
Hostage Negotiation Cell Guarantee
Any course you book, or training you co-design with us carries our Hostage Negotiation Cell Guarantee. Put simply, it means your trainer will have a wealth of first-hand negotiation experience in national and international kidnap and extortion cases.