Boeing: Too Big to Fail?
Reputational damage rarely stems from a single incident, but from patterns of failure that expose deeper cultural issues. In 2024 a door blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight and,…
Podcast
WJH Shorts: The BrewDog Controversy
After going into administration on 2nd March, the fallout for BrewDog’s investors, employees and reputation has been rapid and calamitous. The collapse led to the company being acquired by US…
WJH Shorts: The Anthropic Trump Feud
On 27th February, President Donald Trump ordered the US Government to stop using technology from AI company Anthropic, developer of the Claude LLM. “We don’t need it, we don’t want…
My CEO Did WHAT?!
The Coldplay kiss cam incident in July 2025 was a great example of what can happen when a CEO is inadvertently caught in the line of fire for behaviour that…
The M&S Cyber Attack
In April 2025, Marks & Spencer suffered a significant ransomware cyber attack that severely disrupted its operations for several months and cost the company an estimated £300 million in lost profit. Among…
Del Monte Deaths
Del Monte is a globally recognised brand that has been in existence for nearly 140 years. But in 2023, The Guardian and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism uncovered allegations that…
Disney “Don’t Say Gay”
In March 2022, Florida’s Senate passed a bill to ban discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity in primary schools. The so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill stirred up major controversy…
Everything is NOT Awesome: Greenpeace v LEGO
Until 2014 Shell had enjoyed a 50-year-long brand partnership with LEGO. But it came to an abrupt and high profile end after Greenpeace’s “Everything is Not Awesome” campaign, which targeted…
Spanish Football on Trial: Sexual Assault at the World Cup
During the medal presentation at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Luis Rubiales, then-president of the Spanish Football Federation, forcibly kissed Spanish player Jenni Hermoso on the lips. The act,…
Miracle on the Hudson River
In January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 suffered a dual engine failure shortly after take-off from LaGuardia Airport due to a bird strike. Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and First Officer…
Culture of Fear: Lessons from the Harrods Abuse Scandal
This episode of “What Just Happened?” explores the widespread abuse committed by former Harrods owner Mohammed Al Fayed and its lasting impact on the Harrods brand. Decades of sexual assault…
The Arup Deepfake Scam
This episode of “What Just Happened?” explores the growing threat of deepfake technology in corporate settings. In 2024, a major incident involving engineering company Arup saw a finance employee tricked…