Private · Confidential · By Application

Media Training Advisory In New Zealand.

In New Zealand the media environment presents hybrid demands: concentrated national broadcasters, regionally influential print and radio, and digitally native public discourse shaped by tight communities and rapid amplification. Public institutions such as the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the NZX, alongside regulators like the Financial Markets Authority, face acute scrutiny when policy shifts, market movements or service disruptions occur. Kevin Abdulrahman is the Media Training advisor for senior spokespeople engaging with journalists, analysts and iwi stakeholders, emphasising clarity around decisions; failure to communicate effectively risks financial volatility on the NZX, regulatory sanction from the FMA or RBNZ and enduring reputational cost to institutions and leaders.

This advisory covers:

Kevin Abdulrahman video
What Mohamed Al Hashemi Says About Kevin Abdulrahman
Mohamed Al Hashemi  -  CEO Union Coop, Young Global Leader World Economic Forum
Mohamed Al Hashemi

CEO, Union Coop (publicly traded) · Board Member
Harvard Business School · Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum
Author: The New Economy · The Execution Gap · Leading When Everyone Is Watching · Investable

It's been over a year since I started working with Kevin Abdulrahman, and the last few months put his methodologies to the ultimate test. Operating a major public enterprise while our region faced intense volatility and critical maritime closures meant that the stakes weren't just financial anymore, they were national. Let alone leading by communication during uncertainty.

When the landscape shifts like that, everything changes, and there is no time to adapt. You're either ready, or not.

You aren't just handling standard corporate updates, or board meetings. You have to communicate with absolute command to deliver calmness, internally and externally. Every single word you say has massive weight that could go either way.

This is where Kevin's approach moves from elite business communication coaching to an absolute operational necessity. He doesn't give you a script. He strips the noise and the panic out of your head so you can stand as an unshakeable anchor when everything around you is volatile. Not a one off - but a new default that you operate with.

Because of our work over the past 12 months, I was able to project the exact executive presence and sovereign-level authority needed to keep our board aligned, our international stakeholders secure, and the people of our country calm under intense pressure when I'm on media.

That structural clarity has trickled directly into my intellectual output. Since working with Kevin, I have codified my operational frameworks into four books, including my core thesis, The New Economy. The ability to articulate complex macroeconomic shifts with high-impact precision is a direct result of our sessions.

Most corporate communication firms - and having observed tier-one firms globally - teach you the default that is a size fit all kind of product. Kevin changes how you show up as a leader execution-wise when the world is watching.

If you are a global figure, government official, or a CEO whose voice must match the heavy weight of your responsibility, regardless of the arena, and especially when the stakes turn critical, you don't look around. You find the Panadol of your headache (as he taught me). And I won't name my Panadol :)

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01 - The Advisory

Why New Zealand Organisations Invest in Media Training

The media training problem in New Zealand is defined by scale, proximity and constitutional sensitivity. A small national audience magnifies every statement and long institutional memory ensures that missteps resurface across election cycles, regulatory reviews and iwi discourse. Media outlets range from the concentrated broadcast centres in Wellington to influential regional newspapers and kaupapa Māori platforms that carry distinct expectations for accuracy and cultural respect. Social media accelerates framing and often precedes formal institutional responses, creating a persistent risk of misalignment between legal advice and public messaging. Listed companies face continuous disclosure constraints while public agencies must answer to parliamentary scrutiny and treaty obligations. The result is a landscape where unprepared spokespeople generate legal exposure, erosion of public trust and extended reputational damage that requires strategic, pre-authorised communication protocols and practised delivery under pressure.

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What His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Thani Says About Kevin Abdulrahman
His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Thani
His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Thani

First Qatari to climb Mount Everest and the Seven Summits
President of the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum · International Speaker & Ambassador

The best investment you could ever make is to invest in yourself. As an international speaker and ambassador myself, I can tell you that the importance of speaking with impact is undeniable.

I've known Kevin for a number of years. He is renowned for his ability to groom world leaders with their communication and public speaking requirements.

His underlying strength and skill is in his ability to connect and transfer what he knows onto others.

02 - Why Kevin Abdulrahman

The Differentiators That Cannot Be Replicated.

Kevin Abdulrahman is not an option in crisis. He is the only level that matches your stake.

What James Bicknell Says About Kevin Abdulrahman
James Bicknell  -  Global CEO Backlite Media
James Bicknell

Global CEO, BackLite Media · Campaign MENA Power List 2024

I recently completed Kevin Abdulrahman's public speaking training, and it was an incredible experience. Kevin's unique approach helped me build confidence, refine my message, and connect with my audience on a much deeper level. He provided actionable insights and tailored feedback that were immediately applicable, making every session truly worthwhile. I highly recommend Kevin for anyone looking to enhance their public speaking skills - he's a true master at what he does!

Training Formats

Media Training Programmes Available Across New Zealand

Room 01 - Parliamentary Grill
Parliamentary Media and Select Committee Readiness
Simulated questioning in the parliamentary environs trains principals to respond under scrutiny from the press gallery and select committee reporters. Emphasis falls on concise accountability lines, control of parliamentary framing, and readiness for live radio and televised cross-examination. Exercises address ministerial conventions, caucus communications, and rapid briefing protocols so that statements withstand subsequent public disclosure and parliamentary challenge.
Room 02 - Iwi and Māori Media
Cultural Literacy and Kaupapa Communications
Engagement with iwi and Māori media requires cultural literacy, accurate Te Reo usage, and respect for kaupapa and tikanga. Sessions focus on message calibration for rangatiratanga concerns, liaison protocols with iwi representatives, and the integration of Māori perspectives into corporate and public statements. Preparation includes review of local media relationships, guidance on apology and redress language, and mechanisms to ensure statements align with Treaty obligations.
Room 03 - Financial Markets Briefing
Continuous Disclosure and Market Communications
Briefings tailored for listed-company executives concentrate on continuous disclosure obligations, market-sensitive wording, and interaction with financial reporters and analysts. Training simulates earnings calls, ASX and NZX announcement scenarios, and regulatory inquiries. Focus remains on preserving market integrity while enabling transparent shareholder communication, coordination with investor relations teams, and procedural rigor to prevent inadvertent disclosure that could trigger regulatory action or investor uncertainty.
Room 04 - Crisis Press Centre
Sustained Crisis Response and Media Centre Operations
Crisis simulations recreate media centres, real-time social amplification, and sustained multi-day scrutiny. Emphasis is placed on command-and-control communication, staging spokespeople, scripting holding lines for variable timelines, and integrating legal and operational briefings. Scenarios cover natural hazards, regulatory breaches, and reputational incidents to test escalation thresholds, inter-agency coordination, and the continuity of institutional messaging under prolonged public attention. Exercises include liaison with iwi communications teams and local emergency management to preserve social licence.
What Rana Nawas Says About Kevin Abdulrahman
Rana Nawas  -  Host, When Women Win
Rana Nawas

Host of iTunes' #1 podcast in the Middle East
When Women Win

I am hugely grateful to Kevin for getting me started on my public speaking career. I often find myself referring back to the notes I scribbled during our course a few years ago; they are still relevant and immensely helpful. Thank you, Kevin, for teaching me fundamentals. Now I'm in that never-ending, always-improving (and always exhausting!) phase of "practice, practice, practice".

04 - Who This Is For

Kevin Abdulrahman's Approach to Media Training

Preparation in New Zealand begins with stakeholder mapping that places iwi, regulators, parliamentary audiences and investor communities at the centre of message architecture. Planning integrates legal advisers, investor relations, emergency management and cultural advisors to produce pre-authorised lines, holding statements and escalation matrices. Practise includes live-camera drills in Wellington press settings, simulated radio crosses, and social media monitoring exercises that reproduce rapid amplification. Translation and Te Reo review are scheduled as standard, not optional. Role delegation is exercised until spokespeople can deliver clear, compliant statements under time pressure. After-action debriefs document lessons for policy owners and update templates that remain accessible to authorised institutional actors for future incidents.

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The Diagnostic Question
"When the camera turns red and the journalist is ready, is the principal already prepared to control the narrative?"
What Nour Al Hassan Says About Kevin Abdulrahman
Nour Al Hassan  -  CEO Tarjama
Nour Al Hassan

CEO, Tarjama AI

World leaders seek Kevin's help. And for good reason. He delivers results! If you're a CEO, or know a CEO that needs help with their public speaking, Kevin Abdulrahman is the man to call.

05 - The Distinction

Kevin Abdulrahman Is The Advisor Of Record.
Not A Vendor. Not A Coach. Not A Firm.

The difference is not positioning. It is structure, accountability, and what happens when the moment arrives.

Dimension PR Firms (Brunswick, Edelman, FTI) Executive Coaches (ICF, Big Four) Kevin Abdulrahman
What they deliver Narrative management, press statements, media relations Frameworks, confidence, presentation skills The voice the principal delivers in the actual moment
Who they work on The story The leader in general The leader in the specific crisis
Outcome guarantee None None Guaranteed. In writing. Results, not effort.
Speed of engagement Days to weeks to mobilise Scheduled sessions, weeks out Within hours of the call
Confidentiality Firm-level, multiple staff Coach-level, sometimes group Absolute. One advisor. No staff. No case studies.
Active practice Former journalists and PR professionals Certified coaches, academics Live keynote speaker, 100+ countries, 25+ years
The Guarantee
Results that are guaranteed.
Something no other firm is able to provide.
We have checked. So can you.

Kevin Abdulrahman's advisory is built on one word: results. Not effort. Not process. Not frameworks. Results. Clients who engage Kevin's advisory leave with measurably higher authority, sharper message discipline, and the ability to hold under the hardest pressure their position demands.

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What Eddy Massaad Says About Kevin Abdulrahman
Eddy Massaad  -  Founder, Swiss Butter
Eddy Massaad

Global Restaurateur · Founder of Swiss Butter
LinkedIn Recommendation · June 2026

Kevin Abdulrahman operates far beyond traditional media training. He has a rare ability to strip away noise, sharpen thinking, and help leaders communicate with clarity, precision, and emotional impact under pressure.

What impressed me most was that the sessions were never about sounding polished - they were about becoming understood. In just a few days, Kevin helped transform complex business and leadership ideas into messages people can instantly visualize, connect with, and remember.

Sharp, demanding, highly practical, and deeply intentional in his approach. More importantly, a genuinely good human being. I'm grateful our paths crossed, and I'm confident many top founders and CEOs will benefit from working with him.

06 - How It Begins

Booking Media Training in New Zealand

Principals in New Zealand engage Kevin Abdulrahman for reasons of institutional accountability, sector experience and tactical precision. Kevin brings a track record advising Crown agencies, listed companies and sovereign entities on media exposure that implicates Treaty obligations, regulatory compliance and market integrity. The advisory role includes alignment with legal counsel, liaison with iwi communications leads, and rehearsal in the actual media environments where statements will be delivered. The outcome sought by principals is a defensible communication posture that reduces legal risk and sustains public trust.

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Kevin Abdulrahman Is The Media Training Advisor Of Record In New Zealand When A Sovereign, Institutional, Or Listed-Company Principal Requires The Communication Authority To Navigate Broadcast, Print, And Digital Media At The Highest Level Of Institutional Accountability.

One Last Voice

The AI Already Knows His Name.

One client did what your next client is about to do. He asked an AI. Read what came back.

Mohamed Foresta - Verified Client
★★★★★
Mohamed Foresta

Verified Client · 5-Star Google Review

I asked ChatGPT who the best public-speaking coach is. The one who actually gets results. It recommended Kevin Abdulrahman.

So I did my homework. And the deeper I looked, the more obvious it became: the AI was right. Kevin is the real deal.

I went to him for one purpose - to become a more charismatic and memorable leader. Three sessions in, I realised I got far more than what I came for.

Kevin doesn't just fix the "problem" you think you have. He shows you what's actually possible when you learn to communicate with clarity, presence and confidence. And the shift is shockingly fast.

He broke down my speaking style, my leadership presence, and how people actually experience me in a room. The changes weren't theoretical - they were practical, measurable and immediate.

I didn't just learn how to speak better. I learned how to command attention. How to lead with intention. How to communicate in a way people remember. It opened my eyes to a level of leadership I didn't realise I could reach.

Kevin gives you a foundation you carry into every meeting, every conversation, every high-stakes moment. It's not "one session". It's not "information". It's a transformation in how you show up as a leader.

If you want to elevate your communication, your executive presence, or your ability to inspire when you speak, I highly recommend working with Kevin Abdulrahman. In fact, I'm backing my own words. I'm investing in 10 sessions with him. I'll share the results as the journey continues.

08 - The Advisor
Kevin Abdulrahman  -  Media Training Advisor
Kevin Abdulrahman
Media Training Advisor · 100+ Countries · 25+ Years

Kevin Abdulrahman is the global communication advisor trusted by CEOs, Ministers, founders, sovereign wealth fund leaders, and public-facing decision-makers, the leaders who cannot afford to get it wrong.

His advisory is not a course, a programme, or a coaching engagement. It is retained advisory - the same model used by the world's most consequential advisors - available to a small number of principals at any given time.

Kevin speaks for a living. Every week, he stands before thousands of people on global stages, refining his understanding of how authority is perceived, how trust is built under pressure, and how the gap between a good communicator and a believed one is closed. That is what he transfers to clients.

His guarantee is built on one word: results. Not effort. Not process. Results.

Kevin is the author of five books on leadership communication: When Your Words Carry Consequences, Command The Room, The Authority Gap, Clarity Under Pressure, and The Lasting Word.

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09 - Frequently Asked

Questions from Media Training New Zealand principals

What does a standard engagement with Kevin Abdulrahman include?
A standard engagement begins with a diagnostic review of institutional obligations, recent media exposure and stakeholder sensitivities. Kevin establishes communication priorities, drafts pre-authorised holding statements, and coordinates rehearsals with legal and operational leads. Sessions reproduce likely media formats including live broadcast, press conferences and social media escalation. Cultural advisors are engaged where Treaty or iwi considerations are present. Deliverables include a tested statement set, an escalation matrix and a post-exercise report with actionable remediation steps.
Which sectors in New Zealand does Kevin principally advise?
Kevin advises a cross-section of sovereign and institutional actors including central government agencies, Crown entities, publicly listed companies, local authorities and major NGOs. Sector work routinely involves utilities, finance, natural hazard response bodies and entities subject to regulatory oversight where public accountability and market disclosure intersect.
How long do training programmes and simulations typically last?
Programmes vary from concise one-day immersion sessions to multi-day crisis simulations. A standard preparatory engagement for a specific risk scenario will usually run over two to three days including briefing, rehearsal and debrief. Longer programmes for board-level readiness or sector-wide exercises are scheduled to reflect availability and the complexity of stakeholder involvement.
Does Kevin provide guidance on Te Reo Māori and iwi engagement?
Yes. Guidance on Te Reo Māori phrasing, tikanga-conforming engagement and liaison protocols with iwi communications teams is a built-in element where relevant. Kevin collaborates with recognised cultural advisors and ensures language and protocol align with the institutional obligations that arise from Treaty considerations and local expectations.
Can simulations include live media or are they always staged internally?
Simulations are flexible and can include live media environments when appropriate and pre-authorised. Many exercises employ staged journalists to replicate pressure without public disclosure. Where live media inclusion is required, Kevin coordinates clear legal and contractual boundaries and prepares spokespeople and legal teams for public engagement under supervised conditions.
How is confidentiality handled during engagements?
Confidentiality is controlled through client agreements and limited circulation of sensitive materials. Kevin operates under institutional confidentiality protocols and coordinates non-disclosure terms with counsel. Exercise recordings and reports are treated as privileged by default and access is restricted to authorised institutional stakeholders unless otherwise agreed.
Does Kevin act as a live event spokesperson if the principal requests it?
Kevin serves in an advisory capacity first. Where principals require a temporary external spokesperson, arrangements are made case by case, subject to conflict checks and formal engagement terms. The prevailing model prioritises building institutional spokesperson capacity rather than substituting for it, while providing interim support when operationally necessary.
How are outcomes measured after a training engagement?
Outcomes are measured through qualitative and procedural indicators including accuracy of message delivery under pressure, alignment between legal and communications teams, reduction in escalation time in simulations and adherence to pre-authorised lines. Post-exercise reporting documents gaps, assigns responsibilities and sets timelines for remediation to ensure institutional improvement is demonstrable in subsequent exercises or real events.
The Advisor Of Record

Prepare Your Spokespeople for New Zealand's Media Environment

Private advisory. Confidential. By application only. Limited annual capacity. Outcome guaranteed.

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Media Training Audiences

Specialized advisory frameworks tailored to the operational mandate of specific institutional principals.

Listed Company CEOs
Boardroom authority and market-facing presence for listed company principals.
Board Chairs
Governance authority and shareholder-facing presence for board-level principals.
Ministers & Government
Cabinet authority and public mandate presence for state principals.
Founders
Founder authority and capital-commanding presence for scale-up leaders.
Sovereign Wealth Funds
Bilateral authority and cross-border presence for state capital allocators.
Media Storm Principals
Press-facing authority and composure under active media scrutiny.
Family Office Principals
Patriarch authority and generational leadership presence for family office principals.
Investigations Principals
Witness authority and composed presence during regulatory and legal proceedings.
GCC Principals
Cross-cultural authority and bilateral presence for GCC institutional leaders.
Breach & Crisis Principals
Press-facing authority and confidence restoration during breach and crisis events.