SPECIALISED MEDIA TRAINING BY BBC INSIDERS

For CEOs, leaders, market movers and senior executives.

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Media Training
Crisis Comms
Remote Sessions
Our Process
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Media TrainingFor Leaders

Take

Control

Our flagship media training programme prepares leaders to navigate any media interaction with confidence. From live TV interviews to press conferences, we equip you with the skills to own your narrative.

We understand that leaders are expected to champion their brands and engage regularly with the media. Their words move markets and impact policy.

That’s why HWM’s bespoke media training helps you stay on message, confidently take control of the narrative, and get your messages across.

Our executive and government media training programmes empower CEOs, government ministers, board members and founders. We equip them to articulate insights, handle challenging questions, and use media engagements to their advantage.

We understand

the role of leaders as spokespeople, and the pressures that come with it.

We anticipate

the tough questions you might face, before they're asked.

We know

how to turn media moments into strategic wins for you and your organisation.

OurProcess

Prepare

& Perform

HWM brings a rigorous practical approach to every leader we train — whether you’re preparing for a single interview or building an ongoing leadership presence. We believe leaders learn by practicing, not PowerPoint.

Our approach runs end-to-end: shaping your message, controlling how and when you engage, mastering delivery under lights, and stress-testing everything under pressure. We get you ready to excel in challenging circumstances across the full spectrum of engagements.

Find Your Message

Let's define your story first. Together, we refine and structure your messages to create memorable soundbites. We give you insights into what ideas and data points are relevant to journalists and other audiences.

Control The Engagement

We help you understand the context and ideal outcome for your public engagements. We put you in control before the journalist asks the first question, or a board member challenges you. We simulate multiple public engagements; from interviews and panel discussions to keynotes and internal town halls.

Deliver Confidently

We've found your messages and honed your talking points. Now, we're going to workshop delivering with clarity, confidence and gravitas. We teach you what works on camera, on stage and in the board-room. We examine body language, hand gestures, eye contact, voice control, diction, emphasis and more.

Get Crisis Ready

We stress-test your key messages against hostile questioning, so you're not caught off guard when pressure hits. From here, our dedicated Crisis Communications programme takes you further with full scenario planning, spokesperson designation, and live simulations.

Staying on Message

Learn how to stay on message even under challenging questioning. Master blocking, bridging and pivoting techniques to make sure you don’t get distracted from your key purpose.

Diction and Voice

Speaking clearly and pitching your voice the right way helps you project authority. Practice breathing, pausing, intonation and emphasis to gain control and stay comfortable.

Body Language

Refine your posture, gestures, eye contact and camera habits. Your body language needs to support your message. Get into a state of "relaxed poise" to amplify your delivery on-camera, on the stage or in the board room.

Overcoming Nerves

Find yourself nervous when in front of a camera, a journalist or a large audience? Don’t worry; we can transform even the most self-conscious individual into a confident communicator.

CrisisCommunications

Enact

Crisis Scenarios

Get a plan in place before a crisis hits. Our intensive crisis communication workshops model real-world scenarios to ensure your team can respond with clarity and composure.

Then we put your crisis messaging and spokespeople to the test with live simulations, interviews, press conference and challenging questions while a scenario is ongoing.

Plan

Brainstorm crisis scenarios at different severity levels. Understand impact on operations and design response measures.

Prepare

Nominate senior spokespeople and decision-makers, clarify their role and draft statements in preparation.

Practise

Time to go live! Practise with press conferences and challenging questions in a live simulated scenario.

RemoteSessions

Train

Anywhere

Leaders don’t stop moving. Boards travel. Regional teams span time zones. Summers happen. And the media landscape itself has gone virtual, with television interviews increasingly happening over video link.

HWM works with leaders where and when they are. Our targeted remote media and presentation skills sessions are built around your calendar and time zone.

Our remote media training delivers the full HWM programme wherever you are. Same trainers. Same message-first process. Same mock-interview pressure.

Our virtual media training sessions are ideal for CEOs preparing for a press cycle, and leadership teams who need to be aligned on messaging before the next big event.

We deliver

the full programme in focused virtual sessions with the same trainers and same rigour.

We work around

your calendar and time zone. Whether you're at Davos, in transit between offices, or between board meetings.

We prepare you

for how media actually happens now, with remote video interviews, podcasts and virtual town halls.

Plan a Session

Meet YourTrainers

Hisham Wyne and Eve Hester

Eve Hester

BBC-trained Eve Hester is one of the most experienced and respected director/journalists working in the Gulf region. She has directed and scripted a host of noteworthy projects all over the world, for broadcasters of international repute such as National Geographic, the BBC, CNN, NBC, CBC, Bloomberg, and RTE.

As a media trainer, Eve’s unique advantage is that she’s not just a trainer, she’s a “doer”. The skills she teaches in her training sessions are the same ones she uses on a daily basis in her work as a director, journalist and interviewer.

Eve has an in-depth knowledge of the Gulf’s government, society and senior figures. This makes her ideally placed to lead tailored media training to benefit top management and CEOs for companies in the region.

Hisham Wyne

HWM co-founder Hisham Wyne is the professional presenter, moderator and MC who leads the region’s biggest events. As a presentation skills trainer, his understanding of the art of public speaking has helped countless global executives and leaders find their authentic voice and transform anxiety into persuasive power.

An alumnus of the London School of Economics, Hisham has also spent decades behind the scenes, working as  a messaging, narrative and policy consultant for Gulf government entities and large corporates. He focuses on helping leaders build powerful stories and then tell them effectively.

Trusted ByIndustry Leaders

"One of the most challenging yet fascinating experiences I had was learning how to be a public speaker and effectively communicate with the media. Thanks to Eve and Hisham, who guided me through every step, I gained new strategies and techniques that have certainly improved my approach. Their insights into how to engage with diverse audiences and manage media interactions were invaluable. A huge thank you to both of them for their expertise, dedication, and the lasting impact they've had on my communication skills!"

H.E. Ghadeer Hegazi

Assistant Minister,
Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation,
Egypt.

"Since 2022, HWM has been instrumental in reimagining the media skills of Wio Bank's spokespeople. Their tailored training sessions with our senior management and key spokespeople have been nothing short of transformative. Not only were the sessions impactful, insightful, and enjoyable, but they also yielded measurable and impressive results. We genuinely always look forward to future sessions with the exceptional HWM team."

Rima al Jareh

Head of PR & Communications,
Wio Bank PJSC.

"I had the pleasure of working with the brilliant team at HWM for media and crisis management sessions for the regional and senior management of the Group. They were extremely professional and delivered above and beyond my expectations. This is definitely the first of many more collaborations to come."

Ruwaida Abela

Assistant Vice President, Corporate Communications – Middle East,
Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd.

What started as a media training workshop quickly became a deep dive on effective message construction and delivery, which will be incredibly useful for our BBG ambassadors in their discussions on and offline with members and industry stakeholders around the UK and UAE trade relationship.

Katie Holmes

Marketing Manager,
British Business Group,
Dubai and Northern Emirates.

OurPodcast

Navigate tricky questions and make sure you don’t lose sight of your key messages. HWM co-founder Eve Hester hosts Media Matters: The Media Training Podcast – for anyone interested in improving interview performance. Ideal for leaders wanting a refresher on their media training.

ExploreRelated Workshops

Tailored

Support

We support our leaders with a full suite of executive and leadership training options to enhance presence and presentation skills. We design each sessions around their goals, needs and objectives.

While ensuring the greatest confidentiality and discretion, we are privileged to have helped the highest levels of leadership master messaging, delivery, leadership presence and more.

Presentation Skills

Master the art of persuasive, high impact delivery that moves boardrooms.

Learn More

Storytelling

Craft narratives that captivate, inspire and drive decisive action.

Learn More

Leadership Presence

Project authority, gravitas and authentic executive presence to lead from the front.

Learn More

Frequently AskedQuestions

What is media training?

Media training prepares spokespeople to handle interviews, press conferences and other public engagements with confidence and control. At HWM, media training focuses on message development, journalist dynamics, on-camera performance and voice control. We help leaders stay on message and turn media moments into strategic wins.

Who is HWM's media training designed for?

HWM's media training is designed for CEOs, board members, government ministers, founders and other senior executives. We train people whose words move markets and shape policy. Programmes are bespoke and built around each leader. They take into account role, sector and specific media risks. We work with spokespeople across corporate, diplomatic and public-sector environments in the Gulf and internationally.

What distinguishes HWM's media training approach for senior leaders?

HWM's trainers are BBC insiders, working journalists, professional presenters and respected directors. We train leaders using the same techniques we use in day-to-day broadcast work. HWM knows leaders learn by doing. Our trainers believe in practice, not PowerPoint — which is why our sessions are highly interactive and built around realistic simulated interviews. Operating since 2013, HWM combines newsroom perspective with deep knowledge of Gulf government, business and society. For over a decade, we have delivered media training to senior leaders across the region under strict confidentiality and discretion.

Who are the media trainers at HWM?

HWM's media training is led by co-founders Eve Hester and Hisham Wyne. Eve Hester is a BBC-trained director and journalist who has worked with the BBC, National Geographic, CNN, NBC, Bloomberg, CBC and RTE. Hisham Wyne is a leading regional presenter and moderator, an alumnus of the London School of Economics, and a messaging, narrative and policy consultant for Gulf government entities and large corporates. Both have extensive experience of the Gulf's government and senior leadership.

What does the HWM media training process involve?

HWM's process has four stages:

  • Find Your Message: Defining the core story and structuring memorable soundbites.
  • Control The Engagement: Understanding the context and desired outcome of each public appearance.
  • Deliver Confidently: Workshopping body language, voice, eye contact and on-camera performance.
  • Get Crisis Ready: Stress-testing messages in simulated interviews and scenarios.
View 10 More Questions: Workshops, Logistics & Pricing Additional Questions & Answers

How does media training differ from crisis communications training?

Media training prepares spokespeople for planned media interactions — interviews, panels, press conferences and keynotes. Crisis communications training prepares organisations for the unplanned: modelling real-world crisis scenarios, appointing spokespeople, drafting statements and rehearsing responses under live pressure. HWM offers both, and many clients combine the two so leaders are ready for routine and high-stakes situations alike.

What is included in HWM's crisis communications workshops?

HWM's crisis communications workshops follow a three-part structure:

  • Plan: Brainstorming crisis scenarios at different severity levels and mapping operational impact.
  • Prepare: Nominating senior spokespeople, clarifying roles and drafting statements.
  • Practise: Live-simulated press conferences and interviews under pressure.

Interactive scenarios can also be run with skilled actors to stress-test responses under realistic conditions.

What topics does HWM's media training cover?

Core modules include message development and soundbite construction, handling challenging and adversarial questions, on-camera presentation, body language and executive presence, diction and voice control, and overcoming interview nerves. Programmes also cover the distinctions between different public engagements — from live TV interviews and press conferences to panel discussions, keynotes and internal town halls.

What is the difference between media training and presentation skills training?

Media training focuses on handling journalists, interviews and public scrutiny, where questions may be adversarial and the objective is to stay on message under pressure. Presentation skills training focuses on persuasive delivery to boardrooms, conference stages and internal audiences, covering storytelling, structure and executive presence. HWM combines elements of both, depending on client needs.

Does HWM offer media training for government officials and diplomats?

Yes — HWM has an established practice supporting government ministers, senior officials and diplomatic missions. Trainers combine media technique with an understanding of policy sensitivity and public-interest scrutiny, and all engagements are delivered under strict confidentiality. Past clients include senior figures from ministries and diplomatic organisations across the region.

Where does HWM deliver media training?

HWM is based in Dubai and delivers media training across the UAE and wider Gulf region, with international engagements available on request. Sessions can be run at client offices, off-site or at our studio in Dubai.

How long does a typical media training programme with HWM last?

For senior leaders new to HWM, we recommend a minimum of two half-days for one-on-one training, and two full days for group sessions. This gives enough time to work through message development, delivery workshopping and live interview practice, with space between sessions for reflection and refinement. Longer engagements can be scoped for leaders with heavier or more sustained media exposure.

Does HWM offer media training in Arabic?

Yes. HWM's strategic media training is English-led and delivered alongside a roster of highly qualified Arabic trainers who specialise in tone, syntax, vocabulary and messaging in Arabic. This dual approach ensures leaders preparing for Arabic-language interviews or bilingual media environments are supported on both the strategic message and the linguistic delivery.

How much does media training with HWM cost?

Media training with HWM is quoted on request. Because every programme is bespoke — shaped around the leader's role, media exposure, format requirements and group size — pricing is confirmed after an initial scoping conversation. Enquiries can be made via our contact page.

How do I book media training with HWM?

Enquiries can be made directly via our contact page. Every programme begins with a scoping conversation to understand the leader's role, upcoming media exposure and specific objectives, before a bespoke session is designed around them.

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