It is weird what nerves do when something unexpected happens. In this case the interviewee is conducting a media interview to announce 9,000 job losses when something causes him to become distracted. Then everything goes south!.
The BBC are using a video call to conduct the interview and he is sitting in an open space, which is a terrible idea.
Warren East, the CEO of Rolls-Royce, then becomes distracted by someone and clearly loses his concentration. Under pressure he smirks, which I think is genuinely a nervous response and a reaction to being unexpectedly under pressure. The way he is casually sitting doesn’t help and these circumstances become very problematic for his reputation and that of Rolls-Royce. He comes across as smug and uncaring while on camera.
Next time, Warren should find a quieter place to do the interview and really focus on looking compassionate and concerned for the 9,000 people losing their jobs. He should sit up and find a better camera angle. Hopefully it is a one off incident that is easily forgotten, but little blunders like this can have a huge impact on a corporate reputation or a CEO’s profile.
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