Here are five must-see speakers to address crisis management at a professional event in 2026: Laurent BERNAT, Laurent COMBALBERT, Eric MESNIER, Christopher Pratt, and Vincent Boichard. In a context where organizations must face major unforeseen events, cyberattacks, health crises, or economic upheavals, the ability to respond effectively has become a strategic issue for the sustainability and credibility of the company. The contributions of these experts provide complementary perspectives and concrete feedback to better anticipate, manage, and overcome critical situations. The table below details the specific approach each of them will take during this conference.
| Last Name / First Name | Conference | Angle |
|---|---|---|
 Laurent BERNAT Français | DEFLAGRATION AND RECONSTRUCTION: THE ART OF BOUNCING BACK | He explains how to survive and rebuild after a major shock, embodying resilience and post-traumatic leadership. |
 Laurent COMBALBERT Français | Collective Agility | He conveys the expertise of crisis negotiators and special forces to act effectively in complex environments. |
 Eric MESNIER Français | The keys to optimizing crisis management | The keys to optimizing crisis management |
 Christopher Pratt Français | Facing the crisis: what a nighttime capsize in the middle of the Atlantic taught me about resilience | He shares a skipper’s strategies for anticipating, managing, and overcoming a crisis as a team under pressure. |
 ▶️ Vincent Boichard Français | Leadership in times of crisis | The experience of frontline command during major disasters. |
Our speakers on the topic
Laurent BERNAT
A former paratrooper non-commissioned officer who survived an attack in Afghanistan, Laurent Bernat went through an extreme ordeal that led him to rebuild both his body and mind. His journey, marked by resilience and personal transformation, now fuels powerful talks on the ability to bounce back in the face of adversity. Through his conferences, he shares practical lessons drawn from his own experiences, offering genuine inspiration to anyone facing destabilizing situations.
Talk: DEFLAGRATION AND RECONSTRUCTION: THE ART OF BOUNCING BACK Through the gripping story of my experience in Afghanistan, where I survived an attack of unprecedented violence, I reveal the secrets of resilience, decision-making in crisis situations, and leadership under pressure. You will learn how to turn adversity into a driver of growth, strengthen your team’s cohesion, and face the unexpected with determination.
Topics: resilience, leadership, bouncing back, team spirit, reconstruction, commitment, military, team cohesion, motivation, bounce back, crisis management
Laurent COMBALBERT
Laurent Combalbert served as a negotiator-officer within RAID, following training at the FBI National Academy and earning a CPN3 certification, the highest level in his field. Founder of several organizations dedicated to negotiation, he now supports companies and leaders in developing trust and collective decision-making. His unique background, combining field operations and knowledge sharing, offers valuable insights into managing complex and unexpected situations.
Conference: Collective Agility
Inspired by proven methods from Intervention Groups and crisis negotiators, this conference reveals the secrets of collective agility to turn uncertainty into an advantage. Participants will discover how to strengthen cohesion, adapt their organization to any situation, and create a high-performing team dynamic, no matter how complex their professional environment.
Topics: esprit-dequipe, vuca, strategie, engagement, confiance-en-soi, incertitude, performance, vente-complexe, management
Eric MESNIER
With eighteen years of experience as a mountain rescue worker with the PGHM, Eric Mesnier has spent every day at the heart of the unexpected, faced with the need to act quickly and accurately in extreme environments. As an author and leader, he now shares the lessons learned from these experiences, where communication, adaptability, and solidarity are vital. His journey offers concrete insight into decision-making and managing delicate situations, all of which can be applied to the corporate world.
Talk: The Keys to Optimizing Crisis Management Discover how to turn every crisis into an opportunity for improvement, using proven methods drawn from eighteen years with the PGHM and over 600 interventions. In this talk, you’ll learn to master the three key phases of a crisis and apply the 6A rule to optimize your team’s mobilization and cohesion when facing the unexpected.
Topics: gestion-du-risque, performance, stress, gestion-des-emotions, motivation, atteindre-ses-objectifs, gestion-de-crise, communication, leader, confiance-en-soi, intelligence-collective, emotional-intelligence, management
Christopher Pratt
A top-level sailor for nearly 25 years, Christopher Pratt has taken on the world’s greatest offshore races, both solo and as part of a crew, and has built his expertise around decision-making in complex situations. Franco-British, he combines a sports career marked by international victories and podium finishes with work as a researcher and trainer for business leaders. His experience overcoming challenges and facing uncertainty at sea sheds light on collective dynamics when confronted with the unexpected.
Talk: Facing Crisis: What a Nighttime Capsize in the Middle of the Atlantic Taught Me About Resilience Through the gripping story of a nighttime capsize in the Atlantic, Christopher Pratt shares a proven method for facing uncertainty and turning crisis into opportunity. Participants discover practical tools to anticipate, act with composure, and bounce back together, inspired by the practices of offshore racing and crisis management in extreme environments.
Topics: performance-collective, performance, leadership, rse, developpement-durable, ecologie, sobriete, resilience, esprit-dequipe, cohesion-dequipe, motivation, intelligence-collective, communication, gestion-de-crise, leader, emotion, stress, anticipation, intelligence-artificielle, transformation, transformation-digitale, digital, prise-de-decision, innovation, incertitude, management, intelligence-emotionnelle, collaboration
▶️ Vincent Boichard
Vincent Boichard spent twenty-five years leading emergency operations in France and abroad as a senior officer in civil security, responding to major disasters, terrorist attacks, and health crises. Formerly the deputy director of the Interministerial Crisis Management Operations Center, he advised the highest authorities of the State on how to respond to the unexpected. Now a speaker and coach, he shares his experience of leadership under pressure, offering insights on how to make decisions and take action in uncertainty. His unique background sheds light on the human and strategic challenges organizations face during turbulent times.
Talk: Leadership in Crisis Situations In the midst of the most extreme crises—earthquakes, tsunamis, armed conflicts—Vincent Boichard forged a leadership style tested by urgency and uncertainty. During this talk, he will share practical strategies for making clear-headed decisions, uniting a team under pressure, and turning adversity into collective strength. Participants will leave with actionable tools to act effectively and inspire confidence, even when everything is on the line.
Topics: stress, collective-intelligence, decision-making, uncertainty, boldness, crisis-management, leadership, management, motivation, enthusiasm, empathy, emotional-intelligence