Senior Research Scientist, Ecole Polytechnique. & consultant ... Patrick Lagadec
is Director of Research at the Ecole Polytechnique. ... Editions, 2002.
Patrick Lagadec Senior Research Scientist, Ecole Polytechnique & consultant www.patricklagadec.net +33 6 07 02 83 39 Patrick Lagadec PhD in Political Science, graduate of the ESSEC school of business and the EHESS school of social sciences. Officer of the National Order of Merit, he was awarded the Forum Engelberg prize in 1999. Profile Patrick Lagadec is Director of Research at the Ecole Polytechnique. His research and expertise focus on crisis prevention and management in increasingly "unconventional" crisis environments; vulnerability and preparedness appraisal; in-crisis steerage - both public and private - of critical infrastructures and vital networks; post-crisis case study, debriefing and training; and the development of sustainable responses to shifting security paradigms and the new challenges of governance that complex systems have to face in the light of global "ruptures". In over 20 years of direct involvement with critical infrastructure operators, public administration, international organizations and NGOs, he has acted in a consulting and training capacity and as a front-line strategic advisor in actual crisis situations. Recent missions include: the 2002 anthrax crisis, the Toronto SARS scare, the 2003 heat-wave in France, and hurricane Katrina – once more, with the goal of identifying: key emerging challenges, new concepts and frameworks of governance, creative responses. He is the author of a host of books including: Preventing Chaos in a Crisis, (McGraw Hill, 1993), book chapters, such as “Crisis Management in the Twenty-First Century – “Unthinkable” Events in “Unthinkable” Contexts”, in Dynes, Quarantelli, Rodriguez, Handbook of Disaster Research, (Springer, October 2006), and scores of articles, for instance “Crisis Leadership: Mapping the way for senior executives" (Crisis Response, 2010) and media op-ed papers, for example “A New Era Calls for a New Model”, (International Herald Tribune, Nov. 1, 2005, in conjunction with E. Michel-Kerjan). He is currently researching and developing new paradigms and operational know-how to meet the challenges of major dislocations and chaotic contexts. Furthermore, as such know-how often has to be both invented and implemented "in-situ" to cope with unforeseen changes of domino-effect impact, Patrick Lagadec has come up with the concept of the “Rapid Reflection Force”. His prognosis is clear: as chaotic environment is fast becoming the benchmark of crisis management, leaders have to be helped by people not relying on readymade quick-fix responses but entirely devoted to strategic vision and focused on emerging questions and creative initiatives.
Recent consulting activities “Rapid Reflection Force”: operational implementation of the concept within Electricité de France, during a pandemic flu exercise. (Sept. 2006) "Critical Networks and Katrina: Unconventional Crises Challenges, Response and Policy", on behalf of EDF, with Xavier Guilhou, Jean-Pierre Roche, Daniel Madet, Erwann Lagadec. (Feb-April 2006). http://www.patricklagadec.net/fr/pdf/EDF-Katrina-Report-31.pdf “Preparation for Unconventional Crises”, seminar for the Swiss Federal Strategic Leadership Training Centre, Federal Chancellery, Bern. (April 2006). “Learning from SARS in Toronto to Prepare a Potential Flu Pandemic”, on behalf of EDF (Nov. 2005). http://www.patricklagadec.net/uk/pdf/EDF_PL_Flu_Pandemic_Toronto.pdf “After the Anthrax Crisis, The Paris Initiative”, international debriefing, on behalf of La Poste (2002). http://www.patricklagadec.net/fr/pdf/EDITORIAL.pdf Selected publication citations Books and Book Chapters Patrick Lagadec: “Crisis Management in the Twenty-First Century – “Unthinkable” Events in “Unthinkable” Contexts”, in Havidan. Rodriguez, Enrico L. Quarantelli, and Russel R. Dynes, Handbook of Disaster Research, Springer, 2006. (p. 489-507). E.L. Quarantelli, Patrick Lagadec, and Arjen Boin,: “A Heuristic Approach to Future Disasters and Crises: New, Old, and In-Between Types”, in Havidan. Rodriguez, Enrico L. Quarantelli, and Russel R. Dynes, Handbook of Disaster Research, Springer, 2006. (p. 1641). Patrick Lagadec and Erwann Michel-Kerjan: “The Paris Initiative: Anthrax and Beyond – Transnational Collaboration Among Interdependent Critical Networks”, in Philip Auerswald, Lewis M. Brancomb, Todd M. LaPorte and Erwann Michel-Kerjan (eds): Seeds of Disaster, Roots of Response. How Private Action Can Reduce Public Vulnerability, Cambridge University Press, September 2006. Patrick Lagadec and Xavier Guilhou: La fin du risque zéro, Eyrolles société-Les Echos Editions, 2002. Dror, Lagadec, Porfiriev, Quarantelli: "Crises to Come: Comments and Findings", in: Uriel Rosenthal, R. Arjen Boin, Louise K. Comfort: Managing Crises: Threats, Dilemmas, Opportunities, Charles Thomas Publisher, Springfield, Illinois, USA, pp. 342-349, 2001. Patrick Lagadec: Preventing Chaos in a Crisis – Strategies for Prevention, Control and Damage Limitation, McGraw Hill Europe, 1993. http://www.patricklagadec.net/fr/pdf/Preventing_Chaos.pdf
Articles Michel Nesterenko and Patrick Lagadec: “Sailing through chaotic environments”, Crisis Response Journal (Forthcoming, December 2006). Patrick Lagadec: “The borderline of chaos”, Crisis Response Journal, Vol. 2, Issue 3, June 2006, p. 62-63 . http://www.patricklagadec.net/fr/pdf/062-063_crj2_3_lagadec.pdf Patrick Lagadec: "Civil disturbance: an unconventional crisis", Crisis Response Journal, Vol. 2, Issue 1, December 2005, p. 10-11. http://www.patricklagadec.net/fr/pdf/010-011_french_riots.pdf Patrick Lagadec, Pr. Pierre Carli: "Crossing the Rubicon", Crisis Response Journal, Vol. 1, Issue 3, June 2005, p. 38-41. http://www.patricklagadec.net/fr/pdf/Crisis_Response_Journal_Carli.pdf Lagadec, Patrick, "Understanding the French 2003 Heat Wave Experience: Beyond the Heat, a Multi-Layered Challenge”, Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, Vol. 12, pp. 160-169, December 2004. http://www.patricklagadec.net/fr/pdf/JCCM_Heat_Wave_France.pdf Editor, Special issue “Anthrax and Beyond”, Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management , Volume 11 Number 3, 2003. Press Patrick Lagadec and Erwann Michel-Kerjan: “A New Era Calls for a New Model”, International Herald Tribune, November 1, 2005 (Katrina, Avian Flu). http://www.patricklagadec.net/fr/pdf/IHT_Nov1_2005.pdf Teaching and Training Patrick Lagadec has led a large number of ad hoc seminars for students in many leading academic institutions – Ecole des Mines de Paris, Ecole des Ponts, National School of Administration, Paris University – and the advanced preparation of top level decision-makers such as prefects, judges and inspectors in the public sector and executive board members of some of the most prominent corporations, in dealing with emerging crises. Videos Patrick Lagadec has produced a series of filmed interviews with people of prominent responsibility in dealing with complex crises. These videos are used during seminars. Among the experts interviewed are: Mike Granatt, former Head of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat, Prime Minister's Office, London; Roy Williams, Director, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (Katrina); Christopher Babbs, Royal Mail (Anthrax); James Ellson, Technical Advisor 9/11. Editorial Responsibilities
Patrick Lagadec is a member of the Editorial Committee of the Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, Blackwell. http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=09660879. He is also special advisor for unconventional crises to the editorial committee of the Crisis Response Journal (UK). http://www.crisisresponsejournal.com Media Expertise Patrick Lagadec is regularly invited by television, radio and the press – especially during crisis episodes - to present his expertise live. He welcomes media enquiries on the following subjects: crises, chaotic dynamics, preparation and learning efforts. As outlined in: Mike Granatt and Patrick Lagadec: "Ethics for Media Commentators", Crisis Response Journal, Vol. 2, Issue 1, December 2005, p. 36-37. http://www.patricklagadec.net/fr/pdf/036-037_lagadec.pdf Advisory Expertise Patrick Lagadec has on many occasions been called upon to advise parliamentary inquiries and commissions - BSE (mad cow disease), the heat wave crisis in France - and ministerial missions (1999 Storm inquiry for the Prime Minister, 2000; emerging crises in public health for the Minister of Health, 2006).
