“Communication channels have to work, even without IT” Interview with Bernd Eilitz and Ute Varrelmann, Hamburger Energienetze, on the topic of crisis communication

Bernd Eilitz and Ute Varrelmann, Hamburger Energienetze, the local grid operator in Hamburg, explain in the interview how the mechanisms of crisis communication work.

REH: How do you go about assembling a crisis team?

Bernd Eilitz: “You basically use a military approach when putting together a crisis team. This means you have a command post and various units. The command post appoints the management. In our case at Hamburger Energienetze, Ute (Varrelmann) was predestined for the role due to her position as Head of Gas Grid Operations. The units include: operations, information and communication technology, (current) status and press. External advisors such as lawyers and other experts are brought in to support the crisis team as well. Everyone gathers in a confined space, as IT or power supply might also be affected in the worst-case scenario. Then we all start using notes, the old-fashioned way.”

REH: Can you give us an example of a crisis situation you experienced?

Ute Varrelmann: “The shortage of gas following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was the absolute game changer for us. It really laid bare how dependent on Russia Germany had become. Our view of the outside world changed. Faced with the imminent threat of the gas running out, we were suddenly no longer just the good guys.

Bernd Eilitz: “The COVID-19 pandemic could also have developed into a serious crisis for our company. We were quite well prepared and very quickly assembled a crisis team, segregated the workforce and introduced appropriate hygiene measures, but a profound sense of uncertainty still lingered in the beginning. I'll never forget that the costume designers from The Lion King – now out of work – sewed the first masks for us.”

REH: Can you describe the role of the Communications Department?

Bernd Eilitz: “A company is not only measured by how it overcomes a crisis, but also by how it presents its crisis management to the outside world. Three people from the Communications Department are permanent members of the crisis team at our company. Two of them are tasked with preparing the internal and external communication within the team, while the other also acts as the spokesperson outside the immediate working environment. Everything hinges on coordination – each wording needs to be agreed to ensure consistent messaging both inside and outside the company. And the communication channels have to work, even if IT breaks down. Then we resort to paper or satellite phones. In an emergency, the press spokespersons are called on to visit the media and report on what is happening. We have all completed additional training for crisis interviews.”

REH: Do companies operating critical infrastructure exchange more information when a crisis hits?

Ute Varrelmann: “They certainly do. Good examples include the VKU, the German Association of Local Public Utilities of municipally determined infrastructure undertakings and economic enterprises, where we regularly meet to discuss the current alert status of the Emergency Plan for Gas, or in Hamburg where we coordinate with other municipal utility companies. Sabotage, IT attacks and other threats are more relevant today than ever before, so we have all become far more vigilant.”

Thank you very much for the very interesting interview!