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CrowdStrike Holdings<\/a> Inc. Chief Executive Officer George Kurtz co-wrote a\u00a0book<\/a>\u00a0that\u2019s commonly referred to as the bible of computer security. When it comes to crisis management, though, he\u2019s on shakier ground.<\/p>\n In a\u00a0post<\/a>\u00a0on social media platform X<\/a> early Friday morning about a botched software update that\u00a0crashed<\/a>\u00a0countless computer systems globally, Kurtz made clear the incident was not a cyberattack, his firm had identified the problem, and deployed a \u201cfix.\u201d What he didn\u2019t say \u2014 at least at first \u2014 was the magic phrase that public-relations experts advise all businesses to shout from the rooftops at times like this: \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n Kurtz\u2019s PR blunder, which he subsequently rectified in a television\u00a0appearance<\/a>\u00a0and follow-up\u00a0statements<\/a>\u00a0later that morning, could be the result of several things, crisis communications experts said. One possible reason is a rush to pack a lot of details about the company\u2019s response into the initial missive. A potential desire to avoid legal liability also could have been a factor.<\/p>\n Most likely, though, the lack of contrition stems from the IT sector\u2019s longstanding struggle to relate in a more personalized and less robotic way with the general public.<\/p>\n \u201cA CEO needs a nuanced and emotionally truthful response,\u201d said Davia Temin, founder and CEO of crisis-communications firm Temin & Co. \u201cThis is a response scrubbed by a legal team with lawsuits in mind. It holds little to no accountability, which is what makes apologies so powerful. And it positions Kurtz almost as an AI voice \u2014 automated, soulless. In fact, ChatGPT does a better job of appearing to care than he does.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n CrowdStrike didn\u2019t immediately reply to a request for comment on its CEO\u2019s initial statement.<\/p>\n Other public-relations advisers were more generous in their assessment of Kurtz\u2019s handling of the situation, but all agreed that the lack of an apology at the start wasn\u2019t wise. CrowdStrike\u2019s shares fell more than 11% \u2014 their biggest drop since November 2022.<\/p>\n \u201cThe formula is always the same, no matter what \u2014 \u00a0you start by saying there was a mistake, and apologize for it,\u201d said Paul Argenti, professor of corporate communications at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. \u201cThat statement he came out with is the kind of statement you get from IT people all the time. They\u2019re not thinking about the human side, they just want to get a job done.\u201d<\/p>\n The early-morning post \u201cappears to be written to IT departments,\u201d said Ron Culp, a former corporate public relations executive who now advises at DePaul University\u2019s College of Communication. \u201cIt is essential to allay fears, start fixing the problem and apologize. All three should be done in the same communication.\u201d<\/p>\n The snafu put a spotlight on the tech sector\u2019s challenges in forging human connections, but it\u2019s nothing new.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sitcoms like\u00a0Silicon Valley<\/em>\u00a0and Britain\u2019s\u00a0The IT Crowd<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>have mocked technology workers as arrogant and out of touch. Industry leaders who could communicate well with the general public, like Apple\u2019s Steve Jobs, honed those skills despite \u2014 or perhaps because of \u2014 a\u00a0dearth of tech chops<\/a>.<\/p>\n When a crisis hits, those failings are magnified, experts said. But they\u2019re not fatal. Most public-relations experts gave Kurtz a grade of \u201cB\u201d for his overall response so far, noting his later statements were much improved. And he might not be done saying he\u2019s sorry for a while.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile I respect George\u2019s instinct to come clean and apologize,\u201d said Malik Khan, an analyst at Morningstar, \u201cthe real apology will likely occur when customers come calling.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n CEO Daily provides key context for the news leaders need to know from across the world of business. Every weekday morning, more than 125,000 readers trust CEO Daily for insights about\u2013and from inside\u2013the C-suite. Subscribe Now<\/a>.<\/div>\n\nRecommended Newsletter:<\/strong><\/p>\n