Robert A Jensen is chairman of Kenyon. The private disaster management company provides services to governments, air, maritime and rail businesses internationally. He joined in 1998 after leaving the US military and has directed response efforts to mass fatalities including the 9/11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina and the Haitan Earthquake. In this in-depth conversation, he argues the biggest mistake businesses can make is not recognising the severity of an incident, describes how the news can desensitise people from the reality of disasters, and explains how being a leader is both a “privilege and a burden” with your decisions affecting both your colleagues and family.