From War Zones to Boardrooms: Mastering Communication with Diana Muriel — Scale Her Up: Female business stories and expert tips for business growth and success

From war zones in Iraq to the boardrooms of the North Sea energy sector, Diana Muriel’s career is a masterclass in high-stakes communication. In this episode, she shares why she traded her blood-group-stamped vest for a role as a "Family Manager" and corporate consultant, proving that the most powerful tool in any business is the ability to tell a simple, truthful story .

🎙️ Episode Summary

Dr. Brenda Hector sits down with Diana Muriel, Communications Manager at Serica Energy and former CNN International war correspondent . Diana reveals how she navigated the transition from the frontlines to corporate "Issues Management" at Shell, where she became the "agony aunt" for engineers with buried skeletons . They discuss why CEOs are essentially just engineers who can communicate, the "cruel" reality of the workforce for mothers, and a breathtaking story from a Kabul washhouse that taught Diana the ultimate lesson: to earn trust, you must first display your own vulnerability .

📝Show Notes

The Hook: She reported on the collapse of economies and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, Diana Muriel is teaching the energy industry that telling the truth is the only way to scale .

Key Topics:

The CNN Pivot: Why a 40-year-old war correspondent decided she couldn't go back to Baghdad after becoming a mother.
Issues Management: Going into companies to find "skeletons in the cupboard" before the media does .
The Engineering Gap: Why technical experts often fail to celebrate the "jeopardy and skill" of their own work .
The "Family Manager" Rebrand: Why being "just a mom" is a professional scandal we need to fix.
The Kabul Lesson: A legendary story of trust, vulnerability, and a Marks & Spencer bra in a Taliban-restricted washhouse.

Estimated Timestamps:

[00:01:30] Trading CNN war assignments for a derelict farmhouse in Scotland .
[00:04:00] Becoming the "Agony Aunt" of Shell: The world of corporate comms.
[00:09:00] Why engineers struggle with storytelling and CEOs excel at it .
[00:15:30] The hard lesson of client management vs. running a news bureau .
[00:22:30] The "Comms Break": Navigating quiet spells and the return to employment.
[00:27:00] Retiring ageism and the importance of the "Family Manager".
[00:33:00] The Power of Vulnerability: An incredible story from Kabul