One of Southeast Asia's Only Dedicated Media Trainers
Dutch journalist. Media trainer. One of the very few dedicated media trainers operating across Southeast Asia. Ramon Stoppelenburg trains executives and spokespeople to control the narrative when the pressure is real.
Why this matters
One bad answer, one moment of hesitation, one press conference that turns — and the clip lives online permanently.
Across Southeast Asia, executives and public figures face journalists with no preparation, no message discipline and no real understanding of how interviews actually work.
Ramon Stoppelenburg trains people to handle that moment. Through Lord Penh, he delivers practical, on-camera media training across the region — personally, without associates, without templates, and without anything that resembles a classroom exercise.
The trainer
Dutch journalist, author and broadcaster. Based in Phnom Penh since 2008. Over 15 years reporting, writing and working across European and Asian media. Published author. Founder of Lord Penh, one of Southeast Asia's longest-running independent media operations.
Ramon has spent his career on both sides of the interview. He knows how journalists construct questions designed to destabilise, what they do with silence, and when a press conference stops being a formality and becomes a crisis. He teaches from that knowledge — not from a methodology manual.
When you book Lord Penh, you are booking Ramon Stoppelenburg. No associates, no juniors, no franchised curriculum.
The method
Most media trainers are ex-PR managers who teach message repetition. Ramon Stoppelenburg is a working journalist who knows how reporters construct their questions and what they are actually looking for. The approach is forensic, not motivational.
Not practice questions — real pressure. Ramon plays the journalist. The camera is on. You get the question you were dreading, in real time, and you learn to handle it without freezing, deflecting or saying something you cannot take back.
You watch yourself back. Immediately. Every filler word, every glance away from the lens, every moment your body language contradicts your message — you see it, you understand it, you fix it.
A crisis scenario lands. You have 90 seconds to formulate a response before the journalist calls back. Repeat until it is instinct, not improvisation. This is where organisations either protect their reputation or lose it.
Before any simulation, Ramon works with you to build your core messages — three to five things you must land, in plain language, in any interview format. Southeast Asian media dynamics, not London or New York templates.
What actually happens
You sit down. The camera is already on. Ramon doesn't explain what is about to happen. The first question lands before you are ready.
It is not a hostile question yet. It is an easy one. You answer it. You feel fine. Then you watch it back. You see the pause. You see the glance. You hear the filler word you did not know you used. You understand, for the first time, what a journalist sees.
The second round is harder. The question is the one you were hoping to avoid. The one about the lawsuit, the redundancies, the failed product, the incident. You answer it. Badly. You watch it back again. Then Ramon shows you exactly why it went wrong — and exactly what to do instead.
By the third round, something has shifted. You know your messages. You know your bridges. You know which words land and which ones bury you. The camera is still on. You no longer feel it the same way.
By the end of the day, you have been through a hostile press conference, a doorstep ambush and a live broadcast Q&A. You leave with the recording, a written critique and a set of messages you have actually tested under pressure — not just written on a slide.
That is not a training day. That is the worst interview of your life, compressed into eight hours, with someone on your side telling you how to fix it. When the real thing comes, it will feel familiar.
What Ramon teaches
There are no generic modules and no off-the-shelf content. Every training is designed around your industry, your journalists, your risks and your people.
This is where most people realise how exposed they actually are. A full-day, camera-on programme for executives, spokespeople and anyone who faces journalists. Simulated broadcast and print interviews, including hostile questioning, with immediate on-camera playback and critique after every exercise. You leave with three to five core messages, a bridging technique for dangerous questions, and the muscle memory to stay composed when it counts.
What you practise: hostile question handling · bridging technique · doorstep interview scenarios · press conference Q&A · message repetition under pressure
Book This ProgrammeAfter 24 hours, the narrative is no longer yours. Live crisis scenarios — recall, reputational attack, legal threat — with real-time media calls simulated as they happen. What to say, what never to say, how to hold a press conference under fire, and how to manage journalists and social media without one feeding the other.
Crisis · PR · Corporate AffairsBeing watched and judged is a skill, not a talent. You will be filmed from the first exercise. Every filler word, every moment of lost authority goes on the playback screen. Then you fix it. Voice control, physical presence, eye contact and the mechanics of holding a room you cannot fully see.
Leaders · Entrepreneurs · Public FiguresYour digital presence is a media channel. Presenting to a smartphone camera alone in a room is significantly harder than it looks. Short-form message architecture, eye line discipline, projecting authority without a studio — and why most executive video content is forgettable.
Entrepreneurs · Thought Leaders · Personal BrandAudio exposes everything. No body language, no visual authority. Voice modulation, pacing, answers complete in 45 seconds without sounding rehearsed. Live versus pre-recorded, handling a host who goes off-script, turning a 20-minute interview into three usable clips.
Executives · Thought Leaders · AuthorsFor PR departments, communications teams and C-suite cohorts. A full programme designed around your organisation's specific vulnerabilities: your sector's journalists, your typical risk scenarios, your brand voice. Assessment first, design second, delivery third. The team that trains together responds together.
Teams · Corporations · InstitutionsTraining formats
Format 01
A full day of immersive, one-on-one coaching tailored entirely to you. Camera work, interview simulations, real-time feedback, personal action plan. Available on location anywhere in Southeast Asia.
Most popular for executives
Format 02
Deep-dive training over three days for individuals or small groups. Filmed simulations, individual critique, group exercises and briefed scenario work. Suitable for corporate teams or public format.
Groups & corporate teams
Format 03
Ramon Stoppelenburg does not sell tickets directly to the public. If your company, conference or venue wants to host an open-enrolment workshop, you organise it — he delivers it. The hosting party handles registrations, venue and logistics.
Bangkok · Singapore · KL · HCMC
Format 04
Custom programmes for organisations, aligned to your communications strategy, media environment and risk profile. Ramon works with PR teams, comms departments and C-suites from design through to debrief.
Enquire for pricing
Format 05
A half-day or full-day scenario-based exercise: simulated media calls, social media pile-ons, a difficult press conference. You find out where your gaps are now — not during the real thing.
Recommended annually
Note
All training is in person. No remote, online or hybrid sessions. The organising party arranges travel, accommodation and logistics. That is the deal.
No exceptions
What clients say
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
We brought Lord Penh in to prepare our regional spokespeople ahead of a high-profile product launch. The difference in confidence and message clarity was immediately visible. Our Bangkok press conference was the best we have ever run.
Regional Head of Communications, Consumer FMCG — Singapore
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I have done media training in London and New York. This was better — because it was built around how Southeast Asian media actually works. The crisis scenario exercise alone was worth the entire programme.
CEO, Infrastructure Development Group — Kuala Lumpur
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Our NGO had never done formal media training. After the one-day intensive, my team handled a very difficult interview with a major broadcaster calmly and on-message. I genuinely don't know how we managed before.
Executive Director, Regional Development NGO — Phnom Penh
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I was preparing for a TED talk and an international press tour. The presentation coaching was forensic — my delivery was transformed. People still comment on how natural I look on stage.
Founder & CEO, Tech Startup — Ho Chi Minh City
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The crisis communications workshop was a revelation. We ran a simulation and discovered exactly where our gaps were — before a real crisis could expose them. Invaluable. It is now in our annual programme.
VP Corporate Affairs, Hospitality Group — Bali / Jakarta
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I had been dreading an investor video series for months. After two sessions I filmed the whole thing in a day. Clear, confident, compelling. The investors noticed immediately.
Managing Partner, Private Equity — Bangkok
Frequently asked
More questions? Read all FAQs → · Email Ramon Stoppelenburg directly — response within 24 hours.
How it works
All training is commissioned by an organising party — corporation, institution, event host or PR firm. If you are an individual, ask your employer or a local conference organiser to make the booking. Here is how it works.
Reach out by email with a brief description of what you need: format, audience, location and approximate dates. Ramon Stoppelenburg will respond within 24 hours. A setup requirements checklist is sent with every booking confirmation.
A short briefing call or exchange to understand your requirements. A written proposal follows, covering programme outline, logistics and fees. No surprises.
Once the proposal is agreed, a simple letter of agreement is signed. A 50% deposit is required to confirm the booking. The remainder is due on the day of training.
For training outside Phnom Penh, all travel, accommodation and on-the-ground expenses are covered by the organising party, either directly or reimbursed at cost. This is agreed in advance and itemised clearly.
Email your format, location and approximate dates. Ramon Stoppelenburg responds within 24 hours with availability and a tailored proposal. Day rates start from USD 1,500 for in-country training. A 50% deposit confirms your booking. All travel and accommodation covered by the organising party. A limited number of training days are available each month.