A3 – How to Spot and Avoid the Legal Issues Associated With Workplace Violence             

Cynthia Simeone and Megan Gomez, Excellus Health Plan, Inc.
There is no federal law establishing a duty to prevent workplace violence against employees. However, an employer has a duty to provide a safe working environment under the federal Occupational Safety Health Act (OSH Act), which regulates workplace health and safety. Balancing the intricacies of employment law, while satisfying OSHA requirements to provide a safe working environment, requires a full understanding of many federal and state laws and regulations. This presentation will provide an overview and case studies of the multiple legal considerations supporting both the employer and the employee when managing situations within the workplace that fall within the spectrum of workplace violence cases.   

B5 – Business Continuity Operating System (BCOS): Staying Relevant and Finding Fulfillment in Business Continuity
(Note: Breakout Sessions B5, B7 and B9 are part of the BCOS Series. Attending one individually or collectively is at the discretion of the attendee.)

Brian Zawada and Rob Giffin, Avalution
One of the greatest challenges in our profession is staying – and being perceived as – relevant and keeping the business engaged once the initial program implementation is complete. Here’s another question…  are you truly fulfilled as a business continuity or IT disaster recovery professional? Those who are unhappy can identify numerous reasons why their jobs are a grind. But how do you stay relevant and get to your goal of finding meaning in your role? Join us to gain insight on a proven BCOS process for maintaining momentum and energy as your business continuity program evolves, and to learn about a new model for relevance and meaningfulness

B6 – NextGen BIA – It’s Not Just for Business Continuity Anymore!

Doug Weldon and Megan Epperson, IHS Markit
The parade of discussions regarding the venerable concept of the BIA include streamlining the BIA, mechanizing the BIA, integrating the BIA with the Risk Assessment, and many others, including eliminating the BIA altogether as proposed by select new BCM methodologies. The point of this presentation describes a major expansion of the BIA across multiple risk disciplines supporting a fundamental business intelligence and requirements contribution to all of the risk domains. This expanded BIA approach will incorporate various risk disciplines to include Information Security, Physical Security, Incident Management, Risk Management, especially Operational Risk, and more.

C5 – The NEW RULES of Resiliency
Phil Lambert, Ripcord Solutions
Organizational Resilience must be a team sport. The core tenet is to strategically align and optimize multiple components within an organization and five components within the Business Continuity Management universe: Crisis Management, Technology Recovery, Business Recovery, Vendor Continuity, and Emergency Management. Although it begins with great response and recovery strategies, true resiliency is realized when an organization has the capacity to make improvements and become stronger as the crisis is being resolved. How does that happen? The resilient organization anticipates, stimulates and embraces change quickly. This session will compare legacy strategies with the New Rules and review several key concepts including Outcome Focused planning, the Recovery Designation, the critical nature of Measurable Matrixes, the five Denial of Services, and a review of the International Standard ISO 22301. This workshop will provide practical strategies that are easily implemented.

C6 – Leveraging Relationships and Tools You Already Have to Boost Participation and Achieve Accountability

Melanie Boykin and Rachel Deaver, Commerce BankMany companies have a lean business continuity department, often consisting of only one or a few individuals working within a tight budget. Building relationships and engaging employees are key to achieving accountability in any BCM Program. This presentation will discuss how Commerce Bank has leveraged these relationships to achieve enterprise wide participation and accountability; building a robust business continuity program. Further, the presentation will demonstrate tools and methods that any organization can utilize to track accountability efficiently using SharePoint and/or Excel, and how Commerce uses these tools and methods to: 

• Develop a plan review schedule and track progress  
• Develop a BCM Checklist required for all business units to complete annually (compliance)
• Track Completion of BCM checklist 
• Provide metrics to management

G1 – Meet the Millennials

Grace Burley, Witt O’Brien’s, moderator; Melissa Mack and Tracey Wilder, Witt O’Brien’s; Kelly Wood, Fontem Blu; Jeff Nelson, Dell, Inc.
Many of the past “millennial” presentations have typically been presented by GenX or Boomers. This year we’ve assembled a panel of millennials with experience implementing emergency management, crisis management, and business continuity programs for large, international organizations. We hope to debunk many of the myths, and help you craft your program to speak to the younger generation. This session will discuss:

• Motivating millennials by giving them the truthful mission
• Working as part of a team laser-focused on getting results
• Understanding how millennials work: give flexibility, and they can accomplish anything