A7: How Was Canadian Premier Able to Manage During the Pandemic?
Tahir Rao, Canadian Premier Life Insurance (Subsidiary of Securian Financial)
Before November 2019, there was no Business Continuity or disaster recovery plan available in the company, and it was an uphill task to build end to BCM framework, including developing of BCM Policy, identification and training of BCP Coordinators, identification of mission-critical systems, processes, data, people, and preparation of data. The other challenge was to eliminate traditional off-site/alternate locations and while creating a capability of working remotely in crisis/emergency, impacting all the locations like the current pandemic. This presentation will describe the success story of Canadian Premier Life Insurance where within a short period of six-months a complete BCM framework was built, including preparation and approval of BCM Policy, Procedure, getting buy-in from businesses, the nomination of BCP coordinators, their training, conducting BIA, the testing of BCM Plan, and seamlessly transition to working from home.
C20: Beyond the Forecast: Responding to Weather Risk
Mike Venske, StormGeo
The previous five years (2017-2021) have averaged 17.2 billion-dollar weather-related disasters per year, with a total cost exceeding $742 billion. In this session, we will review some of the headline-grabbing weather events that make up these statistics, including the Midwest Derecho in 2020, the Freeze of 2021 and Hurricanes Laura and Ida. Each weather event presents unique challenges that must be taken into consideration when building out a response.
- How savvy, resilient organizations successfully incorporate the latest weather insights technologies into their continuity planning
- How to protect your organization against the significant risks posed by weather-related hazards
- Balancing forecast uncertainty to recognize potential impacts and appropriate responses.
C21:Diversity and Inclusion: A Key Component of Resilience
Vanessa Mathews, Asfalis
Breonna Taylor. George Floyd. Daunte Wright. And Countless Others. First amendment protests, civil unrest, and even riots in Minneapolis, Portland, and other cities across the nation, sparked a movement of 21+ million people last year as a result of the widespread public outcry against racial injustice in the United States, at levels not seen since the 1960s. Why does this matter to the Business Continuity profession? How does racial injustice impact our role? Does your organization need to be inclusive to be truly resilient? Vanessa Vaughn Mathews and James Green, renowned business continuity experts, will share with us their personal stories on what racism and privilege look like in both the real world and the business world today, what we need to do, and how we can all work together to create not just truly inclusive organizations, but an inclusive profession. Starting with their experiences with Diversity and Inclusion, and a look back at how we got here, James and Vanessa will share the differences between check the box “Diversity and Inclusion” and creating a true sense of belonging for all of your coworkers. This session will cover why Diversity and Inclusion matter during a business continuity incident, how to create more inclusive business continuity programs, and actions we need to take as a profession to be genuinely inclusive and sustainable.
E8: Searching for Risk in All the Wrong Places
Geary Sikich, Logical Management
Much like the song, “Lookin’ for Love in All the Wrong Places” sung by Johnny Lee, risk management professionals need to ask the question “Are we searching for risk in all the wrong places?” Are risk professionals being deluded or deluding themselves by seeing risk based on media driven analysis; applying outmoded tools, models, etc. that no longer reflect the reality of risk? COVID-19 has captured headlines as the pandemic rages worldwide. So, much of risk management seems to be focused on COVID-19 impact, “the new normal,” and “the great reset” as touted by high profile consulting firms like McKinsey & Company, Booz Allen, PriceWaterhouse, Boston Consulting Group, and sage gurus. The coronavirus, like all viruses, mutates nearly constantly, and while our attention is focused on the COVID-19 headlines, are risk professionals taking into account the touchpoint relationships to other risks?
