Meet the speakers at this year’s Continuity Insights Management Conference, then click here to learn more about the 2023 event.
Dr. Steve Goldman
MIT
How did your earlier career choices lead you to where you are now?
Choices or circumstances? No one majored in Business Resiliency; we arrived here by various paths. I have two degrees in Nuclear Engineering. (I earned my Doctorate many years later). While working at a nuclear plant, I was transferred to the Corporate Communications Department as Nuclear Spokesperson because unlike most engineers, I could write and speak fluently (just joking, fellow engineers!). I loved it. This led to nuclear emergency communications and then nuclear emergency planning. Then I got involved in corporate and facility crisis planning, business continuity, and crisis communications. Now I teach all this at MIT. What a long, strange trip it’s been!
What was your first “win” that made you confident that you were doing the right thing?
Many years ago, I was working for an emergency planning consultant. I was in charge of a nuclear power plant’s first full-scale, federally evaluated exercise. If they did poorly on the exercise, their operating license was in jeopardy. This was a year-long effort where I conducted or directed emergency plan training, drills, skills preparation, and two full-scale (practice and evaluated) exercises. We not only passed the exercise but were praised by the federal evaluators. Afterwards upon reflection, I realized our team made the plant safer and a better place. I liked that; this is good. As a part-time consultant now, I still get that feeling with my clients.
How do you avoid being complacent in your role?
Are you kidding me? When I was the Global Business Continuity Manager for a multi-national high-tech company, there was never any complacency! Every day was different; every day brought its new challenges; every day was a learning experience. Sometimes the role is exciting: developing company response strategy; conducting full-scale exercises; preparing for a Board briefing; attending CI Conferences. And yeah, sometimes the job can get mundane – reviewing procedures, facility inventory, audit prep. But complacent? Never! If someone is complacent with their business resiliency job, they are not doing the job properly.
What is the biggest risk that you’ve taken?
Answering these questions?! 😁
To learn more about Dr. Goldman’s session and to view the full conference agenda, click here.
