BRMA Webinar | Building Career and Professional Resilience

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BRMA Webinar | Rethinking Rapid Business Continuity: Value Stream Mapping in Action

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BRMA Webinar | What CISOs Need in Cyber Incidents – A Guide for Business Continuity Professionals

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BRMA Webinar | Empowering Resilience: Introducing the BRMA Business Impact Analysis Repository

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BRMA Webinar | An Introduction to Control-Based Resilience

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ASIS International SF Bay Area Chapter hosts Industry Professionals in Live Tabletop Exercise

April 18, 2024, the Bay Area commemorated the 118th anniversary of one its  most significant earthquakes – the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.  As the date unfolded, BRMA participated in a dynamic live tabletop exercise hosted by the ASIS International SF Bay Area Chapter at eBay in San Jose, CA. 

Emergency Management and Business Continuity experts from diverse industries gathered to simulate a massive earthquake scenario. The room buzzed with discussions around response strategies, recovery plans, and collaboration. As the virtual tremors shook our imaginations, we navigated through the chaos, making split-second decisions and learning from each other’s expertise.

One of the exercise’s highlights was the opportunity to connect with peers from various organizations. We swapped insights, shared best practices, and debated innovative approaches. Whether it was optimizing communication channels during a crisis or fine-tuning supply chain resilience, the collective wisdom in the room was invaluable.

Special thank you to Michelle (Geckler) Killion (OnSolve) for inviting us to participate in the exercise.  

Thanks to ASIS International SF Bay Area Chapter and eBay for the hospitality!

Stay connected through LinkedIn: BRMA – Business Recovery Managers Association group

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Impressions written by Tonya York

BRMA hosted a webinar on November 9th, Dealing with Resilience Industry Layoffs: Proactive Preparation and Navigating the Aftermath presented by Shane Mathew, Board Member and head of Stone Risk Consulting. In this 90 minute Zoom meeting, it began with networking with the 27 people in attendance, everyone reconnecting with one another, talking about matters of the day. During the actual presentation, Shane shared his perspective on being laid off and his methods for managing through the layoff to the other side. He used polling to understand who in the audience had been impacted by a layoff. The BRMA Operations Director managed attendee interaction and feedback during the session. The topic resonated with the attendees, many of whom have experienced layoffs. The guidance and perspective provided by Shane was different in that it focused on proactive actions to plan for the risk of being laid off. This is synergistic to what the attendees all do for a living, creating plans to mitigate potential business interruptions. I thought that relationship could have been stressed during the session. This followed with ideas on managing personal branding on LinkedIn, how to search for jobs, and even explored the value of cover letters. It was clear by the number of registrants, and attendees, that this topic was one where they wanted engagement.

Moving forward, I think the perspective of others, more attendee participation via small groups, role playing, and discussion, would benefit the audience. As a result, the BRMA Board is having ongoing discussions on how to move forward with workshops and future education sessions on managing through layoffs.

Stay connected through LinkedIn: BRMA – Business Recovery Managers Association group

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BRMA Webinar | Dealing with Resilience Industry Layoffs: Proactive Preparation & Navigating the Aftermath

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Impressions written by Renuka Darbha

On Wednesday, September 27th, BRMA attended the Disasters Expo USA with 1000+ attendees (from across the U.S. Canada, Australia and UK). 

BRMA recently attended the Disasters Expo USA as a proud partner of this global event. Held at the Anaheim Convention Center, the expo brought together experts across industries to discuss solutions in disaster management and emergency response.

A standout speaker was Mary Boyer of the World Bank, who gave an insightful presentation on strengthening disaster resilience in developing countries. She examined the challenges low and middle-income nations face in preparing for and responding to catastrophes. The extensive losses these countries suffer often cannot be recovered from. Boyer emphasized the need for public and private sectors to align planning, funding, and collective action to drive change. Her expertise and passion resonated powerfully, motivating the audience to make a difference globally.

The exhibitor hall featured a vast range of innovative products and services. Here are my top 3 recommended exhibits:

1. Joule displayed the latest in renewable energy technology with interactive displays and demonstrations that highlighted the efficiency and sustainability of renewable energy sources. Their exhibit highlighted efficiency, sustainability, and the importance of transitioning to cleaner energy.
2. The Augmented Reality exhibit introduced the exciting potential of AR through immersive simulations fusing real and virtual worlds. From education to gaming, AR could revolutionize many industries with its unique user experiences.
3. Search and rescue vehicles used in emergency response were featured, allowing visitors to explore these specialized vehicles designed to save lives in disasters. The exhibit emphasized quick, effective rescue operations.
   
   
4. Advanced drones and cost effective innovative balloon LED lighting were also featured in the expo.

These exhibits demonstrated how cutting-edge solutions can transform industries and address global challenges around energy, climate, and emergency response.

Overall, the Disasters Expo connects those in the field responding to emergencies with new innovations advancing resilience. 

Stay connected through LinkedIn: BRMA – Business Recovery Managers Association group

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Impressions written by Uma Danday

Innovation Event – BRMA Summer camp series 2023

I can’t believe summer is over! BRMA’s Summer Camp Series officially concluded on August 23rd with another great event held in the heart of San Francisco’s financial district. I’d like to thank Arvin Pasricha, Regional VP Strategic Partnerships at Salesforce, for inviting us to Salesforce West and Fusion Risk Management and the BRMA Board for making this happen.

From the moment I walked in, I noticed that this event was going to be dynamic and enthusiastic. After such a long period without seeing Bay Area resilience colleagues in person, this gathering was highly anticipated. At the registration desk, Fusion representatives and BRMA Board members warmly welcomed professionals from local organizations, Salesforce, Fusion Risk Management, and their partners.

After a delicious catered lunch and some friendly banter, the session began promptly at 1 p.m. Tracey Rice, Senior VP of Customer Engagement, and emcee extraordinaire, welcomed the large audience and voiced her excitement about the ongoing partnership between Fusion and BRMA.

The afternoon line-up was like a smooth discovery journey, focused on innovation, growth and collective learning. Tracey, as the experienced tour guide, led the group to new and exciting destinations through Fusion’s technology offerings.

“The Fusion Difference: Strategic Partnerships, Market Leadership and Community” Presented by Rich Cooper (Global Head of Financial Services Go-To-Market) and Tracey Rice was an absolute success.

Rich spoke about Fusion’s unwavering commitment to building a more resilient world, emphasizing strategic partnerships. With Fusion’s powerful platform, they have introduced Resilience Copilot, a new AI-powered assistant powered by generative AI.

Fusion’s dedication to engaging with its customer community can be seen through various channels, including user groups, advisory boards, and virtual communities. The presence of esteemed Fusion partners such as KPMG, BDO, Onsolve, Alertmedia, Everbridge, Salesforce, Ripcord, and others highlights the shared priority of fostering collaboration among vendors and customers.

Later in the afternoon, Arvin offered valuable insights into how Salesforce supports Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) like Fusion in becoming market leaders in using the Salesforce platform. The emphasis on scalability, security, and comprehensive services empowering ISV partners was eye-opening. Fusion’s exceptional performance and commitment to innovation has earned them the highest level of recognition as an ISV partner within the Salesforce ecosystem.

In summary, this session was an enlightening showcase of industry-leading collaboration, innovation, and resilience-building efforts that left me wanting to shape the future of organizational continuity.

Customer Spotlight: Pure Storage

Pure Storage’s Enterprise Business Continuity Program representatives Renuka Darbha and Shelly Munoz highlighted Fusion’s pivotal role in the growth of the program. The following are key takeaways for organizations considering Fusion:

• Improved Efficiency: Fusion increases efficiency through familiarity and leveraging its features.
• Seamless Integration: The solution integrates seamlessly with existing applications, enhancing reporting and dashboarding capabilities.
• Impact Analysis: Provides connectors for applications such as ServiceNow, NC4, and Alert Media to simplify the understanding of the impacts of various events.
• User-Friendly Tools: Fusion’s features, including the framework, expert BIA, guided workflow, and library procedure steps, facilitate business continuity planning with ease.
• Balancing Growth: Provides a clear roadmap for program development that helps strike a balance between current operations and growth.
• Considerations when implementing Fusion: Pricing, resources, long-term interoperability, and maintenance.

Those implementing Fusion found inspiration in its role as an indispensable asset that enhanced efficiency, promoted integration, and provided valuable insights for effective business continuity planning. They gained valuable ideas for enhancing their resilience programs. 

Demos

Fusion’s demonstrations were impressive. In Part 1- Mapping your Journey to Resilience, the presentation showcased Fusion’s capability to streamline information and create a roadmap for bolstering resilience in a rapidly changing risk landscape. The emphasis on dynamic continuity, agile strategies, and features like third-party risk monitoring and real-time executive dashboards was particularly noteworthy.

In Part II – Enabling Proactive Resilience with Data, Fusion’s ability to enable proactive resilience through data was remarkable. Fusion simplifies access to valuable insights across various risk categories. Operational Resilience (OpRes) features, such as risk exposure analysis and data integration, service impact tolerance and visualizing data dependencies were impressive. Overall, Fusion’s capacity to anticipate and address potential issues, making it the number one resource for organizations navigating today’s unpredictable business environment.

Career resilience

In today’s challenging job market, one of the most crucial topics is how to enhance your personal career resilience. Tracey spoke of strategies to fortify your career during these challenging times. The following key points have reshaped my approach to my career and potential opportunities:

• Recognizing that your goals evolve through different life stages.
• Developing and implementing a tailored career plan and personal brand.
• Seeking guidance through coaching and mentoring.
• Investing in skill development and training.
• Breaking free from unproductive habits and acquiring new skills.
• Adapting to organizational and leadership changes.
• By improving your communication skills, focusing on soft skills, and crafting compelling and relatable stories, you will be able to establish connections. The most important aspect of this is to deliver concise messages that align with the expectations of leaders.

Additionally, I found it fascinating to explore various learning styles (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic) as well as the concept of DISC communication styles. We can increase productivity by understanding how we learn and communicate with others.

An intriguing panel discussion concluded the event, entitled “Industry Leaders Panel: Redefining Resilience Programs – The Next Generation of Growth and Agility”. Becca Vlahos from Fusion Risk Management moderated the discussion. Paul Baguley of KPMG, Brandon Willitts of Salesforce, and Jim MacDonnell of BDO USA P.A. participated in the panel discussion.

During this stimulating panel discussion, participants discussed the challenges facing the industry, including elevated expectations, evolving regulations, and the ever-changing risk landscape. Among the key takeaways were:

• Team Synergy: Utilizing complementary strengths and weaknesses to build strong teams.
• Tech Embrace: Embracing an organization’s technology-centric nature.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making: Utilizing data to make well-informed decisions.
• Future Readiness: Developing a readiness strategy for upcoming trends such as automation, public cloud adoption, and reducing compliance costs at the same time.

In order to gain executive support, effective storytelling is essential. By creating a compelling narrative, emphasizing data-driven insights, and presenting a multi year plan, it is possible to instill confidence in the program. Leadership is synonymous with forward-looking thinking, which is why your program should be treated as a product and you should deliver a persuasive pitch.

I found the event and the day to be extremely energizing. As a community and an industry, we rely on forums and platforms such as this to find balance and support. As a result of sharing experiences, we acquire knowledge and strength, which enables us to enhance the resilience of our organizations. I look forward to attending more events of this nature in the future.

To be part of other exciting events become a BRMA member at: https://brma.com/join

Stay connected through LinkedIn: BRMA – Business Recovery Managers Association group.

Stay connected through LinkedIn: BRMA – Business Recovery Managers Association group

Become a BRMA member at: https://brma.com/join

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