I’m a business continuity planner with expertise in the development, review and testing of business continuity plans (BCPs) in operational areas. As an enterprise strategist, I set standards and templates for plans and create processes for managing the update and plan distribution processes. I consider a failure to prepare for disaster a failure of due diligence and enjoy working with companies to implement plans and mitigation strategies.
I’ve worked in the IT field within the financial services industry and began disaster planning in this industry in 1998. Using this background, I’ve developed database systems to automate:
– the compilation and reporting of business impact analyses,
– the management and distribution of encrypted BCPs,
– the tracking of plan updates and plan owners to boost efficiency and accountability.
The basic goal behind most of this work has been to reduce the resource requirements of a corporate business continuity management program while providing greater awareness of the current status of the program.
I have been invited to present on business continuity and pandemic preparedness in Canada and the United States and have served on government advisory committees for the Province of British Columbia.
When facilitating the development of BCPs, one of my main concerns has always been the likelihood of people actually showing up to implement the plans. This question led me into completing an MA in Disaster & Emergency Management with my research focussing on the likelihood of staff returning to work following a disaster. (In case you’re curious: they are more likely to do so if the employer implements certain policies.)
In my free time, I volunteer for two disaster-related organisations and am a firm believer in the principle of personal preparedness and disaster mitigation. While I believe it wise to prepare oneself, one’s family and one’s company for disasters, I recognise that:
a) many don’t like to plan for “bad things”, and
b) disasters can and do overwhelm individual planning.
Thus, I consider it a humanitarian duty to ensure that we are prepared to assist those in need and work to achieve that end.