Podcasts about business continuity

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses ITIL4 PracticesEach week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with eight acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses Part 1 on how to build a business continuity programEach week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

In this episode of The Other Side of the Firewall podcast, hosts Ryan Williams Sr. and Shannon Tynes discuss a recent cyber attack on WestJet that disrupted their internal systems. They explore the implications of such attacks on customer trust and the importance of business continuity and disaster preparedness in the airline industry. The conversation emphasizes the need for companies to regularly practice their response strategies to minimize disruptions and maintain customer confidence. Article: WestJet investigates cyberattack disrupting internal systems https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/westjet-investigates-cyberattack-disrupting-internal-systems/amp/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExemhlUE13VllqaVpYTXFZdQEe7PkHNFkUykUmEjWWsD47-JE8XPZl7WtGcUYnPWR2zduROL1rlTltSpqtBHs_aem_v2_hJR0romIRFNnykYIcwA Please LISTEN

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses a funny story regarding user experienceEach week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with eight acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

Who knows the meaning of the term “Business Continuity management” without looking it up? Our guest this week, Alex Fullick, is intimately familiar with the term and its ramifications. I first met Alex when we were connected as participants in a conference in London this past October sponsored by Business Continuity International. The people involved with “Business Continuity management” were described to me as the “what if people”. They are the people no one pays attention to, but who plan for emergency and unexpected situations and events that especially can cause interruptions with the flow or continuity of business. Of course, everyone wants the services of the business continuity experts once something unforeseen or horrific occurs. Alex was assigned to introduce me at the conference. Since the conference I have even had the pleasure to appear on his podcast and now, he agreed to reciprocate.   Our conversation covers many topics related to emergencies, business continuity and the mindsets people really have concerning business flow and even fear. Needless to say, this topic interests me since I directly participated in the greatest business interruption event we have faced in the world, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.   Alex freely discusses fear, emergency planning and how we all can improve our chances of dealing with any kind of emergency, personal or business related, by developing the proper mindset. He points out how so often people may well plan for emergencies at work and sometimes they even take the step of developing their own business continuity mindset, but they rarely do the same for their personal lives.   Alex is the author of eight books on the subject and he now is working on book 9. You can learn more about them in our podcast show notes. I think you will gain a lot of insight from what Alex has to say and I hope his thoughts and comments will help you as you think more now about the whole idea of business continuity.       About the Guest:   Alex Fullick has been working in the Business Continuity Management, Disaster Recovery, and Operational Resilience industries as a consultant/contractor for just over 28 years. Alex is also the founder and Managing Director of StoneRoad, a consulting and training firm specializing in BCM and Resilience and is the author of eight books…and working on number nine.   He has numerous industry certifications and has presented at prestigious conferences around the globe including Manila, Seoul, Bucharest, Brisbane, Toronto, and London (to name a few). In July of 2017 he created the highly successful and top-rated podcast focusing on Business Continuity and Resilience ‘Preparing for the Unexpected'. The show aims to touch on any subject that directly or indirectly touches on the world of disasters, crises, well-being, continuity management, and resilience. The first of its kind in the BCM and Resilience world and is still going strong after thirty plus seasons, reaching an audience around the globe. Alex was born in England but now calls the city of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, his home. Ways to connect Alex:   www.linkedin.com/in/alex-fullick-826a694   About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, hello, everyone, wherever you happen to be, welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet and unexpected is anything that has nothing to do with inclusion or diversity. As I've said many times today, our guest is someone I got to meet last year, and we'll talk about that. His name is Alex Bullock, and Alex and I met because we both attended a conference in London in October about business continuity. And I'm going to let Alex define that and describe what that is all about. But Alex introduced me at the conference, and among other things, I convinced him that he had to come on unstoppable mindset. And so we get to do that today. He says he's nervous. So you know, all I gotta say is just keep staring at your screens and your speakers and and just keep him nervous. Keep him on edge. Alex, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're   Alex Fullick ** 02:19 here. Thanks, Michael. I really appreciate the invite, and I'm glad to be here today. And yeah, a little nervous, because usually it's me on the other side of the microphone interviewing people. So I don't fit in this chair too often   Michael Hingson ** 02:33 I've been there and done that as I recall, yes,   Alex Fullick ** 02:37 yes, you were a guest of mine. Oh, I guess when did we do that show? A month and a half, two months ago? Or something, at least,   Michael Hingson ** 02:45 I forget, yeah. And I said the only charge for me coming on your podcast was you had to come on this one. So there you go. Here I am. Yeah, several people ask me, Is there a charge for coming on your podcast? And I have just never done that. I've never felt that I should charge somebody to come on the podcast, other than we do have the one rule, which is, you gotta have fun. If you can't have fun, then there's no sense being on the podcast. So, you know, that works out. Well, tell us about the early Alex, growing up and, you know, all that sort of stuff, so that people get to know you a little bit.   Alex Fullick ** 03:16 Oh, the early Alex, sure. The early Alex, okay, well, a lot of people don't know I was actually born in England myself, uh, Farnam Surrey, southwest of London, so until I was about eight, and then we came to Canada. Grew up in Thunder Bay, Northwestern Ontario, and then moved to the Greater Toronto Area, and I've lived all around here, north of the city, right downtown in the city, and now I live an hour west of it, in a city called Guelph. So that's how I got here. Younger me was typical, I guess, nothing   Michael Hingson ** 03:56 special. Went to school, high school and all that sort of stuff. Yeah, yeah, no.   Alex Fullick ** 04:02 Brainiac. I was working my first job was in hospitality, and I thought that's where I was going to be for a long time, because I worked my way up to I did all the positions, kitchen manager, Assistant Manager, cooks, bartender, server, did everything in there was even a company trainer at one point for a restaurant chain, and then did some general managing. But I got to a point where computers were going to start coming in to the industry, and I thought, well, I guess I should learn how to use these things, shouldn't I? And I went to school, learned how to use them, basic using, I'm not talking about building computers and networks and things like that, just the user side of things. And that was, did that for six months, and then I thought I was going back into the industry. And no fate had. Something different for me. What happened? Well, my best friend, who is still my best friend, 30 years later, he was working for a large financial institution, and he said, Hey, we need some help on this big program to build some call trees. When you're finished, he goes, get your foot in the door, and you could find something else within the bank. So I went, Okay, fine. Well, they called the position business recovery planner, and I knew absolutely nothing about business recovery or business continuity. Not a single thing. I'd never even heard the term yeah and but for some reason, I just took to it. I don't know what it was at the time, but I just went, this is kind of neat. And I think it was the fact that I was learning something different, you know, I wasn't memorizing a recipe for Alfredo sauce or something like that, you know, it was completely different. And I was meeting and working with people at every level, sitting in meetings with senior vice presidents and CEOs and giving them updates, and, you know, a data analyst, data entry clerk, and just talking. And I went, This is so much fun, you know, and that's I've been doing that now for over 28 years.   Michael Hingson ** 06:14 Well, I I had not really heard much of the term business continuity, although I understand emergency preparedness and such things, because I did that, of course, going into the World Trade Center, and I did it for, well, partly to be prepared for an emergency, but also partly because I was a leader of an office, and I felt that I needed to know What to do if there were ever an emergency, and how to behave, because I couldn't necessarily rely on other people, and also, in reality, I might even be the only person in the office. So it was a survival issue to a degree, but I learned what to do. And of course, we know the history of September 11 and me and all that, but the reality is that what I realized many years later was that the knowledge that I learned and gained that helped me on September 11 really created a mindset that allowed me to be able to function and not be as I Put it to people blinded or paralyzed by fear, the fear was there. I would be dumb to say I wasn't concerned, but the fear helped me focus, as opposed to being something that overwhelmed and completely blocked me from being capable and being able to function. So I know what you're saying. Well, what exactly is business continuity?   Alex Fullick ** 07:44 You know, there are people who are going to watch this and listen and they're going to want me to give a really perfect definition, but depending on the organization, depending on leadership, depending on the guiding industry organization out there, business continuity, Institute, Disaster Recovery Institute, ISO NIST and so many other groups out there. I'm not going to quote any of them as a definition, because if I if I say one the others, are going to be mad at me, yell at you, yeah, yeah. Or if I quote it wrong, they'll get mad at me. So I'm going to explain it the way I usually do it to people when I'm talking in the dog park, yeah, when they ask what I'm doing, I'll say Business Continuity Management is, how do you keep your business going? What do you need? Who do you need the resources when you've been hit by an event and and with the least impact to your customers and your delivery of services, yeah, and it's simple, they all get it. They all understand it. So if anyone doesn't like that, please feel free send me an email. I can hit the delete key just as fast as you can write it. So you know, but that's what a lot of people understand, and that's really what business continuity management is, right from the very beginning when you identify something, all the way to why we made it through, we're done. The incident's over.   Michael Hingson ** 09:16 Both worked with at the Business Continuity international hybrid convention in October was Sergio Garcia, who kind of coordinated things. And I think it was he who I asked, what, what is it that you do? What's the purpose of all of the people getting together and having this conference? And he said, I think it was he who said it not you, that the the best way to think about it is that the people who go to this conference are the what if people, they're the ones who have to think about having an event, and what happens if there's an event, and how do you deal with it? But so the what if people, they're the people that nobody ever pays any attention to until such time as there is something that. Happens, and then they're in high demand.   Alex Fullick ** 10:03 Yeah, that that's especially that being ignored part until something happened. Yeah, yeah. Well, well, the nice thing, one of the things I love about this position, and I've been doing it like I said, for 28 years, written books, podcasts, you've been on my show, YouTube channel, etc, etc, is that I do get to learn and from so many people and show the value of what we do, and I'm in a position to reach out and talk to so many different people, like I mentioned earlier. You know, CEOs. I can sit in front of the CEO and tell them you're not ready. If something happens, you're not ready because you haven't attended any training, or your team hasn't attended training, or nobody's contributing to crisis management or the business continuity or whatever you want to talk about. And I find that empowering, and it's amazing to sit there and not tell a CEO to their face, you know you're screwed. Not. You know, you don't say those kinds of things. No, but being able to sit there and just have a moment with them to to say that, however you term it, you might have a good relationship with them where you can't say that for all I know, but it being able to sit in front of a CEO or a vice president and say, hey, you know, this is where things are. This is where I need your help. You know, I don't think a lot of people get that luxury to be able to do it. And I'm lucky enough that I've worked with a lot of clients where I can't. This is where I need your help. You know. What's your expectation? Let's make it happen, you know, and having that behind you is it's kind of empowering,   Michael Hingson ** 11:47 yeah, well, one of the things that I have start talking a little bit about with people when talk about emergency preparedness is, if you're really going to talk about being prepared for an emergency. One of the things that you need to do is recognize that probably the biggest part of emergency preparedness, or business continuity, however you want to term, it, isn't physical it's the mental preparation that you need to make that people generally don't make. You know, I've been watching for the last now, five or six weeks, all the flyers and things down here in California, which have been so horrible, and people talk about being prepared physically. You should have a go bag so that you can grab it and go. You should do this. You should do that. But the problem is nobody ever talks about or or helps people really deal with the mental preparation for something unexpected. And I'm going to, I'm going to put it that way, as opposed to saying something negative, because it could be a positive thing. But the bottom line is, we don't really learn to prepare ourselves for unexpected things that happen in our lives and how to react to them, and so especially when it's a negative thing, the fear just completely overwhelms us.   Alex Fullick ** 13:09 Yeah, I agree with you. You know, fear can be what's that to fight, flight or freeze? Yeah, and a lot of people don't know how to respond when an event happens. And I think I'm going to take a step back, and I think that goes back to when we're young as well, because we have our parents, our grandparents, our teachers, our principals. You know, you can go achieve your goals, like everything is positive. You can go do that. Go do that. They don't teach you that, yeah, to achieve those goals, you're going to hit some roadblocks, and you need to understand how to deal with that when things occur. And use your example with the fires in California. If you don't know how to prepare for some of those small things, then when a big fire like that occurs, you're even less prepared. I have no idea how to deal with that, and it is. It's a really change in mindset and understanding that not everything is rosy. And unfortunately, a lot of people get told, or they get told, Oh, don't worry about it. It'll never happen. So great when it does happen. Well, then was that advice?   Michael Hingson ** 14:25 Yeah, I remember after September 11, a couple of months after, I called somebody who had expressed an interest in purchasing some tape backup products for from us at Quantum. And I hadn't heard from them, and so I reached out, and I said, So what's going on? How would you guys like to proceed? And this was an IT guy, and he said, Oh, well, the president of the company said September 11 happened, and so since they did, we're not going to have to worry about that anymore. So we're not going to go forward. Or worth doing anything to back up our data, and I'm sitting there going, you missed the whole point of what backup is all about. I didn't dare say that to him, but it isn't just about an emergency, but it's also about, what if you accidentally delete a file? Do you have a way to go back and get it? I mean, there's so many other parts to it, but this guy's boss just basically said, Well, it happened, so it's not going to happen now we don't have to worry about it. Yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 15:27 like you hear on the news. Well, it feels like daily, oh, once in 100 year storm, once in 100 year event, once in 100 year this. Well, take a look at the news. It's happening weekly, daily, yeah, yeah. One in 100   Michael Hingson ** 15:44 years thing, yeah. Nowadays, absolutely, there's so many things that are happening. California is going through a couple of major atmospheric rivers right now, as they're now calling it. And so Southern California is getting a lot of rain because of of one of the rivers, and of course, it has all the burn areas from the fires. So I don't know what we'll see in the way of mudslides, but the rain is picking up. Even here, where I live, we're going to get an inch or more of rain, and usually we don't get the rain that a lot of other places get. The clouds have to go over a lot of mountains to get to us, and they lose their moisture before they do that. Yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 16:23 yeah. We just had a whole pile of snow here. So we had a snowstorm yesterday. So we've got about 20 centimeters of snow out there that hasn't been plowed yet. So bit of   Michael Hingson ** 16:36 a mess. There you go. Well, you know, go out and play on the snow. Well,   Alex Fullick ** 16:41 the dog loves it, that's for sure. Like troubling it, but, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 16:46 I don't think my cat would like it, but the animal would like it. He'd go out and play in it. If it were here, we don't get much snow here, but Yeah, he'd play it. But, but it is. It is so interesting to really talk about this whole issue of of business continuity, emergency preparedness, whatever you want to consider it, because it's it's more than anything. It's a mindset, and it is something that people should learn to do in their lives in general, because it would help people be a lot more prepared. If people really created a mindset in themselves about dealing with unexpected things, probably they'd be a little bit more prepared physically for an emergency, but they would certainly be in a lot better shape to deal with something as like the fires are approaching, but they don't, but we don't do that. We don't teach that.   Alex Fullick ** 17:43 No, we it's interesting too, that a lot of those people, they'll work on projects in their organization, you know, and they will look at things well, what can go wrong, you know, and try to mitigate it and fix, you know, whatever issues are in the way or remove roadblocks. They're actually doing that as part of their project. But when it comes to themselves, and they have to think about fires or something like that, is now that won't happen, you know. And wait a minute, how come you've got the right mindset when it comes to your projects at work, but you don't have that same mindset when it comes to your own well being, or your families, or whatever the case may be. How come it's different? You go from one side to the other and it I've noticed that a few times with people and like, I don't get it. Why? Why are you so you have the right mindset under one circumstance and the other circumstance, you completely ignore it and don't have the mindset,   Michael Hingson ** 18:45 yeah, which, which makes you wonder, how much of a mindset Do you really have when it comes to work in all aspects of it? And so one of the things that I remember after September 11, people constantly asked me is, who helped you down the stairs, or was there somebody who was responsible for coming to get you, to take you downstairs and and the reality is, as I said, I was the leader. I was helping other people go downstairs. But by the same token, I'm of the opinion that in buildings like the World Trade Center towers, there is people talk about the buddy system. So if somebody is is in the building, you should have a buddy. And it doesn't even need to be necessarily, in the same office, but there should be an arrangement so that there is somebody looking out for each each other person. So everybody should have a buddy. I'm of the opinion it isn't a buddy. There should be two buddies, and at least one of them has to be outside of the office, so that you have three people who have to communicate and develop those lines of communications and work through it. And by that way, you you have a. Better chance of making sure that more people get whatever communications are necessary.   Alex Fullick ** 20:06 Yeah, you create your like a support network, absolutely,   Michael Hingson ** 20:10 and I think at least a triumvirate makes a lot more sense than just a buddy. Yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 20:14 you you might be freaked out, you know, nervous shaking, but with a couple of people standing there, you know, talking to you, you're going to come right back hopefully. You know, with that, the calmer, you know, stop shaking when a couple of people are there. Yeah, you a lot of times when you have the same one person doing it, usually, oh, you're just saying that because you have to. But when you two people doing it, it's like, okay, thank thanks team. You know, like you're really helping. You know, this is much better.   Michael Hingson ** 20:48 Yeah, I think it makes a lot more sense, and especially if one of them isn't necessarily a person who's normally in your work pattern that brings somebody in from someone with the outside who approaches things differently because they don't necessarily know you or as well or in the same way as your buddy who's maybe next door to you in the office, right across the hall or next door, or whatever. Yeah, yeah. I agree. I think it makes sense well, the conference that we were at a lot to well, to a large degree, and at least for my presentation, was all about resilience. What is resilience to you? How's that for a general question that   Alex Fullick ** 21:31 has become such a buzzword, I know it   Michael Hingson ** 21:35 really is, and it's unfortunate, because when, when we start hearing, you know, resilience, or I hear all the time amazing and so many times we get all these buzzwords, and they they really lose a lot of their value when that happens. But still, that's a fair question. I   Alex Fullick ** 21:53 do think the word resilience is overused, and it's losing its meaning. You know, dictionary meaning, because it's just used for everything these days. Yeah, you know, my neighbor left her keys. Sorry. Her daughter took her house keys this morning by accident. She couldn't get into her house when she got him back, and she had a comment where she said, you know, oh, well, I'm resilient, but really, you just went and got some Keith, how was that so? So I'm, I'm starting to get to the point now, when people ask me, you know, what's resilience to you? What's it mean to you? I just, I start to say, Now, does it matter? Yeah, my definition is fine for me, if you have a definition of it for yourself that you understand you you know what it means, or your organization has a definition, we'll take it and run. Yeah, you know what it means. You're all behind that. Meaning. We don't need a vendor or some other guiding industry organization to say this is, this must be your definition of resilience. It's like, well, no, you're just wordsmithing and making it sound fancy. You know, do it means what it means to you? You know, how, how do you define it? If that's how you define it, that's what it means, and that's all that matters. My definition doesn't matter. Nobody else's definition matters, you know, because, and it's become that way because the term used, you know, for everything these days. Yeah, I   Michael Hingson ** 23:30 think that there's a lot of value in if a person is, if we use the dictionary definition, resilient, they they Well, again, from my definition, it gets back to the mindset you establish. You establish a mindset where you can be flexible, where you can adapt, and where you can sometimes think outside the box that you would normally think out of, but you don't panic to do that. You've learned how to address different things and be able to focus, to develop what you need to do to accomplish, whatever you need to accomplish at any unexpected time.   Alex Fullick ** 24:06 Yeah, and you're calm, level headed, you know, you've got that right mindset. You don't freak out over the small things, you know, you see the bigger picture. You understand it. You know, I'm here. That's where I need to go, and that's where you focus and, you know, sweat all those little things, you know. And I think, I think it's, it's kind of reminds me that the definitions that are being thrown out there now reminds me of some of those mission and vision statements that leadership comes up with in their organizations, with all this, oh, that, you know, you read the sentence and it makes no sense whatsoever, yeah, you know, like, what?   Michael Hingson ** 24:45 What's so, what's the wackiest definition of resilience that you can think of that you've heard?   Alex Fullick ** 24:51 Um, I don't know if there's a wacky one or an unusual one. Um, oh, geez. I. I know I've heard definitions of bounce forward, bounce back, you know, agility, adaptability. Well, your   Michael Hingson ** 25:07 car keys, lady this morning, your house key, your house key, lady this morning, the same thing, yeah, yeah. I don't resilient just because she got her keys back. Yeah, really, yeah. Well,   Alex Fullick ** 25:17 that's kind of a wacky example. Yeah, of one, but I don't think there's, I've heard any weird definitions yet. I'm sure that's probably some out there coming. Yeah, we'll get to the point where, how the heck did are you defining resilience with that? Yeah? And if you're looking at from that way, then yeah, my neighbor with the keys that would fit in right there. That's not resilient. You just went and picked up some keys.   Michael Hingson ** 25:45 Yeah. Where's the resilience? How did you adapt? You the resilience might be if you didn't, the resilience might be if you didn't panic, although I'm sure that didn't happen. But that would, that would lean toward the concept of resilience. If you didn't panic and just went, Well, I I'll go get them. Everything will be fine, but that's not what people do,   Alex Fullick ** 26:08 yeah? Well, that that is what she did, actually. She just as I was shoveling snow this morning, she goes, Oh, well, I'll just go get her, get them, okay, yeah. Does that really mean resilience, or Does that just mean you went to pick up the keys that your daughter accidentally took   Michael Hingson ** 26:24 and and you stayed reasonably level headed about it,   Alex Fullick ** 26:28 you know, you know. So, you know, I don't know, yeah, if, if I would count that as a definition of resilience, but, or even I agree resilience, it's more of okay, yeah, yeah. If, if it's something like that, then that must mean I'm resilient when I forget to pull the laundry out after the buzzer. Oh yeah, I gotta pull the laundry out. Did that make me resilient? Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 26:52 absolutely, once you pulled it out, you weren't resilient, not until then,   Alex Fullick ** 26:57 you know. So, so I guess it's you know, how people but then it comes down to how people want to define it too. Yeah, if they're happy with that definition, well, if it makes you happy, I'm not going to tell you to change   Michael Hingson ** 27:11 it. Yeah, has but, but I think ultimately there are some some basic standards that get back to what we talked about earlier, which is establishing a mindset and being able to deal with things that come out of the ordinary well, and you're in an industry that, by and large, is probably viewed as pretty negative, you're always anticipating the emergencies and and all the unexpected horrible things that can happen, the what if people again, but that's that's got to be, from a mindset standpoint, a little bit tough to deal with it. You're always dealing with this negative industry. How do you do that? You're resilient, I know. But anyway, yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 27:56 really, I just look at it from a risk perspective. Oh, could that happen to us? You know, no, it wouldn't, you know, we're we're in the middle of a Canadian Shield, or at least where I am. We're in the middle of Canadian Shield. There's not going to be two plates rubbing against each other and having an earthquake. So I just look at it from risk where we are, snowstorms, yep, that could hit us and has. What do we do? Okay, well, we close our facility, we have everyone work from home, you know, etc, etc. So I don't look at it from the perspective of doom and gloom. I look at it more of opportunity to make us better at what we do and how we prepare and how we respond and how we overcome, you know, situations that happen out there, and I don't look at it from the oh, here comes, you know, the disaster guy you know, always pointing out everything that's wrong. You know, I'd rather point out opportunities that we have to become as a team, organization or a person stronger. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 29:01 I guess it's not necessarily a disaster. And as I said earlier, it could very well be that some unexpected thing will happen that could be a very positive thing. But again, if we don't have the mindset to deal with that, then we don't and the reality is, the more that we work to develop a mindset to deal with unexpected things, the more quickly we can make a correct analysis of whatever is going on and move forward from it, as opposed to letting fear again overwhelm us, we can if we practice creating This mindset that says we really understand how to deal with unexpected situations, then we are in a position to be able to the more we practice it, deal with it, and move forward in a positive way. So it doesn't need to be a disaster. September 11 was a disaster by any standard, but as I tell people. People. While I am still convinced that no matter what anyone might think, we couldn't figure out that September 11 was going to happen, I'm not convinced that even if all the agencies communicated, they would have gotten it because and I talk about trust and teamwork a lot, as I point out, a team of 19 people kept their mouth shut, or a few more who were helping in the planning of it, and they pulled off something that basically brought the world to its knees. So I'm not convinced that we could have stopped September 11 from happening. At least I haven't heard something that convinces me of that yet. But what each of us has the ability to do is to determine how we deal with September 11. So we couldn't prevent it, but we can certainly all deal with or address the issue of, how do we deal with it going forward? Yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 30:52 I agree. I I was actually in a conversation with my niece a couple of months ago. We were up at the cottage, and she was talking about school, and, you know, some of the people that she goes to school with, and I said, Well, you're never going to be able to change other people. You know, what they think or what they do. I said, what you can control is your response. You know, if, if they're always picking on you, the reason they're picking on you is because they know they can get a rise out of you. They know they it. Whatever they're saying or doing is getting to you, so they're going to keep doing it because it's empowering for them. But you can take away that empowerment if you make the right choices on how you respond, if you just shrug and walk away. I'm simplifying it, of course, yeah, if you just shrug and walk away. Well, after a while, they're going to realize nothing I'm saying is getting through, and they'll move away from you. They'll they won't bug you anymore, because they can't get a rise out. They can't get a rise out of you. So the only thing you can control is how you respond, you know. And as you keep saying, it's the mindset. Change your mindset from response to, you know, I'm prepared for what this person's going to say, and I'm not going to let it bother me. Yeah?   Michael Hingson ** 32:08 Well, bullying is really all about that. Yeah, people can't bully if you don't let yourself be bullied. Yep, and whether it's social media and so many other things, you can't be bullied if you don't allow it and if you ignore it or move on or get help to deal with the issue if it gets serious enough, but you don't need to approach it from a shame or fear standpoint, or you or you shouldn't anyway, but that's unfortunately, again, all too often. What happens when we see a lot of teenage suicides and so on, because people are letting the bullies get a rise out of them, and the bullies win.   Alex Fullick ** 32:51 Yep, yep. And as I told her, I said, you just mentioned it too. If it gets out of hand or becomes physical, I said, then you have to take action. I don't mean turning around and swinging back. I said, No, step up. Go get someone who is has authority and can do something about it. Yeah, don't, don't run away. Just deal with it differently, you know. And don't, don't start the fight, because then you're just confirming that I'm the bully. I can do this again. Yeah, you're, you're giving them license to do what they want. Yeah, but stand up to them, or tell, depending on the situation, tell someone higher up in authority that can do something and make make a change, but you have to be calm when you do it.   Michael Hingson ** 33:39 I remember when I was at UC Irvine, when I was going to college, my had my first guide dog, Squire. He was a golden retriever, 64 pounds, the most gentle, wonderful dog you could ever imagine. And unfortunately, other students on campus would bring their dogs. It was a very big campus, pretty, in a sense, rural, and there were only about 2700 students. And a bunch of students would bring their dogs to school, and they would just turn the dogs loose, and they go off to class, and then they find their dogs at the end of the day. Unfortunately, some of the dogs developed into a pack, and one day, they decided they were going to come after my guide dog. I think I've told this story a couple times on on this podcast, but what happened was we were walking down a sidewalk, and the dogs were coming up from behind, and they were growling and so on. And squire, my guide dog, jerked away from me. I still held his leash, but he jerked out of his harness, out of my hand, and literally jumped up in the air, turned around and came down on all fours, hunkered down and growled at these dogs all in this the well, about a two second time frame, totally shocked the dogs. They just slunked away. Somebody was describing it to me later, and you know, the dog was very deliberate about what he did. Of course, after they left, he comes over and He's wagging his tail. Did I do good or what? But, but he was very deliberate, and it's a lesson to to deal with things. And he never attacked any of the dogs, but he wasn't going to let anything happen to him or me, and that's what loyalty is really all about. But if something had happened and that hadn't worked out the way expected, then I would have had to have gone off and and I, in fact, I did talk to school officials about the fact that these dogs were doing that. And I don't even remember whether anybody did anything, but I know I was also a day or so later going into one of the the buildings. Before he got inside, there was a guy I knew who was in a wheelchair, and another dog did come up and started to try to attack squire, this guy with in the wheelchair, pulled one of the arms off his chair and just lambasted the dog right across the head, made him back up. Yeah, you know. But it was that people shouldn't be doing what they allowed their dog. You know, shouldn't be doing that, but. But the bottom line is, it's still a lesson that you don't let yourself be bullied. Yeah, yep, and there's no need to do that, but it is a it's a pretty fascinating thing to to see and to deal with, but it's all about preparation. And again, if we teach ourselves to think strategically and develop that skill, it becomes just second nature to do it, which is, unfortunately, what we don't learn.   Alex Fullick ** 36:48 Yeah, I didn't know that as a kid, because when I was a little kid and first came to Canada, especially, I was bullied because, well, I had a funny voice.   Michael Hingson ** 36:57 You did? You don't have that anymore, by the way, no,   Alex Fullick ** 37:01 if I, if I'm with my mom or relatives, especially when I'm back in England, words will start coming back. Yeah, there are words that I do say differently, garage or garage, yeah. You know, I hate garage, but garage, yeah, I still say some words like that,   Michael Hingson ** 37:18 or process, as opposed to process.   Alex Fullick ** 37:21 Yeah, so, you know, there's something like that, but as a kid, I was bullied and I there was, was no talk of mindset or how to deal with it. It's either put up with it or, you know, you really couldn't turn to anybody back then, because nobody really knew themselves how to deal with it. Yeah, bullies had always been around. They were always in the playground. So the the mechanisms to deal with it weren't there either. It wasn't till much later that I'm able to to deal with that if someone said some of the things now, right away, I can turn around because I've trained myself to have a different mindset and say that, no, that's unacceptable. You can't talk to that person, or you can't talk to me that way. Yeah, you know, if you say it again, I will, you know, call the police or whatever. Never anything where I'm going to punch you in the chin, you know, or something like that. Never. That doesn't solve anything. No, stand up saying, you know, no, I'm not going to accept that. You know, which is easier now, and maybe that just comes with age or something, I don't know, but back then, no, it was, you know, that that kind of mechanism to deal with it, or finding that inner strength and mindset to do that wasn't there,   Michael Hingson ** 38:43 right? But when you started to work on developing that mindset, the more you worked on it, the easier it became to make it happen. Yep, agreed. And so now it's a way of life, and it's something that I think we all really could learn and should learn. And my book live like a guide dog is really all about that developing that mindset to control fear. And I just think it's so important that we really deal with it. And you know, in this country right now, we've got a government administration that's all about chaos and fear, and unfortunately, not nearly enough people have learned how to deal with that, which is too bad, yep, although,   Alex Fullick ** 39:30 go ahead, I was going to say it's a shame that, you know, some a lot of people haven't learned how to deal with that. Part of it, again, is we don't teach that as well. So sometimes the only thing some people know is fear and bullying, because that's all they've experienced, yeah, either as the bully or being bullied. So they they don't see anything different. So when it happens on a scale, what we see right now it. It's, well, that's normal, yeah, it's not normal, actually. You know, it's not something we should be doing. You know, you should be able to stand up to your bully, or stand up when you see something wrong, you know, and help because it's human nature to want to help other people. You know, there's been so many accidents people falling, or you'll need their snow removed, where I am, and people jump in and help, yeah? You know, without sometimes, a lot of times, they don't even ask. It's like, oh, let me give you a hand,   Michael Hingson ** 40:33 yeah. And we had that when we lived in New Jersey, like snow removal. We had a Boy Scout who started a business, and every year he'd come around and clear everybody's snow. He cleared our snow. He said, I am absolutely happy to do it. We we wanted to pay him for it, but he was, he was great, and we always had a nice, clean driveway. But you know, the other side of this whole issue with the mindset is if we take it in a more positive direction, look at people like Sully Sullenberger, the pilot and the airplane on the Hudson, how he stayed focused. He had developed the mindset and stayed focused so that he could deal with that airplane. That doesn't mean that he wasn't afraid and had concerns, but he was able to do something that was was definitely pretty fantastic, because he kept his cool, yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 41:23 I think he knew, and others in other situations know that if you're freaking out yourself, you're not going to fix the issue, you're going to make it worse. We see that in Hollywood tends to do that a lot. In their movies, there's always a character who's flipping out, you know, panicking, going crazy and making everything worse. Well, that does happen, you know, if you act that way, you're not going to resolve your situation, whatever you find yourself in, you know. And I tell people that in business continuity when we're having meetings, well, we'll figure it out when it happens. No, you don't know how you'll behave. You don't know how you'll respond when, oh, I don't know an active shooter or something. You have no idea when you hear that someone you know just got shot down in the lobby. Are you going to tell me you're going to be calm? You sorry? You know you're going to be calm and just okay, yeah, we can deal with it. No, you're going to get a wave of panic, yeah, or other emotions coming over you, you know. And you have to have that mindset. You can still be panicked and upset and freaked out, or however you want to describe that, but you know, I have to stay in control. I can't let that fear take over, or I'm going to get myself in that situation as well. Yeah, I have to be able to manage it. Okay, what do I have to do? I gotta go hide. You know, I'm not saying you're not sweating, you know, with nervousness like that, but you understand, gotta think beyond this if I want to get out of this situation. You know, I'm going to take these people that are sitting with me, we're going to go lock ourselves in the storage closet, or, you know, whatever, right? But have that wherewithal to be able to understand that and, you know, be be safe, you know, but freaking out, you're only contributing to the situation, and then you end up freaking out other people and getting them panicked. Course, you do. They're not, you know, they don't have the right mindset to deal with issues. And then you've got everyone going in every direction, nobody's helping each other. And then you're creating, you know, bigger issues, and   Michael Hingson ** 43:37 you lose more lives, and you create more catastrophes all the way around. I remember when I was going down the stairs at the World Trade Center, I kept telling Roselle what a good job she was doing, good girl. And I did that for a couple of reasons. The main reason was I wanted her to know that I was okay and I'm not going to be influenced by fear. But I wanted her to feel comfortable what what happened, though, as a result of that, and was a lesson for me. I got contacted several years later one time, specifically when I went to Kansas City to do a speech, and a woman said she wanted to come and hear me because she had come into the stairwell just after, or as we were passing her floor, which was, I think, the 54th floor. Then she said, I heard you just praising your dog and being very calm. And she said, I and other people just decided we're going to follow you down the stairs. And it was, it was a great lesson to understand that staying focused, no matter what the fear level was, really otherwise, staying focused and encouraging was a much more positive thing to do, and today, people still don't imagine how, in a sense, comet was going down the stairs, which doesn't mean that people weren't afraid. But several of us worked to really keep panic out of the stairwell as we were going down. My friend David did he panicked, but then he. He walked a floor below me and started shouting up to me whatever he saw on the stairwell, and that was really for his benefit. He said to have something to do other than thinking about what was going on, because he was getting pretty scared about it. But what David did by shouting up to me was he acted as a focal point for anyone on the stairs who could hear him, and they would hear him say things like, Hey, Mike, I'm at the 43rd floor. All's good here. Everyone who could hear him had someone on the stairs who was focused, sounded calm, and that they could listen to to know that everybody was okay, which was so cool, and   Alex Fullick ** 45:38 that that probably helped them realize, okay, we're in the right direction. We're going the right way. Someone is, you know, sending a positive comments. So if, if we've got, you know, three, if he's three floors below us, we know at least on the next three floors, everything is okay.   Michael Hingson ** 45:56 Well, even if they didn't know where he wasn't right, but even if he they didn't know where he was in relation to them, the fact is, they heard somebody on the stairs saying, I'm okay, yeah, whether he felt it, he did sound it all the way down the stairs. Yeah, and I know that he was panicking, because he did it originally, but he got over that. I snapped at him. I just said, Stop it, David, if Rosell and I can go down these stairs, so can you. And then he did. He focused, and I'm sure that he had to have helped 1000s of people going down the stairs, and helped with his words, keeping them calm.   Alex Fullick ** 46:32 Yeah, yeah. It makes a difference, you know. Like I said earlier, you doesn't mean you're still not afraid. Doesn't mean that, you know, you're not aware of the negative situation around you. It's and you can't change it, but you can change, like I said earlier, you can change how you respond to it. You can be in control that way, right? And that's eventually what, what he did, and you you were, you know, you were controlled going downstairs, you know, with with your guide dog, and with all these people following you, and because of the way you were, like, then they were following you, yeah, and they remained calm. It's like there's someone calling up from below who's safe. I can hear that. I'm listening to Michael. He'll tell his dog how well behaved they are. And he's going down calmly. Okay, you know, I can do this. And they start calming down,   Michael Hingson ** 47:28 yeah, what's the riskiest thing you've ever done? Oh, word. Must have taken a risk somewhere in the world, other than public speaking. Oh, yeah, public speaking.   Alex Fullick ** 47:40 I still get nervous the first minute. I'm still nervous when I go up, but you get used to it after a while. But that first minute, yeah, I'm nervous. Oh, that there's, I have a fear of heights and the so the the two, two things that still surprised me that I did is I climbed the Sydney bridge, Harbor Bridge, and, oh, there's another bridge. Where is it? Is it a Brisbane? They're both in Australia. Anyway. Climb them both and have a fear of heights. But I thought, no, I gotta, I gotta do this. You know, I can't be afraid of this my entire life. And I kept seeing all these people go up there in groups, you know, on tours. And so I said, Okay, I'm going to do this. And I was shaking nervous like crazy, and went, What if I fall off, you know, and there's so many different measures in place for to keep you safe. But that that was risky, you know, for me, it felt risky. I was exhilarated when I did it. Though, would you do it again? Oh, yeah, in a heartbeat. Now, there you go. I'm still afraid of heights, but I would do that again because I just felt fantastic. The other I guess going out and being self employed years ago was another risky thing. I had no idea, you know about incorporating myself, and, you know, submitting taxes, you know, business taxes, and, you know, government documents and all this and that, and invoicing and things like that. I had no idea about that. So that was kind of risky, because I had no idea how long I'd be doing it. Well, I started in what 2007, 2007, I think so, 18 years, yeah, so now it's like, I can't imagine myself not doing it, you know, so I'm but I'm always willing to try something new these days. You know, even starting the podcast seven and a half years ago was risky, right? I had no idea. Nobody was talking about my industry or resilience or business continuity or anything back then, I was the first one doing it, and I'm the longest one doing it. Um, I've outlived a lot of people who thought they could do it. I'm still going. So that started out risky, but now I. Imagine not doing it, yeah, you know. And you know, it's, you know, I guess it's, it's just fun to keep trying new things. You know, I keep growing and, you know, I've got other plans in the works. I can't give anything away, but, you know, I've got other plans to try. And they'll, they'll be risky as well. But it's like,   Michael Hingson ** 50:21 no, let's go for it. Have you ever done skydiving or anything like that? No, I haven't done that. I haven't either. I know some blind people who have, but I just, I've never done that. I wouldn't   Alex Fullick ** 50:32 mind it. It's that might be one of those lines where should I? I'm not sure about this one, you know, but it is something that I I think I wouldn't do it on my own. I think I would have to be one of those people who's connected with someone else, with someone   Michael Hingson ** 50:51 else, and that's usually the way blind people do it, needless to say, but, and that's fine, I just have never done it. I haven't ever had a need to do it, but I know I can sit here and say, I'm not afraid to do it. That is, I could do it if it came along, if there was a need to do it, but I don't. I don't have a great need to make that happen. But you know, I've had enough challenges in my life. As I tell people, I think I learned how to deal with surprises pretty early, because I've been to a lot of cities and like, like Boston used to have a rep of being a very accident prone city. Just the way people drive, I could start to cross the street and suddenly I hear a car coming around the corner, and I have to move one way or the other and draw a conclusion very quickly. Do I back up or do I go forward? Because the car is not doing what it's supposed to do, which is to stop, and I have to deal with that. So I think those kinds of experiences have helped me learn to deal with surprise a little bit too.   Alex Fullick ** 51:52 Yeah, well, with the skydiving, I don't think I'd go out of my way to do it, but exactly came along, I think I would, you know, just for the thrill of saying, I did it,   Michael Hingson ** 52:03 I did it, yeah, I went ice skating once, and I sprained my ankle as we were coming off the ice after being on the ice for three hours. And I haven't gone ice skating again since. I'm not really afraid to, but I don't need to do it. I've done it. I understand what it feels like. Yeah, yeah. So it's okay. Have you had any really significant aha moments in your life, things that just suddenly, something happened and went, Ah, that's that's what that is, or whatever.   Alex Fullick ** 52:30 Well, it does happen at work a lot, dealing with clients and people provide different perspectives, and you just, Oh, that's interesting, though, that happens all the time. Aha moments. Sometimes they're not always good. Aha moments, yeah, like the one I always remember that the most is when I wrote my first book, heads in the sand. I was so proud of it, and, you know, excited and sent off all these letters and marketing material to all the chambers of commerce across Canada, you know, thinking that, you know, everyone's going to want me to speak or present or buy my book. Well, ah, it doesn't happen that way. You know, I got no responses. But that didn't stop me from writing seven more books and working on nine. Now, there you go, but it was that was kind of a negative aha moment so, but I just learned, okay, that's not the way I should be doing that.   Michael Hingson ** 53:34 Put you in your place, but that's fair. I kind   Alex Fullick ** 53:37 of, I laugh at it now, a joke, but you know, aha, things you know, I You never know when they're going to happen.   Michael Hingson ** 53:47 No, that's why they're Aha, yeah.   Alex Fullick ** 53:51 And one of one, I guess another one would have been when I worked out first went out on my own. I had a manager who kept pushing me like, go, go work for yourself. You know this better than a lot of other people. Go, go do this. And I was too nervous. And then I got a phone call from a recruiting agency who was offering me a role to do where I wanted to take this company, but that I was working for full time for that weren't ready to go. They weren't ready yet. And it was kind of an aha moment of, do I stay where I am and maybe not be happy? Or have I just been given an opportunity to go forward? So when I looked at it that way, it did become an aha moment, like, Ah, here's my path forward. Yeah, so, you know. And that was way back in 2007 or or so somewhere around there, you know. So the aha moments can be good. They can be bad, and, you know, but as long as you learn from them, that's exactly   Michael Hingson ** 54:57 right. The that's the neat thing about. Aha moments. You don't expect them, but they're some of the best learning opportunities that you'll ever get.   Alex Fullick ** 55:06 Yeah, yeah, I agree completely, because you never know that. That's the nice thing, and I think that's also part of what I do when I'm working with so many different people of different levels is they all have different experiences. They all have different backgrounds. You they can all be CEOs, but they all come from a different direction and different backgrounds. So they're all going to be offering something new that's going to make you sit there and go, Oh, yeah. And thought of that before,   Michael Hingson ** 55:38 yeah. So that's, that's so cool, yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 55:42 but you have to, you know, be able to listen and pick up on those kind of things.   Michael Hingson ** 55:46 But you've been very successful. What are some of the secrets of success that that that you've discovered, or that you put to use?   Alex Fullick ** 55:55 For me, I'll put it bluntly, shut up and listen.   Michael Hingson ** 55:59 There you are. Yeah. Well, that is so true. That's true. Yeah.   Alex Fullick ** 56:03 I think I've learned more by just using my two ears rather than my one mouth, instead of telling people everything they you should be doing. And you know, this is what I think you should do. And like talking at people, it's so much better just talk with people, and then they'll, even if you're trying to, you know, really, really, really, get them to see your side, they will come onto your side easier and probably better if you let them realize it themselves. So you just listen, and you ask the odd probing question, and eventually comes around, goes, Oh, yeah, I get it. What you mean now by doing this and going, Yeah, that's where I was going. I guess I just wasn't saying it right, you know. And have being humble enough to, you know, even though I, I know I did say it right, maybe I just wasn't saying it right to that person, to that person, yeah, right way. So listening to them, and, you know, I think, is one of the big keys to success for me, it has, you know, and I've learned twice as much that way. And maybe that's why I enjoy answering people on the podcast, is because I ask a couple of questions and then just let people talk,   Michael Hingson ** 57:18 which is what makes it fun. Yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 57:21 yeah. It's sometimes it's fun to just sit there, not say anything, just let someone else do all the talking.   Michael Hingson ** 57:29 What you know your industry is, I would assume, evolved and changed over the years. What are some of the major changes, some of the ways that the industry has evolved. You've been in it a long time, and certainly, business continuity, disaster recovery, whatever you want to call it, has, in some sense, has become a little bit more of a visible thing, although I think people, as both said earlier, ignore it a lot. But how's the industry changed over time?   Alex Fullick ** 57:54 Well, when I started, it was before y 2k, yes, 96 and back then, when I first started, everything was it focused. If your mainframe went down, your computer broke. That's the direction everyone came from. And then it was you added business continuity on top of that. Okay, now, what do we do with our business operations. You know, other things we can do manually while they fix the computer or rebuild the mainframe. And then it went to, okay, well, let's bring in, you know, our help desk. You know, who people call I've got a problem with a computer, and here's our priority and severity. Okay, so we'll get, we'll respond to your query in 12 hours, because it's only one person, but if there's 10 people who have the issue, now it becomes six hours and bringing in those different aspects. So we went from it disaster recovery to business continuity to then bringing in other disciplines and linking to them, like emergency management, crisis management, business continuity, incident management, cyber, information security. Now we've got business continuity management, you know, bringing all these different teams together and now, or at least on some level, not really integrating very well with each other, but just having an awareness of each other, then we've moved to operational resilience, and again, that buzzword where all these teams do have to work together and understand what each other is delivering and the value of each of them. And so it just keeps growing in that direction where it started off with rebuild a mainframe to getting everybody working together to keep your operations going, to keep your partners happy, to keep your customers happy. You know, ensuring life safety is priority number one. When, when I started, life safety was, wasn't really thrown into the business continuity realm that much. It was always the focus on the business. So the these. The sky, the size and scope has gotten a lot bigger and more encompassing of other areas. And I wouldn't necessarily all call that business continuity, you know it, but it is. I see business continuity as a the hub and a wheel, rather than a spoke, to bring all the different teams together to help them understand, you know, hey, here's, here's how you've Incident Management, you know, help desk, service desk, here's how you help the Disaster Recovery Team. Here's how you can help the cyber team. Cyber, here's how you can actually help this team, you know, and being able to understand. And that's where the biggest change of things is going is now, more and more people are understanding how they really need to work together, rather than a silo, which you know, a lot of organizations still do, but it's those walls are starting to come down, because they can understand no One can do it alone. You have to work together with your internal departments, leadership, data analysts, who have to be able to figure out how to rebuild data, or your third parties. We need to talk with them. We have to have a relationship with them our supply chain, and understand where they're going, what they have in place, if we or they experience something. So it's definitely grown in size and scope   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:27 well, and we're seeing enough challenges that I think some people are catching on to the fact that they have to learn to work together, and they have to think in a broader base than they have in the past, and that's probably a good thing. Yeah, well, if, if you had the opportunity, what would you tell the younger Alex?   Alex Fullick ** 1:01:50 Run, run for the hills. Yeah, really, no, seriously, I kind of mentioned a couple of them already. Don't sweat the small things. You know, sometimes, yeah, and I think that comes down to our mindset thing as well. You know, understand your priorities and what's important. If it's not a priority or important, don't sweat it. Don't be afraid to take risks if you if you do your planning, whether it be jumping out of a plane or whatever, you know the first thing you want to do is what safety measures are in place to ensure that my jump will be successful. You know, those kind of things. Once you understand that, then you can make knowledgeable decisions. Don't be afraid to take those risks. And it's one of the big things. It's it's okay to fail, like I said about the book thing where you all those that marketing material I sent out, it's okay to fail. Learn from it. Move on. I can laugh at those kind of things now. You know, for years, I couldn't I was really like, oh my god, what I do wrong? It's like, No, I didn't do anything wrong. It just wasn't the right time. Didn't do it the right way. Okay, fine, move on. You know, you know, don't be afraid to fail. If, if you, if you fail and get up, well then is it really a failure? You learned, you got back up and you kept going. And that's the part of resilience too, right? Yeah, if you trip and fall, you get up and keep going. But if you trip and fall and stay down, well then maybe you are   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:30 failing. That's the failure. I mean, the reality is that it isn't failure if you learn from it and move on. It was something that set you back, but that's okay, yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 1:03:41 my my favorite band, Marillion, has a line in one of their songs rich. Failure isn't about falling down. Failure is staying down. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:50 I would agree with that. Completely agree   Alex Fullick ** 1:03:53 with it. He'll stand by it. W

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses Part 4 of the NextThink Blog: Let's Talk Numbers: 15 Indispensable Stats about DEX & End-User Computing. This episode is focused on software usage.Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses a funny story regarding partially-completed projectsEach week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

Moin aus Osnabrück und herzlich willkommen zur 30. Folge vom Update. Dieses Mal begrüßt Ulf den Wirtschaftsinformatiker und strategischen IT-Berater Dennis Winter am Podcast Mikrofon. Am 28.04.2025 stand das öffentliche Leben in Spanien und Portugal für Stunden still. 55 Millionen Menschen ohne Strom, U-Bahnen, Ampeln, Flughäfen – alles lahmgelegt. Krankenhäuser mussten auf Notstrom umschalten, der digitale Alltag brach zusammen. Die Ursache: kein Cyberangriff, wie zuerst vermutet – aber trotzdem ein Weckruf für uns alle. Dennis und Ulf sprechen in dieser Folge darüber, wie Unternehmen sich mit IT-Notfallmanagement und Business Continuity für den Notfall absichern können.

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin interviews John Baldwin of Discount Tire. Justin and John explore risk management topics, including Tire Safety Month, tire safety education of customers, and the tire selection tool he developed, Treadwell. John shares information about ongoing projects at Discount Tire and also his work on the board of the Tire Recycling Foundation. Listen to gain awareness of how tire selection can be a safety factor in your ERM program.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:17] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest is John Baldwin of Discount Tire. He's joining us for National Safety Month and National Tire Safety Month here in June 2025. We're going to learn about the risk tool that he developed at Discount Tire. [:49] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Workshop will be presented in conjunction with NAIT on June 10th and 11th. Register by June 9th. That course will be led by former RIMS President, Nowell Seaman. [1:11] Links to these courses can be found on the Certification Page of RIMS.org and through this episode's show notes. [1:18] Virtual Workshops! On June 12th, Pat Saporito will host “Managing Data for ERM”, and she will return on June 26th to present the very popular new course, “Generative AI for Risk Management”. [1:35] A link to the full schedule of virtual workshops can be found on the RIMS.org/education and RIMS.org/education/online-learning pages. A link is also in this episode's show notes. [1:47] We have a special new 12-week virtual workshop course, The Advanced Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Certificate Program, instructed by James Lam, one of the most famous Chief Risk Officers in the world! [2:04] He will lead an intensive 12-week program, beginning July 16th, bi-weekly until September 2025. Registration closes on July 7th. [2:17] James will join us next week to discuss this program and his ERM philosophy. Check out the link in this episode's show notes and the Education page of RIMS.org. Register today before we reach virtual capacity! [2:33] On with the show! It's our first episode of June 2025. That means that it is National Safety Month here in the U.S. and also Tire Safety Month. I was delighted to book today's guest, John Baldwin, PhD. He is the Chief Product and Technical Officer of Discount Tire. [2:56] He developed a risk tool for Discount Tire called Treadwell. This is the company's personalized tire recommendation tool. [3:05] Treadwell utilizes extensive real-world testing data, including nearly a million tread depth measurements annually and evaluations of dozens of new tire models each year. [3:17] John is also a member of the Enterprise Risk Committee at Discount Tire, so we will also learn about his risk philosophies and his efforts to bolster sustainability when it comes to tires, tire manufacturing, and tire recycling. [3:33] Interview! John Baldwin, welcome to RIMScast! [3:52] John says risk management is like safety. You incorporate it in every decision you make. It's good to make it part of the daily oxygen. [4:10] John started consulting with Discount Tire in 2007 and became full-time in 2012. [4:25] John is a Senior Vice President and Chief Product and Technical Strategist. He's responsible for the fitment guide on the website. Discount Tire measures each vehicle it can and puts that in the fitment guide. [4:56] They consider product quality and performance. They test tires, wheels, and lug nuts, before offering them for sale. John's background is technical. [5:10] John is also in charge of sustainability and government affairs. [5:24] John has a bachelor's degree in chemistry and a PhD in polymer science, the study of plastics and rubber. He was at 3M for a lot of years working on filter media for filter masks, which had a resurgence 25 years after he left. [5:49] John went to automotive working in adhesives. He was hired by Ford. He was at Ford when the Ford Firestone recall happened. He got drafted onto the Root Cause Team, to find out what was going on with the tires because of his background. [6:08] John worked in advanced manufacturing on a cross-functional team. [6:22] John's advice to folks coming up in a company is “Saying No is career-limiting.” He had said No a lot, at the beginning of his career. When he started saying Yes, things changed. [6:38] Coming from the larger companies where he had worked, John says the vibe at family-owned Discount Tire is an entrepreneurial spirit. There's a lot less bureaucracy. You go talk to people to get things done. It's very comfortable for John. [6:58] John says Discount Tire is for everyone but the people who thrive here are more self-starting, think it out, and occasionally color outside the lines. It's nice. You learn a lot. [7:13] John has a small group of about 25 people. They are cohorts of the risk group. The risk group collects and manages thought processes and information. The people who own the risks have to take care of them. The risk group shares a framework for them to manage risks. [8:23] John is on the Enterprise Risk Committee. It's a group of the different functional areas, Technical Fitment, Real Estate, IT, Cybersecurity, Store Management, Product Quality, Legal, HR, and other areas from around the corporation represented. [8:52] The Enterprise Risk Committee is one level below the Steering Committee. They use a tool called Riskonnect. They analyze and bring the risks to the Steering Committee. Justin and John first connected through the last Riskonnect webinar! [9:46] There are technical issues in managing the stores, including customer safety. Customer safety is a founding philosophy at Discount Tire. Customer safety is the first consideration. [10:21] When John first came on board at Discount Tire, it was after the Firestone Tire recall and Discount Tire focused on tire quality. Everyone at Purchasing hated him for being “Dr. No.” He told them: Let's put a process together where we validate whom we're buying from. [10:51] He said, we validate the quality of the tires and wheels that we're buying and that frees you up. We could entertain buying from people we would never have entertained buying from because they meet our criteria. Suddenly, it goes from closing the box to expanding the box. [11:07] That's how we have to get people thinking. Once you have the process down, it unburdens you. It allows you to take more risks because you have a way of assessing what the risk is and doing something about it. [11:34] June is Tire Safety Month, promoted by the NHTSA. John is planning on a visit there next week. Tire Safety Month is an opportunity to engage and ask customers: Have you looked at your tires? Do you know what your air pressure is? Discount Tire does free air checks and fills. [12:20] One of the number one things for safety is making sure you have plenty of air in your tires. Most people don't think about it or check it. Talk with customers about tire tread depth and why there are treads. [12:54] Tire Safety Month is June because school is over and people will be taking road trips. Be aware of your tires. Check your air pressure and tread depth. The tread is essential for driving in rain or snow so you don't hydroplane and you can brake properly. Get your tires checked. [13:47] These things matter. There's a reason tires are designed the way they are. The public generally doesn't know. When John started working in tires he had no idea they came in different sizes. Everybody has a first day at work. [14:26] People generally don't change tires on their own, because you need a machine. [14:34] Plug Time! RIMS Webinars! On June 5th, Zywave joins us to discuss “Today's Escalating Risk Trajectory: What's the Cause and What's the Solution?”. [14:49] On June 17th, Origami Risk returns to present “Strategic Risk Financing in an Unstable Economy: Leveraging Technology for Efficiency and Cost Reduction”. [15:00] More webinars will be announced soon and added to the RIMS.org/Webinars page. Go there to register. Registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [15:11] Are you a summer intern and interested in learning more about career opportunities in the insurance industry? Are you based in the Greater Chicago area? If so, join Chicago RIMS in a free event sponsored by Origami Risk. [15:29] Students and insurance professionals will come together to explore the wide variety of career paths in insurance and the captive industry. This event will provide you with valuable insights into the industry and allow you to start building your network with peers in the area. [15:44] This is an opportunity to learn from industry experts and kickstart your career in insurance. Register at ChicagoRIMS.org and mark your calendar for this free event on July 10th at 3:30 p.m. at 222 N LaSalle, STE 2100 in Chicago, IL. [16:04] Let's Return to Our Conversation with John Baldwin of Discount Tire!  [16:23] John points out mistakes in tire safety and maintenance. Are you overloading your vehicle? If you pull a trailer, are you loading the trailer correctly? Are you overdriving your abilities in bad weather? It's not about going fast, it's about stopping fast and being able to steer. [16:57] Be mindful of the conditions around you and how other people are driving. Most people tend to overestimate their abilities, especially if they're not in those conditions often. [17:19] Fleet safety is another topic. You have to pay attention to the details. [18:10] Discount Tire is a large purchaser of tires. Tire salesmen came in and boasted about their tires and downplayed their competition's tires. Discount Tire didn't have a basis for pushing back so they hired a driver and started testing the tires. They got warranty information. [18:39] A year after Discount Tire started testing tires for internal information, Chief Strategy Officer Dave Ginsberg, a data scientist, joined Discount Tire. He was thinking of an algorithm to help people pick tires. John told him of the data they gathered to help Discount Tire pick tires. [19:10] Both Discount Tire and the consumers have the same problem, what to buy. There's a lot out there. David put together the math behind Treadwell, and John's team generated the data. It's based on what you drive, where you drive, and how you drive, on city roads or a highway. [19:48] Not every car is a commuter. Some people just drive on the weekend. On different cars, different trim levels come with different tire sizes and wheel sizes. A key issue is what mileage you can expect. Discount Tire does free rotations. That gives them data on how long a tire lasts. [20:41] Discount Tire tests in winter and rain. They also test worn tires that they've buffed down to 4/32nds and test them in the wet. Tires are only new for the first couple thousand miles. Then various changes occur in how your tires perform over time. [21:11] So that's what we're trying to get at with people. We've changed a lot about how the tire industry's looking and talking about that, all for the customer, to relay to you how this is going to work over the life of your tire. [21:26] There are annual evaluations of over 75 new tire models each year. When Cooper was bought by Goodyear, the track Discount Tire was using for testing became redundant for Goodyear, so Discount Tire purchased it. They have a third-party test for them. [22:16] John tells tire manufacturers that Discount Tire uses Treadwell internally when talking about what tires to buy. It's the same version and data that consumers see. It's a unique tool. [22:58] There were some other sellers doing testing. Tire Rack was one of them. Discount Tire bought Tire Rack at the beginning of '22. They continue to do testing. Tire Rack is for the in-depth enthusiast. [24:08] Discount Tire is for the consumer who needs a tire but doesn't know a lot about tires, doesn't have a lot of time, and doesn't want to get ripped off. There's a lot of technical data. Discount Tire Treadwell quickly boils it down to suggest which tire the customer should buy. [24:18] Another point about Treadwell is that it has nothing to do with the cost of the tire or how much money Discount Tire makes from the sale. It's about the performance of the tire. It encourages the customer to look down the list for the diamond in the rough. It's a good tool. [24:49] The tire manufacturers have looked at the tool and said they want to win at Treadwell. It's impossible to do. The local weather affects the algorithm. Chances are, a good tire in Arizona is not a good tire in Minnesota because of the weather. Treadwell is objective. [25:31] Treadwell took two years to launch from conception. They had to get enough data from the stores in the field and enough testing to launch a small subset of tires. Now, they have almost every tire tested or it's on the list to get tested. When a new tire comes, they test it. [26:16] One of the things Discount Tire found is that it took some time after launch for the store managers to buy into using it with customers. They didn't understand it was a real tool. [26:40] In the last year or so, Discount Tire has started taking store managers through Treadwell to be tire evaluators for a day, testing at the track. They get a T-shirt, The Treadwell Experience. It has been game-changing. The tool has been embraced internally. [27:32] One of the store managers said Treadwell is like having a test track behind every store. [27:41] Plug Time! The very first RIMS Texas Regional Conference will be held from August 4th through the 6th in San Antonio at the Henry B. González Convention Center. Early Bird Registration is now open through June 7th. Save up to 20% on a Full-Conference Pass. [28:03] Hotel cut-off for the discounted rate is available through July 7th. The full Conference Agenda is now live so you can start planning your experience. Don't miss the post-conference workshop, the RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Course, available onsite. [28:19] Also register by June 7th for your Early Bird Registration and save $200. Any chapter member can attend and anyone who is not a RIMS member has to email RIMStexas@RIMS.org to request a unique registration code. Links are in this episode's show notes. [28:39] You can also visit the Events Page of RIMS.org for more information. We look forward to seeing you in Texas! [28:47] About the Spencer Educational Foundation's Grants program. Spencer's goal to help build a talent pipeline of risk management and insurance professionals is achieved, in part, by its collaboration with risk management and insurance educators across the U.S. and Canada. [29:04] Since 2010, Spencer has awarded over $3.3 million in General Grants to support over 130 student-centered experiential learning initiatives at universities and RMI non-profits. Spencer's 2026 application process is now open through July 30th, 2025. [29:25] General Grant awardees are typically notified at the end of October. Learn more about Spencer's General Grants through the Programs tab of SpencerEd.org. [29:35] Let's Return to the Conclusion of My Interview with Discount Tire's John Baldwin! [30:01] Discount Tire tests rolling resistance; how much fuel or energy per mile one tire absorbs, vs. another tire. Tires that roll easier don't take as much fuel. With battery vehicles, range is a big deal. Tire rolling resistance ranking for electric vehicles is incorporated into the algorithm. [30:47] If you have the same tire, size, construction, and everything, one on a gas vehicle and one on an electric vehicle, there is typically 10 to 15% faster wear on the battery vehicle because of the weight and a little bit of the torque. They factor the car in for the mileage estimation. [31:15] Noise becomes more of a consideration with electric vehicles because there's no engine noise. The whirring noise electric cars make is added so they're not completely silent. [31:49] Amazon made a big commitment to electric vehicles with Rivian. A lot of Uber drivers are starting to use Model 3 vehicles. There is a trend toward hybrid gas/electric vehicles. [32:41] Treadwell is testing off-road tires. If you take a truck out in the mud, you want a tire that works in the mud and rocks. Treadwell just expanded into testing winter tires. [33:27] Discount Tire is thinking about working with Tire Rack to rank summer tires and more. [33:52] John is on the Board of Directors of the Tire Recycling Foundation. The foundation is jointly put together through the United States Tire Manufacturing Association and also the Tire Industry Association, the retailers. [34:17] We need to find more recycling uses for tires. Twenty percent of scrap tires that come off today are landfilled. Thirty percent are burned in kilns. Fifteen percent are sold used. Used tires are not optimized for safety. [34:51] Is there a way to recycle these tires back into tires rubber-modified asphalt, or mats? There are so many other things you can do with tires besides burning them and burying them. [35:12] To go into asphalt, tires are ground up and then added to the mix. It's a different process, which when done right, provides a quieter surface with a better grip and it lasts longer. It's a good use of tires and would take care of the scrap tire problem. [35:37] Being in the Tire Recycling Foundation complements John's job at Discount Tire. How to recycle tires has been a problem in the U.S. tire industry for 100 years. [36:34] Municipalities sometimes have a Waste Date to drop off your hazardous waste. Instead of taking it there, you can bring it to a Discount Tire or a competitor. Then it will be recycled. [38:04] People can go to TireRecyclingFoundation.org for more information. It's a broad-based coalition. [38:59] John, it has been a real pleasure to speak with you. It's been illuminating. I'm glad that we're shining a lot on how important tires are to our daily lives and the supply chain. I don't know that we've ever done an episode devoted to tires! This is super cool for us at RIMS! [39:22] Special thanks again to John Baldwin of Discount Tire for joining us. [39:26] I've got links in this episode's show notes for information about Treadwell, the Tire Recycling Foundation, and Discount Tire's appearance on the RIMS Riskonnect on April 24th, 2025 webinar, “Better Together: The Marriage of Insurable Risk and Business Continuity”. [39:46] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [40:13] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [40:32] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [40:49] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [41:05] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [41:19] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org. [41:27] Thank you all for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Links: RIMS Texas Regional 2025 — August 4‒6 | Advance registration rates are now open. RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Risk Management magazine RIMS Now The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center Spencer Educational Foundation — General Grants 2026 — Application Deadline July 30, 2025 RIMS-CRMP Advanced Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Certificate Program — Featuring Instructor James Lam! Register by July 7. | Bi-weekly course begins July 16. Tire Safety Month — NHTSA The Tire Recycling Foundation “All About Treadwell” — John Baldwin Interview “Better Together: The Marriage of Insurable Risk and Business Continuity” — A RIMS Webinar, Sponsored by Riskonnect and featuring Discount Tire (April 24, 2025) RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars “Today's Escalating Risk Trajectory: What's the Cause & What's the Solution?” | Sponsored by Zywave | June 5, 2025 “Strategic Risk Financing in an Unstable Economy: Leveraging Technology for Efficiency and Cost Reduction” | Sponsored by Origami Risk | June 17, 2025   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Virtual Workshop — June 10‒11, 2025 | Presented by RIMS and NAIT Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule “Managing Data for ERM” | June 12 | Instructor: Pat Saporito  “Generative AI for Risk Management” | June 26 | Instructor: Pat Saporito See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Related RIMScast Episodes: “Company Safety and RIMS Chapter Leadership with Tamieka Weeks” “Safety and Preparedness in 2024 with National Safety Council CEO Lorraine Martin” “Traffic Awareness with Carol Fritzsche of Subaru of America” “Fleet Safety with NETS Executive Director Susan Gillies-Hipp” (2022)   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience” | Sponsored by AXA XL (New!) “Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs” | Sponsored by Zurich “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich “What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping” | Sponsored by Medcor “Risk Management in a Changing World: A Deep Dive into AXA's 2024 Future Risks Report” | Sponsored by AXA XL “How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips” | Sponsored by Alliant “RMIS Innovation with Archer” | Sponsored by Archer “Navigating Commercial Property Risks with Captives” | Sponsored by Zurich “Breaking Down Silos: AXA XL's New Approach to Casualty Insurance” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Weathering Today's Property Claims Management Challenges” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Storm Prep 2024: The Growing Impact of Convective Storms and Hail” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Partnering Against Cyberrisk” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Harnessing the Power of Data and Analytics for Effective Risk Management” | Sponsored by Marsh “Accident Prevention — The Winning Formula For Construction and Insurance” | Sponsored by Otoos “Platinum Protection: Underwriting and Risk Engineering's Role in Protecting Commercial Properties” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Elevating RMIS — The Archer Way” | Sponsored by Archer   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Kristen Peed!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: John M Baldwin, PhD, Chief Product & Technical Officer, Discount Tire   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses Part 3 of the NextThink Blog: Let's Talk Numbers: 15 Indispensable Stats about DEX & End-User Computing. This episode is focused on unseen issues.Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

Business Continuity Planning is critical for all organisations in being prepared to manage a disruption or emergency.  You need to have your organisations ready as it shows a focused effort, a commitment to excellence and also intelligent planning.

Host James Dyson speaks with four security and risk experts: Ondrej Doubek, Senior Security Management Consultant at Reversec; Riku Juurikko, Head of Preparedness & Continuity at Elisa; Jukka Seppänen, CISO at UpCloud; and Joakim Tauren, CISO of Small Business Segment at Visma. Together, they explore critical strategies for business continuity, risk management, and cybersecurity resilience. The discussion highlights how companies can strengthen their preparedness and protect operations from disruption through effective planning, leadership, and collaboration across IT and business units.

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses Part 4 of the discussion on service management best practices. This focused on the leadership aspects of service management.Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses Part 2 of the NextThink Blog: Let's Talk Numbers: 15 Indispensable Stats about DEX & End-User Computing. This episode is focused on technology disruptions.Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses Part 3 of the discussion on service management best practices. This focused on Service Request Management.Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses Part 1 of the NextThink Blog: Let's Talk Numbers: 15 Indispensable Stats about DEX & End-User Computing. This episode is focused on impacts to digital experience.Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses Part 2 of the discussion on service management best practices. This focused on Incident Management.Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

- Building Resilience in the Aviation Industry (Part II) In this episode, John is in conversation with Richard Drennan, Business Continuity and Crisis Response Manager at flydubai. He started his aviation career on the ground with Menzies Aviation before holding roles within Titan Airways and British Airways in the U.K. In 2014 he joined flydubai within their Network Control Centre following his original discipline of Operations Control/Flight Dispatch. Since then, he has progressed and held roles in Airport Services and Safety before being tasked heading up Business Continuity & Emergency Response for the Organisation. In addition to these roles, Rick hold the position of Emergency Response Director and is a member of the company Threat Assessment Group. 01:17 You mentioned the Dubai floods last year was a black swan event. But what if these are more regular occurances due to the changing climate patterns? 04:56 In Terms of decision making in critical situations or times of crisis - how do you think leadership styles influence the outcome of a crisis? 06:12 A crisis isn't the time to be developing relationships... 08:30 Rick, what advice would you give to organisations who are looking to build stronger crisis management frameworks? 14:47 What have you learnt by working in your profession that you may have adopted as a standard working practice or perhaps you even use it in your personal life?

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses how Service Delivery success will change over the next five years. Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

May 8, 2025: Dr. Susan Ibanez, CIO of Southeast Georgia Health System, discusses the challenges and opportunities of being the organization's first-ever CIO at her health system. What does it look like to build the CIO role from the ground up? How do you balance addressing technical debt while simultaneously driving digital transformation at a smaller health system? Ibanez also offers valuable insights on the importance of professional certifications, networking, and the evolving role of the modern CIO—no longer just a tech job, but requires business acumen, strategic vision, and financial expertise. Key Points: 06:18 Community and Regional Challenges 10:25 Addressing Technical Debt and Cloud Strategies 15:29 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity 18:34 AI and Future Technologies 21:24 Professional Development and Certifications 24:14 Advice for Aspiring CIOs X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex's Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses Part 1 of the discussion on service management best practices. This focused on Change Management/Enablement.Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses how to measure Service Delivery success. Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses a method for service costing. Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

In this conversation, Kence Anderson, Founder and CEO of Composable sits down with host, Ann Wyatt, to discusses the critical role of AI in manufacturing. From the looming retirement crisis to the critical need for preserving tribal knowledge, Kence shares why AI, machine teaching, and innovative workforce training are more essential than ever. He highlights how manufacturers can empower engineers and operators, ensure business continuity, and build a future-ready workforce. Kence shares insights on overcoming talent challenges and offers advice for tenured manufacturing executives on the best ways they can leverage AI for the future of work and advice for early career professionals navigating their paths in the industry, alike. In This Episode:-00:00: Introduction to Kence Anderson and Composable-02:51: The Importance of Preserving Tribal Knowledge-06:42: Empowering Engineers and Workforce Development-10:40: AI in Manufacturing: Bridging the Skills Gap-18:34: Business Continuity and Legacy in Manufacturing-22:29: Machine Teaching: A New Approach to Training-29:01: Overcoming Talent Challenges in Manufacturing-36:28: Kence's Journey and Advice for Early Career ProfessionalsMore About Kence:As our CEO and Founder of Composabl, Kence is a pioneering autonomous AI leveraging his deep expertise in the industrial sector. With a background in mechanical engineering and a passion for teaching, Kence has authored the book, "Designing Autonomous AI," along with having developed courses for the University of Washington and the Association for Advancing Automation. Previously the Director of Autonomous AI Adoption at Microsoft and the lead customer engineer for Bonsai (acquired by Microsoft), Anderson has spearheaded the creation of over 200 autonomous AI systems for commercial applications. Anderson's unparalleled talent lies in integrating human expertise with AI principles, exemplified by the innovative multi-agent orchestration platform he has developed with the Machine Teaching Methodology as the foundation of the platform architecture. Motivated by the desire to empower the 100M industry machine engineers, Anderson and the Composabl team developed a groundbreaking no-code production-ready AI Agent Builder tool kit. This enables operators and engineers to build "Intelligent Agents" that the engineer can teach to solve nuanced and real-world problems that supersede the current capabilities of manufacturing floor automation. To learn more about Kence, connect with him here. The Future of Work (and this Episode) Is Brought To You By Secchi:Secchi is a revolutionary workforce engagement tool created for organizations to make data-driven frontline decisions in real-time. By measuring and combining multiple people-related lead indicators, Secchi provides in-the-moment visibility into individual frontline employee performance, team performance, engagement/turnover risks, and positive employee behaviors all while removing the traditional barriers of administrative burden on leaders. To learn more about Secchi, check them out here.

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses how to map dependencies for service delivery. Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

In this episode of Automox Insiders, host Maddie Regis chats with Adam Whitman, Manager of Solutions Engineering at Automox, about all things IT spring cleaning. From patch management and software audits to business continuity planning and endpoint hygiene, Adam shares practical, real-world tips for tidying up your tech stack and staying ahead of IT clutter.  Along the way, he reflects on his career journey from marketing to IT leadership and reveals some personal spring cleaning confessions. Tune in for expert advice and a fresh perspective to help you refresh your IT environment this season.

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses a perspective on service management metrics. Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

- Building Resilience in the Aviation Industry (Part I) In this episode, John is in conversation with Richard Drennan, Business Continuity and Crisis Response Manager at flydubai. He started his aviation career on the ground with Menzies Aviation before holding roles within Titan Airways and British Airways in the U.K. In 2014 he joined flydubai within their Network Control Centre following his original discipline of Operations Control/Flight Dispatch. Since then, he has progressed and held roles in Airport Services and Safety before being tasked heading up Business Continuity & Emergency Response for the Organisation. In addition to these roles, Rick hold the position of Emergency Response Director and is a member of the company Threat Assessment Group. 03:34 The most dreadful floods that occurred last year, April 17th, 2024 in Dubai. How was flydubai affected? 07:46 In a way did we contribute to an overloaded system? 10:23 There wasn't necessarily a model set for this... We suspended our operations and activated our crisis management centre. 12:30 How did you use the plans and checklists? How did they work for you? What were the lessons learnt? 16:00 It's not like volunteers don't get paid because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin and his guest, Tamieka Weeks, discuss highlights from her risk career and how she felt, pivoting from claims adjusting to risk management. Tamieka tells of her role at Southwire and how she helps the evolving risk and insurance group. Tamieka digs into challenges she has faced at Southwire and in the RIMS Atlanta Chapter, where she serves on the board as a past president. She tells how the Chapter survived and improved during COVID-19. Tamieka speaks of her instant love of risk management and the excitement of waking up each day not knowing what was coming next. Tamieka provides advice for rising professionals and tells how the RIMS Atlanta Chapter works with risk and insurance students. Listen to Tamieka's advice for you. Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:15] Registration is open for RISKWORLD 2025. Engage Today and Embrace Tomorrow with RIMS, from May 4th through May 7th in Chicago, Illinois. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. [:26] After you register, visit your App Store, search for RIMS Events, and download the RIMS Events App. Select RISKWORLD 2025, load the show onto your phone, and start building your RISKWORLD itinerary! [:42] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest is former RIMS Atlanta Chapter President, Tamieka Weeks. We will talk about her career journey and all the fantastic work she's done for the RIMS Atlanta Chapter. [1:07] In the spirit of National Electrical Safety Month, we will learn how she drives a culture of safety at Southwire. [1:15] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! RIMS is co-hosting an intensive four-day program which is your gateway to achieving two prestigious certifications, the DRI Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) and the RIMS Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP). [1:34] This workshop will be held from May 19th through the 22nd in collaboration with DRI International. Links to these courses can be found through the Certification page of RIMS.org and this episode's show notes. [1:49] Virtual Workshops! On June 12th, Pat Saporito will host “Managing Data for ERM” and she will return on June 26th to present the very popular new course, “Generative AI for Risk Management”. [2:06] A link to the full schedule of virtual workshops can be found on the RIMS.org/education and RIMS.org/education/online-learning pages. A link is also in this episode's show notes. [2:17] RISKWORLD registration is open. Engage Today and Embrace Tomorrow, from May 4th through 7th in Chicago. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. Also, remember that there will be lots of pre-conference workshops being held in Chicago just ahead of RISKWORLD. [2:35] These courses include “Applying and Integrating ERM,” “Captives as an Alternate Risk Financing Technique,” and more! The links are in the show notes. [2:45] The Spencer Educational Foundation is having a Flash Sale for sponsorships at RISKWORLD! Sponsorship pricing has been reduced for the Spencer-CNA Pickleball Social on Saturday, May 3rd, and the Spencer-Gallagher Golf Tournament on Sunday, May 4th. [3:03] Sponsorships are still available for the Spencer-Sedgwick 5K Fun Run on Tuesday, May 6th. Visit Spencered.org/riskworld2025 to learn about these opportunities and more. Also, reach out to Spencer's Executive Director Megan Miller at MMiller@Spencered.org. [3:26] Our guest today is the Director of Global Risk Management and Insurance at Southwire Company in Georgia. She is also the former RIMS Atlanta Chapter President. Under her leadership, the chapter took home the RIMS 2022 Chapter of the Year Award at RISKWORLD. [3:46] She is Tamieka Weeks and I am so thrilled to finally get her on RIMScast to talk about her career journey, her work at Southwire, and what it was like to lead the RIMS Atlanta Chapter. [3:59] We will also talk about how Tamieka helps drive a culture of safety at Southwire, in the spirit of National Electrical Safety Month, coming up in May. [4:08] Interview! Tamieka Weeks, welcome to RIMScast!  [4:31] Tamieka Weeks started as a claims adjuster with a finance degree. Her career has been so different from many. Tamieka hopes all will take their journey for what it's worth and be proud of their accomplishments. [5:08] When someone approaches you with an opportunity, say Yes! Don't turn it down. You never know what doors may open. As a former claims adjuster, and now the Director of Global Risk Management and Insurance, she wants to have a relationship with the claims adjusters. [5:45] In a file review, Tamieka wants to know the why behind an insurance policy. She purchases a policy with the intent of protecting Southwire's assets. [6:29] Southwire is about an hour west of Atlanta, in Carrollton, Georgia. It is the leading manufacturer of wiring cable. Southwire will celebrate 75 years in March of 2030. Southwire is excited about where it is today and is looking forward to continuing to grow globally. [7:13] Tamieka knows to expect the unexpected and be able to pivot. She never knows what may come up in a day. She is open. She knows she is there to support the organization. [7:38] Tamieka is a trusted advisor and a subject matter expert within the organization. She prides herself on ensuring that everyone knows that she is here to support them. [7:54] Southwire has 9,000 employees. In November 2024, Southwire launched a risk management SharePoint site. It goes into risk management insurance definitions and surety bonds definitions. It's all about sharing the knowledge of the industry. [8:26] The SharePoint site also provides the claims reporting. Tamieka educates the employees on what to do when an incident occurs. The first thing is to report the claim to the TPA. If they have any questions, they can contact Tamieka. Tamieka is also responsible for surety bonds. [9:16] There is a checklist for property claims and those are reported to Tamieka. The instructions for what needs to happen on a property claim are on the SharePoint site. It's important to notify Tamieka so she can report the property claim. [9:32] It's all about everyone being aware of what needs to happen about an event. [9:41] Tamieka has been with Southwire for almost 12 years. She helped build the risk culture at Southwire. It's been a fun ride, for sure! [9:53] Tamieka partnered with several team members to develop the SharePoint site. It's been exciting for the organization. It was launched by the IT department and several others. Tamieka had spoken with risk professionals throughout the industry about what they were launching. [10:33] The beauty of the risk industry is that we don't have to reinvent the wheel. It's all about what we can do to enhance their organization through process improvement. [11:00] When Tamieka started with Southwire, she was busy administering certificates of insurance. The SharePoint site streamlines everything in a central location. People can see their insurance limits, request what they need, and submit information to their insurance brokers. [11:45] Tamieka's risk team of about 5 people reports to the General Counsel department. [12:27] Plug Time! RIMS Webinars! On April 24th, Riskonnect returns to deliver “Better Together: The Marriage of Insurable Risk and Business Continuity.” Nonmembers can use the code BETTER50 at checkout for complimentary registration. [12:44] Zurich's webinar, “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” was rescheduled and will be held on May 1st at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. [12:52] If you were already registered for the original date, you do not need to take any action: You are now registered for the May 1st session with Zurich about “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding.” [13:04] On May 22nd, webinars are back with GRC, a TÜV SÜD Company, and their newest session, “Asset Valuations in 2025: Managing Tariffs, Inflation, and Rising Insurance Scrutiny”. [13:20] On June 5th, Zywave joins us to discuss “Today's Escalating Risk Trajectory: What's the Cause and What's the Solution?” We'll find out on June 5th! [13:31] More webinars will be announced soon and added to the RIMS.org/Webinars page. Go there to register. Registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [13:43] There was a brief extension for educational session submissions for RIMS Canada, which will be held from September 14th through the 17th in Calgary. The link is in this episode's show notes. Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca and submit your session by April 24th. [14:00] Let's Return to Our Interview with Former RIMS Atlanta Chapter President Tamieka Weeks! [14:18] When Tamieka joined risk management, she loved it instantly because it's continually evolving. The market and your company are evolving and you have to be able to embrace the change. There are always new risks and emerging risks. [14:43] Once, cyber risk was new. Now the new risk we're talking about is AI. Who knows what new risk we will be talking about in the next nine months to a year? To be in the risk management industry, you have to love it to wake up each day not knowing what to expect. [15:16] Tamiela says the meaningful relationships that we establish from day to day, month to month, and year to year are truly amazing. The industry is amazing, as well, from Atlanta to global. She is excited about RISKWORLD 2025 in Chicago. [15:43] RISKWORLD 2025 will be held from May 4th through May 7th, in Chicago, Illinois. [15:47] May is also National Electrical Safety Awareness Month in the U.S. Southwire is always focused on safety, with monthly training for team members. They focus on team members from entering the facilities to exiting the facilities. Safety is number one. [16:28] Southwire's Environmental Health and Safety Department strives for safety. Southwire recently completed Lockout/Tagout training, a safety procedure for properly shutting off equipment to ensure that no one is accidentally injured if machinery is being serviced. [17:01] Tamieka says labeling is placed on Southwire wires and cables to ensure the customers are aware of how to use the products. Customers can also download information on the safe use of Southwire products. This is part of Southwire's Environmental Health and Safety efforts. [17:43] RIMS Plug! From Ryan Harris, upcoming Keynote on the Main Stage on May 6th at RISKWORLD 2025, “Greetings RIMS members and global risk professionals! I'm Ryan Harris, Champion of Super Bowl 50, best-selling author, and award-winning broadcaster. [18:02] “I'm thrilled to be your Main Stage Keynote for RISKWORLD 2025, where we will discuss the transformative five steps to building a championship team and leading to win! You can learn more about me and my story by listening to RIMScast. [18:18] ”And more than anything, make sure to register for RISKWORLD 2025 by visiting RIMS.org/riskworld. I'm so thrilled to see you and I'm looking forward to us building together so that you can reach your greatest success!” [18:33] Thank you, again, Ryan. We look forward to seeing you at RISKWORLD 2025 on May 6th. A link to Ryan's episode of RIMScast, #325, is in this episode's show notes. Get a preview of the Super Bowl Champion and remember to register for RISKWORLD 2025. [18:49] Let's Return to the Conclusion of Our Interview with Tamieka Weeks! [19:10] Tamieka describes practicing risk management in the greater Atlanta area. She says it's all about the people and the risk management community. Everybody just loves everybody! It's Southern hospitality. When she joined the Atlanta RIMS Chapter, it was very welcoming. [19:34] When Tamieka joined the board, the board members saw so much potential in her. They assured her she could do this. Tamieka says Atlanta is the land of opportunity. Tamieka joined the chapter in 2013. She became the first Black female President of the Atlanta Chapter. [20:38] Tamieka became Chapter President during COVID-19. Her thoughts were about what she could do to make the organization better and what she could do for succession planning. [20:59] Members were at home. Tamieka connected with the previous presidents and prior board members. No one was in person. Tamieka asked the previous officers for their notes. They were happy to talk and share ideas to make the chapter succeed. [22:02] That moment was more about the Chapter and less about Tamieka. Tamieka built committees and sent surveys. Tamieka wanted to hear what the members had to say. She gave the board and members a voice. It was a fun time, working to make the chapter better. [22:44] The feedback from past presidents was the foundation to win 2022 Chapter of the Year! Their ability and willingness to help Tamieka in her role made the RIMS Atlanta Chapter special. [23:33] The chapter had a virtual social hour with a mixologist. They had a virtual trivia game. They had a virtual mentor event. They raised money at a Virtual Aid Conference. They were creative in everything they did. They were able to connect with members in a challenging time. [24:20] The surveys were critical. They partnered with global RIMS to enhance their bylaws. The new bylaws permitted the board to meet virtually. They changed their chapter website. They made many improvements to the chapter's success. [24:58] In 2025, Tamieka received the Walter H. Buce Jr. Memorial Award which honors the insurance and risk management professional of the year in the RIMS Atlanta Chapter. Tamieka calls the award overwhelming. She is deeply honored. It means the world to her. [26:04] Tamieka's advice for young risk professionals: “Stay focused. When others see potential in you, listen to them. Don't shy away. Work hard. Set clear goals. Trust in yourself. Stay dedicated. Be persistent. Be intentional. Your path will eventually reveal itself. [29:29] “You're going to have people around you that are going to be your cheerleaders. Please find a mentor. They're going to support you along the way. In Atlanta, I would also say we have focused on bridging the gap of rising risk professionals and students entering the industry.” [27:08] “The RIMS Atlanta Chapter has embraced what we can do to help and support the young professionals who are focused on entering the industry soon. That's been a huge success for the RIMS Atlanta Chapter, as well.” [27:28] Tamieka Weeks, It's such a pleasure to see you again. I look forward to seeing you after this episode comes out, at RISKWORLD 2025 in Chicago. Tamieka is looking forward to seeing everyone, It's going to be a great RISKWORLD! [27:46] Special thanks again to former RIMS Atlanta Chapter President and Walter Buce Award Winner, Tamieka Weeks for joining us here on RIMScast! Learn more about her and the chapter's fantastic work through the link in this episode's show notes. Of course, visit AtlantaRIMS.org. [28:05] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [28:32] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [28:50] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [29:08] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [29:24] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [29:38] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org. [29:46] Thank you all for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Links: RISKWORLD 2025 — May 4‒7 | Register today! Download the RIMS Events app! Spencer's RISKWORLD Events — Register or Sponsor! RIMS Texas Regional 2025 — August 3‒5 | Advance registration rates now open. RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Risk Management magazine RIMS Now The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center Spencer Educational Foundation — General Grants 2026 — Application Dates Submit a session to RIMS Canada 2025 — Final Deadline April 24. RIMS Atlanta Chapter RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars “Better Together: The Marriage of Insurable Risk and Business Continuity” | Sponsored by Riskonnect | April 24, 2025 “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich | May 1, 2025 “Asset Valuations in 2025: Managing Tariffs, Inflation, and Rising Insurance Scrutiny” | Sponsored by GRC, a TÜV SÜD Company | May 22, 2025 “Today's Escalating Risk Trajectory: What's the Cause & What's the Solution?” | Sponsored by Zywave | June 5, 2025   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: CBCP & RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Virtual Bootcamp: Mastering Business Continuity & Risk Management | May 19‒22, 2025 | In Collaboration with DRI International Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule “Managing Data for ERM” | June 12 | Instructor: Pat Saporito  “Generative AI for Risk Management” | June 26 | Instructor: Pat Saporito See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Related RIMScast Episodes: “ERM, Retail, and Risk with Jeff Strege” “Risk and Leadership Patterns with Super Bowl Champion Ryan Harris” (RISKWORLD 2025 Keynote) “Maintaining an Award-Winning ERM Program with Michael Zuraw” “RIMS Legislative Priorities in 2025 with Mark Prysock”   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs” | Sponsored by Zurich (New!) “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich “What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping” | Sponsored by Medcor “Risk Management in a Changing World: A Deep Dive into AXA's 2024 Future Risks Report” | Sponsored by AXA XL “How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips” | Sponsored by Alliant “RMIS Innovation with Archer” | Sponsored by Archer “Navigating Commercial Property Risks with Captives” | Sponsored by Zurich “Breaking Down Silos: AXA XL's New Approach to Casualty Insurance” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Weathering Today's Property Claims Management Challenges” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Storm Prep 2024: The Growing Impact of Convective Storms and Hail” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Partnering Against Cyberrisk” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Harnessing the Power of Data and Analytics for Effective Risk Management” | Sponsored by Marsh “Accident Prevention — The Winning Formula For Construction and Insurance” | Sponsored by Otoos “Platinum Protection: Underwriting and Risk Engineering's Role in Protecting Commercial Properties” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Elevating RMIS — The Archer Way” | Sponsored by Archer   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Kristen Peed!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Tamieka Weeks, Director, Global Risk Management & Insurance, Southwire Company, LLC     Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

Ahead of the RSAC Conference, Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli sit down with Steve Schlarman, Director of Product Management at Archer, to talk risk, regulation, and where governance fits into the broader cybersecurity conversation.Steve represents a company that's been at the center of governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) for nearly 25 years. But don't mistake tenure for inertia—Archer is actively reshaping how organizations think about integrated risk management, especially through its latest platform, Archer Evolv. Steve shares how his team is focused on rethinking compliance not as a checkbox, but as a foundation for smarter, more strategic business decisions.What sets Archer Evolv apart? For one, the platform doesn't just cater to full-time risk professionals. It's built for anyone in the organization who touches compliance—even occasionally. Steve explains how the user experience has been redesigned to make it easier for non-experts to contribute, pulling in relevant data without bogging down daily operations.AI also plays a major role. After acquiring Compliance.AI, Archer has embedded large language models and automation into its compliance workflows—cutting down the time it takes to process regulatory updates and map controls. This means compliance professionals can spend less time scanning documents and more time advising the business.But this isn't about technology for technology's sake. Steve underscores the bigger question facing companies today: how much risk are they truly willing to accept? Regulation might kickstart the conversation, but it's risk management that sustains it—and that requires clarity, context, and collaboration across the business.Archer's team will be on site at RSAC, ready to demo the platform and share stories from the field. With over 1,200 customers worldwide, the company has no shortage of real-world examples to pull from. From frontline vulnerability assessments to strategic compliance mapping, Archer's approach is centered on enabling better decisions—not just better dashboards.Stop by booth 3117 (https://itspm.ag/archervn5f) to see how they're turning compliance into an engine for risk-aware growth—and how your team might benefit from a more purposeful approach to GRC.Learn more about Archer: https://itspm.ag/rsaarchwebGuest: Steve Schlarman, Senior Director, Product Management at Archer Integrated Risk Management | https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveschlarman/ResourcesLearn more and catch more stories from Archer: https://www.itspmagazine.com/directory/archerLearn more and catch more stories from RSA Conference 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/rsa-conference-usa-2025-rsac-san-francisco-usa-cybersecurity-event-infosec-conference-coverage______________________Keywords: risk, compliance, governance, cybersecurity, ai, automation, regulation, grc, audit, resilience, controls, workflow, data, business continuity, product management, rsa, rsac2025, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, brand story podcast______________________Catch all of our event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/technology-and-cybersecurity-conference-coverageWant to tell your Brand Story Briefing as part of our event coverage? Learn More

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses how to operationalize modernization and other projects. Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses a method to Problem Management root-cause analysis (RCA). Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin and his guest, Jeff Strege, Senior Director for Risk Management at Academy Sports + Outdoors, explore what led Jeff to risk management, and the path that led to Academy Sports + Outdoors within the sporting goods and outdoor retail space. Jeff comments on his work building out the ERM framework at Academy to improve claims management, employee safety, and liability prevention. Jeff shares his approach to workers' compensation and Academy Sports + Outdoors's goal to help the workers recover and return to work. In addition to career insights, they discuss Jeff's upcoming panel participation in HUB's webinar on April 17th, “From Defense to Prevention: Strengthening Your Liability Risk Management Approach,” covering topics such as third-party litigation funding and its impact on the industry.   Listen to Jeff's wisdom, born from experience, on managing your risk career. Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Registration is open for RISKWORLD 2025. Engage Today and Embrace Tomorrow with RIMS, from May 4th through May 7th in Chicago, Illinois. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. [:25] After you register, visit your App Store, search for RIMS Events, and download the RIMS Events App. Select RISKWORLD 2025, load the show onto your phone, and start building your RISKWORLD itinerary! [:41] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest is former RIMS Houston Chapter President, Jeff Strege. We will talk about his career and how ERM continues to play a pivotal role today. [1:08] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! As part of RIMS's continuing strategic partnership with Purima, we have a two-day course coming up on April 22nd and 23rd. Links to these courses can be found through the Certification page of RIMS.org and this episode's show notes. [1:28] Virtual Workshops! On June 12th, Pat Saporito will host “Managing Data for ERM” and will return on June 26th to present the very popular new course, “Generative AI for Risk Management”. [1:45] A link to the full schedule of virtual workshops can be found on the RIMS.org/education and RIMS.org/education/online-learning pages. A link is also in this episode's show notes. [1:56] RISKWORLD registration is open. Engage Today and Embrace Tomorrow, from May 4th through 7th in Chicago. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. Also, remember that there will be lots of pre-conference workshops being held in Chicago just ahead of RISKWORLD. [2:14] These courses include “Applying and Integrating ERM,” “Captives as an Alternate Risk Financing Technique,” “Contractual Risk Transfer,” “Fundamentals of Insurance,” “Fundamentals of Risk Management,” RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep, and more! The links are in the show notes. [2:33] The Spencer Educational Foundation is having a Flash Sale for sponsorships at RISKWORLD! Sponsorship pricing has been reduced for the Spencer-CNA Pickleball Social on Saturday, May 3rd, and the Spencer-Gallagher Golf Tournament on Sunday, May 4th. [2:51] Sponsorships are still available for the Spencer-Sedgwick 5K Fun Run on Tuesday, May 6th. Visit Spencered.org/riskworld2025 to learn about these opportunities and more. Also, reach out to Spencer's Executive Director Megan Miller at MMiller@Spencered.org. [3:13] Our guest today is Jeff Strege. He is the Senior Director for Risk Management at Academy Sports + Outdoors. Academy is one of the U.S.'s largest sporting goods and outdoor stores with 301 locations across 21 states, as of March 2025. [3:33] Jeff is also a long-time RIMS member. He's the former president of the RIMS Houston Chapter and is a RIMS-CRMP holder. [3:41] In addition to his outstanding resume, Jeff will be lending his insight to the RIMS Webinar on April 17th, presented by HUB in their Ready for Tomorrow series. It's called “From Defense to Prevention: Strengthening Your Liability Risk Management Approach.” A link is in the notes. [4:01] In today's RIMScast interview, we will discuss how ERM has played a role in his career and how he manages risk in so many locations at the Academy. We will get a preview of his upcoming appearance on the Hub webinar and his thoughts on third-party litigation funding and its impact. [4:27] Interview! Jeff Strege, welcome to RIMScast! [4:45] As a Houstonian, Jeff grew up with Academy Sports + Outdoors. He's a long-term customer. In September 2020, Jeff promoted himself from customer to team member, although he still is an avid customer of Academy. [5:07] As the Academy brand is so well-known and beloved in Texas, Jeff has had the Risk Director role on his radar for many years. He had told his wife many times that if that role ever opened up at Academy, he would want to talk to them. In mid-2020, it did, and here he is! [5:29] Academy has 301 stores across 21 states as of March 7, 2025, and is headquartered in Katy, Texas, a Western suburb of Houston. Jeff graduated from Katy High School. [6:23] Academy Sports + Outdoors sells fun. They say “Have fun out there.” The items Academy sells are intended to help people be outdoors and active. Academy does a lot of work around product safety with manufacturers and suppliers, making sure they're sourcing safe products. [6:45] Academy Sports + Outdoors sells firearms and ammunition. Its goal is to be the most responsible retailer of those items in the country. [7:13] Academy Sports is responsible for following the laws of 21 states. Jeff has worked for national, multi-national, and global organizations, so he has worked with similar requirements. [7:48] Jeff worked for Sysco twice, first in the 90s and then in 2016 in a risk role similar to his current role at Academy Sports. Sysco went on a growth initiative while Jeff was there the second time and it was fun to be part of that but he couldn't pass up the opening at Academy. [8:23] Academy Sports + Outdoors has a risk department of 10 who report to Jeff. Jeff oversees the Enterprise Risk Management framework, the Insurance and Data Analytic functions, the Safety functions, and the Claim Management functions. [8:50] Jeff has three direct reports and they have functional contributors who are assigned to and report to them. Jeff's management style is to find the best possible people he can find. He's not a micro-manager. All of his staff are solid professionals who are good at what they do. [9:14] That allows Jeff to focus on strategy and executing strategic objectives while the staff keeps things working from day to day. Jeff reports to the General Counsel. In other companies, Jeff has reported to the General Counsel, HR, Treasury, or Finance. [9:42] Risk can logically report up a variety of chains to the leadership of an organization, as it touches so many aspects of the business. [10:22] Relative to firearms sales, Academy Sports has a compliance team to manage the process. They do an outstanding job. [10:39] When Jeff arrived at Academy Sports, one of his charges was to mature the ERM framework across the various organizational functions. Having the opportunity to work on that made Jeff a student of the business, which is one of the Academy's values. [11:09] Coming into the business, Jeff was fortunate to receive a safety culture already well-entrenched in the distribution centers. That team has been retooled over the years and continues to evolve as it trains and supports the operators in safe practices in their work. [11:45] Academy workers' compensation goal is to help team members recover so they can come back to work. They take a deliberate approach to working with them so they get the treatment they need, their benefits are paid timely, and their questions are answered. [12:11] Academy made a TPA change a couple of years ago that's given them more proactive tools. Both safety and claims are processes that Academy Sports continues to fine-tune. [12:25] The foundational strategy is “safety first.” If you're talking about managing claims but not about safety, there's a miss there, in terms of managing risk. [13:01] Plug Time! During this interview, we discuss the RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2025, held from August 4th through the 6th in San Antonio, Texas, at the Henry  B. Gonzalez Convention Center. That's where we held RISKWORLD 2018. [13:22] The day of this episode's release, April 15th, is the day registration opens for the RIMS Texas Regional Conference. You can get the Advance Rate from now through May 16th, 2025. A link is in this episode's show notes. You can also visit the events page of RIMS.org to register. [13:43] If you will be in the Dallas/Fort Worth area on April 17th, be sure to stop by Lonestar Park for DFW RIMS's 7th Annual Night at the Races. It will be a blast! Guest, Member, and Student tickets are available. Visit DFWRIMS.org and the link in this episode's show notes. [14:12] Let's Return to My Interview with Former RIMS Houston Chapter President Jeff Strege! [14:32] Jeff arrived at Academy Sports on Monday, September 28, 2020, and the company executed its Initial Public Offering on Friday, October 2nd, 2020. In preparing for the IPO, the company had built an ERM framework that helped inform the prospectus for investors. [14:59] When Jeff joined, he was charged with taking the framework foundation and building upon it to round out how Academy Sports views risk, scopes it, and manages it across the organization. It was a fascinating process. [15:21] He's gotten to know many good, smart people who are driving aspects of the business. [15:28] Every year, Academy Sports looks at ways to enhance the framework, to make sure it's as meaningful and informative to the leadership team and board as it can be. [15:54] The framework looks at ISO standards but most of it is inward-focused within the business of Academy Sports. What's going on in the world? How do we prevent or prepare for it? Should something occur, what strategies do we have to respond, react to, and recover from it? [16:39] Before the recent tariffs were passed, the risk team had discussed tariffs generically. Tariffs appear as subsidiary risks in a few places within the framework. Nobody in an organization can control what government leaders do. [17:22] In a way, sporting goods is a seasonal industry. Academy Sports + Outdoors sells a variety of different things and operates in a variety of climates. There's a holiday season and there are gift-giving holidays. The seasons for outdoor activities differ depending on location. [17:54] In Texas, Jeff grills and fishes year-round. It's different in a Northern climate with four distinct seasons. Hunting seasons are specifically defined. The things Academy Sports sells peak at different times of the year and the peaks sort of offset themselves. [18:25] The Academy Sports merchandising teams are diligent and deliberate in how they plan for cycling products for the seasons. [18:44] Holiday is the big season. In that, Academy Sports is like other retailers. Back-to-school time is also important. [18:57] The backyard grilling is Jeff's favorite section of the store. When he goes into the store with his wife he has to look at some grills. Jeff also works out and runs so there are several aspects of the store that he shops. [19:16] Academy sells location-specific licensed apparel. In Academy Sports + Outdoors in Houston, there is gear for the Astros, Texans, and Rockets. [19:49] From the standpoint of team member safety, Jeff refers to OSHA. Also, some states have more stringent safety requirements. Jeff's safety team drives consistency of practices and training across the footprint of the 21 states where Academy Sports + Outdoors operates. [20:36] Most of Jeff's work is done in Houston but his team gets out in the field periodically on a schedule. Jeff likes to go into the stores and distribution centers. That's where the business occurs. The work at Corporate supports the people who serve and interact with customers. [21:10] RIMS Webinars! Following the success of their recent webinar, HUB International returns for the next installment of their Ready for Tomorrow Series, “From Defense to Prevention: Strengthening Your Liability Risk Management Approach”. That session will be on April 17th. [21:29] Today's guest, Jeff Strege, is a panelist in that session! He's going to talk about it a little bit right after the break. [21:38] On April 24th, RiskConnect returns to deliver “Better Together: The Marriage of Insurable Risk and Business Continuity”. [21:45] Zurich's webinar, “Understanding Third Party Litigation Funding” was rescheduled to May 1st at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. If you were already registered for the original date, you are now registered for the May 1st session with Zurich. [22:09] On May 22nd, GRC, a TÜV SÜD Company, presents their newest session, “Asset Valuations in 2025: Managing Tariffs, Inflation, and Rising Insurance Scrutiny”. [22:22] More webinars will be announced soon and added to the RIMS.org/webinars page. Go there to register. Registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [22:33] Let's Return to my Interview with Jeff Strege! [22:46] Jeff will be joining RIMS on the HUB webinar about third-party litigation funding (TPLF) on April 17th, two days after the airing of this episode. Third-party litigation funding is a major issue for RIMS and the profession. [23:08] Academy Sports + Outdoors sees TPLF from time to time in litigated matters, but not often. The HUB webinar is largely focused on rising litigation costs and the rising value of litigated matters. Third-party funding is a driving force of that rise. [23:35] When there's a funding mechanism behind the damages claim by a plaintiff, there are interest obligations with that mechanism, which can be stiff. It does inflate the value of some matters. [24:13] Once Academy Sports + Outdoors learns third-party funding is present in a litigated matter, that's in the front of mind as they evaluate and proceed with trying to conclude the case. [24:32] In the HUB webinar on April 17th, Jeff will be discussing the client's experience, not only with TPFL but also around social engineering. There is a good panel put together for this discussion with varied perspectives that will offer a well-rounded conversation. [24:55] Panelist Bob Tyson of Tyson & Mendes, a defense lawyer in California, has creative approaches to managing and negotiating litigated cases. Panelist John Ferguson, Head of Excess Casualty at Zurich Insurance, brings an insurer's perspective to the webinar. [25:29] Panelist Carol Murphy of HUB is one of the best brokers Jeff has worked with. Jeff is looking forward to sharing the stage with this group, talking about managing claims litigation, prevention, and pre-litigation management. Safety is critical. Jeff will bring that up. [26:02] The link to the webinar is in the show notes. Register today! Registration is complimentary for RIMS members! You'll hear this webinar live with Jeff Strege of Academy Sports, Fred Ferguson of Zurich, Bob Tyson of Tyson & Mendes, and Carol Murphy of HUB. [26:34] Jeff has been involved with RIMS since the mid-1990s when he was with Sysco Foods for the first time and was elevated to the risk management role there. Starting with Houston, Jeff has been involved in various chapters in various capacities. [27:07] RIMS has been an important part of Jeff's career. He's gained solid relationships through RIMS that have yielded business relationships and relationships where he's been able to help others and be helped by them. RIMS will be very important to him as long as he works in risk. [27:51] Jeff was President of RIMS Houston for two years, until January of 2024. He serves on the board as Past President. [28:12] Having moved around the country and having held different roles, Jeff has met risk professionals from many areas. He says RIMS has high-quality chapters all over the country. The four Texas RIMS chapters have a lot of positive energy. [28:47] The chapters are working together with Justin's team in New York to host the first-ever Texas RIMS Regional Conference this August. Jeff is on the planning committee and he's excited about it. [29:04] The RIMS Texas Regional Conference will be held from August 4th through the 6th at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, on the River Walk, the site of RISKWORLD 2018. San Antonio is Jeff's favorite city in Texas. It's a wonderful host city. [29:30] There is a link in the show notes to the RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2025. Registration will open the week of the airing of this episode! [29:49] Jeff is a RIMS-CRMP holder. He earned that certification in November of 2019. He was excited to see RIMS introduce the certification. What he likes about CRMP is its governance focus. [30:23] Jeff had been doing risk management for a long time. The CRMP website has good sample test questions on it. He decided to work through the test questions several times. Then went and took the exam and scored pretty well, largely based on his experience. [30:48] Jeff says his ERM work over the years was helpful. The RIMS-CRMP is a good designation. Jeff appreciates that RIMS gives CRMP holders opportunities to network. He will continue to carry the designation as long as he is working. [31:09] Mos recertification points are CE-related. Jeff relies heavily on the Houston chapter's offerings and the sessions and seminars at RIMS functions. He appreciates the flexibility in terms of what qualifies, such as participation in broker-sponsored industry education. [31:50] Developing and delivering educational content is a favorite of Jeff's. He has served as Risk Manager in Residence (now Risk Manager on Campus). Jeff tells every risk manager it's amazing and they need to do it at least once. Jeff enjoys education and is always learning. [32:24] Jeff shares his advice for risk professionals. As Boomers in the industry start to retire, it's important to help the industry recruit, train, and young talent. It's a passion of Jeff's. [32:52] There are a few things Jeff would tell young professionals. One is you are the CEO of your career. Your career is your responsibility. Don't wait for a leader to bring opportunities or promotions to you. Be a student of your craft and trade. Set goals with plans to achieve them. [33:20] Jeff has managed his career that way by making strategic moves when it made sense for him to do so. He has no regrets. You're the CEO of your career, all in. Don't wait for others to act on your behalf. Whatever it is, be a student of your craft and seek opportunities to learn. [33:45] Grow your knowledge base, your experience, and your network. Jeff has benefited from RIMS in having a network of people who lean on each other and learn from each other. It's a wonderful thing! [33:58] Be a student of your business, wherever it is. Make connections within it. Seek out mentorships to learn on a broad basis what the business does and what its objectives are. You position yourself more visibly to add more value and to grow. [34:29] Jeff Strege, you have been such an inspiration today. I appreciate you so much for joining us here on RIMScast and being so giving with your time and wisdom! I look forward to seeing you at the first-ever Texas Regional 2025, August 4th through 6th in San Antonio! [34:48] Special thanks again to Jeff Strege for joining us here today on RIMScast! I look forward to seeing him at many RIMS events, including the first-ever RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2025, which will be held from August 4th through the 6th in San Antonio, Texas. [35:05] Register today through the link in this episode's show notes. [35:12] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [35:37] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [35:56] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [36:13] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [36:29] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [36:43] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org. [36:50] Thank you all for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Links: RISKWORLD 2025 — May 4‒7 | Register today! Download the RIMS Events app! Spencer's RISKWORLD Events — Register or Sponsor! RIMS Texas Regional 2025 – August 3‒5 | Advance registration rates are now open. DFW RIMS - 7th Annual Night at the Races / Lone Star Park – April 17, 2025 RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Risk Management magazine RIMS Now The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center Spencer Educational Foundation — General Grants 2026 — Application Dates Announcement: RIMS and The Institute for Internal Auditors' Strategic Alliance on Education Nominations for the Donald M. Stuart Award [Canada] RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars “Ready for Tomorrow? From Defense to Prevention: Strengthening Your Liability Risk Management Approach” | Sponsored by Hub International | April 17, 2025 “Better Together: The Marriage of Insurable Risk and Business Continuity” | Sponsored by Riskonnect | April 24, 2025 “Understanding Third Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich | May 1, 2025 “Asset Valuations in 2025: Managing Tariffs, Inflation, and Rising Insurance Scrutiny” | Sponsored by GRC, a TÜV SÜD Company | May 22, 2025   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA | April 22‒23 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule   Upcoming Virtual Workshops: “Managing Data for ERM” | June 12 | Instructor: Pat Saporito  “Generative AI for Risk Management” | June 26 | Instructor: Pat Saporito See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Related RIMScast Episodes: “Maintaining an Award-Winning ERM Program with Michael Zuraw” “Scenario Planning with the RIMS SERMC” “ERMotivation with Carrie Frandsen, RIMS-CRMP” “Risk Quantification Through Value-Based Frameworks” “Applying ERM Theory with Elise Farnham” “On Risk Appetite and Tolerance”   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich (New!) “What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog (New!) “Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping” | Sponsored by Medcor “Risk Management in a Changing World: A Deep Dive into AXA's 2024 Future Risks Report” | Sponsored by AXA XL “How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips” | Sponsored by Alliant “RMIS Innovation with Archer” | Sponsored by Archer “Navigating Commercial Property Risks with Captives” | Sponsored by Zurich “Breaking Down Silos: AXA XL's New Approach to Casualty Insurance” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Weathering Today's Property Claims Management Challenges” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Storm Prep 2024: The Growing Impact of Convective Storms and Hail” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Partnering Against Cyberrisk” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Harnessing the Power of Data and Analytics for Effective Risk Management” | Sponsored by Marsh “Accident Prevention — The Winning Formula For Construction and Insurance” | Sponsored by Otoos “Platinum Protection: Underwriting and Risk Engineering's Role in Protecting Commercial Properties” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Elevating RMIS — The Archer Way” | Sponsored by Archer   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Kristen Peed!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Jeff Strege, MBA, ARM, RIMS-CRMP, Sr. Director, Risk Management, Academy Sports + Outdoors   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses how to prioritize Service Delivery projects. Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin and his guests, Denise Sobczak and Michael Zuraw, introduce the new RIMS paper: “The Pre-Mortem Method: Learning From Failure Without Actually Failing”. Unlike post-mortem analysis, a pre-mortem risk assessment attempts to learn from failure before a project even begins. This report highlights the advantages of implementing a pre-mortem risk assessment approach to strategic projects. Download the report to learn about the three steps to activate a pre-mortem assessment that fosters a better understanding of a project's overall objectives, and ultimately improves transparency, communication, and business outcomes. Justin, Michael, and Denise discuss implementation steps and frequency of pre-mortems in an organization. They cover ways of documentation and tracking insights from pre-mortem exercises, and tools for structuring an effective pre-mortem session. They explore how to involve participants and how to flip the script from naysaying to contributing insights. They consider the collateral benefits of involving your organization in a pre-mortem analysis. They share examples of how the pre-mortem works in their organizations.   Listen to gain insight into this innovative risk management tool to build upon the successes and achievements of your organization. Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:17] About this episode of RIMScast. Our topic is pre-mortem analysis, which we will explore with past and present members of the RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Management Council. [:42] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! As part of RIMS's continuing strategic partnership with Purima, we have a two-day course coming up on April 22nd and 23rd. Links to these courses can be found through the Certification page of RIMS.org and this episode's show notes. [1:01] Virtual Workshops! On April 16th and 17th, Chris Hansen will lead “Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability, and Employment Practices in the U.S.” [1:14] On June 12th, Pat Saporito will host “Managing Data for ERM” and will return on June 26th to present the very popular new course, “Generative AI for Risk Management”. [1:30] A link to the full schedule of virtual workshops can be found on the RIMS.org/education and RIMS.org/education/online-learning pages. A link is also in this episode's show notes. [1:41] RISKWORLD registration is open. Engage Today and Embrace Tomorrow, May 4th through 7th in Chicago. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. Also, remember that there will be lots of pre-conference workshops being held in Chicago just ahead of RISKWORLD. [1:59] These courses include “Applying and Integrating ERM,” “Captives as an Alternate Risk Financing Technique,” “Contractual Risk Transfer,” “Fundamentals of Insurance,” “Fundamentals of Risk Management,” RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep, and more! The links are in the show notes. [2:18] In March, RIMS released a new professional report called “The Pre-Mortem Method: Learning from Failure Without Actually Failing.” The two authors of this report are joining me here today! They have both been RIMScast guests. [2:39] Denise Sobczak is the Director of Group Risk Management at the BIC Group and Michael Zuraw is the Senior Director of Global Enterprise Risk Management for Onsemi. [2:52] Denise is a former member and Michael is a current member of the RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Management Council. Their paper, “The Pre-Mortem Method,” is available through the Risk Knowledge page of RIMS.org. Tap on the White Paper button on that page. [3:10] We're going to hear how Denise and Michael have used the pre-mortem method at their respective companies. We're going to give you tips on how to lead pre-mortem analysis discussions at your organizations whether for a big merger or unveiling a new product. [3:32] This conversation will continue on May 7th at RISKWORLD when Denise hosts “Pre-Mortem or Post-Mortem: If You Were a Patient, What Would Choose?” That session will be held in Room BC185. [3:47] Interview! Michael Zuraw and Denise Sobczak, welcome back to RIMScast! [3:55] Denise and Michael's paper is “The Pre-Mortem Method: Learning from Failure Without Actually Failing.” Pre-mortem analysis is a risk assessment approach that you apply to strategic projects. [4:13] The concept is simple. You assume that an initiative fails. Then you identify triggers of that failure and develop plans to avoid and mitigate them to achieve success. It was developed by Gary Klein and has been widely applied in the business world. [4:39] Michael says the approach was discovered by cognitive psychologists. It releases folks from some of the biases, such as groupthink and confirmation bias, that will muck up decisions. This approach encourages participation and takes risk identification to the next level. [5:07] Justin calls the paper an easy read that people can keep returning to. [5:22] The Strategic & ERM Council decided to do a track on scenario planning. One of their first shareouts was a paper on scenario planning with a segue on pre-mortem risk assessment on how to draw those scenarios. [5:44] Many things are going on, with a level of uncertainty in the external environment that drives uncertainty in the internal environment. As a risk practitioner, it's very important to have these tools. [5:59] Michael joined the Strategic & ERM Council a little over a year ago after they had started the scenario planning. He had already read the SERM Council paper on scenario planning with great interest. Michael is a fan of Gary Klein's and had used pre-mortems. [6:24] When Denise and others mentioned they were going to take the next step in their series of scenario planning to include a pre-mortem discussion, Michael immediately volunteered to be part of it. It was a topic he was familiar with and he had done some sessions on it already. [7:05] Denise explains a pre-mortem is one of many risk assessment tools available. There's no set number for how often an organization should perform one. The main attraction of this tool is its use when you are short on time and have few resources and you want a high-value output. [7:53] It's good to use a pre-mortem when there are a lot of cross-functional initiatives with interdependencies that create complexity and generate risks. [8:07] Michael thinks that for major strategic decisions, a pre-mortem should almost always be used. As you use it, you find out that it's very efficient and not complicated. You can learn from it to include contrarians in discussions to question all assumptions. It changes your risk culture. [8:52] Pieces of the pre-mortem method find their way into the way people approach everyday decisions, even without doing a formal pre-mortem analysis. A pre-mortem analysis is not difficult or expensive to do. As often as you think it provides value, have at it! [9:20] The primary thing a pre-mortem does is open the door to legitimizing doubt. It allows the group decision process to stay in inquiry not to be sucked into advocacy before all the risks are discussed and mitigated. [9:44] Michael notes that as the pre-mortem opens up concerns, they can be put on the table and discussed. The key is you have to take the next step which is to consider what you can change and improve your plan to prepare for the possibility of that risk and mitigate it. [10:08] The goal is to take what you've learned, feed it back into the decision process, and come out with a better plan than you had going in. [10:16] It's very key to get the insights and embed them into the company's core processes versus having a stand-alone tracker for the pre-mortem that you've done. If you've done a pre-mortem for a strategic initiative, integrate it into the status update reports for that initiative. [10:34] If the pre-mortem is related to an event, integrate it into regular management reviews, operating reviews, or even risk governance. Integrate insights that will help you into your core processes. [10:49] Denise and Justin discuss recording remote pre-mortem sessions on Zoom and transcribing them. Justin suggests recording even in-person sessions on Zoom for a transcript. [11:40] Michael says having a transcript of a pre-mortem helps because you want people to focus attention on the conversation and not on note-taking. Sometimes you want to go back and get some context. In-person meetings also allow seeing body language. [12:11] The point of this is to get it out there and talk about it. It's very interactive. [13:19] Pre-mortems are structured to picture a failure six months into the future. Then set a two-minute timer and ask everyone to write down what went wrong. Each one comes up with ideas without the group's influence and writes down key failure points that caused this outcome. [14:04] As a result, things that were just below the surface come out first. Even the staunchest advocate of the plan has to come up with something. The creativity of what could have gone wrong becomes an asset, not a detriment. [14:31] You're not a naysayer, you're an identifier. The basic premises of ERM are risk identification, risk prioritization, and risk response. A pre-mortem creates a more robust identification. You're a contributor. You've discussed something that you hadn't before. [14:54] Denise explains that a pre-mortem is a paradise for the naysayers because they don't have the burden to say it failed. We give that to them. It's not about being skeptical or negative but identifying the contributors that could have caused the failure and being part of the solution. [15:18] Plug Time! RIMS Webinars! On April 10th, Audit Board will present “What CISOs Want Risk Executives to Know About Cyber Risk in 2025”. [15:30] Following the success of their recent webinar, HUB International returns for the next installment of their Ready for Tomorrow Series, “From Defense to Prevention: Strengthening Your Liability Risk Management Approach”. That session will be on April 17th. [15:45] On April 24th, RiskConnect returns to deliver “Better Together: The Marriage of Insurable Risk and Business Continuity”. [15:54] More webinars will be announced soon and added to the RIMS.org/webinars page. Go there to register. Registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [16:05] Important Announcement! RIMS and the Institute of Internal Auditors have entered into an agreement to deliver a selection of the other group's educational programming to their members. Twenty-nine shared courses will be available to both association's members. [16:23] RIMS members can explore the IIA courses that are now available to them at See Courses Here. To access RIMS's complete selection of workshops, webinars, and courses, visit RIMS.org/Education. [16:42] Let's Get Back to our Discussion about Pre-Mortem Analysis with Michael Zurow and Denise Sobczak! [17:09] Denise says individuals who have had experience with failures can tap into that experience in new situations. Newcomers can offer a fresh perspective. The key is diversity of thought and experience. Make participants comfortable to express their opinions. [17:38] Watch out for those who would take over. As you facilitate the pre-mortem, make sure that you're engaging and that it's a responsive type of facilitation. There's no right or wrong answer when you're looking for triggers. Later on, you will prioritize. [18:22] Michael has been at Onsemi for 20 years with broad exposure in product line management and supply chain. Four and a half years ago, Onsemi had a new CO and much of the top management changed. The question was what did the stakeholders want from ERM. [18:44] There was some change in how they approached it. He did pre-mortems before and he has done them since. The key is broad participation of the players, broad perspectives, and leading it to say that we want to know what you think. We want to question our assumptions. [19:08] That basic approach is to try to make the plan better, not bring it down, trying to improve the likelihood of success. That plays through all types of corporate change. [19:35] Participants should not be in the top tier of leaders, but in middle management with some boots on the ground. The middle management group forms the culture and they know enough key details about what the planners are thinking and to ask, what if they're wrong? [20:14] Denise expects the participants to be the people who are knee-deep in the initiative and are the subject matter experts. You can also invite folks who are not in the initiative but who have a say from the legal, financial, and business support perspectives. [20:42] The number of participants depends on the setting. An in-person setting can accommodate 10 or 15. In a virtual setting, you can have eight to 10. You need to make sure that everyone can participate. [21:14] More RIMS Plugs! The Spencer Educational Foundation's goal to help build a talent pipeline of risk management and insurance professionals is achieved in part by its collaboration with risk management and insurance educators across the U.S. and Canada. [21:33] Since 2010, Spencer has awarded over $3.3 million in general grants to support over 130 student-centered experiential learning initiatives at universities and RMI non-profits. [21:46] Spencer's 2026 application process will open on May 1st, 2025, and close on July 30th, 2025. General Grant awardees are typically notified at the end of October. Learn more about Spencer's General Grants through the Programs tab of SpencerEd.org. [22:06] Spencer has several events lined up before and during RISKWORLD 2025. On May 3rd, there's the Spencer-CNA Pickle Ball Social, on May 4th, the Spencer-Gallagher Golf Tournament, on May 5th, the Spencer Soiree, and on May 6th, the Spencer-Sedgwick 5K Fun Run. [22:25] You can register for or sponsor any of these through the links on this page or by visiting SpencerEd.org/riskworld2025. [22:35] The call for submissions for the RIMS Canada Conference, which will be held in Calgary from September 14th through the 17th, 2025, is now open. We want to hear from you! We are looking for dynamic, insightful presentations on key industry topics. [22:49] Topics may include are but not limited to alternative risk transfer, insurance, legal and regulatory, risk modification and loss control, the DEI Studio, the Thought Leader Stage, corporate sustainability, ESG, and more. [23:03] Submit your proposal by the submission deadline, Wednesday, April 16th at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca and the link in this episode's notes for information. [23:17] If you will be in the Dallas/Fort Worth area on April 17th, be sure to stop by Lone Star Park for DFW RIMS's 7th Annual Night at the Races. It's going to be a blast! Guest, member, and student tickets are available. Visit DFWRIMS.org and the link in this episode's show notes. [23:41] Let's Return to our Discussion about Pre-Mortem Analysis with Denise Sobczak and Michael Zurow! [24:02] Denise mentions different ways to measure the ROI of a pre-mortem, in the light of inherited risk impact before mitigation versus residual risk, post-mitigation. [24:16] For a consumer goods company like BIC, Denise says it is more sensible to tie the effectiveness of the pre-mortem exercise with the overall achievement of the strategic goals or the operating targets because you are changing as you go. [24:38] Michael says it's tough to measure the effectiveness of a pre-mortem. You're asking a team that has already been assembled to spend half a day looking at the plan and, at the end, asking if they learned something that helped improve the plan. [25:30] Is the plan or decision better the day after the pre-mortem than it was the day before? Was it worth the four hours? Would you suggest doing this again? Would you recommend it to your peer? Advocating for a pre-mortem indicates its value, way beyond the cost of doing it. [26:16] Denise stresses the collateral benefits of a pre-mortem. If you are facilitating this type of risk assessment, you will reach a lot of folks in the organization and help them think differently. They will think of the risk management department or the ERM practitioner as a resource to use. [26:37] There is some amplification from a showcase of value to the organization from your function. Denise says a pre-mortem never took a day for her. Once she applied a pre-mortem in a 20-minute phone call with all the constituents. They came up with 15 reasons it could fail. [27:02] A pre-mortem can be formal or informal. The informal pre-mortem is as efficient and it is quicker. You need to understand what the culture of your organization is. If it is very formal, adapt to that. Denise tends to work in more agile organizations. [27:36] Michael works for a company that is heavy in engineering. A pre-mortem takes about two hours there. Engineers want to solve problems and tell you why their solution to the problem is awesome! They want data and rationalization justification. [28:15] Part of it is the moderation. Say the goal of this meeting is to get the concerns and issues out on the table. Afterward, we'll do a quick prioritization so we can assign owners to address the next step of how this feeds back into improving the plan. [28:32] As everybody took two minutes to write down the issues, get them out on the table and rotate through the biggest issue from each person as quickly as you can, one at a time, so no one gets into a laundry list of items. Keep the discussion moving across all the participants. [28:55] What you get is honest dialog and everyone participates. If you do that, you'll avoid overcomplicating it. It can be very simple. It's structured to help you manage that. As long as you keep it moving, it will be fine. [29:12] On 1:45 p.m., on May 7th, at RISKWORLD, in Room 185BC. Denise will be presenting “Pre-Mortem or Post-Mortem: If You Were Patient, Which One Would You Choose?” Denise will be extending the dialog from the paper and this episode. [29:37] Denise will miss Michael on stage. They had a successful session together at the RIMS ERM Fall Conference. Now that the paper is published, the presentation will be more robust. [29:55] The presentation will cover what pre-mortem risk assessment entails. You basically assume the strategic project has failed. Then you identify the triggers of that failure and develop plans to avoid and mitigate them to achieve success. Then you monitor. [30:25] Once Denise goes through the fundamentals, she will take you through a hands-on exercise of applying this technique. She will give a business case and have the audience start solving it and finding triggers. It's very easy. It will give a sense of what this is all about. [30:52] Denise's aim is that the participants, with the presentation and the white paper, will have another skillset to apply and bring value to their organization. There will be audience participation to close out the last day of the education track at RISKWORLD. [31:20] Denise will have a full hour and then there will be more audience participation when the Second City takes the stage for the Conference Finale. [31:34] Justin recommends attendees check out Denise's solid one-hour presentation. She assures you there will be no coasting in her session! [31:59] It has been such a pleasure to see you both. I appreciate you taking the time. You wrote a wonderful paper. The link is in this episode's notes. Go to RIMS.org/riskknowledge to check it out. Press the White Paper button and it will pop right up. Thank you both so much! [32:18] Special thanks again to Michael Zuraw and Denise Sobczak for joining us here on RIMScast. A link to their paper, “The Pre-Mortem Method: Learning from Failure Without Actually Failing” is available through the Risk Knowledge of RIMS.org. A link is in this episode's notes. [32:35] Beyond the pages and this episode, Denise will be extending the dialog at RISKWORLD on May 7th at 1:45 p.m. local time. She will deliver “Pre-Mortem or Post-Mortem: If You Were a Patient, Which Would You Choose?” That session will be held in room 185BC. [32:52] Register in advance through the RIMS Events App. [32:55] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [33:24] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [33:41] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [33:59] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [34:16] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [34:30] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org. [34:37] Thank you all for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Links: Presented by the RIMS SERMC: “The Pre-Mortem Method: Learning From Failure Without Actually Failing” RISKWORLD 2025 — May 4‒7 | Register today! Spencer Educational Foundation — General Grants 2026 — Application Dates Spencer's RISKWORLD Events — Register or Sponsor! RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Risk Management magazine RIMS Now Announcement: RIMS and The Institute for Internal Auditors' Strategic Alliance on Education RIMS Canada Conference 2025 | September 14‒17 | Calgary | Submit a session by April 16. DFW RIMS — 7th Annual Night at the Races / Lone Star Park – April 17, 2025 Nominations for the Donald M. Stuart Award [Canada] The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center “Truly Long-Term Strategic Risk Management in Focus” — RIMS Q&A with Michael Zuraw (2019) RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars “What CISOs Want Risk Executives to Know About Cyber Risk in 2025” | Sponsored by Auditboard | April 10, 2025 “Ready for Tomorrow? From Defense to Prevention: Strengthening Your Liability Risk Management Approach” | Sponsored by Hub International | April 17, 2025 “Better Together: The Marriage of Insurable Risk and Business Continuity” | Sponsored by Riskonnect | April 24, 2025 “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding: Its Importance and How You Can Contribute” | Sponsored by Zurich | May 1, 2025   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA | April 22‒23 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule   Upcoming Virtual Workshops: “Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability and Employment Practices in the U.S.” | April 16‒17 | Instructor: Chris Hansen “Managing Data for ERM” | June 12 | Instructor: Pat Saporito  “Generative AI for Risk Management” | June 26 | Instructor: Pat Saporito See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Related RIMScast Episodes: “Maintaining an Award-Winning ERM Program with Michael Zuraw” “Scenario Planning with the RIMS SERMC” “Q1 2025 Risks with Morgan O'Rourke” “ERMotivation with Carrie Frandsen, RIMS-CRMP” “Risk Quantification Through Value-Based Frameworks” “Applying ERM Theory with Elise Farnham” “On Risk Appetite and Tolerance”   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich (New!) “What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog (New!) “Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping” | Sponsored by Medcor “Risk Management in a Changing World: A Deep Dive into AXA's 2024 Future Risks Report” | Sponsored by AXA XL “How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips” | Sponsored by Alliant “RMIS Innovation with Archer” | Sponsored by Archer “Navigating Commercial Property Risks with Captives” | Sponsored by Zurich “Breaking Down Silos: AXA XL's New Approach to Casualty Insurance” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Weathering Today's Property Claims Management Challenges” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Storm Prep 2024: The Growing Impact of Convective Storms and Hail” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Partnering Against Cyberrisk” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Harnessing the Power of Data and Analytics for Effective Risk Management” | Sponsored by Marsh “Accident Prevention — The Winning Formula For Construction and Insurance” | Sponsored by Otoos “Platinum Protection: Underwriting and Risk Engineering's Role in Protecting Commercial Properties” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Elevating RMIS — The Archer Way” | Sponsored by Archer   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring Walmart ERM Director Michelle Black!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guests: Denise Sobczak, Director of Group Risk Management at the BIC Group Michael Zuraw, Senior Director of Global Enterprize Risk Management for Onsemi   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses why many most modernization efforts fail. Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses a path to ITIL4. Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays). Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

Facility managers play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of their buildings, occupants, and operations. In this episode, Brent Ward, owner of Left Coast Facilities Consulting, and Ray Bizal, Director of Regional Operations for NFPA, dive into the impact of NFPA standards on facility management. They explore essential fire, electrical, and life safety codes, along with standards for wildfire and active shooter preparedness. The discussion highlights key updates, including the mandatory inspection practices introduced in the 2023 edition of NFPA 70B, emphasizing the need for compliance to protect business continuity and brand reputation.Resources from the episode:NFPA's website Connect with Us:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ifmaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/InternationalFacilityManagementAssociation/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IFMAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ifma_hq/YouTube: https://youtube.com/ifmaglobalVisit us at https://ifma.org

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Crystal Trout is a director with Baker Tilly's Risk Advisory practice. Justin and Crystal discuss her career in anti-money laundering compliance, and what brought her to consulting. They discuss the elements of AML compliance and how the need for it stretches beyond financial institutions to any sector that involves large transactions, including virtual digital assets and investing. They talk about the $3 billion settlement TD Bank entered into with regulators in October of 2024 and the messages that sends both to financial institutions and money criminals. Listen to Crystal's advice to risk professionals who may oversee large transactions. Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:15] Public registration is open for RISKWORLD 2025! Engage Today and Embrace Tomorrow with RIMS at RISKWORLD from May 4th through May 7th in Chicago, Illinois. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. [:31] About this episode of RIMScast. Crystal Trout of Baker Tilly and I will discuss how Anti-Money Laundering regulations are impacting the risk profession. [:56] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! As part of RIMS's continuing strategic partnership with Purima, we have a two-day course coming up on April 22nd and 23rd. Links to these courses can be found through the Certification page of RIMS.org and this episode's show notes. [1:15] Virtual Workshops! On April 16th and 17th, Chris Hansen will lead “Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability, and Employment Practices in the U.S.” [1:29] On June 12th, Pat Saporito will host “Managing Data for ERM” and will return on June 26th to present the very popular new course, “Generative AI for Risk Management”. [1:44] A link to the full schedule of virtual workshops can be found on the RIMS.org/education and RIMS.org/education/online-learning pages. A link is also in this episode's show notes. [1:55] RISKWORLD registration is open. Engage Today and Embrace Tomorrow, May 4th through 7th in Chicago. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. Also, remember that there will be lots of pre-conference workshops being held in Chicago just ahead of RISKWORLD. [2:14] These courses include “Applying and Integrating ERM,” “Captives as an Alternate Risk Financing Technique,” “Contractual Risk Transfer,” “Fundamentals of Insurance,” “Fundamentals of Risk Management,” RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep, and more! The links are in the show notes. [2:38] Money laundering should be one of the top risks on your risk radar, especially in 2025 as new regulations are added or rolled back. Some high-profile resolutions have made recent headlines. [2:51] To help me make sense of it all for the RIMScast audience, here is the Director of Baker Tilly's Risk Advisory Practice, Crystal Trout. Crystal has more than 23 years of experience working with financial institutions with a focus on financial crimes compliance. [3:08] We're going to talk about anti-money laundering (AML) programs and get some best practices for implementation and reporting. [3:18] Interview! Crystal Trout, welcome to RIMScast! [3:33] Crystal Trout is a director with Baker Tilly's Risk Advisory Group. She joined Baker Tilly after having worked in financial crimes risk for over 23 years. Previously, she was in the financial institution space. [3:51] Crystal switched to consulting to help other financial institutions build out their AML compliance programs and ensure that they're in a good spot for regulatory exams. [4:19] Crystal tells how she was drawn to anti-money laundering. In high school, she had an internship with a financial institution, and it was robbed. [4:37] When the FBI was doing their investigation, Crystal was trying to understand what they were doing and how they were going to catch the robber. She was so fascinated by the process that she changed what she went to school for and altered her career path.  [5:09] Crystal's interest in understanding how fraudsters and money launderers act led her to use her banking career to work in the back office and investigation space. [5:38] Crystal says the institution used dispensers that limited cash, and the robbers only got $500. Because of the weapon they used, the robbers got a massive sentence at trial. [6:38] Crystal explains the current AML environment. Baker Tilly is staying close to any regulatory changes. The complexity of regulations is extensive. It's critical that professionals in this space stay close to the challenges that extend even beyond the regulatory requirements. [6:59] We're seeing more changes in regulations than we have historically had, Crystal observes. It's a matter of understanding the landscape, staying close to the changes, and trying to predict which direction they may go and plan for either direction. The key is planning and not waiting. [7:32] Crystal suggests you should hope for the best and plan for the worst. Make sure that you're prepared to go in either direction, whether regulations are rolled back or strengthened. [7:57] Justin recalls that TD Bank reached a $3 billion settlement with U.S. regulators in October 2024, pleading guilty to failing to maintain an adequate AML program, which unfortunately led to the facilitation of money laundering activities. That's a huge penalty, Crystal points out. [8:37] This event provides valuable insight for risk professionals regarding regulatory expectations and also the consequences of inadequacies in their programs. [8:49] People need to understand that they can't be lackadaisical in their compliance program. They need to be ahead of it. It's all about preparation and planning.  [9:03] In the TD Bank case, regulators had identified substantial weaknesses in the overall transaction monitoring system and due diligence procedures. [9:17] TD Bank had allegedly failed to allocate the resources needed to operate their AML program, but they continued to have significant growth within their higher-risk customer segment and geographical region. [9:35] TD Bank wasn't staying ahead and keeping current with its customer base and the risks that were taking place. Beyond the penalty, TD Bank has expenses for remediation efforts, enhanced compliance infrastructure, and independent monitoring. All of these are added costs. [9:57] Financial institutions may fail to realize the costs that happen beyond the penalty. They may say it costs too much to add the staffing or build the correct tools, not realizing it will cost them more when the regulators find these faults and weaknesses within their program. [10:18] A key lesson to learn is that compliance programs must be able to scale appropriately with the institution's business growth and evolving risk profiles. [10:30] Regulators focus on the overall program effectiveness rather than mere technical compliance, particularly regarding the quality of suspicious activity identification and reporting. [10:41] It's important for institutions that have to comply with these programs to be proactive and make sure they have the correct resource allocation. Those things are key when it comes to ensuring that AML compliance programs operate effectively. [11:11] There are five key pillars involved in an AML compliance program, including a designated compliance officer and following customer due diligence. You build an AML Bible, with paperwork that documents the steps you're going to take to be in compliance. [11:39] It allows your people to understand the risk that the institution is willing to take, and what it's not willing to accept. You document everything as evidence base for regulators, as having the correct tools and technology to support the program's overall risk tolerance. [12:33] Justin and Crystal address the reputational risk to an institution that may come from a regulatory settlement. Crystal states that these settlements signal to the bad guys that they are going to be caught and they're not going to be able to continue to act at that institution. [13:14] Crystal tells about the bank robber. For prevention, when someone comes into the bank, make eye contact, talk to them, and acknowledge them. If they're scouting it out, there's a lot less chance they'll come back to that bank because they are being noticed. [13:37] A criminal may not physically be in the bank, but if you do due diligence up front when they open an account, asking the right questions, and looking for red flags, they may realize that you have a very strong AML program in place and they'll go elsewhere. [14:07] Plug Time! RIMS Webinars! On April 3rd, join Zurich for “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding”. On April 10th, Audit Board will present “What CISOs Want Risk Executives to Know About Cyber Risk in 2025”. [14:24] Following the success of their recent webinar, HUB International returns for the next installment of their Ready for Tomorrow Series, “From Defense to Prevention: Strengthening Your Liability Risk Management Approach”. That session will be on April 17th. [14:40] On April 24th, RiskConnect returns to deliver “Better Together: The Marriage of Insurable Risk and Business Continuity”. [14:48] More webinars will be announced soon and added to the RIMS.org/webinars page. Go there to register. Registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [14:59] Important Announcement! RIMS and the Institute of Internal Auditors have entered into an agreement to deliver a selection of the other group's educational programming to their members. Twenty-nine shared courses will be available to both association's members. [15:17] RIMS members can explore the IIA courses that are now available to them at See Courses Here. To access RIMS's complete selection of workshops, webinars, and courses, visit RIMS.org/Education. [15:35] Let's Return to my Interview with Crystal Trout! [15:50] Are risk professionals who are not at financial institutions at risk of inadvertently being caught up in a money laundering crime? Crystal says this question is in the back of the mind of any risk professional. She remembers that running an AML compliance program is stressful. [16:22] There's always the risk that a chief compliance manager could be cited for a failure and have to pay a significant, hefty fine. A risk manager should be aware of this when they're performing any form of transaction. Listen to your gut if something seems off. Don't ignore it. [17:26] Is paying in cryptocurrency a red flag? Navigating AML compliance specifically regarding cryptocurrency is new for a lot of professionals. There are risks and benefits to digital assets concerning AML compliance. [17:54] With any evolving form of payment, if risk professionals aren't staying ahead, truly understanding and navigating how it works, it's going to make it difficult for them to understand red flags and risks that might come, as well. [18:13] There is sometimes a natural fear in risk professionals that because they're not comfortable with cryptocurrency, they're not able to address any legitimate concerns or concerns that may be their internal fear due to the lack of knowledge. [18:45] Is it too risky for a company to announce the voluntary departure of a Chief Compliance Officer? Crystal says the company should already have a plan for somebody to temporarily step in and continue to operate so it doesn't leave a gap or exposure in the organization. [19:22] It's an opportunity for a risk professional to go into a financial institution and make a mark for themselves by helping the institution strengthen its overall compliance program. [19:49] It's a good practice for a company to announce the replacement chief compliance officer at the same time as the announcement of the leaving chief compliance officer. It's part of succession planning. [20:47] The money laundering risk landscape is expanding significantly. Industries outside of finance and banking face substantial financial crime risk and corresponding regulatory scrutiny. They have less mature compliance infrastructure than their banking counterparts. [21:07] Crystal mentions the real estate sector as a potential vehicle for money laundering due to the high-value transactions, price stability, and the lack of historical regulatory oversight. [21:19] Digital asset providers, cryptocurrency exchanges, wallet providers, and any type of virtual asset service providers face intensifying regulatory scrutiny because the platforms can facilitate anonymous transactions. [21:35] The Financial Action Task Force has established clear expectations for virtual asset service providers to implement robust AML controls. Gaming and gambling services present money laundering risk. [21:53] There are other high-risk sectors that money laundering risk could expand to. FinCEN recently required registered investment advisors and exempt reporting advisors who have not been required to have an AML compliance program to have one in place by January 2026. [22:22] We're seeing AML compliance extend beyond traditional banking. [22:34] There are very few industries that, in some form or fashion, could not be a victim of a bad actor performing money laundering. It's just a matter of the bad guy finding a way to do it. [23:09] What steps should a company take when money laundering by an employee is discovered? The appropriate officer needs to start an internal investigation. That's a lengthy process. Make sure the “i”s are dotted and the “t”s are crossed within the investigation. [23:47] Make sure all the evidence and documentation are aligned. Involve HR and the appropriate supervisor authority. If it's shown to be true, interview the individual. It could lead to termination. The investigative process could take months. The authorities may be alerted. [24:39] The company may not want it out in public knowledge and may not file a police report. It can damage a company's reputation. [25:00] Crystal explains her passion for AML compliance and why she became a compliance consultant to help more institutions. The downstream impact is so significant. She wants to make sure the bad apples don't have the opportunity to launder funds. [25:54] Special thanks again to Crystal Trout for joining us here on RIMScast. I've got links to more RIMS coverage of fraud, compliance, financial risk management, and anti-money laundering in this episode's show notes. [26:09] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [26:38] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [26:55] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [27:13] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [27:30] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [27:44] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org. [27:51] Thank you all for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Links: RISKWORLD 2025 — May 4‒7 | Register today! Nominations for the Donald M. Stuart Award [Canada] Spencer Educational Foundation — General Grants 2026 — Application Dates Spencer's RISKWORLD Events — Register or Sponsor! RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Risk Management magazine RIMS Now Announcement: RIMS and The Institute for Internal Auditors' Strategic Alliance on Education RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich | April 3, 2025 “What CISOs Want Risk Executives to Know About Cyber Risk in 2025” | Sponsored by Auditboard | April 10, 2025 “Ready for Tomorrow? From Defense to Prevention: Strengthening Your Liability Risk Management Approach” | Sponsored by Hub International | April 17, 2025 “Better Together: The Marriage of Insurable Risk and Business Continuity” | Sponsored by Riskonnect | April 24, 2025   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA | April 22‒23 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule   Upcoming Virtual Workshops: “Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability and Employment Practices in the U.S.” | April 16‒17 | Instructor: Chris Hansen “Managing Data for ERM” | June 12 | Instructor: Pat Saporito  “Generative AI for Risk Management” | June 26 | Instructor: Pat Saporito See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Related RIMScast Episodes: “RIMS Legislative Priorities in 2025 with Mark Prysock” “AI and Regulatory Risk Trends with Caroline Shleifer” “Financial Risk Management with Chris Willey of American Eagle FCU” “Maintaining an Award-Winning ERM Program with Michael Zuraw” “ERM in Banking & Finance with Eleni Willis”   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich (New!) “What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog (New!) “Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping” | Sponsored by Medcor “Risk Management in a Changing World: A Deep Dive into AXA's 2024 Future Risks Report” | Sponsored by AXA XL “How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips” | Sponsored by Alliant “RMIS Innovation with Archer” | Sponsored by Archer “Navigating Commercial Property Risks with Captives” | Sponsored by Zurich “Breaking Down Silos: AXA XL's New Approach to Casualty Insurance” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Weathering Today's Property Claims Management Challenges” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Storm Prep 2024: The Growing Impact of Convective Storms and Hail” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Partnering Against Cyberrisk” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Harnessing the Power of Data and Analytics for Effective Risk Management” | Sponsored by Marsh “Accident Prevention — The Winning Formula For Construction and Insurance” | Sponsored by Otoos “Platinum Protection: Underwriting and Risk Engineering's Role in Protecting Commercial Properties” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Elevating RMIS — The Archer Way” | Sponsored by Archer   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring Walmart ERM Director Michelle Black!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Crystal Trout, Director, Risk Services Advisory Group at Baker Tilly   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses the forgotten aspect in most modernization efforts.Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays).Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

Send us a textThe unexpected happens—platforms crash, power fails, key equipment breaks down. Is your business prepared to keep functioning when disaster strikes? In this eye-opening conversation with business continuity expert Erika Andresen, we explore the critical yet often overlooked practices that keep businesses operational through any disruption.Erika, a certified business continuity professional, former lawyer, and emergency management professor, reveals why small businesses are particularly vulnerable to disruptions despite being the backbone of community resilience. She shares compelling stories of business owners caught unprepared. These cautionary tales highlight how seemingly small dependencies can create devastating single points of failure.We dive deep into practical approaches for identifying vulnerabilities in your business operations, from social media dependencies to supply chain fragility. Erika explains that while large corporations have robust continuity teams, small businesses can achieve significant protection with thoughtful planning and backup systems. Her firsthand experience surviving Hurricane Helene without power, internet, or cell service for days provides sobering insights into how quickly cascading failures can impact even the best-laid plans.Most valuable is Erika's practical framework for developing your own continuity strategy: aim for an 80% solution by methodically examining every aspect of your business and asking, "If this disappeared tomorrow, how would we continue?" The difference between hoping disasters won't happen and having concrete contingencies can determine whether your business survives or thrives through unexpected challenges.Connect with Erika:www.eaasc.comTake the Business Readiness Assessment is at the bottom of the page:Check out Erika's book:https://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Kill-Your-Business/dp/199018538XFollow Erika on socials:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dontkillyourbusiness/TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@dontkillyourbusinessLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/eaas-consultSupport the showGot a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:askcarl@carlspeaks.caIf you're ready to take the plunge and join the over 3 million people who have joined the podcast space, we'd love to hear your idea and help you get started! Book your Podcast Strategy Session today:https://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.com/get-started/Never miss an episode! Subscribe wherever you get your podcast by clicking here:https://communicationconnectioncommunity.buzzsprout.comFollow us on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/podcast-solutions-made-simpleFollow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/podcastsolutionsmadesimple/Follow us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/groups/podcastlaunchmadesimpleFollow us on Twitter:https://twitter.com/carlrichards72

Daya Patil drops in on Scott Hanselman to chat about getting started with Azure Business continuity Center, a single pane of glass for all your Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) needs across solutions and platforms for various key pillars like manage, monitor, Govern and audit compliance along with ability to perform core actions from centralized place. Recommended resources Azure Business Continuity Center Business Continuity with ABCC Connect Scott Hanselman | Twitter/x: @SHanselman Azure App Service | Twitter/x: @AzAppService Azure Friday | Twitter/x: @AzureFriday Azure | Twitter/x: @Azure

In this episode we are looking at a sector where IT and tech innovation is taking efficiency to a whole new level - manufacturing.Manufacturing is in a precarious position as an industry. In the global north, growth is largely stagnant, according to those same UN statistics. Even in high-growth economies like China, it's slowing down. It's also notoriously inefficient. So, can tech help? And if so, what does that look like? Joining us to discuss is Dan Klein, an advisor on data and digital transformation with a special interest in the manufacturing sector.This is Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Every week we look at a story that's been making headlines, take a look at the technology behind it, and explain why it matters to organizations and what we can learn from it. About this week's guest, Dan Klein: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dplklein/?originalSubdomain=uk Sources cited in this week's episode: UN stats on the state of global manufacturing: https://stat.unido.org/portal/storage/file/publications/qiip/World_Manufacturing_Production_2024_Q1.pdfStatista report on global manufacturing and efficiency: https://www.statista.com/outlook/io/manufacturing/worldwide Water on Mars: https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article/52/12/939/648640/Seismic-discontinuity-in-the-Martian-crust

In this episode we are looking at a sector where IT and tech innovation is taking efficiency to a whole new level - manufacturing.Manufacturing is in a precarious position as an industry. In the global north, growth is largely stagnant, according to those same UN statistics. Even in high-growth economies like China, it's slowing down. It's also notoriously inefficient. So, can tech help? And if so, what does that look like? Joining us to discuss is Dan Klein, an advisor on data and digital transformation with a special interest in the manufacturing sector.This is Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Every week we look at a story that's been making headlines, take a look at the technology behind it, and explain why it matters to organizations and what we can learn from it. About this week's guest, Dan Klein: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dplklein/?originalSubdomain=uk Sources cited in this week's episode: UN stats on the state of global manufacturing: https://stat.unido.org/portal/storage/file/publications/qiip/World_Manufacturing_Production_2024_Q1.pdfStatista report on global manufacturing and efficiency: https://www.statista.com/outlook/io/manufacturing/worldwide Water on Mars: https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article/52/12/939/648640/Seismic-discontinuity-in-the-Martian-crust

Daya Patil drops in on Scott Hanselman to chat about getting started with Azure Business continuity Center, a single pane of glass for all your Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) needs across solutions and platforms for various key pillars like manage, monitor, Govern and audit compliance along with ability to perform core actions from centralized place. Recommended resources Azure Business Continuity Center Business Continuity with ABCC Connect Scott Hanselman | Twitter/x: @SHanselman Azure App Service | Twitter/x: @AzAppService Azure Friday | Twitter/x: @AzureFriday Azure | Twitter/x: @Azure

In this episode, Jeffrey discusses the three important reasons to invest in a knowledge management program.Each week, Jeffrey will be sharing his knowledge on Service Delivery (Mondays) and Service Management (Thursdays).Jeffrey is the founder of Service Management Leadership, an IT consulting firm specializing in Service Management, Asset Management, CIO Advisory, and Business Continuity services.  The firm's website is www.servicemanagement.us.  Jeffrey has been in the industry for 30 years and brings a practical perspective to the discussions. He is an accomplished author with seven acclaimed books in the subject area and a popular YouTube channel with approximately 1,500 videos on various topics.  Also, please follow the Service Management Leadership LinkedIn page.

In the latest episode of the Building Better Developers podcast, hosts Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche discuss business continuity, a concept that is often overlooked until it's too late. They explore the question: What happens when business operations are disrupted? Whether it's an illness, a vacation, unexpected growth, or even a global crisis, ensuring that a business can continue operating smoothly is essential for long-term success. What is Business Continuity? Business continuity is the ability of a company to keep running even when unexpected events disrupt normal operations. Unlike disaster recovery, which focuses on bouncing back after a catastrophe, continuity planning is about avoiding downtime in the first place. For entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and small business owners, this means having systems, processes, and contingencies to keep things moving forward. As Rob points out, contingency planning isn't something many small businesses think about until they need it. "We don't tend to think about it until we get into it," he says, "and then by the time we're out of it, we forget about it." This lack of foresight can lead to unnecessary stress, lost revenue, and even business failure when an unexpected challenge arises. The Good and Bad of Growth and Stability Rob and Michael highlight a key challenge they've faced recently—unexpected growth affecting stability. Growth is a great problem to have, but it can catch businesses off guard. Hiring new team members, scaling processes, and adjusting to new demands require strategic planning. Rob shares that his boutique consulting firm, RB Consulting, has had to face this head-on. "We were not as prepared for the growth as we would have liked to be," he admits. The lesson? If you don't anticipate growth and put structures in place, scaling can become a bottleneck rather than an opportunity. Michael echoes this sentiment, sharing his own struggles with hiring at his company, EnvisionQA. "It's not real easy to just go out and grab someone off the Internet and say, ‘Hey, come work for me.' You have to find the right people who align with your mission and goals to ensure smooth operations." Avoiding Single Points of Failure One of the most critical aspects of operational stability is identifying and eliminating single points of failure. If one key person or system is the only thing holding a business together, that business is fragile and at risk of significant disruption. Michael brings up financial security as an example. He recently faced a fraud alert that locked him out of his business bank account. This experience made him realize he was the sole person with access to critical financial tools. "If I were to get hit by a bus, or I were to get sick or go on vacation, are the bills still going to get paid?" To mitigate risks like this and ensure stability, businesses need to: Document key processes and make sure others can step in when necessary. Use automation for routine tasks, ensuring payroll, invoices, and customer communications don't halt. Cross-train employees so that no task depends on just one person, ensuring seamless operations. Planning for Life Events Maintaining business operations isn't just about emergencies—it's also about enjoying life without worrying about work. Rob points out that if your business requires you to be there daily, you're not running a business—you have a job. "If my daughter decides she wants to have a baby, and suddenly I'm out for a week being a grandpa, how am I going to keep the business going?" Michael asks. This question applies to all entrepreneurs. Can you take time off without disrupting daily operations? If the answer is no, it's time to rethink your systems. Using Automation, Documentation, and Delegation with Business Continuity The episode circles back to a recurring theme: automation, documentation, and delegation. The hosts encourage business owners to: Automate repetitive tasks to minimize manual workload. Create clear documentation so that employees or contractors can step in when needed. Delegate responsibilities to team members instead of trying to do everything alone. A practical example they discuss is the podcast itself. Rob and Michael record episodes in advance to ensure content keeps flowing even if they can't record for a week. The same principle applies to blogs, marketing campaigns, and customer support—businesses should plan and have a buffer to maintain smooth operations. The Business Stability Challenge At the end of the episode, Rob challenges listeners to analyze their own business by asking: What would have happened last week if you weren't available? What critical tasks would have gone unfinished? Who could have stepped in, and how can you make it easier for them to do so next time? What documentation, automation, or delegation can you implement to improve overall stability? By taking proactive steps today, business owners can reduce stress, improve resilience, and create a thriving company—even when life throws curveballs. Final Thoughts on Business Continuity Operational continuity is not just about handling disasters—it's about building a strong, scalable business that can run smoothly even when you step away. Whether it's an unexpected illness, a surprise growth spurt, or a well-earned vacation, having the right processes in place ensures your business can continue operating successfully. What steps are you taking to improve stability in your company? Let us know in the comments or at info@develpreneur.com. Stay Connected: Join the Develpreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Growing Your Brand and Business – Suggestions For Any Entrepreneur Spend Time Or Money – The Best Approach To Growing Hiring Talent: Strategies for Building Strong Teams Scaling with Contractors and Employees: A Strategic Guide to Business Growth Building Better Businesses – With Bonus Content

March 19, 2025: Jonathan Cook, CTO for Clearsense, explores how healthcare organizations can achieve immediate ROI through data enablement and application rationalization. Cook reveals how Clearsense has evolved from an archiving solution to a comprehensive data enablement platform that indexes, structures, and makes accessible data across disparate systems while providing a clear path to cost savings. Key Points:05:12 ROI Found Fast08:15 AI Enablement and Future Prospects11:24 Business Continuity and Disaster RecoverySubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex's Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

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