Disaster Recovery Journal Fall 2025

adapt, employee retention, and customer trust. Resilience is not a sunk cost. It is a strategic asset. To gain executive and board-level support, resilience should be framed in terms of risk-adjusted value preserva tion. It should highlight how it protects and sustains enterprise value in the face of disruption. Aligning resilience key perfor mance indicators (KPIs) with core busi ness performance metrics demonstrates its direct contribution to strategic objectives. Sharing case studies where resilience initiatives have delivered tangible finan cial benefits further reinforces its role as a value driver, not just a risk mitigation exercise. Disconnect No. 6: One-Size-Fits-All Resilience Models Work Executives may adopt frameworks or templates that are not tailored to their organization’s unique risk profile, cul ture, or regulatory environment. While industry standards (like ISO 22301 – the international standard for business conti nuity management systems (BCMS)) offer useful guidance, resilience must be cus tomized. Each organization has distinct criti cal services, supply chain vulnerabilities, and stakeholder expectations. A templated approach may overlook specific weak points or create a false sense of security. To ensure resilience efforts are relevant and effective, organizations should begin with an enterprise-wide risk and impact analysis that captures both strategic and operational vulnerabilities. Resilience programs must be customized to reflect the unique needs of each geography, sector, and business model, recognizing a one-size-fits-all approach falls short in a complex global environment. Integrating employee feedback and frontline intel ligence into planning ensures practical insights are captured, increasing the rel evance, agility, and effectiveness of resil ience strategies. The Board and Regulator Perspective Boards of directors and international regulators are increasingly holding the C-suite accountable for organizational

resilience. This is not just about fiduciary duty; it is about safeguarding societal sta bility and economic continuity. From the European Union’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) to U. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) cyber security rules, resilience is now a gover nance imperative. Depending on where organizations operate in the world, they may need to consider a few additional key regulatory bodies such as APRA (Australia), BaFin (Germany), and FSRA (UAE). Executives must be prepared to dem onstrate their organizations can consis tently deliver critical services, even under adverse conditions. This includes the abil ity to withstand and recover from systemic shocks while maintaining operational integrity. Protecting data, people, and physical assets is essential, as is the capac ity to make timely, transparent decisions during crises. These capabilities are not only vital for maintaining stakeholder trust but also for meeting regulatory expecta tions and sustaining long-term business performance. Boards must also evolve. They should include members with expertise in risk, crisis leadership, and digital resilience. Oversight should shift from reactive reviews to active scenario discussions and resilience investment planning. Regardless of region or sector, resilient leadership is emerging as the cornerstone of global competitiveness. The time to act is now.

Path Forward: Building Strategic Resilience To correct these misconceptions, C-suite leaders must shift from a defensive to a strategic mindset. Resilience should not be an afterthought but embedded in: 1. Corporate strategy: Link resilience with environmental, social, and governance (ESG), digital transformation, and innovation. 2. Culture: Encourage a growth mindset, psychological safety, and accountability. 3. Governance: Assign clear ownership, reporting lines, and performance metrics. 4. Technology: Leverage real-time data, automation, and AI to anticipate disruption. Resilient organizations are not simply those that bounce back. They are the ones that bounce forward emerging stronger, more agile, and better positioned for long term success. In today’s environment, resilience is not optional. It is a boardroom priority, regulatory expectation, and a business dif ferentiator. The sooner the C-suite recog nizes this, the better prepared they will be for whatever comes next. v

Margaret J. Millett, MsBC, FBCI (Hon), MBCP, is the CEO and founder of Seamless Horizon, Inc. She has driven business resil ience across Fortune 300 IT and financial services companies in the US and Ireland.

She is the 2023 Business Continuity Institute (BCI) Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and a sought-after global speaker and author.

10 DISASTER RECOVERY JOURNAL | FALL 2025