Disaster Recovery Journal Fall 2025

I n today’s volatile global environment, resilience is no longer a siloed function or compliance exercise. It is a strategic imperative. This article explores six persistent disconnects held by boards and C-suite lead ers who undermine true enterprise resilience. It calls for a shift from reactive, checklist-based thinking to a proactive, integrated approach embedded in cor porate strategy, culture, gov ernance, and technology. With evolving regulatory demands across regions and rising stakeholder expectations, now is the time for senior leadership to take direct ownership of building agile, future-ready organizations. Disconnect No. 1: Resilience is an IT or Risk Function One of the most pervasive misunder standings is that resilience falls solely within the domain of IT, risk, or compli ance teams. While these functions play essential roles, they are only pieces of the puzzle. True organizational resilience spans every function from finance and human resources to operations and com munications. When resilience is siloed in a specific department, it becomes reactive and tac tical, rather than strategic and enterprise wide. Resilient organizations are those where the C-suite leads from the front, integrating resilience into business strat egy, culture, investment decisions, and governance frameworks. Instead of treating resilience as a purely operational concern, organizations should elevate it to the boardroom agenda, making it a core focus of executive over sight and long-term planning. Resilience should be positioned as a key pillar of cor porate strategy. It is integral to sustaining growth, protecting reputation, and meet ing stakeholder expectations. To ensure meaningful impact, cross-functional lead ership must be assigned to drive resilience initiatives, fostering collaboration across

risk, operations, technology, compliance, and strategy teams. Disconnect No. 2: Resilience Equals Business Continuity Planning Executives often equate resilience with having a business continuity plan (BCP) sitting on a shelf. While BCPs are vital, it is just one component of a broader resil ience strategy. Resilience encompasses crisis management, operational risk, third party dependencies, workforce agility, data integrity, cyber readiness, and the ability to innovate under pressure. A BCP is static by nature, typically based on assumptions which may quickly become outdated. Resilience, by contrast, is dynamic. It requires real-time decision making, continuous learning, and the capacity to pivot in the face of the unex pected. Instead of relying on static plans, orga nizations should develop a living, evolv ing resilience framework that adapts to changing risks, business priorities, and global conditions. This includes invest ing in scenario planning and stress test ing to anticipate potential disruptions and strengthen response capabilities. Most importantly, resilience should be viewed as an ongoing organizational capability. It needs to be embedded in the culture and decision-making, rather than a one-time exercise or a document that sits on a shelf. Disconnect No. 3: Compliance Equals Resilience Regulatory compliance is necessary, but it is not sufficient. Too often, orga nizations check the boxes for audits and assume they are resilient. Resilience is not about meeting the minimum requirements; it is about being prepared for the worst case scenario while being agile enough to seize opportunities. Regulators worldwide are shifting their focus from compliance to outcomes. They want to see evidence organizations can continue to deliver important business ser vices during disruption. To build meaningful resilience, orga nizations should move beyond checklist based compliance and focus on achieving true maturity in their practices. This means

linking resilience investments directly to measurable business outcomes such as operational continuity, customer trust, and financial performance. Additionally, com panies should engage proactively with regulators to understand and help shape evolving resilience expectations, ensur ing alignment between strategic goals and external requirements. Disconnect No. 4: Insurance and Redundancy Are Enough Some executives believe having cyber insurance or a secondary data center makes their organization resilient. While such measures are important, they address only parts of the resilience equation. Insurance does not prevent a breach; redundancy does not guarantee continuity if decision making is slow or communication fails. Resilience requires understanding interdependencies and preparing for cas cading failures across ecosystems. It involves not only technical and financial safeguards but also leadership readiness, stakeholder trust, and cultural adaptability. Effective resilience requires more than just technical solutions. It must be paired with strong leadership capabilities. Organizations should combine tools and technologies with leadership training to ensure confident, informed decision-mak ing during disruptions. Conducting simu lations that test real-time responses under pressure help prepare teams for complex crises. At the same time, building strong relationships across supply chains, part ners, and regulators fosters collaboration and trust, which are critical for coordi nated response and recovery. Disconnect No. 5: Resilience Is a Cost Center Budget conversations often relegate resilience to a cost that delivers unclear return on investment (ROI). As a result, programs are understaffed, underfunded and treated as a low priority. Resilience is a value driver. It protects reputation, maintains revenue, supports investor con fidence, and enhances competitive advan tage. Organizations that invested in resil ience before the COVID-19 pandemic out performed their peers in terms of speed to

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