Disaster Recovery Journal Spring 2024

CAREER SPOTLIGHT

support in honing my communication and leadership skills. From the Women in Business Continuity group from DRII mentorship program, I was mentored by Leticia Cecchin, who shared her insights and experiences, helping me take to courage to make difficult decisions and inspired me by her successful career. I took advantage of a mentoring program offered by my company, which matched me with Gagan Shori, an experienced telecom professional who provided valu able guidance and advice. Mentors, regardless of their field or background, offer wisdom and knowledge that cannot be acquired solely through formal education or training courses. They provide unique perspectives, share practical experiences, and offer guidance based on their own journeys. Mentoring is an invaluable opportunity for individuals at all career levels, and I encourage others to seek mentors who can help shape their professional development and support their growth. What are some lessons learned you still leverage today? The importance of continuous learn ing. Staying updated and informed about current events and industry trends has proven invaluable in my role. While it can be sad to read the news at times, I realized that knowing what is happening in the world provides valuable insights that enable me to excel in activities such as conducting business impact analysis (BIA) workshops and designing engaging business continuity exercise scenarios. It also positions me as a professional who understands external factors can inevita bly impact our organization and knows how to leverage them for learning pur poses. Whether reading industry publica tions, following thought leaders on social media, listening to podcasts, or attending webinars and conferences, continuous learning is an ongoing process that helps me stay informed, adapt to changes, and enhance my professional skills. What aspects of working in this industry would you like to see change or evolve? One aspect I would like to see a con

tinual change in the business continuity industry is a mindset shift from compli ance driven BCM to proactive prepared ness. Rather than implementing BCM solely because we are told to by regula tors, insurance companies, or the internal audit team, organizations should embrace it as a strategic initiative for long-term sustainability. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of resiliency, but people tend to forget, and soon enough, the pandemic will be a distant memory, so maintaining focus is crucial as not letting it fade into the background. By leveraging the momentum around resiliency and embedding a culture of proactive BCM, we can ensure lasting preparedness for future disruptions. What types of formal training and certifications have you pursued, and what kinds of learning and networking opportunities are you seeking to continue your professional development? I am a CBCP and hold certifications as a Lead Implementer for ISO 22301 and ISO 27001 and a Lead Auditor for ISO 22301. I have attended the MIT Crisis Management training and com pleted a Yellow Belt Six Sigma training. Additionally, I recently joined ACP North Texas, a local association of business continuity professionals. I highly recom mend everyone, new or experienced, join similar groups or chapters of associations in your area. They offer great network opportunities and valuable events. To this day, I still actively participate in webinars and online training. In the future, I am looking to obtain an MBCI membership with BCI and explore FEMA training opportunities. What gets you excited about your career? My move to the U.S. has been one of the most significant accomplishments in my life, considering where I started. The U.S. plays a major role in so many global events, both positive and negative. However, I feel very lucky to be exposed to and close to numerous companies, events, resources, and, most importantly, people. I truly believe there are people

out there, just like Selma and myself, who are willing to take a chance on an inexpe rienced but eager newcomer, completely transforming their lives. Over the past three years, I had the opportunity to meet some of these incredible individuals, and their stories have been truly motivating. I am very excited by how new technolo gies, like AI and 5G networks, will ben efit the resiliency community. I am also curious about how companies plan to be more energy efficient in a world threat ened by intense weather events and how resilience will sound in 10 years. It will be intense and challenging but ultimately rewarding as we face the days ahead. What advice would you give to those embarking on a career in this industry? I have never encountered a resilience professional who was born knowing everything about BCM, and the same goes for you. Don’t be hard on yourself. You can learn it if you are willing and intentional about it, even if you come from a different background. Don’t hesitate to ask questions, sched ule meetings, or connect with people instead of relying solely on emails, Make the most of the opportunities your stakeholders provide to explain how their department operates. The sooner you understand your company’s business model, products, and services, the faster you’ll understand in which ways your BCM program needs to be improved. Last but not least, enjoy it! Not many roles in an organization provides such deep level of understanding of the end to-end business process, so take this as an opportunity to learn, make connections and step up your BCM game! v

Selma Coutinho, MBCI, CBCP, CISSP, ISO 27001 lead implementer and lead auditor, is head of security at Ericsson. She leads the cybersecurity and resilience of two business areas related to enterprise and emerging

business. Coutinho has more than 10 years of experience in business continuity management, crisis management, risk management, and information security. She is pas sionate about driving and facilitating cybersecurity, BCM and crisis management changes, always focusing on con tinuous improvement and enhancing the company’s secu rity and resilience postures.

42 DISASTER RECOVERY JOURNAL | SPRING 2024