In the leadup to Continuity Insights New York, October 29-30, 2012 at The Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City, Continuity Insights asks presenters about their chosen topics, critical business continuity skills, how prepared we can be, and which famous person would have made a good business continuity professional. This week Mike Errity, Director, IBM Business Continuity and Resiliency Services, discusses the need for strong leadership skills, reputational risks and the need to be more like Bruce Springsteen.

Continuity Insights: Your session relates to reputational risks and IT strategies that can be used to safeguard an organization’s reputation? What is the single biggest reputational risk for organizations in today’s always-on and socially networked world.

Mike Errity: Data loss, caused by a range of possibilities.

CI: Complete this sentence: To be a successful business continuity professional you must master the risk assessment, the BIA and ___________________.

ME: Leadership strengths, in order to communicate with diverse (executive and operational) management.

CI: True or false: There are some things you simply cannot plan for, e.g. the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan last year. 

ME: False. We can build tabletop plans to address risks that reach the worst-case scenarios. And, while we cannot predict when and exactly what events will occur, proper planning enables skills and processes to adapt as needed.

CI: Which U.S. president, sports person or musician do you think would have made a good business continuity professional and why?

ME: Bruce Springsteen, because in the business continuity profession we all need to be “the boss”.

CI: If you formed a band with other business continuity professionals what would you call it?

ME: The Masters of Disasters

For more information on Errity's presentation, as well as the full agenda and registration details, visit the Continuity Insights New York website at www.continuitynewyork.com.