THRIVE! The official publication of DRI International
Issue #2 is now available! 

Online voting is open and underway for the DRI International Awards of Excellence.  There are two categories decided by popular vote: Lifetime Achievement Award and Service Provider of the Year.  It's easy to vote.  Just log into your MyDRI account and click on the Awards of Excellence Voting Booth.  And if you need a hand with MyDRI, just call us at (866)542-3744.
 
"A record number of nominations for the Awards of Excellence resulted in a highly-qualified and diverse field from which voters can choose," says AnneMarie Staley, Committee Chair.  "We're excited to open online voting so that DRI-certified professionals can honor their own."
 
You must be certified and in good standing to vote. Voting closes April 15, 2013.  The awards will be presented at the Awards of Excellence Gala to be held June 6, during the DRI2013 conference in Philadelphia, PA.
 
The nominees are:
 
Lifetime Achievement Award:
This honor goes to a person who has demonstrated exceptional achievement within business continuity, and professional excellence over the course of a significant career in the industry. Nominees must have demonstrated professional credibility, a substantial public relations profile, and respect within the industry in general.

• Thomas Carroll, Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
• Richard Fairlamb, Fairlamb Int'l LLC
• Sue Hornstra, GE Capital
• Frank Perlmutter, Strategic BCP
• Jeffrey Yu, DRI China

 
Service Provider of the Year:
Designed to recognize the very best in service delivery amongst full service business continuity providers, this award recognizes a company's commitment in promoting business continuity to its customer base and the wider audience, which may include staff awareness, training and user-group activity, amongst other efforts.

• Ernie Bryan, Engineering Solutions, Inc.
• Bruce Gillespie, Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
• David Mahoney, Northrop Grumman

A teacup and saucer that "Born This Way" singer Lady Gaga autographed and auctioned to raise money for victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan was reportedly purchased by a dentist for $64,000.  Lady Gaga drank out of the cup and auctioned it in 2011 after autographing it and signing the message "Nihon no tame ni inori o" (Pray for Japan) during her Japan tour soon after the disaster.

What does that have to do with you?  Well, we're encouraging you to follow in the footsteps of Lady Gaga (no need to wear those shoes, though!) and donate items to the DRI International Foundation Silent Auction to be held at DRI2013 on June 6, 2013 in Philadelphia.  Donate something yourself or ask your employer to contribute.

The foundation would welcome a service, product, or item to be auctioned off at this event. Any denomination of gift card, gift certificate or actual item also would be greatly appreciated, and all contributors will be listed on our web site.  Please consider asking your employer to support this event as well.

Your tax-deductible donation will support communities impacted by disaster connect with relief organizations as quickly as possible and when they need it the most.  Some of 2013's donations include: lunch and tour of the iconic New York Stock Exchange, theater tickets, hotel stays, sports memorabilia, electronics, and gift cards.
 
Donations can be mailed to:
Melissa Smith, Secretary
Disaster Recovery International Foundation
691 N. Squirrel Road Suite 111
Auburn Hills, MI  48326
 
Donations are due by March 15, 2013. Please contact Pascale Phelan, Development Officer, at 914-358-6451 or pphelan@driif.org with any questions.

There's snake in my house.  That's not a figure of speech, and it's not a snarky commentary on the character of a family member.  There's really a snake in my house.  My son named it "Fantastic Mr. Brown," which is a BIG name for a little snake, and this teeny tiny guy could hide in a drinking straw with room to spare.  FMB arrived last weekend after being found behind a friend's dishwasher, keeping cozy for the winter. He's here because I'm that kind of mom, and my son is a magnet for misplaced wildlife and people's used pets.  Last summer alone, we hosted two litters of kittens, an injured baby chipmunk, and a couple of stray dogs.  That's in addition to the permanent zoo that includes cast-off lizards, special needs parrots, and two crazy canines (You've all heard about Molly).  My rule is "No venom. No vermin."  So, FMB made the cut.

I was wondering what kind of creatures the warm weather would surely bring when I saw an article that made me grateful that we live in Pennsylvania, where the wildlife is not so wild.  It seems a 13-year-old Kenyan boy has bigger problems than what to do about the stray cat population. He's got a much larger feline foe: lions.

The boy, Richard Turere, is responsible for his family's livestock, which had been coming under attack by local lions.  So, Richard came up with an ingenious invention that protects his family's critical assets and does so without harming the lions.

After some trial and error and much observation, Richard noticed that typically bold lions became skittish at night, when people walked around with flashlights.  Moving light confused and frightened the lions.  In a master stroke of mitigation magic, Richard rigged dozens of LED lights to a battery and solar panel. He placed the bulbs on poles around the livestock enclosure and came up with a way to make the lights flash.  That put an end to the lions' nighttime raids, and Richard's system is now being used throughout the region.

Richard was invited to speak at this week's 2013 TED Conference in Southern California, where he shared the story of safeguarding his family's livelihood using ingenuity and very limited resources.  I think that's pretty cool.  And I hope that maybe you are inspired to take a fresh look at a persistent problem, even though resources may be scarce.  Who knows? It just might be you who comes up with the next big innovation in business continuity.  As for me, I know that Spring will bring creatures to care for and the chance for FMB to return (fat and happy) to the wild, where I hope he stays.

These days, cyber attacks are big news...and a big problem for businesses both large and small.  With that in mind, we've just added this session to the DRI2013 lineup: "Cyber Impact Readiness: What to Do as a BC Manager."

Presented by Susan Rogers, the session explores the practical activities that are being put in place to respond to this emerging threat.  Says Rogers, "It is overwhelming to consider a combination of physical event impact and technology failure that could result from a cyber attack," and that's why the business continuity community must be ready. This session will discuss how BC managers can strengthen the contingency plans of their organizations to increase the speed and capability with which their companies respond to a cyber risk event.

This session will be offered Friday, June 7 at 9:45 a.m.  DRI2013 will be held June 4-7, 2013, in Philadelphia, PA. The conference and exhibition features an international conference program, superior networking, meaningful volunteer opportunities, and innovative interaction with the provider community. Click here for the conference program and register today at www.DRIconference.org!

FEMA is asking all of us to "Be a Force of Nature" and better prepare for severe weather threats as part of National Severe Weather Preparedness Week March 3-9, 2013.

Sponsored by FEMA and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Severe Weather Preparedness Week is a nationwide effort to increase awareness of severe weather and to motivate individuals, families, businesses, and communities to take actions that will prepare them in the event of severe weather.

"By taking a few steps now, you can be better prepared for severe weather," said Ken Murphy, FEMA Region 10 Regional Administrator.  "We are asking everyone to know their risk, take action and be an example in your communities on how to be prepared."
        
Take advantage of FEMA resources and use the week to spread the word about preparedness amongst your employees.   Visit ready.gov/severe-weather.

You may or may not have disasters mastered.  But what you really want to be is an MBCP!  That's a Master Business Continuity Professional, and in just a few weeks, you can take the BCP 601W- Master Case Study Review (the course that prepares you to pursue your MBCP certification) and you can take it online March 20 and 21, 2013!

The intensive two day (16-hour) course prepares participants for the MBCP (Master Business Continuity Professional) Case Study Exam. The course addresses all phases of business continuity planning. The Masters Case Study Exam is a challenging 4.5-hour case study that assesses the candidate's knowledge and the application of that knowledge.

BCP-601W is a certificate course for professionals with more than five years of experience in business continuity and disaster recovery planning. This course is conducted entirely online. In order to register for this course, you must: (1) have already passed the DRI International Qualifying Exam; and (2) be able to document a minimum of five years of business continuity planning experience if you wish to pursue certification at the Master's level.

The cost of the course is $1,695, which includes course materials and the exam. Click here to register, or call (866) 542-3744 for more information.

This week brings a trio of interesting articles on risk management to share.

First, the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) and the Global Risk Center of the Oliver Wyman Group released results of the 2013 AFP Risk Management Survey, "which asked CFOs, corporate treasurers and other senior finance executives how their organizations are addressing risks through a risk-adjusted decision framework that includes forecasting, risk culture, organizational structure, metrics and other solutions," according to this report.

More than half of those surveyed report that it is more difficult to forecast risk today than it was five years ago and that the risks that are hardest to forecast are having the greatest impact on earnings.

"From subtle changes in consumer tastes to sweeping changes made by regulators, future risks can be difficult to manage proactively," said Jim Kaitz, AFP's president and CEO.  "That's why a risk mindset must permeate the entire organization."

Next, Computerworld reports that "62 percent of Asia Pacific banks are expecting to increase their technology spending on the area of risk management, according to an IDC Financial Insights survey."

The report, Business Strategy: Asia/Pacific CRO Survey - Risk Management in the "New Normal" Environment, polled 40 banking chief risk officers (CROs) and their deputies from across 11 Asia Pacific nations. According to the study, more than a third of risk professionals are projecting at least a seven percent increment in spending in 2013. To read the article, click here.

Lastly, this piece on the rapid pace of change and risk management is well worth a read, especially if you are intrigued by this question:  "Specifically, does a cyclical risk management process make sense in light of the current pace of change?"