From Adrian: My career in business continuity began unexpectedly when as part of a broad-based organisational re-alignment I was gifted the responsibility for the largely neglected business continuity policy. 

Since then, I have gained over 9 years’ experience and knowledge in leading the uplift and establishment of business continuity and resilience programs across complex organisations. Over that period, my passion for business continuity and resilience has quickly developed and grown stronger.  

Working across local government and higher education, I’ve been involved in the full range of business continuity and resilience functions, including development and implementation of policy & strategy, training, and awareness programs, facilitating innumerable business impact analysis workshops, planning, and executing test exercises and direct involvement in live business interruptions.  

Along the way, I feel I’ve gained a great deal of knowledge and experience and managed to achieve the MBCI and look forward to contributing to the broader business continuity and resilience industry during my time as an award judge.   

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

I consider joining the awards program as a judge, an opportunity to take on a more active and prominent role within the Business Continuity Institute and the business continuity and resilience industry more broadly. Particularly, this provides opportunity to contribute to and provide support in guiding the future direction and initiatives of the award program.  

I feel the skills I’ve developed from local government and higher education place me in a great position to become an asset to the business continuity institute as an awards judge and the industry more broadly.   

Ammar is an accomplished and experienced professional in the field of business continuity and resilience, with a career spanning over 23 years. He is a leading expert in the industry, and has earned numerous certifications and accreditations in the areas of resilience, business continuity, crisis management, supply chain risk, and climate change risk. As a member of the BCI (MBCI), Ammar is deeply committed to advancing the field of business continuity and resilience through his work. 

Ammar's unique life journey has played a significant role in shaping his approach to resilience. Having lived in three richly diverse  countries, and cultures, he has gained a deep appreciation for the value and power of diversity. This perspective informs his work, enabling him to build and scale successful and award-winning BCM programs across the globe. His programs have been awarded and recognized by prestigious institutions such as Forbes, BCI, and CIR, among others. 

In addition to his work in the industry, Ammar is a committed thought leader. He is a board member on MIT's Crisis Course Resilience advisory board. Through his work, Ammar is dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations to build resilience and thrive in the face of adversity. 

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

As an experienced BCM professional who has received support from the BCI & the Industry throughout my career growth, I am motivated to give back by becoming a BCI Awards Judge. With a strong track record of winning BCI Awards, I am committed to promoting excellence and, evaluating nominees from a global perspective, taking into account unique cultural, and social factors, I aim to recognize and celebrate those who are making a positive impact in the BCM Industry.  As an award judge, I would be honored to play a role in recognizing excellence in the Business Continuity & Resilience industry. 

Atiq Bajwa, FBCI, is a distinguished leader in the business continuity and resilience industry, with over two decades of experience driving organizational resilience across the Middle East. Currently serving as the Chief Risk Officer at Sulaiman Alrajhi Holding Company in Saudi Arabia, Atiq oversees the development and implementation of enterprise-wide risk management and resilience strategies, ensuring the organization is well-prepared to navigate uncertainties and disruptions.

As a Fellow of the Business Continuity Institute (FBCI) and a founding member and the Leader of the BCI Saudi Arabia Chapter, Atiq has played a pivotal role in advancing the profession in the region. His thought leadership and expertise have made him a sought-after speaker, moderator, and panelist at numerous BCM and resilience conferences, where he shares insights on emerging trends, best practices, and innovative strategies.

Atiq’s career is marked by his ability to design and implement robust business continuity frameworks, aligning them with global standards like ISO 22301. Beyond his professional achievements, he actively mentors aspiring professionals and advocates for the adoption of resilience best practices. His dedication to excellence and his passion for promoting resilient cultures have earned him recognition as a trusted authority in the field.

Through his leadership at Sulaiman Alrajhi Holding and his active engagement in the BCI community, Atiq continues to shape the future of business continuity in the Middle East, inspiring organizations to thrive in an ever-changing landscape.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

Business continuity and resilience have been at the heart of my career, and I have always been passionate about developing young professionals and advocating for excellence in the field. I see the BCI Awards as a crucial platform to recognize outstanding contributions and inspire the next generation of resilience practitioners. Becoming a judge allows me to contribute more meaningfully by celebrating achievements, sharing best practices, and helping to raise global standards in the profession. This role aligns perfectly with my commitment to advancing resilience and supporting the growth of future leaders in the industry.

From Brigid: I am an experienced, qualified business continuity and resilience practitioner, and I am also a passionate champion of our field of work. I have successfully uplifted and embedded business continuity management systems in a variety of industries in both the private and public sectors in New Zealand. I have also assessed and validated the business continuity capabilities of critical domestic and global suppliers in the banking and finance sectors. I’m well versed in the business continuity lifecycle and how to maximise its application in organisations of any size.  

New Zealand’s appetite for business continuity management systems outside of regulated industries is still reasonably small. With the increasing frequency of severe weather events, earthquakes, exposure to pandemics and cyber-crime in New Zealand (as with the rest of the world) I feel like practitioners in New Zealand finally have the leverage we need to uplift the understanding and promote the value of business continuity.  It is an exciting time to be business continuity and resilience practitioner!

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

I wanted to become a BCI Awards Judge because I strongly believe that by recognising what “best” looks like in our peers and the work they are doing, we can all learn and strive to be better. Innovation and growth mindsets go hand in hand with uplifting and promoting our industry – what better way to showcase business continuity and resilience than through a robust local and global awards programme.  I am also an ardent promoter of diversity, equity and inclusion and am delighted that we have this as one of the awards categories.

From Candice: I am a Business Continuity Partner leading an ISO 22301-certified programme, with historical hands-on responsibility across risk management and incident management. I have built and maintained a practical, audit-ready framework that supports operational resilience while enabling business growth.

Alongside programme leadership, I remain an active BC practitioner. I have deliberately stayed close to the technical aspects of the discipline, ensuring my knowledge remains current and grounded in real-world application. I believe staying in the detail keeps you at the forefront of emerging trends, evolving threats, and innovative solutions across the resilience landscape.

I am an active member of the Women in Resilience committee, leading webinar initiatives that amplify diverse voices and practical insight across the industry. I am passionate about driving meaningful change and advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion within business continuity and resilience.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

I wanted to become a BCI Awards Judge to see the very best of our profession in action — the innovations, the progress, and the achievements teams are most proud of. Judging challenges my own perspective on what “good” looks like and keeps me sharp on evolving standards and new approaches. It is an opportunity to contribute to raising the bar across the industry while continuing to learn from peers who are pushing resilience forward.

Cary Jasgur serves as the Global Technology Resilience Lead for Solventum, he has over 30 years of experience in Enterprise Resilience, Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, Crisis Management and Communications, Emergency Management, Incident Management, and Pandemic Planning. Cary has developed and led many Enterprise Resilience projects in global financial services, global healthcare, higher education, global biotech, global pharmaceuticals, global insurance, global legal, and federal, state, and local government markets, within the United States and Europe.

Cary currently holds an FBCI, MBCP, and PMP, and has served two (2) terms as the Chair for the Editorial Advisory Board for Disaster Recovery Journal, as well as his second term as a member of The Business Continuity Institute USA Chapter Committee. 

Cary has spoken at several industry conferences on a variety of topics within the Enterprise Resilience space. In addition, Cary is the author of three (3) articles on Enterprise Resilience published in the Journal of Business Continuity and Emergency Management. Cary holds a dual Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership and Project Management and Leadership, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Technical Management.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

I really wanted the opportunity to be able to recognise the individuals and organizations in our industry with the prestige of a BCI award, being able to show that there are trailblazers setting the path for the rest of us to follow, the in benefit and furtherment of our industry to address not only the challenges we face today, but those that await us in the future. Additionally, I felt that it would also serve as a learning experience for myself, in seeing how others in the industry to charging into the future and breaking into new and uncharted territories.

Christian De Boeck works as a consultant, trainer and coach. He is ISO-22301 (Lead Implementer / Lead Auditor) and CGEIT certified and an approved trainer for PECB, ISACA and the Data Protection Institute. He is also the leader of the Belgium Chapter of the BCI.

His early life was academic as a researcher and doctor of science, and since more than 25 years, he is now supporting businesses, managers and leaders in their quest for greater resilience and sustainability.

During his career, Christian has worked for numerous local and international companies of all sizes in Belgium and Europe, with a strong exposure to the financial and energy sectors.

Christian specialises in defining and implementing resilience strategies (also to meet the legal requirements of DORA, NIS-2) and CER, with a particular focus on aligning IT with ‘operational’ activities (production, supply chain, etc.). He has successfully implemented and tested many business continuity and disaster recovery plans.

Over time, Christian has added ESG (sustainability/low carbon transition, DEI and the human aspects of resilience) to the portfolio of services offered.

He aims is to offer the broadest and most comprehensive coverage possible of the risks that can affect a company's performance and survival.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

For Christian, becoming a BCI Award Judge is a way to pay back the BCI and its community for all services, research and broad network acquired through his membership.

Christian has now gained some experience and crossed numerous situations where a better and deeper continuity implementation would have better served certain organisations to navigate through turbulent times. He’s now willing to dedicate some time to the community and work in developing excellence in the profession.

David is a seasoned BCM and resilience professional with 20 years of experience supporting organisations in developing, implementing and reviewing resilience programs (through BCM, IT DR, crisis management, pandemic planning, supply chain resilience, process improvement and enterprise risk management projects) for over 100 organisations across Africa and the Middle East.

As a passionate leader in the Resilience domains, he has excellent business acumen and communication skills, allowing him to quickly build and leverage trusting relationships at all organizational levels to relay complex issues, strategise, train and lead teams to implement required solutions.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

As a resilience professional with 2 decades of experience in the industry, with about 15 years being part of the BCI and 5 years as FBCI, while serving on leadership committees of 2 BCI Chapters and having been an approved BCI trainer and working in multiple regions, allows me a broad appreciation of the BCI's quality standards, practises and its importance in the development and recognition of resilience specialists.

I have always maintained a high level of ethical values, promoting fairness and equal opportunity for all people I've worked with and developed throughout my career. As a judge, I take pride in upholding the high standards of the Honorary Grades program, which I feel is critical to further developing a strong, diverse and equitable BCI community.

From David: I have extensive experience and skills as a MBCI since 2008 (and previously as an AFBCI). I have been a Business Continuity professional since 2001, and currently am the Director of Business Continuity and Emergency Management in one of the largest Commonwealth government departments in Australia. In this role I provide specialist advice and lead the team responsible for the department’s business continuity and resilience. My particular interest is in exercise management and enterprise risk. In previous roles as the Director of Enterprise Risk and the Chief Risk Officer, I led my department’s enterprise risk management team and provided specialist risk advice and support to the department’s Governance Boards. 

In my career, I have worked across all aspects of business continuity, disaster recovery and crisis management. I have played a key role in Whole of Government emergency responses across various jurisdictions. I have developed, implemented, exercised and continually improved my department’s business continuity strategies and have led incident management teams in responding to various internal and external incidents. I am also a member of the Leadership Committee of the BCI Australasian Chapter.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

I have been a BCI Awards Judge since late 2021 and look forward to continuing in this role. I am deeply committed to advancing business continuity, and “giving back” to the professional community. I believe that the work of the BCI is critical in promoting best practices and being in the Awards panel will enable me to support this. I have enjoyed reading the depth and variety of work that other BC professionals are undertaking across the world. I have found being a BCI Judge exciting and fulfilling, and hope to advance the continuity and resilience profession.

Erik Hanson is a resilience and risk practitioner with a background spanning emergency management, IT backup and recovery, and organizational continuity. He brings technical depth and a people‑centred approach to building and maturing resilience programs. His experience includes developing business continuity frameworks, strengthening crisis response capabilities, and supporting large, complex transportation operations in maintaining essential services during disruption.

Erik’s resilience journey began in emergency management through Search and Rescue and ongoing training, forming a foundation in structured planning, coordinated response, and community‑focused service. He later worked in IT backup and recovery before transitioning fully out of IT to focus on organizational resilience, integrating risk‑informed thinking, cross‑functional coordination, and long‑term program development.

He currently leads business continuity for one of the largest ferry systems in North America—a critical transportation network that connects remote and coastal communities—reinforcing his belief that operational continuity and community wellbeing are inseparable.

As the BCI Canada Chapter Leader, Erik promotes inclusive, accessible programming and practitioner engagement. He has presented at BCI chapter events and industry conferences. His professional credentials include ISO 22301 Lead Implementer among others.

As a judge, he values clarity of purpose, rigorous method, measurable outcomes, and demonstrable community impact

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

I wanted to be a BCI Awards Judge to shine a light on the people and practices moving our profession forward. Organizational resilience protects communities and supports employees when it matters most, and I’ve seen firsthand how meaningful that work can be. Recognizing excellence strengthens our profession’s reputation and motivates practitioners to aim higher. Serving as a judge is a way to give back to a field that has shaped my career and values. I’m proud of the calibre across BCI and motivated to honour contributions that show our members at their best.

From Eugenia: I am a risk and resilience professional with over 20 years’ experience spanning Business Continuity Management (BCM), Crisis Management, information security and privacy compliance. I have been a member of the Business Continuity Institute since 2007 and remain actively engaged with the Melbourne Chapter.

My career includes extensive leadership roles in the telecommunications sector, where I led large‑scale BCM programs across Europe, Asia and Australia, including ISO 22301 certifications. A highlight was leading COLT’s UK operational readiness for the London Olympics, ensuring continuity of critical services during a period of heightened national risk.

Throughout my career, I have supported organisations through significant disruptions including terrorism‑related incidents, natural disasters and complex cyber events. During the pandemic, I supported NSW Government organisations through response and recovery following a large‑scale data breach, and I now advise critical infrastructure operators and public sector organisations through my role at IIS Partners.

I am currently based in Great Ocean Road region, where I continue to volunteer with professional bodies including BCI. Volunteering remains important to me — it provides a strong sense of connection to the profession, a sense of belonging to the broader community, and a meaningful way to contribute to the ongoing maturity of resilience practice.

While based in Victoria, I maintain strong personal ties to Europe and continue to visit family and friends in Barcelona.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

I am honoured to have been invited back as a Judge for the BCI Awards, having found the experience incredibly enriching. The program allows me to contribute to the profession, volunteer with BCI, and engage with cutting-edge innovation in our field. It also provides a valuable opportunity to expand my network of BCI professionals.

As I enter my third year as a BCI Awards Judge, I do so with a strong sense of continuity and commitment to the program. Having now judged across multiple award cycles, I bring a more informed, balanced perspective and a deep appreciation of the innovation and effort required to deliver excellence in resilience practice. I remain passionate about the profession, aligned with the values of the BCI Awards, and committed to supporting the ongoing success and integrity of the program.

Frank (Kai Fat Chow) has more than 20 years of working experience in the business continuity and cyber security industry across Asia-Pacific and leading a team of professionals in the delivery of business continuity services, cyber security risk management, and security operation center. He is an advocate of a number of international leading practices, such as implementing ISO 22301 business continuity management standard, ISO 27001 information security management, and ISO 20000 IT service management for various multinational companies. He was invited to serve on various advisory panels of local and global organizations, such as (ISC)2, DotAsia, Education Bureau (EDB), Employees Retraining Board (ERB), Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited (HKIRC) and Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS). 

Frank has been honored with several regional and local recognized awards, including 

• BCI Asia Business Continuity Award (2011 & 2012); 
• (ISC)2 Honoree of Asia Pacific Information Security Leadership Award (2010 & 2014); 

Frank holds several global recognized business continuity and information security designations, including MBCI, CBCP, CGEIT, CRISC, CISM, CISA, CISSP, ISSAP, ISSMP, CSSLP, CCSP, C|CISO, CEH, CHFI, TOGAF, PMP etc. His white papers were published in the industrial booklet, local and international journals. 

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

Frank Chow expresses his desire to continue contributing to the success of the BCI Awards as a judge, demonstrating his commitment to fairness, impartiality, and thoroughness in the selection process. He believes that his skills and experience would make him an asset to the judging panel, particularly his strong communication and analytical skills. He emphasizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the selection process, and their commitment to promoting these values. He strives to ensure that all applicants are evaluated on the basis of merit and would provide feedback to help applicants improve his business continuity efforts. Overall, Frank Chow is enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve as a judge for the BCI Awards and contribute to its success.

Greg Surtees MBCI has over a decade's experience building and embedding resilience frameworks across major organisations in retail, transport, education, government, and healthcare. He is particularly adept at designing resilience programmes from scratch, tailoring them to the unique culture, scale, and regulatory context of each organisation.

Greg has held senior resilience roles at Network Rail, Sky, the University of Sunderland, and Tesco, where he designed and implemented a global Business Resilience Blueprint across nine markets across Europe and Asia. He also played a lead role in coordinating Tesco's UK crisis management response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

At Network Rail, Greg developed the strategy for the 'Better Resilience' initiative - a cross-disciplinary programme nominated for Transformation of the Year at the CIR Business Continuity Awards 2025. Earlier in his career, he transformed the business continuity posture of Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust from non-compliant with the NHS’s business continuity standards to fully compliant within a single year.

Greg holds the MBCI designation from the Business Continuity Institute and brings expertise in business continuity, crisis and incident management, regulatory compliance, and resilience programme design.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

Having worked across diverse sectors — from the NHS to retail to national infrastructure — I've seen first-hand how transformative outstanding resilience practice can be. The BCI Awards celebrate exactly that: the innovation, dedication, and leadership that raises the bar for our entire profession. As someone who has built resilience programmes from the ground up, I understand the effort behind truly exceptional work, and I want to help recognise it. Serving as a judge is an opportunity to give back to a community that has shaped my career, and to champion the best our profession has to offer.

With a 25-year career in the UK health sector, Helen has made significant contributions across a broad spectrum of roles. Her career has spanned finance, quality improvement, operational management, commissioning, and, most recently, business continuity and emergency planning. Helen led on and successfully implemented new business continuity management systems within two large organizations.

Helen's approach to business continuity is characterised by a focus on engagement, training, and exercising. She focuses on collaborating with a broad range of colleagues at all levels, ensuring comprehensive understanding and integration of business continuity. Beyond her work in large organisations, Helen has extended her expertise to charities and smaller organisations helping them establish business continuity frameworks.

In addition to her professional achievements, Helen has applied her skills in crisis management and business continuity as a lead volunteer at several large-scale events in the voluntary sector.

Helen has an MSc in Emergency Management and Resilience and a particular interest in crisis decision making and is eager to share the knowledge and insights gained through this advanced study.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

My interest in joining the judging panel stems from my commitment to recognising notable practice as well as promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the profession. I also regard it as an opportunity to develop my own practice by networking with other professionals and engaging with innovative projects.

Integrating diverse voices is critical in assessing awards, as it ensures a broad range of initiatives and contributions are recognised and valued.  I am passionate about promoting business continuity as a career choice for young people and if we can demonstrate that the profession is relevant to them, they are much more likely to engage.

Ian Clark has over 35 years’ experience as a business continuity management practitioner with extensive practical experience of the necessary disciplines and roles essential in developing and delivering holistic Business Continuity Management solutions across multiple industry sectors encompassing diverse cultures. 

His global experience in providing consultancy services in many business sectors and at all levels within organisations ranging from multi-national businesses and governments to small or medium sized organisations.  Ian strongly advocates integrating risk and business continuity management techniques throughout the organisational to develop a resilient and balanced continuity programme that is suited to the organisation’s needs and culture. 

Over his career he has served on the BCI Board firstly as Standards Director and latterly as the Chair of the Global Membership Council.  As a strong advocate of business continuity management as a profession he has presented all facets of a holistic approach to Business Continuity in many countries at national and international events.  He has also conducted numerous seminars and workshops tailored to local and cultural requirements.  

Admitted to Fellowship of the Business Continuity Institute in 1998, he has lived and worked in many countries in Africa, Middle East and in the Asia/Pacific regions.  He is the Principal of 4Thought Associates Ltd. and still actively participates in the development of international business continuity management and standards.  As part of his commitment to the profession and to the BCI in particular, he is part of the BCI’s global panel of assessors for the award of Fellowship grades. 

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

Being semi-retired I feel that this gives me an opportunity to assess and encourage the developments in the business continuity management industry and assess all candidates on their achievements.  Having worked globally I can utilise my experience and professional knowledge to assess each application on its’ merits and outcomes irrespective of where the application originates. 

Judging applications enables me to give back to a profession which has enabled me to experience all levels and sectors of business and industry.

James McAlister is the Director of Crisis Prepared Limited an organisational resilience consultancy. He is a former police officer with almost 40 years’ experience in Business Continuity, Crisis, Major Incident, Risk & Disaster Management, Counter Terrorism, Civil Protection, Security, Training and Exercising. He has advised, planned and led many operations, incidents and exercises throughout the UK and internationally including political party conferences, major sporting events, royal / ministerial visits, counter terrorism operations, public order events and environmental / man-made disasters. James was chosen by the UK Government to become a founding member of the European Union Civil Protection Programme and has deployed on international missions including as Deputy Team Leader to the Sichuan Earthquake in China and Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. He has a master’s degree and diplomas in Business Continuity Management & Education; is a qualified higher education teacher, assessor, coach and is a Business Continuity Institute Approved Instructor. James is an Honorary Fellow and former Chair of the Business Continuity Institute and a Fellow of the Institute for Civil Protection & Emergency Management.

Why do you want to become a judge?

I have had a fascinating and rewarding career in organisational resilience achieving most of my professional goals. I stepped down as Chair of the BCI a few years ago and was looking to continue my long tradition of volunteering. The role of Head Judge was always a role that I really coveted as I felt it suited my inner desire to help recognise and promote others excellence in the industry. The Head Judge title carries a huge responsibility for the BCI and the wider profession; a role I take very seriously and am totally commit to.

Your vision for the awards?

For many years the BCI Awards have been the most sought after awards in the organisational resilience industry. You only have to look back at the people and companies who have won awards to see how much they are internationally valued. However, the BCI is not an institute that rests on its laurels and as the profession constantly adapts to match its operating environment so must the awards. The review of the awards system took over nine months and involved a global volunteer committee who worked tirelessly to develop a fit for purpose awards programme. The innovative system comprises a tougher judge selection process including ongoing training, award criterion matched to the BCI’s Competency Framework, simplified assessment scoring matrix, commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and three new awards. I believe that the revitalised awards programme will take away the apprehension of applying for awards as the criterion is now much clearer and more focused.

Your approach to judging?

As a qualified assessor and former police officer my approach to award applications is purely evidence based. My advice to future applicants would be to look at the criterion and then write about what they have done that matches that criterion, the evidence will then speak for itself. If however, an entrant provides a beautifully written but generic narrative that isn’t timebound or explained then that evidence will now be discounted or downgraded. The new awards system is simple, transparent and above all provides a fairer and more equal chance of success for all applicants globally.  

Your commitment to the industry?

I hope my commitment to the industry is as clear as the new awards system. I have been involved in business continuity or the wider organisational resilience disciplines for almost forty years. I have worked in the public and private sectors in global and micro businesses. Following my retirement from the police in 2014 I set up my own consultancy providing a range of resilience services. I am a strong advocate of the BCI and have been a volunteer on many initiatives over the last fifteen years. I don't see me slowing down or losing my enthusiasm for business continuity any time soon as the profession is growing and evolving at such an amazing rate it excites me more each day.  

A seasoned leader in Business Continuity Management and Operational Resilience, Jiri has successfully implemented and driven risk mitigation strategies across EMEA, overseeing more than 50 facilities and 30,000 employees. With expertise in Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, and Crisis Management, Jiri has led the deployment of Business Continuity processes in many manufacturing facilities, ensuring organizational preparedness and resilience.

Passionate about proactive risk management, Jiri spearheads risk assessments, Business Impact Analyses, and the development of Business Continuity plans while fostering a culture of resilience. A key contributor to enterprise-wide risk initiatives, Jiri played a pivotal role in implementing an Enterprise Risk Management tool for operational business units.

Committed to training and preparedness, Jiri has delivered extensive scenario-based exercises, including tabletop, walkthrough, and live tests, to strengthen crisis response capabilities. With in-depth knowledge of international standards such as NFPA1600, ISO22301, IATF16949, and ISO22361, Jiri ensures compliance and operational excellence.

As a crisis manager, Jiri has led response efforts for 145 major incidents, navigating challenges such as cybersecurity threats, supply chain disruptions, pandemics, active assailiant and natural disasters. A strategic thinker and resilience advocate, Jiri is dedicated to safeguarding organizations against evolving risks.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

Becoming an awards judge for a business continuity professional organization is an incredible opportunity to celebrate excellence, inspire innovation, and contribute to the growth of the field. I am deeply passionate about recognizing the hard work, dedication, and ingenuity of professionals who ensure resilience in the face of adversity. Serving as a judge is not just about selecting winners—it is about elevating the standards of our industry and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Furthermore it excites me to be part of a process that not only honors success but also inspires future leaders.

Lisa Jones, MBCI, is an award-winning business continuity and organizational resilience executive with more than 20 years of experience leading enterprise programmes across healthcare, technology, financial services, and global consulting environments. Recognized as a 2025 Consultant of the Year within the resilience profession, she brings deep technical expertise alongside strategic leadership capability.

Lisa has designed and implemented global business continuity and crisis management frameworks, led ISO 22301 readiness and certification initiatives, and advised executive teams on governance, risk, and enterprise resilience strategy. She has managed large, cross-functional portfolios, facilitated executive-level exercises, and delivered board-facing briefings that translate complex continuity requirements into measurable business value.

Her career progression, from early operational roles to senior resilience leadership, provides her with a practical understanding of organisational dynamics, stakeholder engagement, and programme maturity development. She is known for strengthening accountability structures, building resilient cultures, and aligning continuity strategy with broader enterprise objectives.

In addition to her executive work, Lisa is the host of The Leadership Story podcast, where she engages women leaders and allies in conversations on resilience, career progression, and authentic leadership. A former BCI USA Chapter Lead and Diversity & Inclusion Chair, she served as the Technical Advisory lead for the 2023 BCI Good Practice Guidelines.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

I am motivated to serve as a BCI Awards Judge because I believe the awards play a vital role in recognising excellence, reinforcing professional standards, and shaping the future of the resilience profession. Having built and assessed enterprise programmes across sectors, I understand the discipline, innovation, and leadership required to deliver meaningful impact. Judging is an opportunity to give back to the profession, uphold the credibility of BCI recognition, and ensure submissions are evaluated fairly, consistently, and with consideration for diverse organisational contexts and approaches to resilience.

From Mabel: I am a Resilience Leader - Influencer and global Risk Leader with more than 20 years of experience designing and leading enterprise-wide Business Continuity, Crisis Management, Disaster Recovery, and Enterprise Risk programs across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. My career spans aviation, financial services, construction, and critical infrastructure, where I have helped organizations strengthen governance, manage uncertainty, and build sustainable resilience frameworks.

I have overseen multi-million-dollar resilience portfolios, aligned global programs with ISO 22301 and regulatory standards, and supported executive leadership during high-impact disruptions, including civil unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic. These experiences have shaped my ability to evaluate initiatives not only for technical excellence, but also for practical implementation, measurable impact, and long-term sustainability.

I am passionate about recognizing meaningful achievement and advancing high standards within our profession. I believe strong evaluation requires fairness, cultural awareness, and an inclusive mindset that values diverse approaches to resilience. Bilingual in English and Spanish, I bring a global perspective, disciplined judgment, and a deep commitment to ethical leadership and equitable assessment.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

I want to become a BCI Awards Judge because I believe recognition shapes the future of our profession. Throughout my career in resilience and risk leadership, I have seen how celebrating excellence elevates standards, inspires innovation, and encourages organizations to move beyond compliance toward meaningful impact. Serving as a judge is an opportunity to give back to a community that values integrity, preparedness, and continuous improvement. I am motivated to contribute my experience, fairness, and inclusive perspective to ensure achievements are evaluated thoughtfully, equitably, and in alignment with the highest professional standards.

From Mahendra: I am an Indian Army veteran having served my country for 30 years. In addition, I have over 19 years of corporate experience in Crisis Management, Business Continuity, Risk Management, Disaster Recovery and Training. Preparing and validating ERPs and BCPs are my forte. Apart from various professional certifications, I am MSc in Defence Studies, MBA (PM), MBCI, Six Sigma Green Belt and Member of Leaders Excellence at Harvard Square.

As a Senior Director – Indian Subcontinent in S&P Global, I am responsible for Crisis Management, Business Continuity and Risk & Security Threat Assessments to identify risks to employees, critical business operations and define mitigating measures that result in improved resilience and increased risk appetite of the company. I periodically review, implement and maintain comprehensive and workable crisis management and business continuity plans for company’s Regional offices. I conduct regular training sessions and tabletop exercises for site incident management and business continuity teams. Such sessions have proved their efficacy during real time incidents ensuring safety and security of over 18000 employees in my region and continued business operations.

Having demonstrated my endurance to work long hours under pressure during real time incidents, commitment, dedication, adaptability and flexibility, I have developed strong professional relationships with business leaders, peers, subordinates and industry professionals.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

I understand that role of a judge in any contest is pivotal, not only in determining the outcome, but also in lending credibility and maintaining prestige of the event and organisers. I am fair, impartial, rationale, logical, ethical, conscientious, and fearless. I am proactive and have sufficient practical knowledge of the industry and hands-on experience in managing real life crises and business continuity incidents. I am highly committed in delivering, on time, what is expected of me without any delay. I am confident, as an awards judge, I will stand up to the values and reputation of BCI

Margaret J. Millett, MsBC, FBCI (Hon), MBCP, is the CEO & Founder of Seamless Horizon. Inc.  She has driven Business Resilience across Fortune 300 IT and Financial Services companies in the U.S. and Ireland. She is the 2023 Business Continuity Institute (BCI) Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and a sought-after global speaker and author.

Margaret currently serves on the DRJ (Disaster Recovery Journal) Executive Council. She serves as the past Chair of the Alzheimer’s Association of Eastern North Carolina and has been appointed to the North Carolina Symphony Society Board and Dress for Success Triangle NC. She has also previously advised the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.  She has spoken at numerous Business Resilience related conferences in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

As a senior, experienced global executive professional who is enthusiastic about rewarding excellence in our industry, this is the perfect opportunity to give back to our community. Being a judge is an opportunity to collaborate with other experienced professionals and receive a unique look at what our peers are doing with programs across the globe.

I have been a BCI Global Award Judge in the past. I was extremely impressed by both the quality and standard of the submission. This exceptionally standard gave me significant insight into the breadth of excellent business continuity management working being done around the globe.

From Matthew: I am an organisational resilience professional with experience across business continuity management, crisis management and emergency response. My work has focused on building practical, risk informed capabilities in complex operational environments, ensuring organisations and the people within them can anticipate, assess, prevent prepare, respond and recover from disruptions with confidence.

Over the years I have led programmes, supported incident management structures, and strengthened governance to ensure decisions are risk-based, clear and defensible under pressure. For me, resilience is not only about frameworks and plans. It is about enabling leaders to make sound decisions, supporting teams during uncertainty and creating environments where people feel prepared rather than exposed. My approach is to combine strategic oversight with operational realism.

I am a qualified assessor and verifier of accredited training programmes, which has shaped how I evaluate capability, evidence and professional standards. I truly value clarity, accountability and continuous improvement, but also recognise the human realities behind teams and incidents. I believe strong resilience is built through inclusive practice, honest reflection and investment in people as much as process and technology.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

I wanted to become a BCI Awards Judge to contribute to a profession that exists to protect people and sustain critical operations. Throughout my career, I have worked in high consequence, regulated environments where interoperability, leadership under pressure, and a shared situational awareness determine outcomes. I am motivated to recognised work that demonstrates real capability, collaboration across organisational boundaries, and measurable improvement in resilience maturity. I believe judging must go further than documentation, and examine how arrangements perform under pressure and how they support the people who rely on them.

Melanie Lucht has been in the risk and resilience industry for over 25 years, currently serving as the Vice President of Customer Success at Fusion Risk Management. Prior to joining Fusion in September 2024, Melanie was at Carnegie Mellon University for nearly 12 years, serving as the Associate Vice President and Chief Risk Officer.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

I wanted to become an awards judge of the BCI as I have found the experience of being a judge highly insightful, educational, and motivating. Often, we resiliency professionals get caught up within our own industry or organization focusing solely on the resiliency needs of that space. However, there is a much larger landscape that has either demonstrated, exercised, or learned from new ideas, approaches or events that help to further this profession. Being a judge gives one a global vision of what is happening within this field, recognize those that are excelling and reward them for their achievements. 

Melissa Kenney is a resilience practitioner with extensive experience across the social housing, local government, and finance sectors. She blends technical business continuity expertise with a people first mindset, ensuring that continuity plans, exercises, and resilience strategies are practical, engaging, and genuinely effective in real world situations.

Melissa is recognised for her creative, narrative led exercising style, using realistic, story driven scenarios to help teams build confidence, enhance decision making, and better understand how disruption unfolds. Her ability to translate complex risks into accessible, relatable learning experiences has made her a trusted partner for operational teams and senior leaders alike.

Her cross sector background gives her a strong understanding of operational pressures, governance expectations, and the challenges faced by organisations delivering essential public and customer facing services. She uses this insight to support teams in strengthening resilience, improving assurance, and embedding a proactive culture of preparedness.

Melissa is passionate about advancing resilience as a whole of society effort - recognising that effective preparedness relies on collaboration, shared learning, and supporting the communities and services that people rely on every day. She is committed to raising professional standards and driving continuous improvement across the resilience community.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

I wanted to become a BCI Awards Judge to help celebrate the exceptional work being done across our profession and to support the continued growth of innovative, people centred resilience practice. The awards showcase the very best of our industry, and I’m passionate about recognising those who push boundaries, learn from experience, and make a meaningful impact. Joining the judging panel is an opportunity to give back to the community that has shaped my own development and inspired my work.

From Michael: I started working in the resilience space in 1985 when I started working with Tandem (HP) NonStop systems supporting business critical systems. After many years as an analyst, programmer, instructor, performance specialist, systems manager and consultant I focused on business side of continuity and developed into a BCM specialist. Later I made the transition from Business and IT Continuity to Resilience and was the Global Resilience Officer for a large manufacturer. I’m currently Continuity Manager at a major bank.

I am also an enthusiastic and active volunteer for a number of organisations including: the Business Continuity Institute (BCI), International Standards Organization (ISO) and the Resilience Alliance. At the BCI I lead the Netherlands Chapter, am a former global board member, am an awards judge and have contributed to the BCI Good Practice Guide. At ISO I am involved in the development and reviews of standards related to BCM, Organizational Resilience and Crisis Management. At the resilience alliance I am involved in projects aimed at improving community resilience.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

Since joining the Global Membership Committee (GMC) in 2015 I have been a judge for almost all of the regional and global awards. I have very much enjoyed the process of being a judge. It is always exciting to read about the great work that people are doing in our profession and to help see that the outstanding contributions are recognised.

While serving as BCI board member I had the privilege of presenting various awards. Talking to (past) recipients reinforced how much impact winning an award can have on their careers and lives. It is an honour to be part of this process.

From Mikaiiro: The early years of my professional journey consisted of software development, database management, and system management in logistics, energy, and financial sectors. While not a business continuity professional, the continuity of operations was always one of the main considerations. My experience at the Finnish National Emergency Supply Agency between 2005 and 2017 offered responsibilities to construct datacentres for national preparedness purposes. During this period, I also worked closely with several critical infrastructure operators to assist them in their business continuity challenges from the datacentre perspective.

The next turn took me to KPMG Finland’s business continuity services practice where I passed my CBCI certification in 2020 and became an MBCI shortly afterwards. With an excellent, diverse team I help a wide variety of clients to improve their capability to remain operational through systematic use of the business continuity lifecycle. I have added to our exercise toolkit by introducing a new type of exercise based on the pre-mortem technique.

I have recently made yet another career move and joined a major Finnish financial institute's business continuity team. Different kind of role, different kind of organization, and different challenges. But a great opportunity to learn and see how a bank conducts its business continuity and resilience.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

In 2023 I answered the call to have new awards judges and was accepted. I have since judged award applications from all over the world. To serve as a judge, has been an opportunity for me to contribute to the pool of BCI community’s knowledge by recognising and promoting the innovations that have the potential to inspire current and future members, support professionals in their business continuity activities, and even shape the business continuity industry in the spirit of continuous improvement. From a personal development perspective I feel that an awards judge is a privileged position where I can promote great achievements of this awesome community and simultaneously learn about new and innovative business continuity and resilience solutions in the process.

From Nalin: My involvement with Business Continuity and Business Resilience discipline goes back to 1999, when the Bank I was working assigned me to the Y2K compliance project. It was only then, I first came to know the terms such as ‘Business Impact Analysis’, ‘Prioritised Business Processes’ etc. I realised then, that business continuity as a management discipline would have a great demand, due to the volatility and uncertainty of the world. Later I became the head of business continuity in another bank, where I had the opportunity to implement the discipline from scratch and finally to receive the ISO accreditation.  

During my stay with KPMG New Zealand, I was fortunate to get the opportunity to apply my Business Continuity knowledge and the experience in various type of industries. I have received the BCI awards several times, once as the Business Continuity Manager of the year – BCI Asia Awards and Business Continuity Contributor of the Year -BCI APAC awards.  

Apart from my professional activity in Business Continuity, I initiated the BCI Forum of the UAE, with Lyndon Bird (BCI Technical Director) as the Chief Guest, I was also the BCI Auckland Forum chair before becoming a board member of BCI Australasia Chapter till 2018.  

I have contributed to many professional journals promoting Business Continuity. Similarly,  to other business disciplines where I hold a long standing recognition. Also, I am a regular speaker including being a keynote speaker at various professional or industry forums.  

Due to my professional competence in Information security, data privacy and risk management, in addition to Business Continuity Management, I have gained recognition and acceptance in the business community for the holistic approach to organisational resilience. Currently I am in the final stages of my book, “Weathering the storm – 8 easy steps to survive & thrive for the small business owner” 

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

• There are several reasons why I wanted to become a BCI Award judge’ They are; 
• It gives me a sense of satisfaction that my knowledge and expertise in Business Continuity has been recognised by my peers and the profession. 
• I will have to opportunity interact and network with other judges and share mutual thoughts, ideas and experiences, which I consider is priceless. 
• Being a judge is a critical and important professional role. I will be reviewing members submissions carefully and, in that process, there are opportunities to broaden my knowledge. 
• Being a BCI Award judge will enhance my overall profile and public recognition, as a mature recognised business continuity professional. From the view of my clients, it will be a positive factor.  
• Finally, it is great opportunity for me to serve the BCI as a volunteer again, this time as an awards judge! 

A seasoned industry recognised expert, heavy delivery experience in Resilience, BCM & Crisis, Emergency Management, Security Risk Management, Enterprise Risk Management, Disaster Recovery, Operational Risk Management, Compliance, Facility, Vendor, and Supply Chain Management, Quality Health and Safety. Nick seamlessly applies standards, and best practices to organization ensuring the global, regions staff, and critical systems, facilities, and processes across all countries are protected against threats and any potential disruptive events. 

Handling large scale incidents, managing mass displacement and relocation of people, processes, infrastructure, Docklands bombing, 911 WTC, Mumbai, Sri Lanka, AU flooding’s, NZ quakes to Beijing, London Olympic Emergency Response Planning/plans for extraction to Fukushima where Nick was deployed for 8 weeks working with the Japanese government and Pentagon on various activities, Hong Kong SARS, & Hong Kong Umbrella Movement, COVID, and FIFA World Cup Emergency Response Plans. Counterterrorism training. Industry exercises such as the: Singapore Island Wide Exercise (IWE) where he was selected as the Red Cell Facilitator. Is certified as a Fellow, Professional, Member, Expert, board member. Crisis manager of the year (Jpn), Business Continuity  Crisis Manager of the year (BoA).

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

I wanted to become a judge to help celebrate talent, innovation, and dedication while ensuring an inclusive and equitable assessment process that uplifts diverse voices. With 26 years of global experience in business continuity and crisis management, I bring strong analytical skills, a deep appreciation for diversity, and a commitment to fairness. My ability to evaluate varying perspectives allows me to make balanced, informed decisions. I am passionate about recognizing excellence, fostering transparency, and ensuring a rigorous yet ethical selection process. This role is both a responsibility and an opportunity to inspire and create a lasting positive impact.

Paul Breed is a senior crisis management leader with over 30 years’ emergency, crisis and organizational resilience experience at strategic, tactical and operational levels including collaboration and mutual aid activations to support major incidents at a local, regional and national level. 

Key strengths include the development, implementation and validation of emergency management and business continuity in line with ISO 22301, together with the development of integrated resilience strategies for large high risk, low frequency operations and projects, with both public and private sector organizations.  

A proven track record of performance management whilst leading a large geographically dispersed work force, adept in change and budget management. Complemented by Masters’ level academia and professional qualifications in Business Continuity, Emergency Management and Security. Experience of working in UK, Canada, and UAE.  

Since 2017, Paul has been a University lecturer, researcher, course designer and course leader for the delivery of the Diploma in Business Continuity and BCI Certificate CBCI online course, together with contributing to the BCI Good Practice Guidelines, 2018 edition, whilst also regularly presenting at the BCI World Conferences. 

His passion is to promote business continuity and resilience, to become mainstream within organizations irrespective of size, nature and complexities (public or private) so that they are best prepared to deal with disruptions through resilient individuals, organizations and communities. 

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

Having worked in a variety of high-profile roles in various global locations, this has provided exposure as a subject matter individual for resilience and business continuity by applying theory to an operational environment to meet strategic objectives.  

Collectively this broad exposure to academic, operational, professional and subject matter knowledge provides an opportunity to give back to the business continuity and resilience community. This experience provides a triangulation of knowledge and skills to meet the privileged requirements of a diverse and inclusive judging panel, that recognizes the hard work of those involved in promoting business continuity and resilience. 

Penelope Killow MSc, MBCI is a UK-based senior resilience and continuity leader with nearly thirty years’ experience across financial services, energy, automotive, and engineering sectors. As Senior Vice President, Global Business Resilience Manager at Moody’s Corporation, she drives the transition to an operational resilience model worldwide. A prominent member of the BCI community since 2007, Penelope has served as Chair of the North Midlands BCI Forum and is respected for mentoring, training, and leadership within the industry.

Her expertise spans crisis management, geopolitical risk, third-party resilience, software implementation and regulatory engagement, with a proven track record leading global programmes impacting tens of thousands of employees. Penelope is known for fostering collaborative cultures, pragmatic outcomes, and is a trusted advisor to senior leaders and clients. Beyond her executive role, she advocates for diversity and inclusion, is a Menopause Friendly Employer champion, and volunteers as Chair of Governors for a local junior school. She holds an MSc with distinction and a Six Sigma Greenbelt certification. Penelope divides her time between London and North Derbyshire, enjoying family life. Her dedication to resilience and professional development makes her an outstanding candidate for the BCI Judge position.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

I am delighted to serve as a BCI Awards Judge to help recognize excellence within our business continuity and resilience community. Having been involved with the BCI for many years, I greatly value its role in setting standards and celebrating innovation. This opportunity feels like a natural extension of my commitment to the profession, offering a chance to contribute my experience and champion inclusive values. I am motivated to support the recognition of outstanding contributions and ensure the judging process reflects fairness, professionalism, and respect for diverse perspectives.

From Precious: I am an experienced BCM professional who is currently a Member of BCI and the Chief Risk Officer of a semi-autonomous Government entity. I have over eighteen years of experience leading business continuity initiatives in both public and private sectors. This has provided me with good experience in embedding an effective culture that integrates BCM and risk management practises towards building a resilient organization. I have developed BCM Frameworks, policies, and Programmes in the various organizations I have worked for and led different teams in the implementation of same from initiation stage. 
I have also led various teams in testing and improving their Business Continuity Plans and successfully coordinated, at the tactical level, the recovery of critical processes during disruptive events. Recently, I have successfully developed and automated the BCM training modules, an achievement that will go a long way in capacitating the various teams in the organization more efficiently and effectively.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

I am very passionate about BCM. Recent developments regarding climate and environmental risks have elevated the need to have experienced BCM professionals who will advise and lead organizations in the preparation of effective responses. With the experience I have, I see myself playing a significant role in advocating for this profession and mentoring other upcoming professionals in the field. It is a great privilege to serve as the BCI Awards Judge as this gives me an opportunity to contribute to the success of the BCI Awards as part of my giving back to the Community whilst growing my network internationally.

From Rajesh: My journey into business continuity, resilience, and crisis management was shaped by an early career in the armed forces, followed by a deliberate transition into the corporate world in 2006. Since then, I have worked across a wide spectrum of industries—including hospitality, aviation, telecommunications, consulting, IT/ITeS, and today, the global hyperscale data center ecosystem—anchoring Corporate Security as my core professional domain throughout.

In my current role at Microsoft, I serve as the Country Security Operations Manager for India, responsible for driving security operations, resilience, and risk governance across a rapidly expanding data center footprint. This role has reinforced the reality that business continuity and resilience are not standalone disciplines but deeply embedded operational capabilities—tested daily through scale, complexity, and evolving risk landscapes.

Across each industry and role, I have had the opportunity to build and mentor teams, establish scalable operating models, strengthen capacity utilisation, and institutionalise resilience frameworks tailored to organisational context. A defining milestone in this journey was being among the early Lead Implementers and Auditors of ISO 22301 in India when the standard was introduced in 2012—an experience that significantly shaped my structured, outcome‑driven approach to continuity management.

A brief yet enriching phase in consulting further broadened my perspective, enabling me to support diverse organisations and emerging start‑ups with bespoke continuity and resilience solutions. This exposure reinforced an important lesson: while frameworks may be global, effective resilience is always contextual, pragmatic, and human‑centred.

My long‑standing association with the Business Continuity Institute (BCI)—as an MBCI—has been instrumental in sustaining this professional evolution. Over the past three years, I have had the privilege of serving as a Judge for both the BCI Global and Regional Awards. This role has offered a rare vantage point into how organisations across geographies translate resilience theory into operational reality.

Serving as a judge has significantly sharpened my thinking. Reviewing diverse submissions has deepened my appreciation for innovation under constraint, leadership during disruption, and the practical application of standards beyond compliance. The experience has also reinforced the importance of fairness, transparency, and consistency in evaluating resilience maturity—principles I consciously carry back into my work at Microsoft, ensuring our programs remain grounded in global best practices while delivering real‑world impact.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

I chose to become a BCI Awards Judge because the global and inclusive nature of the awards strongly resonates with my own professional values. Evaluating submissions from practitioners and organisations across regions provides continuous learning—exposing me to new ideas, adaptive practices, and emerging trends in resilience.

The role encourages analytical rigor, curiosity, and objectivity, while offering the opportunity to celebrate excellence and innovation without bias. Most importantly, it aligns with my belief in diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring that impactful work—regardless of geography or scale—is recognised and amplified.

For me, judging is not just about evaluation; it is about giving back to the profession, strengthening the global resilience community, and continuously refining how we define and deliver resilience in an increasingly complex world.

From Raouf: With over a decade of dedicated service in the business continuity and resilience industry, my expertise spans a wide spectrum of roles and responsibilities. As a distinguished member of the Business Continuity Institute (MBCI) and a Certified Business Continuity Instructor (CBCI), I bring extensive knowledge and practical experience to the table. My proficiency as a PECB ISO 22301 Senior Lead Implementer and Instructor has enabled me to successfully spearhead more than 50 business continuity management system (BCMS) projects across diverse sectors worldwide.

Throughout my career, I have collaborated with government agencies, financial institutions, healthcare providers, educational institutions, and energy companies, among others, addressing their unique challenges and requirements in achieving resilience. With a track record of delivering over 10,000 hours of training in business continuity and crisis management, I have empowered hundreds of professionals with essential skills and knowledge to navigate disruptions effectively.

My contributions extend beyond training, as evidenced by my pivotal roles in guiding organizations ISO 22301 certifications. Recognized as the best Business Continuity professional in Africa for consecutive years, and nominated for global awards, I remain committed to advancing the field and fostering resilience in today's dynamic business environment.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

Becoming a BCI Awards Judge aligns closely with my passion for advancing excellence and innovation in the business continuity and resilience industry. Having dedicated my career to this field, I understand the significance of recognizing outstanding achievements and contributions. As a judge, I have the opportunity to evaluate submissions from diverse professionals and organizations, gaining valuable insights into emerging trends, best practices, and innovative approaches.

Moreover, serving as a judge allows me to give back to the community by leveraging my expertise to support and encourage practitioners striving for excellence. By assessing entries against rigorous criteria, I can help elevate standards within the industry and inspire others to excel in their endeavours. 

Rosehanna is a Senior Director in the UK Civil Service.  She has advised Prime Ministers, Secretaries of State and boards on risk and resilience. Rosehanna has successfully led teams in national emergencies through to department wide change transformation programmes implementing robust risk and continuity of operation systems. She has held senior roles in the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Cabinet Office, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Rosehanna is an Emeritus Governor at the London School of Economics (LSE). She co-founded and chaired the Global LSE Government and Public Policy Alumni Group. Rosehanna has an LLB and LLM from LSE and a Policy Fellowship from the University of Cambridge where she also sits on the Fellowship assessment panel. Rosehanna is a member of the advisory board for the international publication, The Crisis Response Journal. She is a Fellow of the Business Continuity Institute and the Institute of Strategic Risk Management.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

With a deep commitment to advancing the fields of business continuity and resilience, I am eager to contribute to the recognition of excellence within our industry. My extensive experience in government across a number of sectors has provided me with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and innovations in our field. I am passionate about identifying and celebrating outstanding achievements that drive the profession forward. Participating as a judge offers an opportunity to give back to the community, promote best practices, and support the next generation of resilience professionals.

From Sadagopan: With 42 years of experience, including over two decades focused on implementing, training, and auditing Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS), I bring deep industry expertise to this role. My career began with the development and implementation of BS 25999, and I have since guided organizations in building resilient, compliant BCMS to ensure effective preparedness and recovery across diverse sectors. With experience as a Gold Assessor in the Tata Business Excellence Model (TBEM) and as an auditor, I bring expertise in auditing, assessments, handling appeals, problem-solving, and collaboration. In addition to my role as an auditor and trainer, I have extensive experience reviewing audit reports for certification decisions, honing my ability to evaluate excellence and the impact of business continuity practices. My work has involved advising organizations to achieve and maintain top-tier BCMS, ensuring alignment with global standards and resilience best practices. As a Technical Reviewer at BSI, I am committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the industry. I promote inclusive environments where varied perspectives enhance resilience planning, and I work to recognize and celebrate exceptional achievements in the field. I strive to share best practices, raise industry standards, and continue to drive continuous improvement in business continuity and resilience. My comprehensive background in this field allows me to bring valuable insight and expertise to any business continuity initiative.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

I’m excited to serve as an awards judge because recognition is a powerful tool that fosters personal and professional growth, strengthens relationships, and creates a positive and inclusive culture. It enhances mental well-being, builds self-esteem, and celebrates excellence, innovation, and diversity. With my background as a Lead Auditor, Technical Reviewer, in environments that prioritize collaboration and diversity, I approach submissions with an objective and inclusive mindset. I evaluate each case based on evidence, recognizing the distinct experiences and perspectives that shape the work presented. I assess both the technical aspects and broader community impact, ensuring that innovation and accessibility are equally valued. I believe equality means treating individuals fairly while considering their unique backgrounds and challenges, helping ensure every voice is heard and celebrated through the awards process. Furthermore, I believe being a good judge means not only evaluating submissions but also promoting continuous improvement and business excellence. I am committed to supporting participants' growth through constructive feedback and transparency.

With over a decade of experience in the Business Continuity (BC) and Resilience industry, I have dedicated my career to advancing my expertise in this critical field. After obtaining my CBCI qualification in 2019, I continued my professional development to MBCI certification. My role as a BC Approved Teacher allows me to run CBCI training courses, empowering colleagues to achieve AMBCI and MBCI qualifications.

I’ve gained a wealth of experience working as a BC Consultant in a large organisation, supporting approximately 60 plan owners and their teams in developing robust, actionable BC plans. My experience includes incident management support, conducting client audits, and leading quarterly Plan Owner forums to foster collaboration and continuous improvement.

I volunteer as a Deputy of the BCI North West England and Committee Member for BCI Midlands Chapter.  I contribute to our BC community by creating a monthly newsletter. I believe in the importance of global collaboration, having participated in events hosted by BC chapters in US, Italy, Spain, and South Africa. In 2025, I hosted a webinar on Mentoring and Mentee relationships and in 2026 initiated a LinkedIn series, “Let’s Talk Business Continuity,” to engage fellow professionals, showcasing my commitment to enhancing the BC culture.

 Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? (Max 100 words).

Being a judge for 2025 really enhanced my experience and confidence. It was great to apply the information and skills learned when taking my CBCI 07 to judging the applications. I want to be a BCI Awards Judge because I am enthusiastic about Business Continuity and eager to discover this passion in others. With my extensive experience and insights, I still have that commitment to excellence which makes me a great candidate to recognize and celebrate outstanding achievements in the Business Continuity field. Additionally, I now have the time to expand my involvement in Business Continuity, and judging the BCI Awards allows me to promote diversity while leveraging my professional knowledge and experience to contribute meaningfully to the community.

Sanjay is a global enterprise risk and resilience leader with more than two decades of experience establishing and scaling Business Continuity, crisis management, operational resilience, Audit and risk management programs across leading global IT services organisations. He currently serves as Global Head – Enterprise Risk & Resilience at LTM (a Larsen & Toubro Group company), where he leads enterprise risk portfolios spanning Business Continuity, Audit and Risk Management. He led the organisation’s ISO 22301 certification and expanded the resilience framework across more than 50 global delivery centres worldwide.

Sanjay has guided organisations through major real-world disruptions, including the global pandemic, ransomware incidents, geopolitical conflicts, and large-scale natural disasters, ensuring continuity of services for global clients.

A long-standing member of The Business Continuity Institute, he actively contributes to the profession through judging international awards, mentoring practitioners, and supporting resilience awareness initiatives. He was named Business Continuity Resilience Manager of the Year (2023) by CIR Magazine (UK) and has received multiple global awards recognising excellence in business continuity and resilience leadership.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

The role provides an opportunity to engage with practitioners across the globe, celebrate outstanding achievements, and gain insights into evolving BCM practices. With over two decades of hands-on experience, I aim to bring a balanced practitioner’s perspective to the judging process and ensure entries are evaluated with fairness and professional rigour. I hope to contribute to a credible awards process that recognises true excellence and encourages organisations worldwide to continually raise the bar in resilience.

Simon Contini is the Global Field CTO of Dell Technologies' Global Consulting Practice, based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He specializes in embedding cyber and business resilience strategies and manages multi-million-dollar global resilience consulting services. Simon's expertise spans the entire service lifecycle, focusing on business continuity, cyber recovery and cyber resilience to minimize downtime and lost revenue. He leverages Artificial Intelligence and Automation to optimize resilience.

In his global role, Simon provides consultative and technical delivery leadership, using a design optimization methodology that addresses people, tools, and processes. This approach helps customers achieve measurable, sustainable business outcomes faster. He collaborates with industry analysts, business and cyber resilience leaders, customers, and academia to stay informed about industry trends.

Simon emphasizes building trusted relationships through face-to-face interactions, ensuring stakeholders achieve their business outcomes. With extensive experience in strategy, governance, policy, and solutions for complex business problems, he has deep expertise in business continuity, cyber recovery, cyber resilience, IT continuity, and risk assessments.

Since joining Dell Technologies in 2013, Simon has brought a wealth of real-world industry experience across various sectors. He holds prestigious grades FBCI and MCBP and is a member of the Order of the Sword & Shield National Honor Society.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

Becoming a Business Continuity Awards Judge allows me to leverage my extensive expertise in business continuity and resilience to recognize and promote excellence in the field. My deep understanding of business challenges and their solutions problems positions me well to evaluate and reward innovative and effective practices.

Additionally, serving as a judge provides an opportunity to stay at the forefront of industry trends and developments, further enhancing my knowledge and network. It also allows me to contribute to the growth and improvement of the business continuity community.

This role aligns my commitment in helping organizations achieve sustainable, resilient business outcomes.

From Stella: My name is Stella Makona Simiyu, and I am a Risk Management professional with over 15 years of experience, specializing in Enterprise Risk Management and Business Continuity. In 2011, I joined the BCI and earned my MBCI designation, further solidifying my expertise. In 2014, I founded my own risk management consulting firm, helping companies across East Africa implement robust business continuity management frameworks. I am passionate about creating better-run companies in Africa that are more resilient and have a higher chance of long-term survival through proactive risk management. As an ISO 22301 Lead Implementer and Lead Auditor, I bring a deep understanding of international standards to my work, guiding clients in developing plans that have enabled them to recover quickly from unexpected disruptions. As a trainer and consultant, I work with organizations of all sizes, building their capacity in risk and resilience. I also serve as the chapter chair for the Business Continuity Eastern Africa chapter, fostering a community of practice in the region.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

I was drawn to the opportunity to be a BCI Awards judge because it is an incredible opportunity to learn from the innovative and impactful work being done by my peers around the world. I believe that recognizing and sharing best practices is essential for the advancement of our profession. My experience across diverse sectors and my commitment to fostering a strong BC community, through my role as chair of the Business Continuity Eastern Africa chapter, will allow me to bring a valuable perspective to the judging process.

A global resilience leader with extensive experience in business continuity, crisis management and physical security, currently serving as Global Security and Business Continuity Director at the world’s largest international law firm. Responsible for resilience strategy and incident response across more than 170 offices worldwide, with a focus on embedding practical, operational capability rather than paper-based compliance.

Over the course of a long career within the firm, has guided the organisation through significant global events including the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflict, ransomware attacks, extreme weather and civil unrest. Works closely with executive leadership and boards to ensure resilience is understood as a strategic enabler that supports confident decision-making under pressure.

Has led the organisation through ISO 22301 certification on multiple occasions, with the firm becoming the first law firm globally to achieve accreditation. This experience has provided a deep understanding of governance, audit discipline and continuous improvement within a complex international environment.

Passionate about strengthening the profession, sharing practical lessons learned, and supporting the next generation of resilience leaders. Maintains a strong interest in the responsible use of technology and AI to enhance risk visibility and crisis response, while keeping human judgement at the centre of effective resilience.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

Business continuity has shaped much of my professional life, and I have seen first-hand the difference strong resilience capability makes during moments of uncertainty. I wanted to become a BCI Awards Judge to help recognise work that genuinely delivers under pressure.

It is also an opportunity to give something back to a profession I value highly. I am motivated to support fair, balanced and inclusive assessment, ensuring excellence is recognised across different sectors, regions and organisational sizes.

From Stephen: My initial experience with Business Continuity involved establishing the first Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) whilst working for a department within my local authority. Finding this new challenge both engaging and rewarding, I was eager to explore subsequent opportunities.

I then transitioned to the Council’s Emergency Planning Team, where I led the organisation's internal Business Continuity efforts and launched the Liverpool Business Continuity Management Forum (LBCMF), offering free advice and support to local businesses as part of the Council’s responsibility under the Civil Contingencies Act.

In 2011, I was honoured to be shortlisted as Public Sector Business Continuity Manager of the Year at the CIR Awards in London, though I did not win the award.

I left the Council in February 2012 to join Biscon Planning Ltd as a Business Continuity Consultant and later advanced to the position of Director. My role at Biscon has allowed me to work with a diverse range of clients, supporting them in initiating, enhancing, training, and exercising their BCMS programs. This includes policy management, conducting business impact analyses, developing plans, training teams, and testing these plans through exercises.

Additionally, I have assisted several clients in achieving and maintaining their ISO22301 certification.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

Becoming a judge for the 2025 and again in 2026 Business Continuity Awards presents a unique opportunity for me to influence industry standards, recognise excellence, and expand my professional network.

I aim to gain insights into innovative resilience strategies, enhance my personal credibility, and contribute to the advancement of business continuity practices. Judging will enable me to connect with leading professionals and demonstrate my expertise on a prestigious platform.

I believe this role will allow me to give back to the industry while bolstering my own reputation. Additionally, I intend to leverage this experience to support my application from MBCI membership to FBCI.

Thembumenzi, MBCI, is a seasoned risk management and business continuity professional with 10 years of experience. He is an active leader in risk management and resilience, serving as a committee member of the South African Institute of Risk Management – Eswatini Chapter and the Southern Africa Chapter of the Business Continuity Institute. His involvement in these institutions allows him to contribute to advancing best practices in BCM and risk management. Thembumenzi is passionate about continuous learning and innovation in the field, having led several BCI webinars.

Thembumenzi’s career spans multiple sectors, including capital markets, banking, revenue administration, and the energy industry. He has successfully led initiatives in business continuity, including developing and maintaining annual BCM programs, conducting Business Impact Analyses (BIA), and aligning business and ICT continuity plans. He works closely with stakeholders to design recovery strategies, crisis management plans, and conduct scenario exercises to test BCM effectiveness. Additionally, he has experience in the design and implementation of BCM maturity assessments.

Thembumenzi holds a Master of Management in Finance and Investment and a Bachelor of Economic Science from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

As an active committee member of the Business Continuity Institute (BCI), I am deeply committed to advancing the field of business continuity and resilience. Becoming a BCI Awards Judge provides an opportunity to contribute to recognizing outstanding achievements in BCM and resilience. It allows me to share my expertise, evaluate innovative solutions, and learn from the best practices across industries. I am passionate about promoting excellence in BCM and I am honoured to support the BCI in identifying and celebrating leaders who are shaping the future of business resilience.

Founder & Principal Consultant, RMANAGING LLC

Todd Ray is an experienced organizational resilience practitioner and advocate with more than 2 decades in business continuity, crisis management, disaster recovery, and operational risk. Through his consulting firm, RMANAGING LLC, he works with organizations to strengthen resilience capabilities, embed continuity into operations, and prepare leaders to navigate disruption.

Todd specializes in creating and managing comprehensive Business Continuity Management Systems and I.T. Service Continuity Management Programs for the United States critical infrastructure and highly regulated industries, such as the Pharmaceutical and Financial Services sectors. In addition, he is an active member of InfraGard and a Certified Critical Infrastructure Liaison Office for the U.S. Government.

Todd is passionate about elevating resilience as a strategic capability for organizations and communities. He contributes to the profession through mentorship, industry collaboration, and service to the Business Continuity Institute as a co-leader of the Operational Resilience Special Interest Group and a BCI Competency Assessor.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

As a judge, it is crucial to ensure that all candidates are evaluated fairly and impartially, without bias toward their background, ethnicity, gender, or other personal characteristics.  

One of the essential aspects of being a judge is having an inclusive mindset and recognizing the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the awards selection process.  

Embracing Diversity and inclusion means that the panel will be able to consider a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds, leading to a more well-rounded and representative selection process. 

Matthias Rosenberg has been advising companies from a wide range of industries in the areas of business continuity management (BCM), IT service continuity management (ITSCM) and crisis management since 1999, supporting them with his expertise and broad specialist knowledge. However, his passion for BCM and crisis management goes far beyond his consultancy work. The experienced business administration graduate and board member of Controllit AG is also a sought-after trainer. He is a lecturer at the University of Public Administration (HfÖV) and trains experts at the BCM Academy, the leading European institute for training in these specialist areas. Matthias Rosenberg's career and his wide-ranging commitment to further training are proof of his high level of expertise in the field. His activities contribute significantly to preparing companies in the best possible way for the challenges in BCM, ITSCM and crisis management.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

I'm honoured to be a judge at the BCI Awards and I am proud to be involved in selecting the best processes, projects and people and to recognise special achievements in this way.
Furthermore, I am aware of the responsibility that comes with being a judge and ensure that I maintain impartiality and transparency during the judging process. Through my participation as a jury member, I wish to contribute my expertise to ensure that deserving award winners are rightly honoured.

Ultimately, my desire to become a judge stems from a genuine passion for recognising and promoting excellence and I look forward to contributing my commitment to the judging panel.

Vignesh Karthic serves as the APAC Regional Head for Business Continuity and Senior Vice President in Global Business Continuity and Recovery Services group within Corporate Risk Management based in Bangalore, India. In his current role, Vignesh is responsible for providing business continuity, disaster recovery and incident management expertise to all the business units and locations within the Asia Pacific region. He manages a team that provides risk oversight to the governance of business continuity planning as well as implementation, documentation, and testing of all plans throughout the region so that practices are in line with local regulations. Vignesh has held a variety of consulting, audit, risk management and technical leadership positions in his earlier career assignments. Prior to joining Northern Trust, Vignesh held the various management and client servicing roles in Fidelity Investments, Deloitte and Sify Technologies, where he had leadership responsibilities for the development and implementation of various risk management initiatives. Vignesh had led cross cultural project teams for large implementations of Business Continuity projects for the multi-national clients across the South East Asian region, North America and Asia Pacific regions in the Banking, Financial Services, Insurance & Software Services sector. He has presented in various international conferences and forums on the Business Continuity and Risk Domain. His articles had featured in the Continuity Central, Continuity Journal of the Business Continuity Institute and other media. Vignesh is a Fellow of the Business Continuity Institute, U.K; a Certified Business Continuity Professional from Disaster Recovery Institute , U.S.A. ; and a Certified Fraud Examiner from Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, U.S.A.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge?

I strongly believe that my credentials as a Fellow of the BCI, decades of experience and expertise gained in the financial services industry, consulting and audit background and an earnest desire to recognise the diverse and inclusive talent to build this profession to even greater heights.

I believe in acting with integrity without any bias and to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in a professional manner and evaluate all applications as per the guidelines set by the BCI.  I shall strive to uphold the values of the BCI and help assess the deserving candidates for the awards so that it can inspire other emerging professionals to further contribute to this profession.

As a senior management executive within my organisation having Asia-Pacific regional leadership responsibilities involving more than 9 countries where my organisation has a business presence (Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea) I do appreciate the different nuances within the region from a cultural and work perspective and can add value to the overall discussions.

Virag is a seasoned leader in Business Continuity with over two decades of experience in the field of risk and resilience. As the Global Head for Business Continuity at Hitachi Digital, he successfully implemented the Business Continuity Management program over the last 11 years globally. The BCM program is aligned with ISO22301 standards including one of the key business functions certified under ISO 22301 standards.

Virag believes in continuous improvement and is an avid believer of practical or realistic business continuity and crisis management practices that can be followed in real life incidents or business continuity events. Virag manages a small professional team that prides itself in furthering the goals of the Business Continuity Management program that leads to long term sustainability of the organization. The team strongly believes in Corporate Preparedness that involves regular drills, training and exercises that involve training executives and leaders across the organization in Business Continuity and Crisis Management.

Virag believes in sharing knowledge with fellow professionals and has spoken at different industry events in the US & UK. He holds an MBA from Strathclyde Business School and MBCI, CIA, CISA, CRMA and F.ISRM certifications. He lives in London and practices Vipassana meditation.

Why did you want to become a BCI Awards Judge? 

I believe serving as a judge would allow me to celebrate and recognize the exceptional efforts of those who go above and beyond to protect businesses, employees, and stakeholders. I am excited at this opportunity to engage with pioneering practices and initiatives that push the boundaries of what is possible in business continuity. By recognizing and celebrating the achievements of those who excel in this field, I believe we can raise awareness, drive progress, and inspire future generations to prioritize preparedness and adaptability.