BCI Board Nominee Spotlight: Desmond O’Callanghan Hon FBCI
Full name: Desmond O’Callanghan
Membership grade: Hon FBCI
Country of residence: Canada
Professional role: Retired. Past Corporate Program Leader / Consultant / Educator
About the nominee
I am a retired BCM expert professional. I have held positions in organizations of all sizes, from 500 to 40,000. Prior to entering the BCM profession at a Canadian bank in 1989, I held positions in Accounting, Administration, Internal Audit and Operations.
My BCM career has spanned 36 years in leadership roles. Much of my employment was in finance, but I also had 13 years of salaried and independent consulting across all sectors. My last full-time job was Director of Global Continuity Services for a major insurance company. Since 2011, I have contributed to the BCI on the Global Membership Council, 11 years on the Canadian Chapter Board, 4 as Leader; a member of the Americas Next Practice Group for 4 years, 2 as Leader.
Now in the Op Res SIG. I have judged awards for 11 years, this year, honorary. I have been a Lead Assessor for the past 6 years. I have contributed to the last 3 GPG updates. I advised Central Office staff in developing the Competency Framework. I have contributed to many education initiatives, including course and exam creation, development and review. I wish to bring all my experience and dedication to the board.
Any prior board governance experience?
I have been involved in BCI governance for over 11 years. As a member of the Canadian Chapter Board, I was the Canadian representative on the Global Management Council until it was phased out.
Subsequently, I was Chapter Vice-President, managing dissolution of the legal entity in 2020; then Group Leader for 4 years in the new structure. I was the Leader of the Americas Next Practice Group and remain active with its successor, the Operational Resilience SIG. Outside the BCI, I have been an active member of the Resilience Information Exchange (RIE) for 36 years, serving on the board and several sub-committees of its Toronto Chapter Board for many years, principally Communications and Program Planning.
I have been a career-long leader/contributor to numerous planning committees for BCM conferences, including BCI World. Besides working life, I have served pro bono on a church finance committee, the board of a not-for-profit seniors’ residence, responsible for operations and strategic planning.
Why serve on the BCI Board?
I would like to serve as a BCI Board Director because the combination of my knowledge and extensive experience within the BCM profession is suited to the role. My passion for business continuity and my extensive involvement in BCI operations and governance would provide a mature and meaningful contribution to its evolution.
Being now retired from remunerative employment will allow me the time and energy to devote to the role. I love being an Ambassador for the BCI and an advocate for the profession and all BCI volunteers.
I see board membership as a valuable, culminating contribution at this stage of my career. I believe strongly in the core principles and practices that were and still are the foundation the BCI is built on. I am committed to knowledge transfer between generations as we go through a demographic shift, embracing new thinking and methodology.
I want to do everything I can to “pay it forward.” I have benefited greatly from the profession and the BCI, and I am keen to contribute what I can in return and promote volunteering as its lifeblood.
What skills and experience do you bring to the board?
In my 36-year BCM career working for companies from 500 to 40,000 employees, my foremost skills have been strategic analysis, communications and leadership.
Most roles I have held have required interpersonal skills in matrix management structures, promoting collaborative behaviours and negotiation. I have experience in co-managing initiatives involving multiple organizations, in both the public and private sectors.
Previous work experience included Finance, Administration, Operations and Risk Management. Having held leadership roles in my BCI volunteer work (Canadian Chapter, Americas Next Practice Group), I have demonstrated a philosophy of success through teamwork.
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