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BCI Board Spotlight: Kelly Blakeley MBCI

09 Dec 2025
Kelly

The 2025 BCI Board Elections, held between October and November this year, saw two new Board members elected and one re-election. In this spotlight we speak to Kelly Blakeley MBCI, who has been re-elected to the BCI Global Board.

Could you give us a brief overview of your career experience in the BC and resilience sector?

I’ve spent around 15 years working across business continuity, crisis management, and resilience, spanning frontline response, government advisory roles, strategic leadership and entrepreneurship. My background includes emergency response in multi-agency partnerships and national capability development through the UK government’s Resilience Academy, time with the UAE government’s Rabdan Academy, ISO and BSI Expert Committee roles as well as being a Crisis Response Journal Advisory Panel Member.

Alongside this, I’ve worked extensively across critical infrastructure, public and private sectors, and internationally - which has given me a broad perspective on how resilience operates in very different contexts and the commonalities and nuances of profession. Today, as Founder of Flex Story, my work focuses on helping organisations build future-focused, human-centred resilience that navigates both evolving risks and emerging technologies.

What do you feel you can bring to the work of the Board?

I bring a blend of strategic thinking, governance experience, critical thinking, growth mindset and practical delivery. Having served a full term on the Board, I understand how to contribute constructively, offering challenge when needed, supporting consensus, and keeping decisions grounded in the needs of members and resilience as a profession.

I also bring a strong future-facing lens, particularly around technology, AI, and how these intersect with leadership, decision-making, and human systems. My aim is always to help the Board balance innovation with integrity, ensuring the BCI remains credible, inclusive, and relevant.

What particular issue(s) would you like to see raised on the organizational agenda during your tenure?

Looking ahead, I’d like to see continued focus on how resilience evolves in a world shaped by rapid technological change, compounding risks, increasing uncertainty, and complex interdependencies. This includes responsible adoption of AI, data, and digital tools, but also investment in the human skills needed to adapt with this and lead through disruption.

I’m also keen to keep building on the BCI’s global relevance: ensuring growth regions, diverse sectors, and different career stages feel represented and heard in shaping the Institute’s direction.

What do you feel are the most pressing business continuity and resilience challenges?

One of the most pressing challenges is integrating AI and emerging technologies into resilience in a way that is practical, interoperable, and trusted. While tools are advancing rapidly, many organisations struggle to connect systems, data, and decision-making across functions, partners, and jurisdictions, particularly under pressure.

At the same time, we are operating in a polycrisis landscape where risks increasingly compound rather than occur in isolation. Cyber incidents, geopolitical instability, supply chain disruption, and technology failure are intersecting in ways that demand a different style of leadership. Future resilience will depend not only on tools, but on building leadership capability, judgement, adaptability, collaboration, and decision-making under uncertainty. Developing confident, well-prepared people is now as critical as deploying resilient systems.

What inspired you to contribute to the BCI in a volunteer capacity?

My career began in multi-agency emergency response environments, working closely with dozens of organisations across complex incidents and programmes. In that context, the value of strong professional networks became very clear. The BCI stood out as a community where people come together to push boundaries, share hard-won experience, and learn from one another, not just in theory, but in practice.

As soon as I was able, I became involved at a local chapter level; listening to members, helping organise events, and working with partners and sponsors to strengthen engagement. Over time, that involvement grew into wider formal roles, including as a BCI Approved Instructor and Training Partner Lead.

Volunteering has given me access to diverse perspectives, new experiences, and lifelong professional relationships. It’s shaped how I think about resilience as a shared endeavour, and it’s why I continue to invest time and energy in the Institute today.

What piece of advice can you share for others who would like to be involved in the governance of BCI?

Don’t wait until you feel “fully ready”. Governance isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about judgement, curiosity, and collaboration. Start by getting involved in chapters, working groups, events, mentoring, and conversations that genuinely interest you.

Be prepared to listen, to be challenged, and to contribute. The BCI thrives on a diversity of voices and perspectives, working together in a collaborative and respectful environment. The Institute is for all of us, and together we can help define the future direction of our profession.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I feel incredibly grateful for the trust placed in me through re-election, and energised by what lies ahead. Resilience is becoming both more important and more complex than ever. The opportunity for the BCI to lead, connect, and empower its global community through these challenges has never been greater, and I’m excited to continue contributing to that journey. Together, we have the people, the insight, and the responsibility to take resilience, and the Institute, to the next level.