BCI Global Awards 2025 Winner Spotlight: Eliaser Namwiha
The BCI has welcomed Eliaser Namwiha as winner of the Continuity & Resilience Newcomer 2025 award. This award is given to a professional with less than two years of experience who has an enthusiastic approach to the discipline, passion for the industry, and innovative ideas on how to implement and embed good practice in business continuity and resilience, either within their own or client organizations.
In under two years, Eliaser has led critical infrastructure upgrades, introduced real-time monitoring tools that halve troubleshooting time, and helped reduce recovery metrics by 25%. His ability to apply knowledge from multiple disciplines, spanning IT, risk, and policy has elevated resilience practices across his organisation.
He joined the Bank of Namibia in December 2023 as a Settlement System Analyst and has been at the forefront of national payment system operations, focusing on real-time risk monitoring, cybersecurity, and operational resilience. His exposure to resilience-oriented work began earlier through his role at First National Bank Namibia, where he led core banking operations and conducted system audits, laying a strong foundation in operational continuity. This blend of technical and risk management experience forms the backbone of his resilience practice.
In January 2024, Eliaser was instrumental in spearheading a continuity assessment for a core infrastructure upgrade project within the Bank of Namibia’s settlement department. Recognising resistance due to change fatigue, he initiated a series of collaborative workshops, emphasising the long-term resilience gains and operational benefits. By February, he had built strong consensus across teams and facilitated cross-functional commitment to ensure testing environments reflected real risk scenarios. The project concluded with improved fallback procedures and a 25% reduction in recovery time metrics, thanks largely to his inspiring leadership and strategic communication.
The judges were impressed, saying: ‘In a short period Eliaser has not only understood the subject but has been able to critically apply it and make significant improvements to the level expected from a seasoned practitioner. He has proactively identified vulnerabilities, proposed viable solutions, and enhanced collaboration among key stakeholders.
If he continues the trajectory that is documented in this submission he has a very bright future ahead of him. With his ability to see the unseeable, a career in resilience seems to be a natural fit. The experience that has been documented in this application already sets the foundation for a successful and long career in the resilience space.’
Submissions for the BCI Regional Awards 2026 close 16 April, we strongly encourage all applicants to submit their applications well in advance of the deadline in order for us to review and feedback, if needed.
Join us for BCI World Hybrid 2026 at the Convene Sancroft, St. Paul's, London, on 10-11 November 2026! Register your interest now to secure a super early bird discount for both in-person and virtual attendance.
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