Education Month Week 2: Applying Good Practice with Confidence
Week 2 of Education Month has drawn to a close, following an engaging programme of expert-led sessions that helped practitioners put their resilience knowledge into practice.
The month’s overall theme is ‘One profession. Three stages. Your pathway’ and it’s designed to help professionals understand the career progression pathways within business continuity and resilience.
While Week 1 focused on the foundations of a resilience career and the principles of good practice, Week 2 explored what comes next: applying that knowledge with confidence in real-world situations. Designed particularly for CBCI holders and developing practitioners, the week's sessions examined how professionals can translate certification into practical expertise, progress towards AMBCI membership, prepare for more senior roles, and begin supporting others through mentoring and leadership.
Insights from this week's expert speakers
The week opened with an insightful presentation from Oliver Hoeschel who discussed why remote security and crisis management are useful aspects to include in resilience plans, but they cannot substitute experienced on-site leadership. Eduardo Escalera Balderas followed with an honest look at why CBCI certification is far from the final step on the career journey. He emphasised the importance of lifelong learning in the resilience profession from foundation courses through specialist learning, mentoring, supporting the community and getting involved in research.
The day concluded with a Lunch and Learn session hosted by the BCI's Head of Thought Leadership, Maria Florencia Lombardero Garcia who presented the most recent BCI’s Emergency Communications Report research. Members can download the full report for further insights and recommendations.
Marios Stavrou opened day two with an in-depth discussion on mapping and stress testing in real world disruption. An interesting observation in this session was the importance of both internal and external dependency maps that include all tiers of dependency, including subcontractors, so that interconnections can be easily recognised.
Rishi Allen Dsilva, hosted Wednesday’s webinar examining the development of severe but plausible cyber scenarios. His session highlighted the importance of grounding crisis and resilience planning in real-world threat intelligence, demonstrating how organisations can build scenarios around genuine attacker tactics and techniques.
Dr Wel Li and Mike Kwong Chi Chan followed with an exploration of operational resilience within the virtual assets sector. Covering everything from regulatory developments in Hong Kong to governance, custody arrangements, and accounting considerations, the session also explored how boards can respond during the critical first four hours of a cyber breach, supported by a realistic live crisis simulation.
María Torres then shifted the focus from processes to people and challenged the assumption that awareness alone changes behaviour. María explored how behavioural science and scenario-based exercises can improve decision-making under pressure. The session provided practical approaches for creating lasting behavioural change and ensuring lessons continue to influence performance long after an exercise has ended.
Week 2 concluded with a second Lunch and Learn session hosted by Maria Florencia Lombardero Garcia. Drawing on BCI research from the most recent Operational Resilience Report, Maria discussed global operational resilience practice changes and how they are adapting in response to emerging risks and growing regulatory expectations.
If you missed any of our webinars, you can catch up here.
Looking ahead to Week 3
Next week, Education Month moves into the third stage of the pathway: Leadership - Lead Resilience with Insight and Responsibility.
Designed for experienced practitioners ready to shape strategy as well as practice, Week 3 explores the transition from applying resilience principles to influencing organisational direction. Attendees are offered the chance to learn about the routes towards MBCI certification and eventually FBCI, while exploring the skills, responsibilities, and leadership mindset required to guide resilient organisations into the future.
New Executive Certificate in Resilience Leadership
You’ve explored the resilience pathway over Education Month 2026 - now it is time to take the next step: leading resilience at a strategic level.
Starting on 26 October 2026, University College London (UCL) will host an exclusive three-day learning experience for senior leaders who are ready to shape organisational strategy, influence critical decisions, and champion resilience at board level.
The Executive Certificate in ‘Resilience Management and Crisis Management Executive Certificate’, brings together members of the Corporate Chief Resilience Officers (CCRO) convened by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), with the support of the BCI. Aligned with UCL School of Management standards, the initiative also features speakers from leading universities and major global corporations.
You can secure a place on this exciting new one-off course here.
Week 3 – Don’t miss out
Wherever you are on your resilience journey, Week 3 of Education Month offers insights for those ready to lead, influence, and drive resilience forward.
We look forward to welcoming you to our packed programme of webinars, insights, and leadership-focused discussions including sessions on board leadership, leading under pressure, and managing people-related dependencies. Check out the upcoming free webinar series here to secure your place.
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About the author
Rebecca Mathews
Content Manager, The BCI
