The Next Generation Network Takes-off
January 26 saw the BCI’s Next Generation Network (NGN) officially launched with plenty of energy, excitement, and a clear sense of purpose. Its aim is to bring together early-career professionals and future leaders in business continuity and resilience from around the world.
Host NGN Leader Jasmiina Rousu AMBCI kicked off proceedings with the message that the future of resilience is being built right now, and everyone in the virtual room was invited to be part of it.
Jasmiina shared how the idea for the NGN first took shape back in 2020, when she realised there wasn’t an easy way for younger professionals to connect globally, share experiences, or learn from each other. This grew into a fully supported initiative backed by the BCI Central Office, the Board of Directors, and a group of passionate founding members.
For the next generation
The goal of the NGN is straightforward but ambitious: to become the go-to global platform for people early in their resilience careers, whether they’re brand new to the industry, exploring career options, switching professions, or still studying. It’s designed to be inclusive, international, and practical, built, Jasmiina’s words, “by the next generation, for the next generation.”
Core values like innovation, diversity, inclusion, and real-world impact sit at the heart of the network. Importantly, it’s not just about learning from senior professionals, it is designed to be inter-generational. It’s about peer-to-peer support, fresh perspectives, and making space for new voices in the resilience profession.
A rapidly changing world
Guest speaker Kelly Blakely MBCI, a BCI Board Director, brought a future-focused perspective on why the NGN is so timely.
She started by looking back just ten years to a time when social media felt optional, AI wasn’t part of daily work, risks were more linear, and trust in institutions was stronger. The profession hasn’t changed in purpose, she explained, but the world it operates in absolutely has.
Fast forward to today, and risks are no longer isolated events. They’re interconnected, overlapping, and amplified by technology. Cyber threats, geopolitics, misinformation, supply chains, and AI all influence each other, meaning resilience is now about understanding relationships between systems and not just responding to individual crises.
Kelly highlighted misinformation and disinformation as major structural risks, especially as AI accelerates their spread. At the same time, many young professionals are already using AI tools regularly, while also feeling anxious about job security, changing career paths, and whether traditional “career ladders” still exist.
But her message was reassuring: this isn’t about skills disappearing, but rather about skills shifting.
The most valuable capabilities in the future of resilience will be human ones:
- judgment and critical thinking
- communication under pressure
- ethical decision-making
- leadership in uncertainty
- relationship-building and trust
Technology can support resilience, but it can’t replace people.
Kelly also stressed how trust sits at the centre of everything — from crisis response to partnerships and systems. Real resilience relies on relationships built ahead of time, not just tools and platforms.
That’s where the NGN comes in. It creates space for intergenerational learning, community, purpose, and early relationship-building within a trusted professional network. Not as a side group, but as a vital part of the wider resilience community.
Her closing message was simple and powerful: the future doesn’t wait for perfect timing or experience. It rewards participation. Get involved, stay curious, and help shape what comes next.
Trust and community
The discussion that followed built on Kelly’s themes of community, trust, and shared learning.
NGN Vice-Leader Isaac Wheatley MBCI reflected on his own career, explaining how daily collaboration with colleagues across generations and continents shaped his skills far more than any single role or qualification. That mix of experience, fresh thinking, and real-world pressure is exactly what the NGN hopes to recreate for others.
Jasmiina added that trust built through real human connections is becoming even more important with technology changing faster than ever. Knowing people, understanding how they think, and working together before crises hit, makes organizations stronger and more resilient.
They also outlined what members can expect from the NGN going forward, including:
- global events and discussions on future-focused topics
- new volunteer opportunities designed specifically for early-career professionals
- peer mentoring and shared learning
- tailored content
- opportunities for students and career-switchers
One of the most encouraging moments came from a question in the chat asking how more experienced professionals could support the NGN. The answer was clear: the network is for everyone. Allies, mentors, and “old-timers” are welcome, especially as reverse mentoring and cross-generational learning are seen as huge strengths for the profession.
The overall tone of the Q&A was optimistic, collaborative, and full of ideas. Rather than a fixed programme, the NGN is being built as a living community, shaped by its members, their experiences, and their creativity.
To participate in the NGN visit The Next Generation Network (NGN) | BCI
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About the author
Brian Runciman
Content Manager, The BCI
