Mock Sponsors

General Sessions

Sessions in each breakout track run concurrently.
Choose one session from each track.

General Session 1
8:15 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

Get Ready! Get Set! Get Engaged!

Lou Heckler

In this session, Lou Heckler returns to our conference with a fresh look at ways top organizations and top people continue to produce at high levels. He will look at three key issues that will ensure that your people are performing like leaders and that your customers are delighted. His three areas are: Engage with Purpose…Engage with Performance…and Engage with People. Heckler will offer up-to-the-minute ideas, along with his whimsical sense of humor to bring you a message that will stay with you long after the conference ends.
Lou Heckler is a peak performance specialist who has studied high achievers for more than 30 years. He is an Army veteran, a former corporate management training director, a television personality for 14 years, and a former adjunct faculty member at the University of Michigan’s Executive Education Center for 19 years.

General Session 2
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Can It Be So?

Ann Pickren, SunGard

Today there are more products, solutions and resources than ever to help you achieve availability in your organization. And new advancements in the industry will continue to add to this broad array of options. Yet, in determining the right solutions, we should not forget the strength of our past experience and how to leverage that into the most cost effective solution in setting your course. But the question becomes: “Can it really be so?” Should we adopt this new technology, or does the right course involve a balance in traditional and emerging solutions? Follow the presenter as she takes a journey through her 15 years of experience with SAS and addresses some of the realities that remain constant in this changing world of availability.
Ann Pickren, senior vice president, SunGard Availability Services, is responsible for all availability software products that are designed, developed and supported by SunGard.

General Session 3
10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

The Eye of the Storms – Crisis Management

Lance J. Ewing, Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.

Rita, Katrina, Wilma, and other storm-related disasters create crisis for most businesses and corporations. This session will focus on a Fortune 500 company that was struck by Katrina and Rita. Learn how the company handled claims totaling over $1 billion and hear about the process prior to, during and after the hurricanes.
Lance J. Ewing has extensive executive experience in the field of risk management and insurance including his current position as vice president, risk management for Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., which recently merged with Caesars Entertainment, Inc. Prior to this position, he served in senior risk management capacities for GES Exposition Services and for the City of Philadelphia School District.

General Session 4
8:15 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

The Tool for Global Recovery:
The Incident Command System

Regina Phelps, EMS Solutions
John Fowler, The Northern Trust

Global companies are now embracing the system that has helped to transform the public sector – the Incident Command System. With the implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive #5 and the National Response Plan requiring ICS in all federal departments, many professionals see it only as a matter of time before ICS becomes a requirement in other arenas. Why use it? Simply put, it works! This general session will give an overview of ICS, show practical applications and detail how companies have effectively implemented it throughout their organization.
Regina Phelps, CEM, RN, BSN, MPA is founder of Emergency Management & Safety Solutions, a consulting and training firm.
John Fowler is the director of global business continuity and recovery services at Northern Trust Company.

General Session 5
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Critical Aspects of Communication
During Crises and Disasters

Dr. Robert Chandler, Pepperdine University

All too often crises and disasters are not managed effectively despite having a well developed plan. Effective crisis communication is essential to successful management of crises, disasters, and emergencies. The conclusions of an extensive research study will be presented in this session. Hear major aspects important to sustaining effective communication during crises. You will also learn of the impact of emerging communication technologies on disaster and crisis management and an overview of some common and typical categories of communication breakdowns, failures, and misunderstandings.
Robert C. Chandler, Ph.D. is professor and chair of the Communication Division in the Center for Communication and Business at Pepperdine University specializing in crisis communication.

General Session 6
10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Developing a Successful
Business Continuity Program

Michael Emerson, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Whether you are a large corporation or an SME (small to medium sized enterprise) the ability to effectively respond to a major incident continues to be on the forefront of executives and business owners minds. Today’s demand for continuous customer service and the ever expanding global presence of companies, require businesses of today to have in place an effective and resilient business continuity plan. This session will focus on the following key areas of building a successful business continuity program (project initiation, risk assessment - BIA, building your recovery strategies, team structure, developing business/IT and facility recovery plans, testing/maintenance).
Michael Emerson is the senior manager of security and business continuity services for Citrix Systems, Inc. He is responsible for all aspects of the Citrix Corporate Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery program.

General Session 7
8:15 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

NCS Priority Communications

John Graves, National Communications System

The National Communications System (NCS), part of the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for assuring the availability of National Security and Emergency Preparedness (NS/EP) telecommunications under all circumstances, including crisis or emergency, attack, recovery, and reconstitution. It provides priority telecommunications services, coordination, and information sharing operations, and other related programs support to NS/EP efforts across Federal, state, local and tribal government, critical infrastructure industry, and other authorized NS/EP organizations; these include the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS), Wireless Priority Service (WPS), and Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) programs. This presentation provides an overview of the NCS and these three programs, and how they may apply to your organization.
John Graves is the director of the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service and the Wireless Priority Service. He has served in this position since assignment to the NCS in April 1996.

General Session 8
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

It’s a Risky Business:
Satisfying Your Risk Appetite

Belinda Wilson, CBCP, Hewlett-Packard

Assessing, mitigating and managing risk has become very complex. This presentation will discuss trends and drivers that can enable organizations to mitigate risks and produce an efficient business continuity program. New and unprecedented threats occur on a frequent and global basis, making business process resiliency very challenging. Threats of terrorism, political power and natural disasters including pandemics will significantly impact your organizations if the necessary precautions aren’t taken care of. Risks can either be mitigated, managed or transferred but they cannot be ignored. This session will share the trends and drivers that these vulnerabilities demand of people and infrastructures; and how to best approach your risk appetite and its relevance to your business continuity program.
Belinda Wilson, CBCP, is the executive director of business development, strategy and marketing for HPs Business Continuity Services organization.

General Session 9
10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Get with the Program!
The S-O-L-I-D Communication Playbook

Barry Pruitt, PruSpeak

Have your efforts been stymied by uncooperative senior management and competing business objectives? Have you ever been misunderstood by senior management? It’s hard enough to get the right audience – and when you do, failure to organize communications will sink your efforts.Instead, make a C-H-O-I-C-E. Learn to utilize the essential ingredients for communicating with senior management (and key decision-makers) by knowing how – and when - to expand, illuminate, and illustrate information, reports, and recommendations. Gain proven steps that successful technical professionals employ to build a case, earn trust, and persuade. You can’t get rid of internal competition for funding, so why not be a “player” in the game?
Barry Pruitt is president of PruSpeak Incorporated, a global training and consulting organization, and teaches at the USC School of Business.

The best value. Years of experience. Set Your Course to the industry’s largest conference dedicated to business continuity.