Program

Dr. Thomas Homer-Dixon

Dr. Thomas Homer-Dixon is one of Canada’s foremost public intellectuals and a bestselling author. He is considered among the world’s leading experts on the intricate links between nature, technology, and society, with his current research focusing on threats to global security in the 21^stcentury. Tackling subjects such as economic instability and climate change as well as how people, organizations, and societies can better solve complex problems, Homer-Dixon shows audience how to adapt and prosper in a world of ever-increasing complexity.

Homer-Dixon is currently the founder and executive director of the Cascade Institute at Royal Roads University in Victoria, British Columbia. Previously, he directed the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Toronto for nearly two decades. In 2008, Homer-Dixon joined the faculty at the University of Waterloo where he founded the Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation. He retired from his faculty position as a University Research Chair in 2021.

Presenter:  Dr. David Sanderson

Session Description:

Disasters are on the rise, affecting millions of people worldwide, especially those in fast-growing cities. Often called natural, they may sound like little can be done to reduce their impact or even prevent them. Yet disasters are anything but natural. This talk will explore the reasons why this is so, and propose ways to tackle them.

Recording

Presentation

Presenters: Phillip Racco & Deepak Jaswal

Session Description:

With a growing reliance on third parties to deliver organizational services, there is an increased risk exposure that organizations must manage. From data breaches to operational disruption, from compliance to reputational damage, your third parties' risks become your risks, and managing these exposures has become more important than ever. During this workshop, we will look to discuss the key concepts of Third Party Risk Management, specifically discussing the Third Party Risk Management Lifecycle and highlight the need to take a holistic, integrated and diverse approach to this growing area of risk.

Presenter:  Ann Wyganowski

Session Description:

Are we properly managing our cyber risks? Our technology environments are constantly challenged. Today, the risk of Cyber attack against your organization holds the top spot followed closely by the risk of attack against your supply chain. A hack on your technology environment can cause major cascading implications for your business. It is imperative that your business is educated, prepared and has practised for the implications of these threats. You may have taken steps to protect your data and technical environment, but what really happens when the bad actors get in? This session will help you understand the difference between Cyber Security and Cyber Resilience as we explore recent cyber breaches, how they happened, the impacts to the victim organizations, levels of preparedness, and lessons learned in a series of case studies. Know what you need to do now and what your executives need to understand.  

Présentateur: Akli Feraoun

Description de la session

La tempête de pluie verglaçante qui a frappé le Québec en avril 2023 a causé une panne électrique de grande ampleur, affectant plus d'un million de clients. Cette perturbation a eu des répercussions significatives sur les infrastructures cruciales, les foyers et les entreprises. Cet événement servira de cas d'étude pour explorer les pratiques de résilience et de gestion de crise mises en œuvre afin de minimiser l'impact de la panne et de garantir la continuité des activités critiques.

La conférence débutera par une présentation détaillée de la chronologie de la panne et de ses conséquences, suivie d'une analyse des éléments qui auraient pu contribuer à atténuer ces effets. Une attention particulière sera accordée à la gestion de la panne, y compris la priorisation des réparations visant à rétablir les services essentiels.
Par la suite, la conférence explorera les meilleures pratiques de continuité des affaires, visant à réduire au maximum les impacts de ce type d'incidents. Des leçons tirées seront discutées, mettant en lumière les améliorations possibles dans les plans de résilience, avec un accent sur leur application possibles chez Hydro-Québec ainsi que d'autres organismes, entreprises, voire au niveau des ménages.

En conclusion, la conférence soulignera l'importance cruciale de la continuité des affaires et de la résilience pour atténuer les effets d'événements similaires.

Presenter:  Joel Baglole

Session Description:

Cyber attacks, weather and climate, supply chain disruption, technological disruptions and workforce trends.  Join us for an interactive discussion looking at the trends in risks potentially impacting Canadian businesses and communities in the next 18 months.  At the end of the session the top risks identified by participants will be developed and next steps discussed on how DRI Canada can support business continuity and emergency management professionals to prepare for these potential risks through research, continuing education, tools and templates.

Presenters:  Garth Tucker & Nancy Holloway-White

Session Description:

Experienced Practitioners know that opening lines of communication and defining opportunities for collaboration among resilience practices within an organization is a key to being effective. 

If the Business Continuity (BC) program you manage has not been designed with inputs from Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) or Operational Risk Management (ORM) or are not integrated with Emergency Management (EM) response plans, Disaster Recovery (DR) processes, Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S), and Security. then your program is not as effective as it should be in providing the most value to the organization.

The resilience disciplines noted above are all cogs in the same machine; each provides its own valuable service to the business. If these are not all working together, the machine isn't running at peak efficiency, and we are likely leaving important value unrealized. To the detriment of the business, these practice areas/functions have existed in silos in many organizations for longer, perhaps than as practitioners, we should have let them. Many organizations tend to have one, over-tasked resource juggling all these practice areas, which could be as bad as having silos, as they cannot focus on all the processes required to create and maintain a solid resilience program or they do not have the experience required in all areas.

Presenter:  Eslam Eldakrory

Session Description:  In our contemporary, fast-paced, and interconnected world, organizations constantly confront the looming threat of unforeseen crises that can profoundly affect their reputation, stakeholder relationships, and overall success. The ability to prepare for and navigate effectively through a crisis has become an indispensable skill for leaders and crisis management professionals to successfully navigate these turbulent waters.
 
This presentation is designed to offer a comprehensive guide to fortify your organization against potential crises.
 
Throughout this session, we will explore the essentials of proactive crisis management. We'll begin by examining pre-crisis activities that lay the foundation, then delve into key during-crisis strategies that foster agile leadership. Finally, we'll conclude with essential post-crisis actions to ensure continuous improvement in your Crisis Management Program.
 
This dynamic and interactive session will guide you through the intricacies of building a robust crisis management program, placing strategic preparedness at the core of organizational resilience.
 
Join us in mastering the art of anticipation, dynamic decision-making, and resilient adaptability. Become a Crisis Champion, navigating challenges with precision and propelling your organization towards sustained excellence.