Review 2009
From our proud supporter: The City of London CorporationOnce again the City of London Corporation is delighted to lend our support to The Business Continuity Awards, which offers a prestigious focus and shop window for the promotion of business continuity across the huge variety of contributors to the sector.
As one of the world's leading financial centres, the City of London has a long history in the world of banking and finance. Throughout its history the City has endured numerous incidents that have borne out how essential effective business continuity is to the well-being and success of a commercial district.
The City of London has been directly involved in pursuing its own
business continuity and promoting it widely since the mid-1990s. The
urgent need for, and the relentless development of the sector show
no signs of slowing. This responsibility adopted, and later encapsulated
in the 2004 Civil Contingencies Act continually evolves and grows.
Each Local Authority has a responsibility to build and foster resilience
within its area. The most effective way of achieving this is the promotion
of business continuity across a range of organisations whether public,
private, or voluntary, or small, medium or large. The City is no exception;
we recognise that where organisations are well prepared, our collective
response will be much more effective and business can be sustained
and our communities positively supported.
Across London it is recognised that larger businesses are well served by an excellent cadre of business continuity professionals and an innovative sector providing strong packages to support to a whole range of enterprises. However it has been identified that businesses in the SME sector do require extra help. In these enterprises, potentially less time, resources and expertise may be committed to building resilience of the business. It was with this in mind that the City of London Corporation and numerous partners across London came together over the past six months to develop the Mind Your Own Business initiative which was launched by the Right Honourable Tony McNulty MP in Guildhall in April. This package, designed expressly with the smaller business in mind has been created and launched to provide a tailored approach for addressing business continuity where resources available are at a premium. The initiative is currently being rolled out across the capital with the support of local authorities, Chamber of Commerce and other partners.
The necessity for this package for small enterprises has unfortunately been highlighted by a wide range of incidents that have been felt over the past year since the last Business Continuity Awards. We have endured the effects of severe weather in the form of flooding and snow along with the ever present threats from climate change. In addition, we are in the grip of a financial crisis the like of which has not been experienced for generations. Most recently we have been responding to the potential of an influenza pandemic posed by the threat from the H1N1 virus.
All of these issues present well documented challenges to all those dedicated to providing innovative business continuity solutions. In the passing of one year no-one should require any further justification for how vital the work that is undertaken by business continuity professionals actually is, and the need for business and local authorities to promote and support the efforts currently being made. The range of risks faced, over the past year serve to illustrate how essential it is to be creative and innovative in the production of business continuity solutions. As the business and natural worlds change, and the threat of international terrorism increases, so the responses must be sufficiently flexible to continue to be effective in the changed circumstance.
Business continuity professionals and the products and services that they develop must continue to evolve to meet these changing circumstances and address risks and challenges that may yet be unseen. This must take place against a background of potentially severe financial constraint and intense competition.
The City of London Corporation considers it essential that we recognise and celebrate the efforts and successes of the people striving to ensure the vitality of the sector and its contribution to well-being of the community as a whole. This focus upon excellence within the sector will serve to promote the concept and highlight those at the cutting edge. The City of London Corporation is proud to be associated with this prestigious event.
Stewart Thomas
Contingency Planning Adviser
City of London Corporation
View photos from previous Gala Dinners
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