Rajesh Naik, MBCI, is Manager in Operational Resilience at AXA Business Service Private Limited. He is a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Specialist responsible to develop, implement and report complex project assignments that support the Business Continuity Program (BCP) maintenance, regulatory compliance and maturity initiatives within all program categories, including Administration, Crisis & Emergency Planning, Education, Training & Exercising, Operational Risk, Governance and Regulatory Compliance. Rajesh accepted to talk to us about what motivates him and what he believes to be the foundations of BCM and resilience.
Why does business continuity and resilience interest you?
The interest is generated by the very fact that resilience is ingrained in our day to daily life and equally when we try to implement it for our business to build continuity. Resilience encourages you to continue despite all the small or large impediments you have in life or at work, so it is not about falling but rather about how quickly you can rise to the occasion.
Let us take a small example from our daily life. If you are unable to travel in your car to the office, you must show flexibility, so you might call a friend to get a ride, check the buses available on that route or book a cab. So unknowingly, we have abuilt-in resilience which enables us to endure daily disruptions.
What skills are required in your position on a day-to-day basis?
To be a communicative leader with technical knowledge of BCM methodologies and approaches, as well as a facilitator, coordinator, and out-of-the-box thinker. The list can vary based on person to person; however, having a sound BCM knowledge and keep up with business transformation helps meet the changing demands.
A good approach is that to “Sweat in peace, so you don’t have to bleed in war”. This mindset emphasizes BCM preparation as the most important day-to-day activity which helps create an effective BCM environment. All the plans and preparations made beforehand and tested at regular intervals will take you a long way to achieve desired results.
What abilities or personal qualities do you believe contribute most to success in business continuity and resilience industry? Why?
Showing composure when everyone else is panicking during the crisis is a key ability. You must also providetimely communication to all interested parties and haveg the conviction to face the “Worst case scenarios”, while being ready to alter your plans, wherever necessary. Having clarity of what has to be achieved can also help in the long run, while being ready to face the unexpected should not deter you or make lose your grip to control the situation
These abilities or personal qualities would make you stand out in the crowd when the situation demands for a leader to take over and directoperations. This will emphasize the need for BCM expertise.
How would you describe the corporate culture in AXA Business Service Private Limited?
The ABS corporate culture is aware and inclusive of the Operational Resilience requirements which coverCrisis, Business and IT Service Management. They have been supportive to ensure BCM professionals are present and doing their work to create a BCM environment during both business as usual activities and unforeseen major incidents or crises.
Corporate culture is all-encompassing,which ensures that no work is done in silos and all corporate functions and business teams share a common goal for the betterment of AXA Business Service Private Limited.
What words of wisdom do you have for resilience professionals?
Resilience professionals are doing great and they have displayed this during the Pandemic crisis where all their skills were utilized to help recover their businesses. My two cents is that preparedness and awareness on BCM during regular business days are of the utmost importance. The pandemic crisis has enforced the value of BCM and thus we stand a chance to restart the journey to build more resilient businesses.
Professionals must also be open to sharing BCM methodologies with global teams across all industries. Sharing knowledge can help build a BCM mindset and fuel innovative ideas. Let us not limit ourselves to sharing the BCM techniques and resolutions within our industry only, rather lets us all work together to build a resilient world.
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