PRESS RELEASES:

Statement

The BCI welcomes the release of the UK National Risk register as a positive step in promoting general awareness of the main threats faced by the UK as a whole. It also helps BCM professionals appreciate the government's view of our capabilities to respond. In particular we are pleased to see that it recognises the key role played by Business Continuity Management in helping organizations respond effectively to the realisation of any of these threats. The document suggests that the use of BS25999, which is heavily influenced by the BCI Good Practice Guide, should become universally regarded as good business sense.

Lyndon Bird MSc FBCI FRSA MIoD
Technical & International Director
The Business Continuity Institute

IRCA launches new Business Continuity Management Systems programme

Failure of a key supplier to deliver, the discovery of a serious fault in a product and natural disasters such as flooding or fire could cause a huge disruption to an organisation’s day-to-day operations. Business continuity management has evolved to ensure continuity of service to a company’s customers when incidents occur, thereby protecting an organisation’s image and reputation – and it is becoming ever more important in today’s globalized world.

To ensure businesses have robust management systems in place to address these risks, the International Register of Certificated Auditors (IRCA) is delighted to announce the launch of its new Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS) Auditor certification programme. Developed in partnership with the Business Continuity Institute (BCI), the programme responds to the international demand for competent auditors of Business Continuity Management Systems.

The BCMS programme is based on the standard BS 25999-2:2007 which helps organizations minimize the risk of disruptions to continued operations as a result of incidents both large and small.

Commenting on IRCA’s BCMS Programme, Director, Simon Feary, said “auditor competence is fundamental to any systems certification scheme and this programme will provide confidence to business and industry worldwide that auditors of business continuity management systems have the necessary knowledge, skills and attributes.”

As part of the programme, auditors are required to pass the BCI Certificate Examination of the Business Continuity Institute or already have a BCI professional qualification to show that they have a good knowledge and understanding of business continuity. IRCA offers certification across six auditor grades for BCMS auditors, consultants and practitioners.

Auditor training organizations will benefit from the opportunity to apply for IRCA course certification for their Business Continuity Management Systems auditor training courses against three different course types: Internal Auditor, Lead Auditor and Conversion Auditor.

Lyndon Bird, Technical Director of the BCI, said: “Today businesses operate in an increasingly interconnected global environment, facing many threats beyond their direct control.  Business continuity management is perhaps the only realistic way to deal with many of these threats and it is therefore rapidly moving up the boardroom agenda. Auditors who have been certified as competent at auditing BCMS will be ever more in demand.”

BS 25999

Business continuity management systems and business continuity planning are now more crucial than ever to organizations of all sizes sectors. Any organization can be affected by a disruption of business operations, which in the worst possible case could be fatal for an organization, leading to its bankruptcy. Certification to BS 25999- 2 provides confidence that organizations have a system in place which will allow them to continue to operate and consistently meet customer needs when faced with incidents large and small which are disruptive to business.

Find out more
Download the criteria for certification as a Business Continuity Management Auditor from our website or contact us directly for more information at irca@irca.org.

Please note that IRCA will accept applications for auditor and training course certification to this programme from 1 July 2008.

The Business Continuity Institute
The Business Continuity Institute (BCI) is a “not for profit” professional body for Business Continuity practitioners. Founded in 1994, it has over 4000 members in more than 85 countries worldwide. Its mission is to promote the art and science of Business Continuity globally through education, certification and professional development. The Institute has no commercial shareholders, and is owned by its statutory members.

Business Continuity Institute Announces USA Chapter

Expands the BCI's Presence in the U.S., and Joins Chapters in Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and the Far East

LAS VEGAS, May 21, 2008 -- As part of its global growth strategy, the Business Continuity Institute (Caversham, UK), a leader in setting and validating standards of professional competence and ethics in business continuity management, announces its newest initiative, the BCI USA Chapter. The new country chapter, a not-for-profit corporation based in Daytona Beach Shores, Fla., will be formally inaugurated at the CPM 2008 West Conference and Exhibition, May 20-22, 2008, at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. The new BCI USA Chapter will host a kickoff reception on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.

Officers of the USA Chapter are President Kathleen Lucey, FBCI, president of Montague Risk Management, Inc. (Locust Valley, N.Y.); Vice President Douglas Weldon, FBCI, president of Vigilant Services Group (Longwood, Fla.); Treasurer Gerald Varney, FBCI, vice president of Vigilant Services Group; and Secretary Paul Kirvan, FBCI, vice president with Marsh, Inc. (New York, N.Y.). Each of the officers has over 20 years of hands-on experience in business continuity and risk management.

Passionate about the new chapter, Lucey said, "This watershed event has been a long time coming. When the BCI recently established its chapter system for global expansion, the officers worked to start a USA chapter as soon as possible, and are committed to bringing the many benefits of BCI membership to American BC practitioners."

Lucey added, "We believe that the member activities we are currently planning for this country will bring a new level of professionalism to the BC practitioners in the United States, and all of the officers of the BCI USA Chapter are proud to be associated with its founding and development."

The BCI USA Chapter joins existing BCI country chapters in Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and the Far East (based in Singapore).

Among the chapter activities to be developed are education elements involving various BCM disciplines, such as seminars, interactive advanced workshops, webinars, expositions, and educational programs developed in partnership with leading academic institutions; a speakers' bureau; data repository of industry information, and many others. The USA Chapter website at www.thebci-usa.org will also be introduced at the kickoff reception.

For more information on the BCI USA Chapter, contact Kathleen Lucey, FBCI, BCI USA Chapter president, at 516-676-9234 or at kathleenalucey@gmail.com.

About The Business Continuity Institute

Based in Caversham, United Kingdom, The Business Continuity Institute (BCI) was established in 1994 to "promote the art and science of business continuity management" to assist organizations in preparing for and surviving minor and large-scale man-made and natural disasters. The group enables members to obtain guidance and support from their fellow practitioners, as well as offers professional training and certification programs to disseminate and validate the highest standards of competence and ethics. It has more than 4,000 members worldwide in more than 85 countries. For more information on the BCI, contact Paul Kirvan, FBCI, BCI board member, at 212-345-2779 or at paul.kirvan@marsh.com, or visit http://www.thebci.org.

SOURCE: Business Continuity Institute

Media contact:
Maples Communications
Mike Kilroy or Stephanie Olsen
949-855-3555
mkilroy@maples.com

or

BCI USA contact:
Kathleen Lucey, FBCI
President, BCI USA Chapter
516-384-6437
kathleenalucey@gmail.com