BCI and Airmic issue “major” report on organisational resilience

The document represents a milestone in the partnership between two of the leading global authorities on risk, resilience and business continuity. Underpinned by seven in‑depth Case Studies across industries including financial services, energy, professional services, logistics and aerospace, the report analyses how today’s organisations are applying the ‘Eight Principles of Resilience’ and the ‘Four Business Enablers’ first developed by Airmic and referenced in the BCI’s Resilience Framework.

The findings show a clear and consistent trend: resilience has evolved beyond compliance. It’s becoming a strategic capability essential for competitiveness, trust and long‑term sustainability. In the report, organisations consistently highlight Board‑level engagement, people‑centric culture and technology‑enabled insight as critical drivers of progress.

From the rise of the Chief Resilience Officer to the adoption of digital twins, predictive analytics and integrated governance structures, ‘Putting Organizational Resilience into Practice’ provides practical illustrations of resilience in action, offering clarity for Boards, executives and resilience professionals looking to advance their organisational maturity.

New era of complexity

Julia Graham, CEO of Airmic, explained: “The external context today is one of complexity and connectivity, which demands a different focus for leadership and strategy. Deep uncertainty and limited available information incubate emerging risks that can be difficult to manage. The ability of an organisation to be flexible and innovate in response to change and to adapt decision-making and operations is an established principle of resilience.”

Graham added: “Airmic is delighted to be working with the BCI to create a principles-based body of knowledge that can guide organisations and their professionals, collaborating to share emerging good practice that contributes towards building resilience for all.”

This perspective reinforces the report’s objective: to support organisations such that they can navigate rising systemic risks, accelerating technological disruption and increasingly interdependent operating environments by grounding resilience in sound governance, strategic foresight and real‑world experience.

Strategic imperative 

The report reveals that industry leaders increasingly view resilience not as a defensive posture, but rather as a value‑creating capability. Organisations with advanced resilience practices report tangible benefits including:

*faster and more effective incident response

*greater organisational agility

*stronger customer trust and stakeholder confidence

*enhanced competitive advantage

*improved integration across protective disciplines such as cyber, operational risk, continuity and security

*more informed and forward‑looking decision‑making at senior levels

A recurring theme is the need for resilience to be designed-in, not retrofitted. The publication highlights multiple examples of where the early integration of resilience into digital transformation, infrastructure development, supply chain strategy and product lifecycles has delivered significant performance and continuity benefits.

Unified professional voice 

The collaboration between the BCI and Airmic reflects a shared commitment to evolving the global resilience profession and filling the practical guidance gap frequently raised by members of both organisations.

David Thorp, executive director of the BCI, stated: “Resilience is no longer simply about withstanding disruption. It’s about supporting organisations to grow, change and thrive in an unpredictable world. This report demonstrates how forward‑thinking organisations are turning resilience into strategic advantage, embedding it into culture, decision‑making and long‑term planning.”

Thorp concluded: “Our partnership with Airmic brings together two communities that share an ambition: to advance resilience from isolated disciplines into a connected, organisation‑wide capability. I’m delighted that this joint publication provides practical and evidence‑based insights that resilience professionals can use immediately to advance their programmes and influence at the highest levels.”

*Copies of ‘Putting Organisational Resilience into Practice’ are available now and can be downloaded from the BCI’s website