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Assistant Vice President Business Continuity & Resiliency Management
CNA Financial Corporation
Chicago, IL, United States
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Description
This newly created AVP position will serve as the leader of CNA’s Business Resiliency, Disaster Recovery, and Crisis Management initiatives. CNA is committed to delivering on our promise to customers by ensuring that we are able to effectively operate our business during times of disaster. We are in need of an experienced leader that can develop and execute business continuity, disaster recovery, and crisis management operating plans. These are major priorities for CNA, so this AVP will have high visibility with senior most leaders.
Job Summary
Serve as a knowledgeable business resiliency resource for CNA management, including C-level executives, and lead activities across the enterprise that are necessary to prepare for, respond to and recover from a business interruption.
Lead the design, development, execution and maintenance of the processes that identify risks, threats and vulnerabilities that could impact CNA’s continued operations. Provide a framework for building CNA’s resilience and capability for its response in the event of a disaster, an emergency or disruption to normal business operations. Partner with Business Unit (BU) leadership across the enterprise to develop, test and implement business continuity plans. Lead the response and restoration activities in the event of a disaster. Also included is responsibility for monitoring third-parties and measuring success.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Performs a combination of duties in accordance with departmental guidelines:
1. Implements strategic objectives with significant impact on the short-term success of business continuity and resilience for each functional area of the enterprise. Leads and directs activities in the design, development, implementation, maintenance and testing of the business continuity and resilience functions for each functional area of the enterprise. Has full management responsibility for performance and development of staff in accordance with corporate strategic direction.
2. Build relationships with BU management, including C-level executives, and maintain visibility across CNA as a knowledgeable resource for business resiliency and disaster recovery. Provide support, guidance and thought leadership during business continuity exercises and crisis management. Serve as a primary contact to C-level executives during critical incidents or business disruptions.
3. Advise on continuity strategies that build resilience, use strong risk management principles, and align with CNA's vision and priorities. Meet with BU management in partnership with the business resilience relationship manager regularly to review business continuity roadmap, key risks to resiliency, metrics and compliance with standards.
4. Partner with BU management to develop and test business continuity across the enterprise. Cascade exercise results to BU management and provide coaching for improvement of response rates. Escalate issues, remove barriers and identify root causes if progress on action plans or enterprise metrics is not sufficient.
5. Responsible to activate disaster recovery plans and resources in the event of business disruption. Provide complex project leadership between BU management, including C-level executives, technology groups and managed service providers. Coordinate, assess, develop and communicate recovery environment requirements and continuity plans in the event that people, facilities or resources are unavailable. Own IT restoration capabilities for systems, applications and data.
6. Inform and drive action on improvement priorities by presenting reports to BU management, including C-level executives, summarizing trends identified, actions taken, and results defined by key metrics to enable decision making at the executive level.
7. Partner with business resilience team to review business continuity communications and communicate content to business continuity plan owners. Develop communication strategies within business areas to improve engagement during incidents.
8. Review business continuity plans and exercises for vendors in collaboration with the business resilience team and enterprise procurement group. Manage relationships with vendors of disaster recovery services and facilities; study and recommend outside services for use during a disaster situation.
9. Integrate the business continuity plans with the disaster recovery efforts of CNA’s information technology (IT) function. Work with IT staff to ensure capable recovery processes and procedures, and with business staff to ensure business process restoration.
10. Analyze environmental and equipment configurations for critical corporate resources and recommend disaster avoidance measures and improved backup capabilities. Work with management to ensure that as new equipment, facilities, services, and systems are installed that the disaster recovery issues are addressed.
May perform additional duties as assigned.
Reporting Relationship
Reports to VP or above
Skills, Knowledge & Abilities
1. Ability to think and communicate in a clear and concise manner with the most senior business leaders in stressful situations. Required experience communicating with C-level executives.
2. Excellent interpersonal, presentation, verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with internal and external business partners at all levels.
3. Expert knowledge and understanding of business resilience planning techniques and technologies, risk analysis and business impact analysis methodologies.
4. Proven experience developing and executing business resilience strategy, and integrating that strategy with various risk management efforts across an enterprise such as Enterprise Risk Management, Operational Risk Management, Cybersecurity & Privacy, Third-Party Risk Management and Internal Audit.
5. Strong ability to think analytically, critically and creatively in an outcome-based model to identify viable options from conceptualization to execution.
6. Detail-oriented with excellent analytical and problem solving skills, and ability to effectively plan and direct multiple projects and project teams.
7. Translate strategy to roadmap and execute independently; design and implement plans to monitor progress and results against strategic goals.
8. Data driven with continuous improvement mindset.
9. Ability to exercise professional judgement, make decisions and assume responsibility for decisions which have an impact on people, costs, and the delivery of services.
10. Effectively work in a matrix environment and influence both upward and cross-functionally. Ability to engage resources (people, material, support) to eliminate barriers; orchestrate multiple activities to accomplish a goal; utilize resources effectively and efficiently.
11. Demonstrated change management skills and experience.
12. Previous operations management experience with a proven track record of building, developing and managing service delivery and support teams.
13. Advanced computer skills including Microsoft Office suite and other business related software systems.
14. Insurance industry knowledge/certifications or consulting certifications (i.e. CBCP, CBCI, BPM, Six Sigma, ASQ, Facilitation) is a plus.
Education & Experience
1. Master's Degree in Business, Computer Science, or related discipline, or equivalent work experience.
2. Typically a minimum of 10 to 12 years relevant experience with at least 8 years in disaster recovery, risk management, or business re-engineering with direct experience developing continuity plans.
3. Minimum five years of previous management experience.