Boards are navigating an era of profound and persistent volatility. Global trade dynamics are in flux, shaped by shifting alliances and unpredictable tariffs. These disruptions have created ripple effects across companies’ strategic plans and supply chains, forcing companies to rethink revenue growth, financial performance, sourcing strategies, cost structures and operations. At the same time, economic signals remain mixed — consumer confidence is weakening and markets are increasingly reactive, yet external pressures are only part of the picture. Ransomware attacks, environmental disasters, unplanned CEO departures and other internal shocks can trigger crises just as suddenly and severely. In this environment, crisis is no longer a rare event but a recurring challenge.

To prepare for a crisis, companies are increasingly recognizing the need for an integrative resiliency program — one that integrates key capabilities like crisis management, business continuity, disaster recovery and incident response planning. Because a disruption could reach the level of crisis when resilience plans are overwhelmed and the tolerable level of impact is breached, these plans need to be working in an integrated and coordinated fashion with the crisis management plan to enable the organization to manage unforeseen disruptions, continue to deliver its strategic aims and return to a viable operating state despite the uncertainty.

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