December 27, 2002—The Conference Board presented its first Corporate Security and Crisis Management Conference in New York City in November. The event underscored the need for corporate leadership to devote time to security issues, work directly with their security chiefs, and have crisis-management plans in place before an incident happens.
Senior executives from nearly two hundred companies attended to discuss critical issues such as The Mission and Objectives of Corporate Security, The Discipline of Crisis Management, Strategies for Risk Assessment, Planning and Security Audits, and Cyber Threats and IT Security.
One discussion concerned the art of crisis management and the need to be ready and prepared now for any crisis. Critical questions were addressed, such as what the firm’s initial response should be; who should be involved in continuity planning; who should participate on emergency response teams; and who should speak on behalf of the company in a crisis.
Ron Pressman, chairman and CEO of GE Employers Reinsurance, said there were four stages following a crisis of any kind: shock, paralysis, recovery and learning. Regarding the recovery phase, he said, the CEO needs to be visible and reassuring to employers and family, emphasizing that the company will survive. He added that any crisis management plan needs to be practiced by all employees, not just security, and audited by an independent outsider.
