DRI International is truly an international organization. BCP issues and concerns are, in fact, global, and many of you are a 
part of a global business continuity/resiliency program. Day-to-day challenges and the resulting solutions more often require a world view. The interconnectedness of multiple moving international parts is inescapable. This makes our job very difficult…and very interesting.
Last week, I was privileged to teach a DRI course in Istanbul, Turkey. This four-day class was the first ever class held in Turkey. The students were the very first to take the qualifying exam in Turkey and will be part of a very, very small (but growing!) number of certified business continuity professionals in their country. It was an honor for me to teach these motivated students who work for top tier companies in Istanbul. Their daily work challenges and BCP/security responsibilities represent the variety of issues and perplexing challenges that we may all face in our daily roles.
What made this class special was the fact that we were conducting the class entirely in English for native Turkish speakers who also are fluent in English. As an instructor I was often challenged to dig deep into my vocabulary bag to find multiple words to help define words like caveat, concurrent, or reciprocal. Clearly a wonderful experience for me; I think the students also enjoyed the class, the camaraderie, and the opportunity to meet others in their profession. While sharing the classroom experience, lunches, and a few laughs, we were able to share work stories, life stories, and our collective interest in this business continuity profession. My week in Istanbul provided me with the opportunity to make new friends and learn a little about Turkey, taste traditional Turkish foods, and spend a little time in this dynamic, bustling city at the confluence of Asia and Europe.
Jerome Ryan, CEO GRM Solutions LLC and DRI board member, who organized and sponsored this course, had the following to say at its conclusion: “I am very pleased with the successful completion of our first DRI Istanbul course held in Istanbul, Turkey at the beginning of May. We had many wonderful students from the largest Turkish and international companies attend. DRI Istanbul now stands as a regional hub for BCM professionals in Europe, Middle East, and North Africa. With the overwhelming success of this course, we are proud to announce that we will be scheduling another BCLE-2000 course in Istanbul early this Fall – more details to follow.”
A profound thank you to my students in Turkey for making my time there very special, and I wish you all luck in all you do. It is my hope that we keep in touch and that next year you will be able to attend our DRI2014 conference.
Clyde Berger
cberger@driif.org
Vice President and Director of Volunteerism
DRI International Foundation