The DRI Foundation’s Women in Business Continuity Management (WBCM) Committee is proud to present its first Mentor of the Year Award to WBCM Executive Committee member Marsha Buehler, MBCP and VP of Business Resiliency Management and Oversight Management for JP Morgan Chase.
“From establishing WBCM’s mentorship program to coaching up to five mentees at once, there are few more deserving than Marsha to be recognized with this award,” said WBCM Committee Chair Mitzi Harlor, CBCP and Director of the Business Continuity Office for Marriott International. “She is a true champion, role model, and advisor to the women she mentors.”
Buehler has diverse experience in financial, telecommunications, and legal industries. She has 26 years in IT project management and 11 years in business continuity with expertise in establishing and maintaining business continuity/resiliency programs. Throughout her career, she has had roles spanning resilience, IT, cyber security, awareness training, marketing, and telecommunications management. She is well-versed in managing software implementations and complex IT projects to enhance and automate business resilience systems and programs.
As a WBCM Executive Committee Member and Mentorship Lead, Buehler has worked with many talented up and coming professionals entering the resilience field, including Renuka Persad Shah, CBCP.
“Marsha would share many BC-related job roles, and if she knew someone in the company, she would offer to send them my resume and introduce us so that I could build my network,” Shah said. During her search to find a new business continuity position, Buehler coached her in the use of standard risk management platforms. “Even though I have never used [these tools] before, she made the effort to call me at work, share the screen, and walk through the basics so that I would be confident enough to speak about it during my interviews.”
“And most impactful to me, she shared pay transparency and the ranges that I should be looking at staying in,” Shah continued. “At my request, she would review my job offers with me, and if it was slightly below range, she would coach me on what to say to ensure that I was being valued and paid what I was worth. She was a huge advocate for me!”
Fellow mentee Chanda Hankins had a similarly positive experience. During mentoring group discussions, “Marsha made all of us feel so welcomed and comfortable to talk about our successes and struggles, and provided encouragement.”
In one such discussion, Hankins expressed her dissatisfaction with her current job and sought advice on whether to look for a new position. “Marsha listened intently and validated my concerns. She provided me the encouragement to give it a try.”
Subsequently, Hankins was proud to announce she had accepted a better position. “Without Marsha’s listening ear and encouragement I am not sure I would have been confident enough to take the leap and I am so glad I did,” Hankins said. “She is an amazing mentor, and I am so lucky that our paths crossed.”
One of WBCM’s primary goals is to connect women in resilience with capable mentors who can pass along lessons learned and help those new to the profession navigate their careers. If you are looking for a mentor, or would like to be one, Mentors can earn additional Certified Education Activity Points (CEAPs) for participating in the program.