The DRI Foundation’s Women in Business Continuity Management (WBCM) group has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception, providing community and resources for professional women in the resilience field. WBCM recently celebrated its 1,000th member, Susan Lounsbury, MBCP. We spoke with her on her career highlights, and her experience as a woman in BCM.
What brought you to the business continuity field? What was your job experience prior? What are the big differences between that and resilience work?
I was working with PepsiCo and had been doing various projects. It turned out that they needed someone to head up their call center recovery program at the time and I was tapped for that. This assignment turned into working for the Disaster Recovery Team, then Business Continuity – then they finally combined the two into a single team.
What have been the most impactful experiences within your career?
I think the Joplin tornado was a big one. One of our facilities was literally leveled to the ground. Nothing survived. Using our business continuity plans, they were up and selling core product in three days. There was also the time that a squirrel took out a substation locally that unfortunately, briefly took out our datacenter. That was ugly, but we got the go-ahead for upgrades after that!
What kind of challenges do you think women, in particular, face in resilience?
I think that, like in many jobs, it’s hard to find that work/life balance. This is a crazy job with odd hours. Women tend to be the caregivers and that’s hard with those hours. We are expected to do both so well and find that balance. I’ve done it, but it hasn’t been easy!
Continuing on that subject – how did you organize everything as a consultant mom of triplet infants during that time?
It was not easy! I had to be very scheduled and organized around the kids’ schedule. It was like a military operation. If anything was off schedule the whole thing blew up! I was very careful when I scheduled calls/meetings and when I scheduled that heads-down work time. It had to be quiet time – so nap time, or when they were rotating through play mats, swings and jumpy things!
What are your career plans going forward?
I love my job! I’m building a strong program at N-able and I want to continue to see it grow and flourish over the next couple of years. It has come so far already, I’m very proud of it!
How has being part of the WBCM helped your career growth – either via mentorship, scholarship, etc.?
So far, I honestly haven’t had the opportunity to take much advantage of the mentorship program or the scholarships, but I intend to. I’d love to get other perspectives from people who have also built programs from the ground up!
How has your DRI certification helped you progress in your career? What certifications/workshops do you think might also help you in your work?
I think it has not only helped my knowledge base, but it has also helped me be taken more seriously in the industry. It also has opened some doors for me to get in with my current employer and provided networking opportunities. I also have a CCRO (Certified Cyber Resilience Officer) credential, which I think is very helpful in being well-rounded.
What helps you de-stress after a long workday?
Reading a good book! I just love to shut it all off and escape into a new world through a book.
What advice would you give to a woman considering entering this profession?
I’d say absolutely go for it! There is some new challenge all the time, it’s never boring and you get to meet so many great people!