ROBERT J. CONLON
Executive Consultant - BCCP
Faculty Member & Instructor - BCI
US Tristate Division

A Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) successful in creating and leading Business Continuity Planning Recovery Programs.  Skilled in assessment and mitigation of risk, strategy definition, organization development, staff awareness, process identification, and recovery of applications, technology and facilities.  Known for providing valuable solutions covering critical business requirements.  Led recovery, technical and business teams.  Recognized as a leader who empowers, motivates and coaches diversified staffs.

DEMONSTRATED EXPERTISE

  • Leadership / Team Building
  • Project Management
  • Business Recovery Strategies
  • Contract Negotiations
  • Risk Assessments
  • Pandemic Planning
  • Tabletop Exercises / Workshops
  • Awareness Training
  • BR / DR Recovery Testing
  • Global Partnerships
  • Business Impact Analysis Development

 

PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

BEKKER COMPLIANCE CONSULTING PARTNERS, LLC
BEKKER COMPLIANCE INSTITUTE
Independent Consultant and Instructor
2009 - Present

Robert is an independent Executive Consultant under contract with Bekker Compliance Consulting Partners, LLC (BCCP). He provides specialized consulting and education/training services, in his areas of expertise described below, to BCCP's financial services clientele.

Alliance Bernstein L.P. - New York
Vice President, Business Continuity Management
2003 - 2008

Developed and managed Business Recovery activities for leading global investment management firm. Partnered with business managers, information technology groups and collaborated with vendors to establish a comprehensive firm wide business continuity program. Provided guidance and coaching for departmental Business Continuity Planning Coordinators in principles of Business Continuity Planning.

  • Led firm's 3 week participation in Pandemic Flu Exercise project for financial services sector in US. Three scenarios with expanding levels of impact across public and private sectors provided valuable feedback that will strengthen future contingency planning.
  • Chaired pandemic task force project which included business representatives from U.S., Europe, and Asia Pacific creating Avian Influenza policy and communicating instructions/procedures to employees.
  • Created and conducted scenario based workshops with business units that provided awareness of Business Continuity program and gave business employees necessary information on what to do in event of an incident.
  • Developed Business Impact Analysis processes for all businesses worldwide. Contracted for 3rd party recovery sites and created a global exercise program that provided a high level of awareness and recoverability for business units.
  • Partnered with business units to develop and maintain business continuity plans and ensured that plans satisfied business, legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Developed employee wallet card that included emergency instructions and critical contact information for all staff in NY Metro area. Design was introduced and adopted throughout the global community.
  • Oversaw Business Impact Analyses and assisted business units in determining critical processes, recovery time /recovery point objectives, strategies and resource requirements that ensured successful recovery in the event of a business disruption.
  • Led firm wide (domestic and international) business drills at alternate recovery sites for all Critical Business Units which validated recovery capabilities and provided employee awareness.
  • Collaborated with business development professionals to provide detailed and consistent information on firm's Business Continuity Management program to prospective and existing clients, confirming that the firm's recovery program satisfies client business, legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Mentored staff members in business recovery process and further developed their recovery knowledge and skills.

    • Charles James Group, LLC - New Jersey
    Senior Consultant
    2000 - 2003

    Directed client companies in creation of business continuity and disaster recovery plans, strategies, procedures awareness and program maintenance.  Provided global Information Technology consulting services specializing in Risk Assessments, Project Management of Business Continuation, Disaster Recovery, Perimeter Security, Data Center Operations and computer facility design and relocation.

    • Protected client’s critical business operations and processes by leading response and recovery efforts through crisis events including the August 14, 2003 northeast Power Outage and September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.  This was accomplished by activating and manning 3rd party recovery sites as part of the business recovery plans.
    • Established Crisis and Incident Management Response Teams of key employees, which were added to Automated Call Notification system for contacting critical employees and reducing contact time from hours to minutes.
    • Planned, created and met operational budgets and goals by keeping recovery site costs down and negotiating multi-year recovery service contract.
    • Trained in salary administration and performance management of direct reports Hired and mentored highly motivated personnel, creating a collaborative team environment.

    Eagle Rock Alliance, LTD - West Orange, NJ
    Senior Consultant
    1997 - 2000

    Joined Startup Company and provided expertise in data center and business recovery.  Advised, directed and assisted 3 client organizations in creation of Business Impact Analysis (BIA), risk assessments, recovery strategies, business continuity plans, procedures, recovery strategy analysis and on-going program maintenance.

    • Created initial BIA processes, procedures and application scripts that were used as a sales and delivery tool.

    Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York
    Director, Data Center Services
    1994 - 1997

    • Led two Data Centers through technical consolidation and personnel changes.  Hardware was upgraded with new equipment that reduced annual costs by 40% and converted 85% of union positions to non union thereby allowing better usage of personnel and creating 3 day work week and reduce overtime by 60%. 
    • Managed budget ($10M), employees (staff of 25), hardware, software, business resumption / disaster recovery planning and testing, physical security and facilities upgrading.  This reduced the risks of disaster and protected the employees and other hospital assets.
    • Designed, restructured and consolidated primary data center.  Led team that executed center’s relocation process with no disruption to clients.
    • Reduced paper costs $2.2M (85%) annually by transitioning paper and microfiche based reports to online reporting and archiving to WORM (Write Once Read Many) technology.

    Consultant, Disaster Recovery and Data Center
    1992 - 1994

    Managed various Information Technology assignments related to: Data Center Management, Physical Security, and Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity planning and development and data center outsourcing studies.

    PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

    BASF Corporation, New Jersey
    Director Security, Administration and Information Resources
    Director Data Center Services

    PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

    • Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) through Disaster Recovery Institute International (DRII) Center for Creative Leadership
    • Various Continuity Seminars (provided by Securities Industry Association, Continuity Planning Exchange, Disaster Recovery Journal & Continuity Planning Institute)
    • Internal business development seminars
    • IBM Information Systems Management Institute 

    ASSOCIATIONS

    SIFMA - Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association - Business Continuity Planning
    DRI - Disaster Recovery Institute
    CPE - Continuity Planning Exchange
    NEDRIX - NorthEast Disaster Recovery Information X-Change
    NYC Shield Program – New York Police Department Shield Program

    WEBINARS

    Business Continuity Planning - International Facilities Management Association
    Pandemic - Are you Prepared? - ExecSense Webinars