The rise of resilience roles in the C-suite
One of the largest financial services providers in the world, Allianz, has just appointed a new Chief Risk and Resilience Officer, highlighting the rise of resilience roles at the C-suite level. Chris Townsend, CEO of AGCS SE and Allianz Commercial stated, “I welcome Aymeric to the board in this important new role. His appointment reflects the increasing complexity of our industry and external environment, as well as the need for comprehensive risk management and oversight of our global business." [1]
The evolution of resilience roles
Roles relating to business continuity are nothing new, however, they have evolved significantly with regards to responsibilities, and many now have 'resilience' in their title. Findings from our BCI Continuity and Resilience Report 2024 [2], revealed that the change for the majority (63.8%) was to reflect the more strategic nature of their role.
The growth of resilience roles suggests that traditional risk management frameworks were not enough to cope with global, large-scale shocks, like the COVID-19 pandemic [3], which played a significant part in making leaders reevaluate how they plan for and respond to crisis situations. This has opened doors for untapped talent and expertise in the resilience sector, paving the way for innovation.
An interviewee of the BCI Continuity and Resilience Report 2024 highlighted the evolution of resilience roles, “Around 2010-2014, business continuity was more of a tick box exercise for many businesses and industries. However, in the past 10 years we have seen a significant switch in prioritised focus that led to operational resilience and, in some cases, to organizational resilience and still continue to evolve from there.” [2]
Chief Resilience Officers
Having resilience roles at the C-suite level shortens the line to top leadership allowing for quicker responses, better alignment with overall goals, and a more proactive approach to navigating disruptions. This makes organizations more agile and prepared for the unexpected.
Experts have argued that a person in the resilience role should report directly to the CEO with visibility across the organization at the highest levels of leadership [3]. In that way, the role can ensure that the organization's leaders share a common and proactive outlook over future threats.
News of resilience-related roles being at the C-suite level like that of Allianz are becoming more common, which coincides with findings from our BCI Continuity and Resilience Reports that show a year-on-year increase in resilience roles at the board level. Our data show that nearly three-quarters (71.4%) of organizations reported a board member as the person ultimately accountable for the organization’s resilience programme in 2024 [2]—a significant increase from the 43.6% of respondents recorded in 2023 and the 37.3% in 2022.
The increased focus on resilience is pushing organizations to invest more in both finances and resources, driven by the need to stay competitive and meet operational resilience requirements [4]. By making resilience a core part of the strategy and appointing an expert at a senior level, organizations are better prepared to handle disruptions and build lasting strength into operations, culture, and systems.
[1] Allianz Commercial appoints chief risk and resilience officer | Insurance Business America
[2] BCI Continuity and Resilience Report 2024 | BCI
[3] Is It Time For A Chief Resilience Officer?
[4] emerging-regulatory-focus-operational-resilience-reg-alert.pdf
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About the author
Naz Karimi-Clarke
Content Manager, The BCI
