Two Men & A Business Continuity Plan

Charlie Maclean-Bristol & James McAlister
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Join us every month, as Charlie and James discuss the latest business continuity news and events, offering their insights and expertise. They will also be sharing their own real life experiences and top tips for business continuity.

  1. MAR 5

    The Comfort of Compliance

    In this episode, James and Charlie explore the comfort of compliance and why organisations certified to standards like ISO 22301 can still struggle during real incidents. They discuss the gap between passing audits and performing under pressure, highlighting how compliance can create reassurance without guaranteeing real resilience, and why organisations must focus on testing behaviour and decision-making - not just documentation.

    34 min

  2. JAN 27

    Leadership Under Pressure: Why Executives Freeze

    Why do experienced, capable leaders sometimes fail to act when it matters most? In this episode, James and Charlie explore what “freezing” really looks like in a crisis - from decision paralysis and cognitive overload to groupthink, executive silence, and the dangerous myth of waiting for more information. They unpack whether poor crisis leadership is a failure of training, governance, or both, and share practical insights on how organisations can prepare leaders to make timely, imperfect decisions under pressure.

    33 min

  3. 12/18/2025

    Santa’s BCM Plan: What Christmas Teaches Us About Organisational Resilience

    In this festive episode, James and Charlie explore organisational resilience by asking a playful but serious question: does Santa have a Business Continuity Plan? Treating Santa as the CEO of a global, high-pressure operation, they unpack the risks behind delivering Christmas - from supply chains, weather and workforce issues to technology, reputation and single points of failure - and reveal the continuity strategies that keep the sleigh moving. The episode translates Santa’s North Pole operations into practical lessons for modern organisations on peak-season readiness, resilience culture, redundancy and innovation, proving that Christmas isn’t delivered by magic alone, but by great planning.

    32 min

  4. 11/13/2025

    Reputation & Resilience: How Business Continuity Protects Trust

    This month, James and Charlie discuss “Reputation & Resilience: How Business Continuity Protects Trust,” exploring how organisations can safeguard their reputation during crises by maintaining transparency, consistency, and preparedness - from prevention and response to recovery - so that trust endures even when things go wrong.

    37 min

  5. 09/30/2025

    From Risk to Resilience: Turning Today’s Uncertainties into Tomorrow’s Strengths

    In this episode, James and Charlie explore how organisations can take the risks they already know about, expand them into scenarios, look beyond the horizon for weak signals, and ultimately build adaptive strategies that secure future resilience.

    35 min

  6. 08/06/2025

    The Global Power Crunch: Business Continuity in an Overloaded Grid

    With demand surging, grids aging, and green transitions underway, can businesses keep the lights and servers on? James and Charlie discuss in this podcast.

    33 min

  7. 06/30/2025

    Out of Stock: Business Continuity Lessons from the M&S Cyber Crisis

    What the UK’s biggest retail cyber incident can teach every business about continuity, resilience, and recovery.

    34 min

  8. 05/19/2025

    Geopolitics & Business Continuity: What Happens When Conflict Hits Your Supply Chain

    In this episode, Charlie and James explore how rising geopolitical tensions, particularly between India and Pakistan, are disrupting global business operations. From grounded flights and IT service interruptions to investor uncertainty and growing cyber threats, the ripple effects are far-reaching. They take a closer look at the real-world consequences for business continuity, including whether it's time to relocate operations like call centres, the potential impact on delivery models, and the growing conversation around reshoring vs. offshoring. With the global landscape becoming more volatile, what should businesses do now to protect their people, services, and supply chains?

    32 min
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Join us every month, as Charlie and James discuss the latest business continuity news and events, offering their insights and expertise. They will also be sharing their own real life experiences and top tips for business continuity.

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