UnionBank Resiliency Summit 2024: From Resilience to High Reliability in Crisis Management and Business Continuity
By: Martina Lucero
UnionBank’s Resiliency Summit 2024, held on August 19 and 20 at UnionBank Plaza, drew over 200 participants both onsite and online, focusing on business continuity and disaster preparedness. This year’s theme, “Collective Resilience: Empowering Collaboration in Crisis Management,” highlighted the bank’s commitment to building a resilient foundation in achieving high reliability.
The summit featured valuable insights from both internal leaders and external industry experts. Michelle, UnionBank’s Chief Human Resources Officer, emphasized that true resilience involves tackling challenges head-on and continuously learning from them. She emphasized how resilience and reliability are intertwined, and how effective response to incidents can elevate an organization from “business as usual” to “business under stress,” and ultimately to “business as better.”
Ron, Branch Channel Management Head, emphasized the critical role of humility and learning in resilience. He stated, “To be resilient, one has to be humble enough to learn and understand the processes, the people, and the system.”
Ron also highlighted the exceptional resilience demonstrated by branch staff members like Lerma from Baliwag Branch and Ruth from the Metro North Region. During Typhoon Egay, which caused severe flooding in Bulacan, Pampanga, and NCR, Lerma and Ruth hired a boat to reach their branches and serve their customers despite the unpassable roads and lack of land transportation. A video shown at the summit, taken by Lerma and Ruth themselves, captured their journey through the floodwaters, showing their dedication, resilience, and sacrifice, modeling the core value of Magis.
LCDR Ferdinand Juan, PN (Res), offered an enlightening perspective on the challenges of large-scale disasters. His presentation emphasized the importance of rigorously testing contingency plans by simulating extreme scenarios. By highlighting the need for realistic preparedness, he encouraged the Bank to adopt a more proactive approach in its planning efforts. It showed the value of comprehensive disaster preparedness and the role it plays in ensuring effective response strategies.
Capt. Xylee Paculba, PN (Ret), discussed the OODA loop—Observe, Orient, Decide, Act—a decision-making model developed by U.S. Air Force Colonel John Boyd. This framework helps organizations make swift and informed decisions during crises, enhancing their resilience. The talk also included scenarios such as disinformation campaigns and contagion outbreaks in branches, illustrated through a wargaming simulation.
Swapnil Bora from ECCI explored how integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into risk management aligns with high reliability. He highlighted the importance of AML compliance, fraud prevention, and customer due diligence, advocating for investments in resilience technology to support these initiatives.
Edmund Khoo from Everbridge discussed how technology can enhance incident response, highlighting the role of advanced tools in managing and mitigating such critical issues efficiently.
The summit also addressed a significant technical challenge: the global software outage incident, which recently affected Windows users globally with the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). UnionBank’s IT Services Group (ITSG) demonstrated exceptional resilience by swiftly mobilizing teams to various parts of the Philippines to resolve the issue. By Monday, branches were operating as usual, and UnionBank was commended in the industry for being one of the fastest to resolve the problem.
To enhance engagement and reinforce learning, the summit also included an interactive tabletop exercise on Day 1, fostering collaboration within the Incident Response Team while challenging their preparedness. On Day 2, participants engaged in the “Master of Disaster” board game, which provided a dynamic and hands-on approach to disaster preparedness, allowing all employees to gain a deeper appreciation for the importance of resilience in building a High Reliability Organization (HRO).
As UnionBank advances toward its GREAT Retail Bank aspiration, the insights gained from the Resiliency Summit will be pivotal in achieving its goals. By integrating HRO principles and adaptive strategies into its approach, UnionBank is poised to navigate future challenges with greater agility and effectiveness.