Voted our favourite speaker at our last conference, Robbie Macdonald came back to lead on this virtual event on extreme weather situations in Scotland.

Robbie talked about reservoir dam flooding, the potential impact on stakeholders, including businesses and first responders, and how they can prepare for such extreme weather situations. Whether you're a business owner, emergency responder, or just interested in learning more about extreme weather, this event is for you.

Robbie previously served as a police officer with Northern Constabulary for 30 years, specialising in child protection and emergency planning. In his early policing life, he was a Child Protection Officer, later became a Designated Officer for Child Protection and latterly chair of the Child Protection Committee. Working in operational roles at all levels as an emergency planner and Incident Commander, he covered a range of operationally challenging incidents and events including several major incidents.

Robbie is now the Resilience Officer with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), covering the north of Scotland area. After three years he was appointed as the National Resilience Manager and has held this role for 8 years. Robbie represented SEPA on the national Strategic Coordinating Groups for both EU Exit and the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as managing SEPA’s involvement in events such as COP26 and the World Cycling Championships. During his time in SEPA, he has supported the response and recovery arrangements to a range of incidents including a serious and sophisticated cyber-attack, and many serious flooding and pollution events.

Robbie agreed to this webinar being recorded. Here is the link to our new ‘Recordings’ page, where you will find the Extreme Weather recording. THANK YOU Robbie!

Any queries, please get in touch with secretary@scottishcontinuity.com

The topic of Operational Resilience in the Financial Sector was raised at the last Resilient Scotland Conference (Feb 2024). We knew then that we needed to host an event dedicated to Operational Resilience.

And we are so glad we did. With a record number of our members attending, our fantastic expert panel – Carolyn Gall – Head of Resilience at Phoenix Group, Jon Seaton – Deputy Head of Resilience at Close Brothers, Kenny MacKay – Operational Resilience Lead at M&G - gave excellent presentations, sharing their knowledge and experience, and answering member questions. It was simply a brilliant event.

A huge THANK YOU to Carolyn, Jon, and Kenny. Thanks also to Michelle French-Fraser for facilitating such a brilliant session and to all our members who attended.

Here is a PDF of the slides used during the event. Our thanks again to the panellists for agreeing to share them publicly.

Scottish Continuity could not hold such quality Education & Awareness events or our Annual Conference without the support of such experts. We are a not-for-profit group, run by volunteers, who are dedicated to raising the collective resilience knowledge and experiences of our members. If you are interested in being a speaker at any of our events or have a topic you would like included, please contact secretary@scottishcontinuity.com. Even if you have never spoken at an event before, we have loads of experience and can guide you, if needed.

Roll on our 30th Anniversary Annual Conference on Tuesday 25th February 2025. We can’t wait to share our plans. If you have not signed up yet, you’d better get a move on, tickets are being snapped up? Read more here.

Scottish Continuity loves bringing our members together for some quality time. Fancy joining us for a ‘virtual’ breakfast briefing this time? You will need to bring your own coffee and croissant of course!

Our breakfast briefings are all about keeping it relaxed and friendly. We want to create space, on a regular basis, to share ideas and tackle challenges.

We’d like to firstly update you on upcoming events - especially the upcoming panel session on Operational Resilience in September - and get your views/ thoughts on those and then we've planned lots of time to chat about whatever's on your mind – no pressure, just good company and support.

What's said at the briefing stays at the briefing. We play by Chatham House rules, so you can speak your mind in confidence.

Join us on Wednesday 28th August, from 08:00-09:00 am. We can't wait to see you there!

SIGN UP (Eventbrite) to the ‘Virtual’ Breakfast Briefing with this link.

For further information, drop us a note at secretary@scottishcontinuity.com.

Fancy joining us for a relaxed morning chat, coffee and croissant? Scottish Continuity loves bringing our members together for some quality time.

Our breakfast briefings are all about keeping it relaxed and friendly. We meet at local and accessible cafés – this time it's Starbucks on Shandwick Place, in Edinburgh. And don't worry if you're not local, we've taken these briefings to Glasgow and Aberdeen too!

It's not just about the coffee and croissants (though they're on us for members!), it's about sharing ideas, tackling challenges, and maybe even making a few new connections. We'll chat about whatever's on your mind – no pressure, just good company and support.

What's said at the briefing stays at the briefing. We play by Chatham House rules, so you can speak your mind in confidence.

Join us on Wednesday 29th May, from 08:00-09:00 am. We can't wait to see you there!

For further information, drop us a note at secretary@scottishcontinuity.com.

Click here to review the Resilient Scotland 2024 Programme

Massive thanks to:

• Our Members. Thank you for your energy, questions, and engagement.

• Our Speakers: Ciaran Pugh (Physical & Geopolitics Security Threat Intelligence Manager, NatWest), Sara Cheyne (Team Lead – Business Resilience, CNOOC International), Pauline Adam (Crisis Manager, National Gas Transmission), David Ferbache (Managing Director, Beyond Blue), Jacqui Semple (Manager Risk, Resilience & Safety, Angus Council), Keith McDevitt (Incident, Vulnerability & Exercising Coordination Lead at Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre), Charlie Maclean-Bristol (Founder of PlanB Consulting and Business Continuity Training), Chris Butler (Head of Consulting, Databarracks), Andy Groundwater (Head of Media Relations, Fifth Ring), Matthew Wardner and Kirsty Bremner (Managing Director and Senior Consultant, Inverroy Crisis Management)

  You can access speaker presentations by simply clicking on the hyperlinked speakers name above. There was no presentation for the panel discussion with David Ferbache, Jacqui Semple, Keith McDevitt, Charlie Maclean-Bristol and Chris Butler. Unfortunately, we were not granted permission to share presentations for all speakers. We respect the presenters decisions regarding the distribution of their materials.

• Our wonderful Sponsors for their generous support: Barrier, Assured Data Protection and Databarracks

• Our valued Exhibitors, whose products and services enrich our members experience: Inverroy Crisis Management, PlanB Consulting, Noggin, Blackberry Cybersecurity, Daisy, CyberScotland, F24

• Our Charity Exhibitors, whose impactful work resonates with the core mission of Scottish Continuity in fostering a more Resilient Scotland: RE:ACT, Cross-sector Safety & Security Communications (CSSC)

Click here to review the 2023 Resilient Scotland Conference Programme

A massive thank you again to all our speakers: Robbie MacDonald (Scotish Environment Protection Agency), George Lowder MBE (Transport for Edinburgh), Jim Preen (Jim Preen Media), Professor Linda Bauld, Rich Cooper (Fusion Risk Management), Dr Aarti Anhal (before nine), Chris Butler (Databarracks) and James Houston (PwC Partner UK with Fusion).

And thank you to our wonderful Sponsors: Fusion Risk Management, Alert Cascade, Riskonnect, Inverroy Crisis Management, Databarracks and CyberScotland.

Click here to review the webinar/ speakers supporting slides

Thank you to our speakers: Eric Leavy (Head of Transmission Networks, Scottish Power Energy Networks), John Beresford (Senior Resilience Co-Ordinator, East of Scotland RRP), Mark Freeburn (BCM & Civil Resilience Specialist, Networks) Amanda Coleman (Crisis Communication Consultant, Amanda Coleman Communication)

These video links may also be of interest

Amanda Coleman Communications ‘10 minutes with Canadian crisis management expert Shawna Bruce’

Amanda Coleman Communcations ‘10 minutes with Aamir Abbasi’ on communicating blackouts when working for an energy company in Pakistan

The Yarrow View | National Preparedness Commission