Client:
Leading Financial Services Provider
Background:
The client was keen to put in place a strategy to ensure their team was appropriately equipped to handle the immediate exposure, danger and fallout to them if a terror attack was to occur.
Solution:
Aldbury International was approached to deliver an in-depth one-day training programme for the senior management team and heads of departments. Having considered the client’s objectives, the day was broken down into three stages:
Stage 1 – highlighted the key phases and features of a crisis and introduced Aldbury International’s unique ACM approach.
Stage 2 – focused on a series of real-life scenarios illustrating the benefit of the ACM framework in helping the team make decisions under pressure and translate their approach into timely action.
Stage 3 – applied the ACM approach to their unique situation, providing the client with a road map to utilise in the event of a future crisis.
Outcome:
One week after the training programme a terrorist attack occurred in their financial district.
At the time of the attack, only a handful of employees were in the office – two of whom had been participants in the exercise.
As other employees struggled to work, unclear as to what had happened, where the incident took place and whether any staff members had been involved; these two employees in the office confidently initiated their crisis response.
Staff were soon accounted for and with excellent situational awareness achieved, a decision was made that evening to re-open the office the following day. Given the firm’s rapid response to the crisis, clear and regular communication with staff members, and a mapped framework moving forward, employees felt safe enough to commute to work the following day.
The cost of the crisis management exercise was nominal compared to the potential costs incurred to the firm as a result of the disruption caused by remaining closed for a further couple of days.
We continue to work with the client to ensure they are fully prepared for these events and for other plausible, but likely, severe scenarios.