Why we are needed

"Just as the pandemic defied our imagination, the impacts of climate change have been hard to fathom - until now. James Blake draws on his keen understanding of risk management to offer a compelling call to action to manage the operational risks of climate change, engage the community in solutions and steer business strategies to embrace the unimaginable. Blake shines a light on the possibilities for a more resilient world." - Lori Collins, CEO, Collins Climate Consulting

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how crisis events can impact our lives as individuals, but also the way businesses operate, and the world has changed immeasurably because of its emergence. As such, a critical review of corporate crisis management thinking was needed and with Crisis Readiness, James Blake encourages readers to do just that, and then takes us on the journey through key considerations of that process. It’s a fantastic read, full of relevant examples that leaders in risk management could benefit from reading. With the scale of the climate crisis unfolding day-by-day and the unprecedented impacts it will cause, this book could not be more timely.” 

James Morris  |  Head of Security Services EMEA, AON

The financial, reputational and operational impacts for business and organizations from the COVID crisis has shown preparedness and mitigation is critical for business continuity. To preserve businesses’ bottom line, effective, adaptable and risk-aligned security and crisis management solutions are required.

The risk context for 2022 is complex, multidimensional and constantly evolving. It includes new security threat actors in both the digital and physical space, the growing impact of physical security risks from climate change and other disasters. These issues will be made more complicated by the security implications of the growing distrust of facts, conspiracy theories and mis-disinformation.

Those companies that prosper, and the CEOs which are most successful, in the future will by those which can build resilience to mitigate the impact of future risks. This will require a forward-thinking mindset, public-private partnerships and effective crisis management teams which can both prepare and respond to security incidents.

I set up this company to help identify emerging and non-traditional risks and help businesses and organizations implement strategies for future resilience.

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I worked in the UK for a leading security risk management firm for five years on projects which extended intelligence-led security, political risk and security strategies for large multinational companies and advising the largest insurance companies in the world on issues from kidnap for ransom through to terrorism risks, which included helping to build WorldAware, which was subsequently sold to become a standalone security company, along with part of the intial team to build Aon’s terrorism and political violence risk map and the accompanying data set which helped to identify emerging terrorism risks to different sectors and countries.

I then worked as an advisor to the IMF security team embedded through Control Risks, which included trips to Tunisia and Jordan, where I met with senior preparedness and intelligence experts, during the Arab Spring in 2012, which led to my interest in extending expert services around security, crisis management and preparedness.

I subsequently worked in the IRC’s Emergency Unit during humanitarian crises and have published expert thought leadership on security and preparedness-related topics. I sit on the board of The Cyber Fish, which is a resilience training company.

Our work is innovative and based on partnerships to create impact and scale results. We partner with RANE, the risk assessment network. I am credentialed expert, having received a level six security risk consultancy certificate from SCRM, regulated by the UK.

My book Crisis Readiness: how business leaders can better prepare for Tomorrow on Issues from Climate to Cybersecurity is available for purchase on Amazon now, having received reviews from Crumpton Martin, the CEO of Collins Consulting (https://collinsclimate.com/about), and a senior security risk manager at Aon.

I have worked to develop the connection between digital and physical security risks and become one of the first practioners to dual-qualify as both a cyber and physical security consultant.

What we do

We are experts in providing intelligence-led security risk management, contingency planning and crisis management.

We will also advise organizations and non-profits to provide tailored related security and crisis risk projects. This includes around operational scenario planning, governance plans and incident response.

Who we work with

We work with businesses, cities, and NGOs who share our values and mission to create a more resilient future from security risks.