Navigating the Storm: Crisis Management and Business Continuity in Global Banking

In today’s unpredictable world, crisis management and business continuity are essential to the resilience of major financial institutions.

This two-part series explores how leading banks prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises—from cyberattacks and economic disruptions to operational breakdowns.

In Part 1, we’ll delve into the foundations of crisis preparedness, uncovering the strategies used by financial institutions to build resilient systems and safeguard critical operations. Our expert guest, Chelsea Capizzi-Walsh, shares her insights on creating adaptable crisis management frameworks and fostering organisational agility.

Part 2 will focus on the human element—the art of crisis communications, maintaining morale during challenging times, and leveraging lessons learned to improve future resilience.

Chelsea’s expertise offers a comprehensive look at managing emergencies under pressure, with examples from her remarkable career across the private sector, federal agencies, and international institutions.Whether you work in finance, risk management, or simply want to understand how industries weather their toughest challenges, this series is packed with valuable lessons and actionable advice.

Guest Speaker: Chelsea Capizzi-Walsh is the Executive Manager of Crisis Management for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. She oversees global crisis management efforts, organising and tailoring responses to large-scale disruptive events such as physical threats, third-party impacts, technology incidents, and global issues. Chelsea’s role involves developing capabilities and plans, managing emergency communications and cross-group response teams, and supporting incident-specific response strategies.Her expertise in crisis communications and information management ensures effective responses across the technology, business, and customer sectors. Chelsea’s experience spans private, federal, and intelligence support roles in crisis management, including work with the US Senate, the Pentagon Information Technology Agency, and Johns Hopkins Medical University.


Personal Note from Chelsea: “I chose this career pathway because I wanted to protect people and their way of life, so they don’t have to live in fear where it may be preventable. Growing up in Arlington, Virginia, during events like September 11, the Senate anthrax attacks, and the DC sniper incidents had a profound impact on me. I find this work engaging and challenging in constantly evolving ways, and I’m continually inspired by the beautiful aspects of humanity that emerge against the backdrop of some of our greatest hardships.”