Willem Olivier, General Manager: ContinuityAfrica, has been named Continuity and Resilience Industry Personality of the Year for 2019. The award was made at the Business Continuity Institute (BCI) Africa Awards ceremony on 12 September 2019 at the Ballroom, Montecasino.

"The award is made to an individual who has added value to the industry over the past year. I had no hesitation in nominating Willem because of the sterling contribution he is making to strengthen the business continuity management and resilience industry in key African markets such as Kenya, Mauritius and Mozambique," comments Michael Davies, CEO of ContinuitySA. "He is taking our business to new heights in these countries but, more importantly, he is doing great work in spreading awareness of BCM in the broader business and government sectors in these countries, as well as central banks."

Mr Olivier has a distinguished 20-year career in BCM behind him, and has made his mark across the whole African, Indian Ocean Islands and Middle Eastern region. During this time, he has made more than 150 trips to more than 23 countries. He is a Fellow of the BCI, and a member of the South African Development Community Chapter of the BCI. Over the course of his career, he has been a tireless ambassador for the BCI and its mission to professionalise the industry, and create a set of global standards for practitioners.

"It's a very great honour for me to receive the recognition of my peers, and I am very grateful for this award," says Mr Olivier. "A strong and professional BCM industry is a prerequisite for Africa to take its rightful place in the global economy. I remain committed to helping organisations across the region become more resilient, and thus better able to integrate into global supply chains."