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 Business Continuity Is a Team Effort
AMCHAM T&T Hosts Strategic Session on Building Resilience in Uncertain Times 
 By AMCHAM T&T Staff Writer 

 
 
LINKAGE Q3 (2025) - ENGAGE. EXECUTE. EVOLVE
In today’s world of constant disruption, where uncertainty has become the only certainty, one thing is clear: business resilience is no longer optional. Recognising this, AMCHAM T&T hosted a strategic session titled “Why Business Continuity Is Non-Negotiable”—bringing members together to strengthen preparedness and future-proof their organisations.

Feature speaker José Ignacio Quirós is the Director of CEPA (Centro Especializado de Prevención de Accidentes) and a regional authority on Business Continuity Planning (BCP). With over two decades of experience advising public and private sector entities Quirós delivered a compelling case for why resilience must be embedded into every level of business operations. Continuity planning is more than a document—it’s a survival strategy.

 “Everybody, from leadership to frontline staff, must understand their role in keeping the business running all the time,” he said.
· The four critical elements for success are risk identification, 
· Protective measures, 
· A written, tested, and maintained continuity plan and, 
· A culture of training, communication, and inclusion. 

“When the whole team is engaged, your continuity plan becomes a living part of your operation. That’s how we build sustainable companies,” he said.

One of Quirós’s key messages was that resilience cannot be siloed. Every team member has a role to play—whether it is knowing how to respond to a system outage, safeguarding physical documents, helping a colleague evacuate safely, or making contact with the customers.

This call to action resonated strongly with attendees, many of whom represent MSMEs. Smaller enterprises are often most vulnerable to shocks, yet they are critical to national economic stability and job creation.

Melissa Pierre, Senior Trade and Policy Specialist at AMCHAM T&T, reaffirmed the Chamber’s role in strengthening the private sector’s resilience. “We want to ensure that all businesses—especially MSMEs—are equipped with the knowledge and tools to anticipate, respond to, and recover from disruption,” she said. “Building future-ready enterprises isn’t just smart—it’s urgent. And resilience is a team sport. Collaboration is how we support each other, share best practices, and prepare for what’s ahead.”

The session, hosted by AMCHAM T&T’s Trade and Investment Committee under the leadership of Committee Chair Marc Persaud, was not only a knowledge-sharing exercise but also a clear signal of AMCHAM T&T’s ongoing advocacy for risk awareness and business preparedness, helping companies turn disruption into opportunity—fostering a more crisis-ready, collaborative, and resilient business community in Trinidad and Tobago.