Judging panel 2026

David Aynsley Smyth, Head of Global Crisis Management, Experian
Kristina Charles, EMEA Regional Head of Resilience & Business Continuity, Amazon
James Halpin, Business Continuity Manager, Ashurst
Judith Miller, Prinicipal, Business Continuity Management, Gamma
Colm O’Keeffe, Global Head of Business Resiliency, Barings
James Parrish, Head of Business Continuity & Resilience, London Stansted Airport
Roger Payne, Enterprise Resilience Director, Vocalink Mastercard
Helen Tang, Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Manager, SmartDCC

David Aynsley-Smyth, Global Head of Crisis Management, Experian
David Aynsley-Smyth is Experian’s Global Head of Crisis Management. A serving military officer with a background in global resilience and crisis leadership, David has guided organisations through complex disruptions with strategic clarity and composure. He brings a diverse blend of operational expertise and personal passion to the table. Outside of work, David is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys adventuring with his wife and their dog.

James Halpin, Business Continuity Manager, Ashurst
James Halpin is a business continuity and physical security manager with 15 years’ international experience of designing, implementing and leading ISO 22301-certified business continuity management systems. He is a certified member of the Business Continuity Institute, and has been recognised for stakeholder engagement, programme leadership, and the successful delivery of complex, multi-country initiatives. James has lead business continuity programmes in a number of industries, including insurance, healthcare and legal services. Previously, he worked as an external consultant on resilience programmes.

Judith Miller, Prinicipal, Business Continuity Management, Gamma
Judith is the Principal Business Continuity Manager at Gamma Telecoms. With more than two decades of experience in business continuity, Judith built her career within the financial sector, developing a deep understanding of resilience, risk and crisis preparedness.
Since joining Gamma in 2021, Judith has led the design and roll-out of a new business continuity programme across the UK and Europe, drawing on her extensive resilience background to shape a framework tailored specifically to Gamma’s operational needs and strategic ambitions. Judith holds MBCI accreditation and remains actively engaged with industry developments. She represents Gamma as a member of the Electrical Communications Resilience Readiness Group, ensuring the organisation stays aligned with evolving telecoms resilience standards. Her commitment to the profession has been widely recognised. In 2022, she won a BCI competition for her blog exploring the changing landscape of exercising in a post‑Covid world. She was also shortlisted for Business Continuity Manager of the Year at the CIR Awards in both 2023 and 2024. Judith continues to champion resilience and crisis readiness across Gamma, ensuring the organisation remains prepared for emerging risks. She is excited to contribute her expertise as part of the 2026 judging panel.

Colm O’Keeffe, Global Head of Business Resiliency, Barings
Colm O’Keeffe is Barings’ Global Head of Business Resiliency, based in London. He leads the firm’s global business and operational resilience programme, ensuring continuity and preparedness across all areas of the organisation globally. With over 20 years of experience in business resilience and continuity planning within financial services, Colm brings deep expertise and strategic insight to the field. He holds the AMBCI Certificate from the Business Continuity Institute and is an active member of the Investment Association’s Operational Resilience Committee. Colm earned an MSc in Facilities Management and a BSc in Real Estate Management from South Bank University, London. Colm joined the judging panel of the Business Continuity Awards in 2025 and is delighted to return for 2026, continuing to support and celebrate excellence in the industry.

James Parrish, Head of Business Continuity & Resilience, London Stansted Airport
James Parrish is an award-winning business continuity and resilience leader with a proven track record across major UK airports and critical national infrastructure. As Head of Business Continuity & Resilience at London Stansted Airport, he drives the integration of continuity, risk and crisis management into organisational strategy and governance. James has developed frameworks and programmes that strengthen preparedness and assurance, including the launch of the Stansted Resilience Academy, and the UK’s first CPD-accredited Aviation Strategic and Tactical Incident Command courses. He has played a strategic role in national operations and events such as Operation London Bridge and the Coronation of King Charles III. Winner of the 2024 Business Continuity / Resilience Manager of the Year award, James is recognised for shaping best practice and influencing resilience policy across the aviation and government sectors.

Roger Payne, Enterprise Resilience Director, Vocalink Mastercard
Roger Payne is a senior resilience and risk leader with extensive experience shaping and delivering enterprise resilience, business continuity, IT DR governance and crisis management strategies across global financial services and technology firms. Recognised for his ability to drive transformation, align board‑level stakeholders, and embed cohesive resilience cultures, Roger has led award‑winning programmes that safeguard critical national infrastructure and enable global business growth. As director of Vocalink Enterprise Resilience at Vocalink Mastercard, Roger oversees resilience for systems responsible for processing the majority of UK salaries, household bills and state benefits. He leads the organisation's enterprise resilience framework, ensuring alignment with Bank of England regulatory expectations, ISO 22301 compliance, and the development of robust crisis management and technical recovery governance. His leadership has been instrumental in navigating major national events, including Covid‑19 and Operation London Bridge, ensuring uninterrupted payments services for millions of UK consumers. Previously, Roger held senior resilience roles at WorldRemit, RBC Capital Markets, Aviva Investors, Siemens Communications and the Heath Lambert Group. He has developed global business continuity programmes, implemented enterprise risk frameworks, managed international crisis responses, and influenced executive committees across multiple regions. His work has supported expansion into new markets, strengthened third‑party risk assurance, and enhanced organisational preparedness across diverse regulatory environments. He also led initiatives recognised with CIR Awards for Business Continuity Strategy of the Year and Business Continuity Student of the Year. Roger holds an MSc in Business Continuity, Security and Emergency Management and is a member of the Business Continuity Institute. Known for his collaborative approach and ability to unite global stakeholders behind a shared resilience vision, he continues to champion innovation and excellence in organisational resilience, risk governance and crisis response.

Helen Tang, BCDR Manager, SmartDCC
Helen has over 11 years of dedicated experience in resilience across a diverse range of regulated industries, including gaming, banking and financial services, and the energy sector. Prior to specialising in resilience, Helen worked with international organisations on strategic transformation programmes, with a focus on change management, performance optimisation, and leadership development. Her career shift into resilience began following a family relocation and in her first role. Helen applied her transferable skills for immediate impact, influencing technical teams and fostering a mindset shift toward service continuity to deliver significant, unplanned benefits that protected both revenue and reputation. Since then, Helen has expanded her expertise to encompass the full spectrum of risk management and business continuity management system capabilities. In her current role at SmartDCC, she is thriving in a technically-focused resilience position, collaborating with leading technology and service providers to enhance and evolve the resilience of the national smart energy network. Helen was presented with the 2025 Business Continuity/Resilience Manager of the Year Award, and is now proud to serve as a member of the judging panel for the 2026 Awards.