T. Scott Zimmerman

The true test of an operating model isn't how efficiently it runs when everything is working, it's how well it responds when the business is under pressure. As organizations face an increase in cyber incidents, geopolitical instability, and financial shocks, theoretical debates over "hybrid vs. landlord" models are being replaced by urgent demands for agility.  

For GBS and Shared Services leaders, true resilience requires deep, standardized process architecture that allows the business to pivot instantly. 

This session brings together real-world examples of organizations that have pressure-tested their operating models in moments of disruption. From enabling manual workarounds during a cyber incident to maintaining financial controls through business continuity events, the discussion will challenge the traditional view of operating models by arguing that clear, global process standards are the most critical component of business resilience.  

Join this session to explore: 

• What disruption reveals: Lessons from cyber incidents, geopolitical events, financial shocks, and other continuity challenges that exposed weaknesses, and strengths, in the operating model
• Designing for continuity: How global process standards, clear process ownership, documented hierarchies, and decision rights enable organizations to respond without losing control
• The agility-resilience trade-off: How leaders are balancing standardization and global consistency with the flexibility to adapt locally when circumstances change
• Knowing when to redesign: The signals that your current operating model can no longer support the speed, scale, or resilience the business requires
• Lessons from the field: What organizations learned from redesigning and pressure-testing their operating models and what they would do differently today