Career Spotlight: Kiley Stinson of JPMorganChase

Tell us about yourself – your name, company, title, and responsibilities?

Kiley Stinson, consumer security project manager, of JPMorganChase. I manage all aspects of alarm system (intrusion detection, video and access control) installation for Chase new bank branch and large refresh projects. This includes plan development (managing scope), proposal solicitation (managing budget) and installation scheduling and oversight (managing schedule).

How did you get into the business continuity industry?

After retiring from the Air Force, I was considering what I wanted to do in my next career and discovered business continuity (BC). Though we didn’t call it BC in the military I realized I had been immersed in all aspects of BC throughout my career and enjoyed looking at the big picture and trying to eliminate and mitigate risks and ensure mission accomplishment. Once I found out there was a professional certification, I obtained my CBCP to establish my credibility in the field.

Tell us about some of the challenges you have encountered in your career?

The biggest challenge I dealt with was convincing functional area peers and executive leadership of the need for and benefit of BC to drive mission accomplishment. Functional peers didn’t necessarily object to BC but also didn’t readily provide support to the program since it was typically an added duty for someone. When I was able to sit down with executive leadership and show the potential benefits of the program (e.g., risk elimination and/or mitigation, enhanced functional area resilience, etc.) the executive level support was immediate and that flowed downward to the functional areas, and a robust and highly successful program was born. 

Have you had any mentors? Describe the effect they have had on your career.

I’ve had two! Margaret Millett, through a veterans’ outreach program, and Cary Jasgur, via American Corporate Partners. Both were instrumental in my career transition, assisting and providing mentorship in areas such as resume tailoring, interview strategies, potential career options (including actual job openings), networking ideas, and so much more. Their time and shared information was invaluable in my transition.

What are some lessons learned you still leverage today?

I learned numerous lessons throughout my Air Force career that will apply in any role I take on. For example, coordination and communication with external partners is important for mission execution and contact before an issue occurs is better than during a crisis. Additionally, obtaining executive level support is critical for successful program or project execution; without it your program is going to struggle. Finally, maintaining and continually refining and improving plans and processes is vital to ensure the health of a program.

What aspects of working in this industry would you like to see change or evolve?

Though I’m not currently working in a BC role I’d like to see more cross-functional cooperation to both uncover more risks and interdependencies and eliminate more gaps and seams to increase operational resilience and improve recovery times.

What types of formal training and certifications have you pursued, and what kinds of learning and networking opportunities are you seeking to continue your professional development?

I’ve obtained my Project Management Professional (PMP) and CBCP, and most recently earned my Certified Protection Professional (CPP) designation. I continue to attend professional conferences when work allows. I’m also actively involved in my local ASIS and Association of Continuity Professionals (ACP) chapters. I currently hold a board position with our ACP chapter.

What gets you excited about your career?

I enjoy looking at the big picture, problem solving and helping the organization meet its operational goals while also continuing to learn and grow while building my professional network. I’m doing all of that in my current role.

What advice would you give to those embarking on a career in this industry?

I’d say network and speak with those already in the industry, to include seeking mentorship. I’d also recommend becoming involved in your local ACP chapter, if available, and seeking out online resources to both network and gain insights into the industry. Finally, I’d pursue a professional certification to reinforce your knowledge base and provide an outward symbol of your professional expertise.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cary Jasgur

Cary Jasgur, FBCI, MBCP, PMP, the global technology resilience lead at Solventum, has more than 30 years of experience in resilience. He has developed and led many resilience projects in financial services, healthcare, higher education, global biotech, pharma, insurance, legal, and federal, state, and local government. Jasgur has served as chair of the DRJ Editorial Advisory Board and currently sits on board of The BCI US.