Robert Pence

About Robert Pence

Leader of teams, influencer and builder of effective resiliency, one who drives and believes in the knowledge and capabilities of a leader motivated team. I believe in people and know how to get the best from each personality as we all are unique and want to contribute in the right environment. Professional – Certifications in risk, continuity, & compliance Framework – 15 yrs. Designing & influencing best practices Strategies – 13 yrs. balance cost with risk, and prioritize company OKRs Risk – 17 yrs. Design & manage risk & controls for resilience & ops Vendor Mgmt. – 14 yrs. SAS70, SSAE 17s and up, & SOC 2 type 2 Lessons Learned – 12 yrs. finding gaps and solutions, managing & mitigation Training – 15 yrs. Design, produce, and deliver in-person and online Crisis Event - 13 yrs. Manage crisis events, reducing impact and cost Direct Budget Management – 11 yrs. Focus on reduction & performance Experienced executive presentation creator and presenter, focusing on “why should they care?” and clear “takeaways”. Progressive experience after military as a security guard to managing million-dollar budgets, using best practices. My work philosophy comes from these four books: “Joy at work” = let work be done at lowest possible level, “Driven” = what motivates people, “7 habits of highly successful people” = continue learning, and “Start with Why” = passion / vision. Training, exercise, and awareness innovator, influencing champions, while reducing risk and increasing resilience. Engaging writer and orator; utilizing techniques to drive for a relevant, interesting, and timely production.

Experience

1. Head of Enterprise Resiliency

   Allspring Global Investments

   Jun 2023 — Present · Charlotte, NC, US

   Developed and presented a comprehensive global resilience program to subsidiaries, ensuring alignment with company goals and risk appetite through presentations to Boards of Directors and Committees. Collaborated closely with key stakeholders, including executives, regulators, third-party vendors, and functional teams, to manage sensitive issues and drive cross-functional solutions. Led issue mitigation efforts, conducting root cause analysis to enhance resilience and prevent recurring incidents. Executed data-driven strategies to identify reputational risks, provide solutions, and deliver timely, clear communications during crises. Advised leadership on significant and minor reputational issues (e.g, lawsuits, environmental crises, ransomware) to minimize risk exposure and mitigation techniques to sustain operations. Created and distributed situational reports (sitreps), offering stakeholders timely, actionable insights on complex issues, incidents, audits, lessons learned, mitigation solutions, and exercises. Designed and activated crisis management plans, including scenario-specific playbooks for events such as pandemics, cyberattacks, and natural disasters. Managed public affairs and reputational matters through strategic collaboration with internal teams, government officials, and stakeholders, which aligned with our insurance and branding. Implemented annual program life cycles, enhancing maturity and aligning policies with evolving organizational needs. Oversaw budgetary planning, staffing, and program management to ensure operational efficiency. Led organizational response and recovery efforts during emergency events, including post-incident reviews and change management activities. Introduced critical tools (e.g, ServiceNow, Jira, AlertMedia) to enhance crisis management and communications. Achieved ISO22301 certification for program excellence, leading maturity assessments, and responding to internal/external audits.

Education

• University of Phoenix

  Bachelor's degree, Business Administration and Management, General

• Shoreline Community College

  AAS, Business Management

  1999 — 2001