Operational resilience has become a defining priority across industries. It represents a holistic management approach that enables organizations to withstand disruption, adapt to change, and recover quickly when challenges arise. In today’s increasingly complex and unpredictable global landscape, building true operational resilience is no longer optional—it’s essential.
The interconnectedness of global markets and the rise of more sophisticated threats mean that this is no longer just a concern for insurance executives or risk management leadership. In short, building operational resilience strategies is something every leader will be tasked with in 2026. Here’s a look at the factors that have led to this new risk discipline.
Emerging Threats and Challenges
Cybersecurity threats seem to ramp up every year, and we expect 2026 to be no exception.
According to security experts, such adversaries are leveraging AI to launch faster, more evasive attacks that can bypass traditional defenses. At the same time, ransomware tactics have evolved into multi-pronged extortion schemes. Now, hackers threaten not only to encrypt data but also to leak sensitive information.
In addition, geopolitical instability continues to have an outsized impact on global commerce. Smart businesses are therefore evaluating their supply chain risk mitigation strategies as part of their 2026 operational management plans.
All of these converging threats have created a unique situation for risk management leadership as a failure in one area can trigger a cascade of disasters across the entire enterprise.
Regulatory Landscape
In response to this complex threat landscape, businesses worldwide are evaluating their regulatory compliance frameworks to ensure they meet operational resilience standards. Many financial entities are taking cues from the European Union’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), a comprehensive framework for managing business data and communication technology risks.
For risk management leaders and insurance executives, keeping pace with constantly evolving mandates is a complex challenge. Compliance can’t be approached as a simple box-checking exercise; it must be embedded within the organization’s broader operational strategy. Only then can it meaningfully strengthen the company’s overall resilience posture.
Technological Innovations Enhancing Resilience
While the DORA framework provides a starting point, technology also plays a large role in building a resilience strategy. Machine learning algorithms can analyze vast datasets to identify potential disruptions before they occur, making AI a key player in risk management in 2026.
Another technology, digital twins, will help businesses create virtual replicas of physical assets and networks that they can use for simulating stress tests without real-world risk. Paired with a robust multi-cloud infrastructure, these advancements offer an unprecedented opportunity to enhance resilience.
The multi-cloud approach helps organizations avoid vendor lock-in and reduces the risk of downtime, both of which are critical for achieving operational resilience.
Strategic Approaches to Building Resilience
Despite rapid advances in AI, experienced risk management leaders understand that technology alone doesn’t guarantee operational resilience. Many are championing a shift from siloed practices to integrated risk management frameworks—an evolution that reflects the deeply interconnected nature of today’s cyber, operational, and supply chain threats.
Of course, no integrated approach will be successful without cross-functional collaboration. A report from The BCI emphasizes the need to break down departmental barriers between operational silos between IT, operations, and procurement to achieve true operational resilience.
Ultimately, resilience is a human endeavor. Investing in continuous employee training and fostering a proactive culture, where every team member understands their role in the resilience strategy, is the best investment an organization can make in 2026.
2026: The Year of Operational Resilience
Two decades ago, many organizations either overlooked operational resilience or underestimated its importance. By 2020, however, global disruptions made it clear that even the most stable businesses could be brought to a standstill by forces beyond their control. In response, companies have increasingly made resilience a strategic priority—and 2026 is shaping up to be the year it becomes a defining standard across industries.
Leaders must find a way to embed the new risk discipline into their company cultures. The time for passive planning is over. For more insights like this across a wide range of industries, follow MRINetwork.
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