Business continuity is crucial for substantial companies and now a requirement for licensing in the EU and the UK. This topic is often overlooked in the blockchain/crypto industry, despite its significance. The speaker, with experience in emergency preparedness standards and AI, aims to educate the community on the importance and implementation of business continuity plans. These plans help companies assess and navigate risks, including those related to regulations, cybersecurity, geopolitics, and AI advancements. Discussing this often-neglected aspect benefits all team members and ensures the industry’s resilience in a volatile business landscape. The speaker urges the industry to prioritize business continuity for sustainable growth and success
Speaker 1
Emily Landis Walker
Speaker 2
Andrea Perlak
Emily Landis Walker
Emily Landis Walker is CEO of LANDIS & CO, a global consulting firm she started in 2009,
that currently provides advisory work for blockchain and cryptocurrency companies recently
focusing on business continuity – a requirement for companies seeking licenses in the UK and
EU. She has been working in the blockchain/crypto space since 2018 with a start-up as well as
providing advice on capital raising and has previously spoken at Davos. Her career began on the
Boards of the IMF (as an Assistant) and EBRD (where she was the US Director) followed by
positions as a MD at Citigroup Global Banking as well as Head of Corporate Affairs at Barclays.
Her connections in the security and resiliency space are a hallmark of her work on the 9-11
Commission where she led the development of the U.S. National Standards as well as
participated in the US Team for the ISO 22301. She has participated in table-top exercises with
the Department of Homeland Security, worked in Iraq with the Department of Defense, provided
after-action reports following Hurricane Irma in Florida, served on the Private Sector Advisory
Council at the US Department of Homeland Security, created the Information Security Policy
for a major Central Bank, created the partnership between Citigroup and the UN World Food
Program to set up a private sector funded global emergency network, conducted business
development for security and resiliency firms and spoken as an expert on TV, radio, and at major
emergency preparedness events including in Mumbai after the terrorist attacks. Emily is a
US/UK national with an MA from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and
a BA from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Andrea Perlak
Andrea Perlak, CPA, is an International Crypto and Web3 Industry Finance and Accounting
leader based in the United States. Her deep understanding of global accounting standards, their
practical implications, and the digital assets space is molding the future of our space. Andrea has
testified to the U.S. House Financial Service Committee, the U.S. House Committee on Ways
and Means committee, and presented in numerous panels and conferences across the globe
including many during her time with The World Bank. Andrea’s unique perspective makes her a
driving force to help establish industry leading accounting standards that will help push
mainstream crypto adoption and help foster a thriving ecosystem for the sector.
Andrea is Founder & CEO of Crypto Accounting Group and a leader in the Web3 space with
more than 25 years’ experience. She is also co-founder of an El Salvador Web3company, PX33,
which is preparing to launch. She works with Emily Landis Walker on LANDIS & Co’s business
continuity project.
Andrea started at KPMG, was the Head of Finance and M&A at a publicly traded U.S. based
bank, an accounting lobbyist at NAREIT on K Street in Washington, DC and the Senior
Financial Treasury Officer managing the bond & derivative portfolio at The World Bank. Later,
she became the lead finance and accounting professional at iTrust Capital/ Juniper Trust (Digital
Assets custodian), the Chief Accounting Officer at a Web3 public accounting firm and is now the
Founding Partner & CEO of Crypto Accounting Group. Andrea lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico,
United States, with her husband, 11-year-old son and two fluffy sled dogs. Her daughter attends
NYU Shanghai.