Presenter

Mr. Woodworth is the manager of IBM’s Worldwide Crisis Response Team. He has been with IBM for over 29 years and has held a variety of executive management positions including Director of Services Marketing for IBM’s Western Region. Brent has worked on a global basis with business leaders, elected officials and heads of state in the development and implementation of improved risk identification, disaster management and global humanitarian relief services. Since creating the IBM Crisis Response Team, Brent and his team have responded to over 70 major global disasters in 49 countries. Brent manages the marketing and delivery of IBM Crisis Response Team services to government and private sector clients along with supporting IBM’s corporate risk & insurance interests at IBM manufacturing, service delivery centers, and administrative sites worldwide. Brent also works with IBM Corporate Community Relations and the office of the Chairman in delivering IBM International Humanitarian Relief Services during times of global crisis. Brent has proven his skills in multiple high stress disaster situations including: the Oklahoma City bombing, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, volcanic eruptions, ice storms, civil unrest, hazardous material incidents, the 9-11 World Trade Center disaster, and the recent Indian Ocean Tsunami. Brent and his team have also assessed, designed, developed, and implemented risk & critical incident management systems and policies for governments, cities, and private sector corporation’s world wide.
Brent is certified in disaster recovery, business continuity, incident management, disaster communication, search & rescue, and emergency medical services. He is a regularly featured speaker on radio and television broadcasts along with corporate meetings and industry conferences. Brent has written multiple articles on disaster management and has been a guest lecturer on the subject of disaster preparedness and recovery at colleges and universities including Caltech, Stanford, Wharton School of Business, and Harvard Law School. Brent has worked in partnership with multiple international UN relief agencies and NGO’s including WHO, WFP, PAHO, World Bank, UNHCR, Oxfam, the International Red Cross, and USAID. In 1998, Brent was appointed to a U.S. Congressional subcommittee taskforce as a co-author in the development of the national pre-disaster mitigation plan. In 1999
Brent was appointed to the board of the U.S. Multi-hazard Mitigation Council in Washington D.C. At the request of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Brent has served as chairman of multiple DHS emergency management conferences and meetings including the American Lifeline Alliance and the US Government assessment of critical facility resilience to weapons of mass destruction. In 2001 Brent was named by Contingency Planning & Management magazine to their “Hall of Fame” for his distinguished industry leadership, dedication, and international humanitarian efforts. Brent was recognized for “reducing the impact of global suffering whenever and wherever disaster strikes”. In April 2002 Brent was named a Computerworld Magazine Honors “Laureate” for his role in leading IBM’s on-site September 11th emergency management support efforts at the NY City Emergency Operations Center. In May 2002 Brent was elected Chairman of the U.S. Multi-hazard Mitigation Council (MMC) and named to the board of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS). Activities of the MMC and NIBS are funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and reported to Congress and the President of the United States. In March 2003, Brent was named to the board of DRI International. In April 2004 Brent was named Chairman and CEO of the Global Partnership for Preparedness, an international non-profit foundation focused on “reducing risk, improving response, and safeguarding our future.” In 2005, Brent was recognized by PPBI (Public Private Business Incorporated) with their annual “Best Practices” award. Brent also received recognition from the government of Thailand Minister of Information and Communication Technology for his leadership and support in response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami disaster. Brent continues to lead and participate in projects and meetings with elected government officials, agency directors, heads of state, and global leaders focused on an all-hazards approach to disaster preparedness. Brent has been asked by the UN to continue leading international efforts via IBM Corporate Community Relations and the Global Partnership for Preparedness (GPP) in bringing together UN, NGO, Government, and Private Sector contributors for the purpose of improved resource sharing, coordination, and communication when preparing for and responding to global crisis events. Tsunami Relief Summary On January 2, 2005 Brent led a team of over 700 IBMers, business partners, and volunteers in responding to the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Brent managed IBM’s humanitarian relief operations across India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. IBM efforts included the development and management of customized damage assessment reporting, victim registration systems, missing person tracking, resource management, logistics management, child protection services support, and trauma management training. Advanced communication systems were deployed to provide high speed data and voice communications in remote locations. Critical incident management, multi-agency strategy, and recovery consulting services were also delivered by Brent and his team. Social, political and coordination efforts included bringing together heads of state with multiple UN agencies, NGO’s, and donating countries to build integrated solutions for long term resiliency and regional preparedness.
Education Background University of Southampton, England: Archeology Cal State University, Northridge: Biochemistry University of Southern California: Marketing Management.