Whether it is our chapters collaborating in new ways, the rise of virtual and hybrid conferences, or growing traction on the Engage platform, ISACA’s global community has come even closer together despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic.
In our recent “ISACA Live” session on LinkedIn, ISACA CEO David Samuelson and I talked about how ISACA’s sharpened digital-first commitment will have staying power beyond the pandemic.
Our conferences are a great example of this. ISACA conferences typically have been conducted in person, but during the pandemic, we moved to virtual events. The success of those events led to the decision to make future events hybrid, with both an in-person and virtual options. While our next event (the GRC conference, co-hosted with The IIA) will be a hybrid event, where we have people both in person and digitally attending, 8 out of 10 of you have told us that you want to continue with virtual events even when things are completely back to normal. We are listening to your feedback and we agree. Our community is clearly embracing the flexibility and inclusiveness of virtual and hybrid events, which open up opportunities for many people to attend who may not have been able to in the past.
We have also seen inspiring collaboration among our chapters during the pandemic. For example, chapters in Madrid, Spain, and Latin America worked together to host a Spanish-language educational event. The increased participation and dialogue on Engage provide further signs that our community is growing increasingly adept at connecting in new ways.
We have always been a global community, but the pivots we have had to make during COVID-19 helped facilitate those new connections—and deepened them. Like many companies, ISACA is a digital first organization now.
“It does take an effort but there’s not a lot of friction because everyone has had to get used to this,” David said in our conversation. “This is a new normal for us to do our jobs, and even to connect with our families during the pandemic – this has been a lifeline, and it’s an important way for us to reach each other, find common ground and work together.”
Editor’s note: Watch the full LinkedIn Live session here, and see previous “ISACA Live” sessions highlighting ISACA’s digital transformation, focusing on ISACA’s IT transformation and evolving learning and credentialing portfolio.