In the first week of June, we held our inaugural Resilience Week, a global campaign that raises awareness of the everyday actions that help us adapt, stay safe, and thrive. For Martin Lewis, Group Head of Risk at OCS, Resilience Week is a key step in shifting culture across OCS and a powerful framework for future-proofing the business.
Originally conceived as “Risk Week”, the thinking quickly evolved into something much more ambitious. “Effective risk management can’t be a tick-box exercise; it has to permeate culture across the whole organisation.” That, in a nutshell, is the genesis of Resilience Week. The concept underscores a simple but powerful observation: while policy and compliance regimes have their place, true resiliency comes from colleagues at all levels understanding, owning, and living it in their daily roles.
So, when the Resilience functions first came together, it quickly became clear that this approach shouldn’t be limited to risk and health and safety. It was about all the disciplines that collectively make OCS resilient, from physical health and safety to cyber and Safecall, the well-being of people and our environment, and how those components connect.
Martin explained: “It starts from a functional discipline — health and safety, cybersecurity, risk — but it evolves into a cultural phenomenon. Everyone needs to appreciate their role in protecting their own safety and well-being, but also the future of the whole business.”
Turning policy into culture
For OCS, this meant designing Resilience Week not as a policy rollout, but as a cultural intervention—a way to raise awareness and empower our colleagues to take responsibility. There were hardly any policy documents circulated. Instead, there were conversations, stories, interactive sessions, and initiatives designed to bring resiliency to life.
“It’s about awareness and accountability, two key ingredients for culture change,” Martin explained. “Once people appreciate their role, policy and compliance become a byproduct of a healthy culture. We’re not just ticking a box; we’re creating a workplace where resiliency is a shared responsibility.”
This approach made Resilience Week profoundly different from a typical policy rollout. Instead of framing it in a restrictive, compliance-oriented way, OCS challenged its people to think more broadly, to connect their daily choices and behaviours to the bigger picture.
Creating a ripple of benefits
Martin is clear that this culture-first view of resiliency brings numerous benefits. The first, of course, is for OCS’s people. “Your workplace should be a place you feel physically and emotionally safe, supported, and valued.” That directly benefits colleagues and their families. For example, cybersecurity training at work can help keep their homes and children safer online.
The ripple effects, however, go much further. A resilient OCS is a reliable service provider — a crucial consideration for our customers and stakeholders. “Our customers want to know we’re going to be there to deliver their services today, tomorrow, and in years to come.” Resilience, in this context, becomes a key selling point and a real business asset.
Martin highlights this when discussing compliance regimes, often viewed as pure “tick boxes”, but points instead to their ultimate purpose.
“Compliance isn’t the objective in itself; it’s a byproduct of having a strong culture. If you cultivate a culture of resiliency, you will naturally become compliant. It’s a much more powerful and sustainable way of thinking.”
Looking forward
This first Resilience Week was a starting point, a proof of concept. There are ambitious plans for future years. “We know the next step is to put the focus on our frontline colleagues, putting resources into their hands in a form they can use at home and work.”
Martin also wants to bring this thinking to OCS’s customers and the wider industry. “How can we help our customers become more resilient?” There’s a clear opportunity for OCS to lead conversations in the industry, framing resiliency not just as a requirement, but as a powerful opportunity.
Creating a legacy
Martin’s view is clear: Resilience Week is not a “one-and-done”; it’s a foundation. “We have the components in place. Now we can grow it, connect more people, and make it a permanent fixture in OCS’s culture.”
The ultimate aim? To create an organisation where resiliency is a lived, shared, and empowering concept, not something that solely lives in policy documents, but something woven into the daily choices of everyone at OCS.
