Resilience as Strategy + The IT Budget Battleground

Resilience isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a measurable driver of profitability. In this episode of ExecutiveEDGE, we explore why leaders must elevate resilience from reactive cost-cutting to a core strategic capability tied directly to performance.
Dec. 24, 2025
2 min read

In this episode of ExecutiveEDGE Podcast, we explore why resilience has moved beyond a buzzword—becoming a measurable, strategic pillar directly tied to profitability—and why leaders can’t afford to treat it as a reactive afterthought.

We also revisit the growing tension between legacy systems and innovation, unpacking how executive teams can make smarter budget decisions that protect core operations while still advancing AI, automation, and future growth.

Why Resilience Should Be a Strategic Priority, Not a Reactive One
Resilience has defined much of the first half of the 2020s—but are organizations truly building it, or just cutting costs in response to crisis?

Drawing on a Grant Thornton survey of more than 550 business leaders, this article reframes resilience as the ability to sustain core operations under disruption while continuously learning and improving. Crucially, it highlights a direct link between resilience and profitability—even when it requires targeted investment.

Balancing Legacy and Innovation: The Budget Battleground in IT Planning
Technology leaders are being asked to modernize aging systems, accelerate AI adoption, and improve security—all without increasing budgets. This article explores why the real challenge isn’t technology, but prioritization.

Featuring insights from Bala Thiru, a technology leader overseeing transformation, AI strategy, and enterprise architecture at American Airlines, the piece reframes legacy systems as strategic assets rather than liabilities.

Contributors:

About the Author

Geert De Lombaerde

Geert De Lombaerde

Contributor

A native of Belgium, Geert De Lombaerde joined EndeavorB2B in September 2021 to cover public companies, markets, and economic trends primarily for IndustryWeek, FleetOwner, Oil & Gas Journal, T&D World, and Healthcare Innovation. His work focuses on strategy, leadership, capital spending, and mergers and acquisitions, and he also works with Endeavor Business Intelligence on surveys and data projects.

Geert has been in business journalism since the mid-1990s. With a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, he began his reporting career at the Business Courier in Cincinnati, initially covering retail and the courts before shifting to banking, insurance, and investing. He later was managing editor and editor of the Nashville Business Journal before being named editor of the Nashville Post in 2008. He led a team that helped grow the Post's online traffic by an average of more than 15% annually before joining Endeavor.

Jess Mand

Jess Mand

Contributor

Jess Mand is an award-winning communications strategist and founder of INDEMAND Communications, where she helps organizations translate complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives that drive connection and action. She partners with Fortune 500 companies, growth-stage firms, and mission-driven organizations to design communication strategies, content programs, and experiential campaigns that engage employees and elevate leadership messages. Known for her creative storytelling and pragmatic approach, Jess brings a rare blend of strategic insight and human-centered perspective to every project she leads.

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