Adm. Thad Allen, the noted disaster management and recovery expert who led the national incident response to the worst oil spill in U.S. history, will deliver the keynote address at the 2011 SunGard Business Continuity Software International User Group Forum on April 17-19, 2011 in San Diego.

Adm. Allen was instrumental in the ongoing response efforts to cease the flow of oil and mitigate the effects of the recent disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Working closely with the federal on-scene coordinator, the Environmental Protection Agency and organizations including the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, Interior, Commerce and Health and Human Services, he sought to bring a global unity of effort to response endeavors. Allen was also in charge of coordinating with various federal, state and local organizations and directing the efforts of BP.

The annual SunGard Availability Services BC Software User Group forum provides business continuity professionals with a wide range of educational opportunities including BCP program maturity and self assessment, business continuity methodology, business resiliency, business impact analysis and best practices.

“For business continuity professionals, learning the ins and outs of remediating a large-scale disaster can have a marked impact on how they approach their own business continuity planning,” said Larry Coble, general manager, recovery services at SunGard Availability Services. “The communication techniques Adm. Allen used to streamline the response to the spill align well with the SunGard strategy that encourages organizations to have a prepared BC plan that is actionable, easily communicated and flexible.”