Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin Smulison interviews Jose Aponte, the LAAIA Atlanta Chapter President. They discuss his career in the industry, what led him to be a founder of the Atlanta Chapter of the LAAIA, what the LAAIA has accomplished so far, and what the current and future expectations are of the LAAIA for DE&I in the insurance and risk management industry. Jose talks about the growing numbers and influence of the Latino population. They wrap up with a discussion of Jose’s upcoming panel at the DE&I Studio at RISKWORLD 2024. Listen in for Jose’s story of lifting the industry and the Latino talent he wants to attract to the industry.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Public registration for RISKWORLD 2024 is now open. Explore infinite opportunities with RIMS from May 5th through May 8th, 2024, in San Diego, California. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. [:31] About today’s EPISODE of RIMScast. I will be joined by Jose Aponte, Atlanta Chapter President for the Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies. [:54] The RIMS-CRMP is the only competency-based risk management credential. That matters because earning the certification shows employers and recruiters that you have the skills necessary to manage risk and create value for your organization. [1:09] Several Exam Prep virtual workshops are coming up. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop will be held from April 2nd through the 4th and led by Joe Mayo. Visit the certification page on RIMS.org for more information. A link is in these show notes. [1:32] As you know, RISKWORLD 2024 is coming up from May 5th through May 8th, 2024, in sunny San Diego, California. Registration is open at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD and at the link in this episode’s show notes. Register today! [1:49] In Episode 276 of RIMScast we had opening keynote Peter Diamandis join us. Check out that episode for just a taste of what’s in store for RISKWORLD 2024. The full roster of keynotes has been announced! I’m so excited! We will be welcoming Academy Award-winning actress, director, and activist, Marlee Matlin! [2:13] For our industry keynote, we will be rejoined by Evan G. Greenberg, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chubb Limited and Chubb Group. That session will be sponsored by Chubb. Just announced, our closing keynote will be Daymond G. John. You know him from Shark Tank. He’s also the CEO and Founder of FUBU. I’m a big fan. [2:37] I’m so excited for that closing keynote on May 8th! It will be extremely high-energy! Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. We want to see you there! [2:48] Jose Aponte is my guest. He is a vice president at Alliant and the president of the Atlanta Chapter of the Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies (LAAIA). Jose will be one of the featured speakers at the DEI Studio at RISKWORLD 2024. His session will be on Monday morning, May 6th at 10:00 a.m., following the opening keynote. [3:16] We wanted to hear his take on the state of DE&I today, how he and the LAAIA are upholding a legacy that began nearly 60 years ago, and the methods they are using to recruit and retain the next generation of risk talent. Jose Aponte, welcome to RIMScast! [3:53] Jose Aponte will be at RISKWORLD 2024 representing the Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies. Jose tells of his career path, working in sales, then in claims for direct carriers. He worked briefly for Wells Fargo, and then Marsh. With Marsh, Jose relocated to Atlanta, GA, where he was recruited by Alliant. [5:15] Jose works for Alliant as a Senior Account Executive Lead. He supports various producers. His role is market-facing and client-facing, which he enjoys. He manages a large book of business with large business and large middle-market accounts. [5:49] When Jose started at Marsh, he was asked to be part of Marsh’s Hispanic Employee Resource Group called OLA. They have chapters throughout the country. It was a great experience for him. [6:08] They also wanted, as an ERG Group and with the Diversity Inclusion Division at Marsh, to see how they can expand further and support Latino Inclusion within the industry. Jose suggested they support the LAAIA and help them expand. George Woods connected Jose with Javier Naranjo, (now a past president of LAAIA) in 2015. [6:45] The intent was to support Latino engagement with the insurance industry and risk management. How could they help the LAAIA expand? The LAAIA was established in 1969. Jose helped, along with several other founding board members, to form the first LAAIA chapter outside of Florida, in Atlanta, with Marsh’s support, right before COVID. [7:25] Other chapters have since expanded beyond Atlanta. Jose is the Atlanta Chapter President. There are chapters in Houston and Dallas Texas, and Denver, Colorado, and there are more to come. [8:02] The LAAIA was launched in 1969. At the time, Latino insurance agents weren’t able to seek appointments or partnerships with carriers. The LAAIA was founded by Manual Arques with seven founding members of Cuban descent out of Southern Florida to help Hispanic Latino insurance agents receive carrier appointments. [9:00] There were carriers at the time that did not want to insure Latinos. That general inequity was the catalyst. Today two of the seven founding members are still alive. They are honored in Hispanic Heritage Month because of their vision and foresight in establishing the LAAIA. The LAAIA stands strong today. [10:00] Pastor De La Tejera and Andy Rodriguez, two of the founders and past presidents share an aura of wisdom and experience in meetings of past presidents. They are inspiring. Jose wants to be like them and inspire others as well. [10:32] In 2024, Jose would like to see more Latino leadership in the insurance industry. The talent pool of Latino speakers for panels is very limited. How do we fix that? We need to build the pipeline and attract more Latino talent into the industry. That is the main focus of LAAIA, to attract young Latinos to the insurance and risk management industry. [12:11] When he was a broker, Jose told people working for him that insurance was the industry where Warren Buffet had most of his assets. Why would you not want to be part of an industry with so much potential for wealth? To attract people you have to be a great storyteller and show people how the industry and all its verticals align with them. [12:57] The challenges are the lack of Latino leadership, how to build our pipeline for the up-and-coming talent, and for current talent, how to further expand and be in those management positions as well. [13:28] Jose helped found the Latinos at Alliant Employee Resource Group two years ago. He tells members that even though they don’t have the title “leader,” they can be leaders in the sense of driving for change. Be disruptors in that regard. The LAAIA looks for scholarship funding, partnering with the Spencer Educational Foundation. [14:13] The LAAIA awarded two scholarships to risk management talent and they are determined to do more. The LAAIA just partnered with the University of Southern Florida and brought in various resources to provide $2,500 in scholarships to expand and market the industry. [14:48] The success of the LAAIA is measured by how much young talent they sponsor, and how many members are in the organization who receive mentorship on the benefits of being a member. The benchmark is the size of their book of business and how the LAAIA encourages them to expand through mentorship with expertise and knowledge. [15:30] The LAAIA looks at how is the member’s success, looking forward. How is the members’ knowledge being developed by the educational resources, training, and continuing education seminars? Jose notes that members are increasing, as well as the quality of membership and the expensing of it. [15:55] The IAAIA has a very committed legislative committee. It tracks legislative issues in Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Colorado and interacts with local legislators. Last month they had lunch with Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King, addressing issues that are going on affecting IAAIA members and insurance consumers. [16:48] RIMS plug time! RIMS Virtual Workshops: Visit RIMS.org/virtualworkshops to see the full calendar. On March 27th and 28th, our good friend, Ken Baker, of Enterprise Risk Consulting, will lead the two-day course, Fundamentals of Risk Management. [17:07] Information about these workshops and others is on the RIMS Virtual Workshops page and a link to the full calendar is in this episode’s notes. There are RISKWORLD 2024 pre-conference workshops held on May 4th and 5th at the San Diego Convention Center. A link is in this episode’s show notes. [17:25] Topics include but are not limited to Applying and Integrating ERM, Fundamentals of Insurance, and a RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Workshop. Go to RIMS.org/RISKWORLD and then go to Learn and then Workshops. You will find it there. [17:41] On March 28th, our friends at TÜV SÜD GRC will present Inflation and Property Valuation: Aligning Your Assets with Reality. On April 11th, Clara Analytics returns to present AI’s Impact on Emerging Risk Management Trends. [18:00] On April 18th, Hub International returns for the second installment of its Ready For Tomorrow Series, Challenging the Status Quo: Rethinking Your Casualty Risk Strategy. Archer makes its RIMS Webinars debut on April 23rd at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The session is titled Advancing RMIS: Strategies for Risk Management. [18:27] Visit RIMS.org/Webinars to learn more about these webinars and to register! Links are in the show notes. Webinar registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [18:40] Our friends at FERMA encourage you to participate in its inaugural International Risk Managers Survey, open through March 2024 to risk professionals from the U.S., Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. It is produced in partnership with PwC France. The results will be distributed in October 2024. A link is in this episode’s show notes. [19:15] Justin recently had Megan Miller and Tandeka Nomvete of Spencer on RIMScast for Women’s History Month. Tandeka is on the board of the Atlanta Chapter of the LAAIA. Megan said in the interview that she hopes one day to see a panel of only women talking about an issue not tied to the challenges of women in the profession. [20:01] Similarly, Jose would be pleased to see a panel of Hispanic and Latino industry experts talking about auto liability, for example, and not Hispanic and Latino issues.  Jose would like to see how risk managers develop in their career track. The LAAIA has to reach out to find out who are those individuals and bring them to the panel. [21:21] Comparing the DE&I visions of LAAIA and RIMS, Jose believes they align very well. It’s about bringing in future leaders within a culture of DE&I. The LAAIA has great partnerships with diverse allies. There is so much intersectionality in our industry; we have to think about how we can support each other. The LAAIA does that very well. [24:17] Jose will be at RISKWORLD 2024 in sunny San Diego. He will host a conversation at the DEI Studio in support of the evolution of the risk profession, Latinos and Latino women in the industry, and equity, making sure things are more fair. Latinos represent a GDP of $3.2 trillion and it keeps climbing with a growing population. [25:14] The insurance industry is well aware of the impact of the Latino population. We need more Latino men and women in the industry to speak to them. This is a global trend. Your opportunities are greater when you know two languages and greater still if you know three. [26:38] Typhaine Beaupérin of FERMA was on RIMScast. She speaks at least five languages. It’s a great life skill. Jose used two languages in his first job as a bilingual claims rep. [27:54] In his first job, Jose did not have a champion or mentor. When he started at Nationwide, he sought champions and support from leadership, and he found them. He mentors and volunteers now to help others avoid learning the hard way. We need individuals from RIMS who have experience to be mentors committed to advancement. [29:48] Jose will be in the DE&I Studio on Monday, May 6th, at 10 a.m. Pacific, following Peter Diamandis’s opening keynote. Jose is excited to speak to colleagues from other boards and organizations such as NAAIA, Insure Equality, and APIW. It will be an amazing discussion at the DE&I Studio. Come by with your questions and solutions! [30:49] The details are on this episode’s show notes. Justin looks forward to getting a selfie with Jose in May! There is a link to LAAIA and a link to Jose Aponte in this episode’s show notes. Jose also invites listeners with questions to talk to him on LinkedIn. [31:29] Jose, thanks for joining us on RIMScast! [31:36] Special thanks again to Jose Aponte of the LAAIA for joining us here today on RIMScast. A link to the LAAIA.com site is in this episode’s show notes. If you’ll be attending RISKWORLD 2024, be sure to check out Jose’s session at 10 a.m. Pacific, on Monday, May 6th, in the DE&I Studio. A link is also in this episode’s notes. [32:03] Go to the App Store and download the RIMS App. This is an exclusive members-only benefit with all sorts of RIMS resources and coverage. Everybody loves the RIMS App! [32:27] You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in our show notes. RIMScast has a global audience of risk professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let’s collaborate! Contact [email protected] for more information. [33:09] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email [email protected] for more information. [33:24] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today’s risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [33:39] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com, and check out the blog at RiskManagementMonitor.com. Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at [email protected]. [33:59] Thank you for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Mentioned in this Episode: RISKWORLD 2024 — San Diego, CA | May 5–8, 2024 RISKWORLD Pre-Conference Workshops RISKWORLD Speakers NEW FOR MEMBERS! RIMS Mobile App RIMS DEI Council Spencer Educational Foundation — Grants Page RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops 2024 International Risk Manager Survey conducted by FERMA in partnership with PwC FERMA   RIMS Webinars: Inflation and Property Valuation: Aligning Your Assets with Reality | Sponsored by TUV SUD GRC | March 28, 2024 AI’s Impact on Emerging Risk Management Trends | Sponsored by Clara Analytics | April 11, 2024 Hub’s “Ready for Tomorrow” series: “Challenging the Status Quo: Rethinking Your Casualty Risk Strategy” | Sponsored by Hub International | April 18, 2024 Advancing RMIS: Strategies for Risk Management | Sponsored by Archer | April 23, 2024 RIMS.org/Webinars Upcoming Virtual Workshops: See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops Related RIMScast Episodes: “Water and Women in Risk with Sarah Mikolich” “Giving Back with APIW President Liz Kramer” “RISKWORLD 2024 Keynote Peter Diamandis” Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Alliant’s P&C Outlook For 2024” | Sponsored by Alliant (New!) “Why Subrogation is the New Arbitration” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyclone Season: Proactive Preparation for Loss Minimization” | Sponsored by Prudent Insurance Brokers Ltd. “Subrogation and the Competitive Advantage” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyberrisk Outlook 2023” | Sponsored by Alliant “Chemical Industry: How To Succeed Amid Emerging Risks and a Challenging Market” | Sponsored by TÜV SÜD “Insuring the Future of the Environment” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Insights into the Gig Economy and its Contractors” | Sponsored by Zurich “The Importance of Disaster Planning Relationships” | Sponsored by ServiceMaster   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars Risk Management Magazine Risk Management Monitor RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Stories — New interview featuring Dr. Lianne Appelt! Spencer Educational Foundation   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® RIMS Events App Apple | Google Play RIMS Buyers Guide   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: [email protected].   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Jose Aponte, Atlanta Chapter President,  Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies    Tweetables (Edited For Social Media Use): When I started at Marsh, I was asked to be part of Marsh’s Hispanic Employee Resource Group called OLA. They have chapters throughout the country. It was a great experience for me. — Jose Aponte   The LAAIA was founded in 1969 by Manual Arques with seven founding members of Cuban descent out of Southern Florida, to help Hispanic Latino insurance agents receive carrier appointments. There were carriers at the time that did not want to insure Latinos. — Jose Aponte    In 2024, I would like to see more Latino leadership in the insurance industry. The talent pool of Latino speakers for panels is very limited. How do we fix that? We need to build the pipeline and attract more Latino talent into the industry. — Jose Aponte   The insurance industry is well aware of the impact of the growing Latino population. We need more Latino men and women in the industry to speak to them. — Jose Aponte

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   As RISWORLD 2024 in sunny San Diego is just around the corner, I am delighted to welcome RIMS San Diego Chapter President Cheryl Berman to RIMScast. Cheryl is serving as Chapter President for the second time and has been a RIMS member since 1994. Sharing her background, Cheryl tells how she joined RIMS as she transitioned into the safety and workers’ compensation field working for a drywall and plaster specialty contractor. We discuss workers’ compensation, California’s new SB 553, the CA Workplace Violence Prevention Plan, and the RIMS San Diego Chapter. The RIMS San Diego Chapter is presenting a webinar on the new regulation on March 28th. Listen in for Cheryl’s story of learning the risk management profession within the specialty contractor world.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Public registration for RISKWORLD 2024 is now open. Explore infinite opportunities with RIMS from May 5th through May 8th, 2024, in San Diego, California. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. [:31] About today’s EPISODE of RIMScast. Our guest is RIMS San Diego Chapter President Cheryl Berman. We’ll talk about construction safety, risk, and RISKWORLD 2024. [:53] The RIMS-CRMP is the only competency-based risk management credential. That matters because earning the certification shows employers and recruiters that you have the skills necessary to manage risk and create value for your organization. [1:10] Several Exam Prep virtual workshops are coming up. On March 19th and 20th, this two-day course will be presented with PARIMA. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop will be held from April 2nd through the 4th and led by Joe Mayo. Visit the certification page on RIMS.org for more information. A link is in these show notes. [1:40] On March 20th at 9:00 a.m., Eastern, we have another informational session about Recertification: Keep Your RIMS-CRMP Active. I will be hosting that session, along with RIMS VP of Professional Development, Denise Osorio. If you have the CRMP and you don’t want the credits to lapse, find out how to keep it active! The link is in the notes. [2:06] As you know, RISKWORLD 2024 is coming up from May 5th through May 8th, 2024, in sunny San Diego, California. Registration is open at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD and at the link in this episode’s show notes. Register today! [2:23] In Episode 276 of RIMScast we had opening keynote Peter Diamandis join us. Check out that episode for just a taste of what’s in store for RISKWORLD 2024. The full roster of keynotes has been announced! I’m so excited! We will be welcoming Academy Award actress, director, and activist, Marlee Matlin! [2:47] For our industry keynote, we will be rejoined by Evan G. Greenberg, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chubb Limited and Chubb Group. That session will be sponsored by Chubb. Just announced, our closing keynote will be Daymond G. John. You know him from Shark Tank. He’s also the CEO and Founder of FUBU. I’m a big fan. [3:11] I’m so excited for that closing keynote on May 8th! It will be extremely high-energy! Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. We want to see you there! [3:22] My guest today has spent decades in construction risk. This is her second presidency of the RIMS San Diego Chapter. She is Cheryl Berman and she is here to discuss her career, construction risk, and safety risk. She has some words of wisdom for anyone moving into the construction and risk space. [3:46] San Diego is our host chapter for RISKWORLD 2024, so we’ll be talking about that, as well. Cheryl Berman, RIMS San Diego Chapter President, welcome to RIMScast! [4:30] Cheryl fell into risk management. She has always been in the building industry, starting in operations. She went from operations to asset protection, then to safety and workers’ compensation. When her company was spun off, it became Cheryl’s job to get insurance for the company. Nobody else at the company had insurance knowledge. [5:25] That’s how Cheryl’s risk management career started. She joined RIMS at that time to become more knowledgeable about risk and insurance. That was in 1994. A RIMS member for 30 years! [6:09] In 1994, RIMS met in person and had newsletters that came in the mail. There were committees, including Workers’ Compensation, Insurance, Safety and Loss Control, and Legal Legislation. Besides monthly chapter meetings, committees met two or three times a year. There was a lot of personal interaction. [7:10] Construction wasn't a RIMS topic at the start, but there were other people in the chapter with a background in construction so that helped. [7:58] Brady West is Cheryl’s employer. Brady West is a drywall contractor, including lathe and plaster and metal framing. It is a specialty contractor, not a general contractor. Brady West works primarily on commercial projects. Cheryl reviews contracts both upstream with clients and downstream with subcontractors. [8:52] Cheryl is the whole Risk Group at Brady West. She’s a department of one. She is used to it. In some roles, she has had HR and Payroll report to her but she was the only risk manager. In one company Cheryl worked for, things landed on her desk randomly. A trainee had been told, “If you don’t know what to do with it, put it in Cheryl’s in box”! [10:00] Workers’ Compensation is probably the number one thing that happens in most construction companies. Construction injuries can cause drastic changes in someone’s life or just require stitches and be done. When it changes a life, it is difficult. A claim is filed and it is hoped the worker will recover and return to work. [11:47] California has a new Senate Bill for instituting a workplace violence prevention plan for any company that has an employee. Cheryl explains different issues that may come up at different locations, depending on the local population. The mandate takes effect on July 1, 2024. However, Cal OSHA has not come up with a final rule for plans. [15:01] RIMS plug time! RIMS Virtual Workshops: Visit RIMS.org/virtualworkshops to see the full calendar. On March 27th and 28th, our good friend, Ken Baker, of Enterprise Risk Consulting, leads the two-day course, Fundamentals of Risk Management. [15:24] Information about these workshops and others is on the RIMS Virtual Workshops page and a link to the full calendar is in this episode’s notes. There are RISKWORLD 2024 pre-conference workshops held on May 4th and 5th. A link is in this episode’s show notes. [15:41] Topics include but are not limited to Applying and Integrating ERM, Fundamentals of Insurance, and a RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Workshop. Go to RIMS.org/RISKWORLD and then go to Learn and then Workshops. You will find it there. [15:56] On March 21st, Zurich presents Fraud Attitude Shifts in the Industry. On March 28th, our friends at TÜV SÜD GRC will present Inflation and Property Valuation: Aligning Your Assets with Reality. On April 11th, Clara Analytics returns to present AI’s Impact on Emerging Risk Management Trends. [16:20] On April 18th, Hub International returns for the second installment of its Ready For Tomorrow Series, Challenging the Status Quo: Rethinking Your Casualty Risk Strategy. Visit RIMS.org/Webinars to learn more about these webinars and to register! Links are in the show notes. Webinar registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [16:44] Our friends at FERMA encourage you to participate in its inaugural International Risk Managers Survey, open through March 2024 to risk professionals from the U.S., Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. It is produced in partnership with PwC France. The results will be distributed in October 2024. A link is in this episode’s show notes. [17:12] The RIMS San Diego Chapter on March 28th will host CA Workplace Violence Prevention Plan: Are You Ready for the New Regulation? That regulation is known as SB 553. A link to the RIMS San Diego Chapter event is in this episode’s show notes. [17:44] Cheryl’s top priority in construction is workplace safety. In California, companies must have an injury and illness prevention plan. Cheryl has training prepared for all the tasks a worker would do. It’s constantly being tweaked as different work and machinery come down the pike. It’s reviewed as processes change; at the least, annually. [19:22] In the three decades Cheryl has been in the profession, she believes more attention is paid now to risk management and safety. Awareness has improved. [20:06] Cheryl’s advice to anyone entering the construction field as a risk professional is to understand the operations side before dictating what safety is. Have some experience in understanding the pressures of the workers, to help them better. Cheryl’s operations-side experience was helpful when she transferred to the administration side. [20:43] Cheryl’s experience told her what workers can do and what they struggle with. [21:26] At the first company where Cheryl worked in the asset protection side, they knew her from her 15 years of experience in operations. When she transitioned to a new company, the person who hired her was her champion. Cheryl shares a workers’ comp experience from that job that turned into a home run for her. [23:51] The EEOC helped Cheryl get an outside sales position with very little experience so she worked hard to learn the trade. She worked only once briefly for someone who did not believe in her and she moved quickly to another job. She is very appreciative of the wonderful advocates and people who have helped her throughout her career. [25:53] Justin noticed that the leadership of the RIMS San Diego Chapter is comprised almost entirely of women. They volunteer their time and are passionate about the profession and their careers. Cheryl says the chapter is fortunate to have some very capable people on the board. [26:36] Cheryl tells about her time on the board, including two terms as president, first in 2002, and at present. She has been on the chapter board since 1995, with a five-year break. Her professional career grew parallel to her RIMS career. [28:38] Cheryl leads by example showing that women can have a great career in risk management. [29:37] Cheryl is very excited to have RISKWORLD 2024 in her home city of San Diego. [30:15] The RIMS San Diego Chapter is planning a reception for RIMS staff, the board of directors, and RIMS past presidents on the Friday before RISKWORLD 2024 starts. [31:02] Special thanks to RIMS San Diego Chapter President Cheryl Berman, for joining us here on RIMScast. Visit SanDiegoRIMS.org for more information. They have a fascinating session coming up on March 28th about SB 553 the CA Workplace Violence Prevention Plan. The link is in this episode’s show notes. [31:33] Go to the App Store and download the RIMS App. This is an exclusive members-only benefit with all sorts of RIMS resources and coverage. Everybody loves the RIMS App! [31:58] You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in our show notes. RIMScast has a global audience of risk professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let’s collaborate! Contact [email protected] for more information. [32:44] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email [email protected] for more information. [33:01] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today’s risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [33:17] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com, and check out the blog at RiskManagementMonitor.com. Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at [email protected]. [33:59] Thank you for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Mentioned in this Episode: RISKWORLD 2024 — San Diego, CA | May 5–8, 2024 RISKWORLD Pre-Conference Workshops NEW FOR MEMBERS! RIMS Mobile App RIMS DEI Council Spencer Educational Foundation — Grants Page RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops 2024 International Risk Manager Survey conducted by FERMA in partnership with PwC FERMA RIMS San Diego Chapter RIMS San Diego Chapter Presents: CA Workplace Violence Prevention Plan | March 28, 2024   RIMS Webinars: Recertification: Keep Your RIMS-CRMP Active | Presented by RIMS | March 20, 2024 Fraud Attitude Shifts in the Industry | Sponsored by Zurich | March 21, 2024 Inflation and Property Valuation: Aligning Your Assets with Reality | Sponsored by TUV SUD GRC | March 28, 2024 AI’s Impact on Emerging Risk Management Trends | Sponsored by Clara Analytics | April 11, 2024 Hub’s “Ready for Tomorrow” series: “Challenging the Status Quo: Rethinking Your Casualty Risk Strategy” | Sponsored by Hub International | April 18, 2024 RIMS.org/Webinars Upcoming Virtual Workshops: See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops Related RIMScast Episodes: “Water and Women in Risk with Sarah Mikolich” “Giving Back with APIW President Liz Kramer” “RISKWORLD 2024 Keynote Peter Diamandis” Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Alliant’s P&C Outlook For 2024” | Sponsored by Alliant (New!) “Why Subrogation is the New Arbitration” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyclone Season: Proactive Preparation for Loss Minimization” | Sponsored by Prudent Insurance Brokers Ltd. “Subrogation and the Competitive Advantage” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyberrisk Outlook 2023” | Sponsored by Alliant “Chemical Industry: How To Succeed Amid Emerging Risks and a Challenging Market” | Sponsored by TÜV SÜD “Insuring the Future of the Environment” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Insights into the Gig Economy and its Contractors” | Sponsored by Zurich “The Importance of Disaster Planning Relationships” | Sponsored by ServiceMaster   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars Risk Management Magazine Risk Management Monitor RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Stories — New interview featuring Dr. Lianne Appelt! Spencer Educational Foundation   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® RIMS Events App Apple | Google Play RIMS Buyers Guide   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: [email protected].   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Cheryl Berman, RIMS San Diego Chapter President Risk Manager at Brady West, Inc.   Tweetables (Edited For Social Media Use): Getting insurance for the company landed on my desk because there wasn’t anybody else in the company who knew anything about it. — Cheryl Berman   In one of the companies I worked for, things would just land on my desk and I’d ask “Why is this here?” But I’d figure it out and I’d deal with it. — Cheryl Berman   In California, companies must have an injury and illness prevention plan. — Cheryl Berman   We are fortunate to have some very capable people on our RIMS San Diego Chapter board. — Cheryl Berman

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   RIMS proudly observes and celebrates Women’s History Month in March. We are thrilled to welcome APIW President Liz Kramer. We talk about her international career in insurance and risk management, how she got there, her experience as a woman in insurance, and how the Association of Professional Insurance Women (APIW) influenced her career from the start and why she agreed to serve on the board and now as President. We discuss the four pillars of APIW, including the importance of serving and giving back. We hear about her DE&I goals and her upcoming participation at RISKWORLD 2024 on the DE&I panel and the Women’s Meetup. Listen in for more information on the Association of Professional Women in Insurance and how you can learn even more by attending RISKWORLD 2024.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Public registration for RISKWORLD 2024 is now open. Explore infinite opportunities with RIMS from May 5th through May 8th, 2024, in San Diego, California. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. [:31] About today’s EPISODE of RIMScast. Our guest is Liz Kramer, the President of the Association of Professional Insurance Women (APIW). [:53] The RIMS-CRMP is the only competency-based risk management credential. That matters because earning the certification shows employers and recruiters that you have the skills necessary to manage risk and create value for your organization. [1:09] Several Exam Prep virtual workshops are coming up. On March 19th and 20th, this two-day course will be presented with PARIMA. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop will be held from April 2nd through the 4th and led by Joe Mayo. Visit the certification page on RIMS.org for more information. A link is in these show notes. [1:39] If there is a full group of employees in your organization who should earn the RIMS-CRMP, visit RIMS.org/webinars and register for the complimentary webinar,  How Deloitte Leveraged the RIMS-CRMP.  [1:58] We will have leaders from the RIMS-CRMP Commission and leaders from Deloitte, who will speak to why they supported several of their employees in earning the RIMS-CRMP. It will be a relaxed, informational session and a lot of fun. Mark your calendars for March 15th and register! [2:19] On March 20th at 9:00 a.m., Eastern, we have another informational session about Recertification: Keep Your RIMS-CRMP Active. I will be hosting that session, along with RIMS VP of Professional Development, Denise Osorio. If you have the CRMP and you don’t want the credits to lapse, find out how to keep it active! The link is in the notes. [2:45] We are looking forward to RISKWORLD 2024 in sunny San Diego, California, from May 5th through May 8th, 2024. Public registration is open. Register today at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD and the link in this episode’s show notes. [3:00] In Episode 276 of RIMScast we had opening keynote Peter Diamandis join us. Check out that episode for just a taste of what’s in store for RISKWORLD 2024. [3:15] My guest today is Liz Kramer. She is the President of Excess and Surplus Lines at Munich Re Specialty. Today, she’s here in her capacity as President of the Association of Professional Insurance Women. [3:34] In observance of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, we’re going to talk a little bit about her three decades in risk and insurance and where and how some of APIW’s goals align with RIMS’s goals in the way of ensuring the next generation of women professionals and also in the way of DEI. [3:59] Liz will be at RISKWORLD 2024 at the community meetup on May 6th and she will also be presenting a session in the DE&I Studio, so we’re going to have a lot to talk about. I love getting these sorts of perspectives. I know you all do, too, so let’s have some fun! [4:16] Liz Kramer, welcome to RIMScast! [4:24] Liz studied economics. Not wanting a desk job, after graduation, she went to Japan and taught English for a year and a half. She came back and realized she needed health insurance and a stable job so she joined Marsh and McLennan in their Japanese Client Services Division. That’s when she started to learn about insurance. [5:20] Liz learned about underwriting and got into the underwriter training program at Gen Re as an E&S underwriter. After three years, Gen Re merged with an international company and Liz had the opportunity to go back to Japan, which she loved. She was in Tokyo for four years. She enjoys change and new opportunities. [7:45] Liz learned German in school and Japanese in Japan. While in Japan, she lived in Japanese and worked in English. [8:19] Liz was pretty young when she went to Japan. It was a risk being a young woman alone in the country. Her youth was a hurdle in Japan. She had support in the States, but it was tough. She learned a lot, including how to advocate for herself and how to lean on others. Her job was to build a local team to replace her, and she did. [9:43] After eight years in the business, she came back to the U.S. For 16 years, she did several things: specialty treaty, prop management, and business development. Then through a former client contact, she went to Zurich for three years in three great roles. [10:21] Someone reached out to her from Munich Re. She would report to the CEO in a new role, Chief Underwriting Officer. She joined them in 2020 and is there today, now as the President of the E&S Division. [11:32] Liz started in 1993 when the leadership teams were mostly men. She is grateful for all the managers and the men in her career who advocated for her and listened to her. She worked incredibly hard to succeed. She tells the women of APIW, don’t put your head down; put your head up, network, and make connections. [12:32] When you make connections, your brand gets recognized and noticed and you learn more about what is out there. [12:56] Liz would say she still doesn’t advocate enough for herself. She had a woman who is her current boss, encourage her to make the move over from the Chief Underwriting Officer back to writing a P&L. You have to step out of your comfort zone sometimes. There’s an incredible amount of diverse talent in the industry. [14:14] Liz feels very blessed in her career. She doesn’t get resentful about bumps in the road. When she was pregnant with her second child, 18 years ago, a manager assumed she would want to stay home with two children. But her manager’s boss told her “We absolutely want you to come back.” [15:14] If you hear it from one person, it doesn’t mean everyone feels that way. Still today, we have biases and make assumptions. We should always ask, instead of assuming, if we think they are capable. [15:57] RIMS plug time! RIMS Virtual Workshops: Visit RIMS.org/virtualworkshops to see the full calendar. On March 27th and 28th, our good friend, Ken Baker, of Enterprise Risk Consulting, leads the two-day course, Fundamentals of Risk Management. [16:19] Information about these workshops and others is on the RIMS Virtual Workshops page and a link to the full calendar is in this episode’s notes. [16:27] Resolver returns on March 14th to deliver the session Maximizing Business Value: Top 5 Risk and Compliance Dashboards for Organizational Resilience. On March 21st, Zurich presents Fraud Attitude Shifts in the Industry. [16:44] On March 28th, our friends at TÜV SÜD GRC will present Inflation and Property Valuation: Aligning Your Assets with Reality. On April 11th, Clara Analytics returns to present AI’s Impact on Emerging Risk Management Trends. [16:59] On April 18th, Hub International returns for the second installment of its Ready For Tomorrow Series, Challenging the Status Quo: Rethinking Your Casualty Risk Strategy. Visit RIMS.org/Webinars to learn more about these webinars and to register! Links are in the show notes. Webinar registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [17:25] Our friends at FERMA encourage you to participate in its inaugural International Risk Managers Survey, open through March 2024 to risk professionals from the U.S., Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. It is produced in partnership with PwC France. The results will be distributed in October 2024. A link is in this episode’s show notes. [17:53] A quick plug for Liz Kramer and APIW. They will be co-hosting their Women’s Leadership Forum with NYCAIW on March 26th, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. at The View at Battery Park in downtown Manhattan. The topic is “Midlife Collision.” This explores what happens when you are raising your family and caring for your parents at the same time. [18:24] The panel will be comprised of women leaders in risk and insurance who are there to support each other during this critical life event. Register at the APIW.org events page or the link in this episode’s show notes. [19:00] Liz learned about APIW early in her career. She was working mostly in New York and APIW has a strong presence in the NY area. She has been a member of APIW on and off throughout her career and saw the value and benefit of it. [19:49] As a member, she was asked if she wanted to join the board and she immediately said yes. She understood what was important about what they were doing and she wanted to expand their reach and awareness, not to the big cities only but throughout the industry. She was an officer and treasurer for four years. [20:46] When she was asked about becoming president, at first she declined as she was too busy at work and didn't feel like she could commit her time to that role. After two years, she agreed to stay on the board as treasurer and take the two-year term starting in two years. She wanted to make sure she went into it prepared. They made that plan. [22:16] She has been the president since September of 2022. This September, she will pass the baton to a new president and stay on the board for another two years as “past president.” [22:38] It was important to Liz to give back to an organization that has been important to her over the years. It’s fulfilling to give back and serve. Giving back gives her a better perspective. [23:39] The four pillars of APIW are 1) Learning and development, 2) Connectivity and networking, 3) Supporting DEI, and 4) Giving back. APIW networked cities give back to their local communities. When doing strategic planning, the board lives and breathes the four pillars. [25:53] Liz compares the APIW DEI vision with the RIMS DEI vision, including gender inclusion and encouraging dialog. [26:56] Liz is a huge fan of the insurance industry. She says it’s a noble industry that does some great things. Her hope for women in insurance is that there continue to be numerous leadership opportunities for women who are in the industry now and that there will be more balance at senior levels. [27:31] In the U.S. workforce, 47% of the workforce are women. In the insurance industry, it’s close to 60%. The industry is welcoming and attractive for women. It needs to attract more diverse talent with STEM and liberal arts backgrounds for all levels of leadership. It’s a great industry and there are great opportunities for women. [29:50] Liz will be on the DE&I panel at RISKWORLD 2024 in San Diego, representing APIW. There will be a women’s meetup hosted by APIW right after the panel. Liz and other APIW board members will present who APIW is and share information about it. Liz is considering talking about women and risk-taking. [31:25] Then they will go into breakout groups to hear from the attendees. Liz invites you to come. She would love to see you face to face. That’s Monday the 6th. [31:52] It’s been such a pleasure getting a chance to meet you, Liz! I look forward to seeing you at RISKWOLD 2024. We encourage everyone to go check out your session and the community meetup. [32:20] Special thanks again to Liz Kramer, the Association of Professional Insurance Women president. Links to the APIW events that I mentioned are in this episode’s show notes. There is a link to the RISKWORLD 2024 agenda, where you can find the APIW presence in sunny San Diego, California from May 5th through May 8th, 2024. [32:43] Happy International Women’s Day, everyone! [32:48] Go to the App Store and download the RIMS App. This is an exclusive members-only benefit with all sorts of RIMS resources and coverage. Everybody loves the RIMS App! [33:12] You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in our show notes. RIMScast has a global audience of risk professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let’s collaborate! Contact [email protected] for more information. [33:52] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email [email protected] for more information. [34:09] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today’s risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [34:24] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com, and check out the blog at RiskManagementMonitor.com. Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at [email protected]. [34:44] Thank you for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Mentioned in this Episode: RISKWORLD 2024 — San Diego, CA | May 5–8, 2024 NEW FOR MEMBERS! RIMS Mobile App RIMS DEI Council Spencer Educational Foundation — Grants Page RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops 2024 International Risk Manager Survey conducted by FERMA in partnership with PwC FERMA Association of Professional Insurance Women APIW NYCAIW Women’s Leadership Forum | March 26, 2024   RIMS Webinars: Maximizing Business Value: Top 5 Risk and Compliance Dashboards for Organizational Resilience | Sponsored by Resolver | March 14, 2024 Elevating ERM in Federal Agencies: The RIMS-CRMP-FED Explored by Deloitte & Touche LLP and RIMS | March 15, 2024 Recertification: Keep Your RIMS-CRMP Active | Presented by RIMS | March 20, 2024 Fraud Attitude Shifts in the Industry | Sponsored by Zurich | March 21, 2024 Inflation and Property Valuation: Aligning Your Assets with Reality | Sponsored by TUV SUD GRC | March 28, 2024 AI’s Impact on Emerging Risk Management Trends | Sponsored by Clara Analytics | April 11, 2024 Hub’s “Ready for Tomorrow” series: “Challenging the Status Quo: Rethinking Your Casualty Risk Strategy” | Sponsored by Hub International | April 18, 2024 RIMS.org/Webinars Upcoming Virtual Workshops: See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops Related RIMScast Episodes: “Spencer’s 2024 Outlook” “Water and Women in Risk with Sarah Mikolich” “Leadership and Coffee Talk with Sacha Coburn” “RISKWORLD 2024 Keynote Peter Diamandis” “A Menu of Risk Options with Elle Michell Hall” Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Alliant’s P&C Outlook For 2024” | Sponsored by Alliant (New!) “Why Subrogation is the New Arbitration” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyclone Season: Proactive Preparation for Loss Minimization” | Sponsored by Prudent Insurance Brokers Ltd. “Subrogation and the Competitive Advantage” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyberrisk Outlook 2023” | Sponsored by Alliant “Chemical Industry: How To Succeed Amid Emerging Risks and a Challenging Market” | Sponsored by TÜV SÜD “Insuring the Future of the Environment” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Insights into the Gig Economy and its Contractors” | Sponsored by Zurich “The Importance of Disaster Planning Relationships” | Sponsored by ServiceMaster   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars Risk Management Magazine Risk Management Monitor RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Stories — New interview featuring Dr. Lianne Appelt! Spencer Educational Foundation   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® RIMS Events App Apple | Google Play RIMS Buyers Guide   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: [email protected].   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest Liz Kramer APIW President APIW.org/team/executive-officers LinkedIn: Liz Kramer   Tweetables (Edited For Social Media Use): I was speaking with a group of women yesterday, with APIW, and saying don’t just put your head down; you’ve got to put your head up, you’ve got to network, and you’ve got to make sure you make those connections. That’s when your brand gets recognized. — Liz Kramer   I have been a member of APIW throughout most of my career. I saw the value and benefit of that. — Liz Kramer   We owe it to our industry and colleagues to give back, in some way. It’s really fulfilling, also. Make sure your head’s not down all the time. — Liz Kramer   I’m a huge fan of the insurance industry. We say it’s a noble industry and it does some great things. My hopes for women in insurance are that we continue for the women that are in the industry to have numerous leadership opportunities — Liz Kramer

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin interviews guests Megan Miller, Spencer Educational Foundation Executive Director, and Tandeka Nomvete, Spencer Educational Foundation External Engagement Director. They discuss the recent Spencer Day and Megan presents a brief history of the Spencer Educational Foundation. Megan and Tandeka review the various programs of Spencer and who benefits from them, the Spencer events coming up including those at RISKWORLD 2024 and the Spencer Gala on September 12th, 2024. Megan and Tandeka speak of their experiences as women in the risk and insurance industry and how that experience has evolved over the years. They discuss their hopes for DEI within the industry. Listen in for all that the Spencer Educational Foundation offers schools and organizations focusing on risk management and insurance.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Public registration for RISKWORLD 2024 is now open. Explore infinite opportunities with RIMS from May 5th through May 8th, 2024, in San Diego, California. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. [:31] About today’s EPISODE of RIMScast. We will be joined by leaders from the Spencer Educational Foundation and we’ll discuss everything they do to ensure the future of the profession. [:53] The RIMS-CRMP is the only competency-based risk management credential. That matters because earning the certification shows employers and recruiters that you have the skills necessary to manage risk and create value for your organization. [1:09] Several Exam Prep virtual workshops are coming up. On March 19th and 20th, this two-day course will be presented with PARIMA. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop will be held from April 2nd through the 4th and led by Joe Mayo. Visit the certification page on RIMS.org for more information. A link is in these show notes. [1:39] If there is a full group of employees in your organization who should earn the RIMS-CRMP, visit RIMS.org/webinars and register for the complimentary webinar,  How Deloitte Leveraged the RIMS-CRMP.  [1:58] We will have leaders from the RIMS-CRMP Commission and leaders from Deloitte, who will speak to why they supported several of their employees in earning the RIMS-CRMP. It will be a relaxed, informational session and a lot of fun. Mark your calendars for March 15th and register! [2:19] On March 20th at 9:00 a.m., Eastern, we have another informational session about Recertification: Keep Your RIMS-CRMP Active. I will be hosting that session, along with RIMS VP of Professional Development, Denise Osorio. If you have the CRMP and you don’t want the credits to lapse, find out how to keep it active! The link is in the notes. [2:45] We are looking forward to RISKWORLD 2024 in sunny San Diego, California, from May 5th through May 8th, 2024. Public registration is open. Register today at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD and the link in this episode’s show notes. [3:00] In the prior episode of RIMScast we had opening keynote Peter Diamandis join us. Check out that episode for just a taste of what’s in store for RISKWORLD 2024. [3:16] The Spencer Educational Foundation was established in 1979 and remains the leading organization funding the education of future leaders in risk management and insurance. [3:27] My guests are two of the leaders of the Spencer Educational Foundation. Executive Director, Megan Miller rejoins us, and External Engagement Director Tandeka Nomvete makes her RIMScast debut. We’re going to talk about the things that Spencer does to ensure the future of the profession and foster growth. [3:47] Against the backdrop of Women’s History Month in March, we will discuss how the profession has evolved and how the professional landscape is leveling out. We’re going to get a rundown of all the cool things and events that Spencer has coming up this year, starting with RISKWORLD. [4:06] Megan Miller and Tandeka Nomvete, welcome to RIMScast! [4:57] Spencer Day was on Monday, February 26th! They raised close to $10K, which allows them to award two additional scholarships this year. That’s two more students who are studying risk management and insurance, whom we can help to fund their education, make sure they make it through, and get into the industry! A record day! [5:49] #SpencerDay is really catching on in the risk profession for organizations that want to boost their risk departments. [6:17] Megan tells of Spencer’s history and purpose. It was founded over 45 years ago with two main goals: to fund the students and talent that are seeking to come into our industry and to attract more talent. Last year, Spencer awarded more program dollars than ever, raised a lot of money, and hit a high-water mark for the gala. [7:05] In 2024, Spencer wants to do it all over again, a little bit better. Most of the programs have been awarded this year already. The scholarships are left to be awarded. Spencer is looking to raise over $3M this year. [7:39] Tandeka says they want the Spencer Educational Foundation to be top-of-mind when people in the industry think about early talent and getting college students into this industry. They are open to partnering with existing non-profit organizations and associations within the industry. Together they can solve the talent crisis in the industry. [8:11] Spencer eventually wants to establish more programs to support college students. It wants to expand to serve the risk management and insurance industry, in the U.S.A. and internationally. They are a small team of only three people, so they will start by hiring a fourth team member they are interviewing for now. [8:47] RIMScast has had educators on the show, including Elle Michelle Hall and David Cisneros. Listen to those two episodes, linked in the show notes, to learn more about being an educator leading a program. [9:30] Spencer provides funding to colleges and universities to develop risk management and insurance courses. Providing money for a risk curriculum exposes more students to careers in the industry and prepares those students better. In 2023, Spencer more than doubled its course development spending. [10:24] In 2024, Spencer has a potential donor who is interested in putting massive dollars into course development. Spencer would love to see RMI 101 taught at every business school. There’s no reason these courses shouldn’t be within a business degree, taught by risk professionals, for the next generation of risk professionals. [12:37] Tandeka tells what Spencer looks for in a proposal. Besides course development, Spencer offers scholarships, internships, Risk Manager On Campus (RMOC), general grants, and the Spencer RIMS Risk Management Challenge. [12:55] The scholarship is a merit-based program for the top students across the U.S.A. and Canada who are interested in the industry and actively pursuing a career in the industry. Spencer wants to support those students and make it a little easier for them to enter the industry. They award undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. scholarships. [13:19] Students need internships while in college to put all of their knowledge into practice. The industry does not have enough risk management internships. Spencer is attempting to fill that hole within the industry with the internship grants program by creating job opportunities for students. [13:40] About the Dan Kugler Risk Manager On Campus grant. You can donate to support it on the Dan Kugler RMOC page of the Spencer website. The RMOC sends practicing risk managers to campuses to plant the seed in classes of up to hundreds of students and give them an introduction to the risk management industry. [14:20] The General Grants program supports universities and colleges across the U.S.A. and Canada with what they need to attract students to this industry and creating experiential learning opportunities. Several of Megan’s professors use the General Grants program to take their students to the annual RIMS RISKWORLD conferences. [14:59] The Spencer RIMS Risk Management Challenge is an international student competition. This year, nine countries from around the world participated. [15:28] Spencer will be at RISKWORLD 2024 in San Diego, from May 5th through May 8th. They will have pickleball on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday they have the Gallagher Golf Tournament and Tandeka will run the first leg of the Risk Management Challenge. On Monday, the final round of the Risk Management Challenge will be from 1:00 to 3:00. [16:36] On Monday night they have the Spencer Soirée, open to everyone. The winners of the Risk Management Challenge will be announced at the Soirée. The top teams will be ranked, one, two, and three and will be presented awards. Tuesday morning they have the Spencer Sedgwick 5K Run. These events are a big part of the fundraising effort. [17:29] RIMS plug time! RIMS Virtual Workshops: Visit RIMS.org/virtualworkshops to see the full calendar. On March 12th and 13th, former RIMS president Chris Mandel hosts, Captives as an Alternate Risk Financing Technique. On March 13th and 14th, Chris Hansen hosts a two-day course on Claims Management. [17:55] Information about these workshops and others is on the RIMS Virtual Workshops page and a link to the full calendar is in this episode’s notes. [18:03] On March 7th, in celebration of International Women’s Day, Origami Risk leads the session Women of Risk & Compliance: Leading & Learning One Step at a Time. [18:16] Resolver returns on March 14th to deliver the session Maximizing Business Value: Top 5 Risk and Compliance Dashboards for Organizational Resilience. On March 21st, Zurich presents Fraud Attitude Shifts in the Industry. [18:31] On March 28th, our friends at TÜV SÜD GRC will present Inflation and Property Valuation: Aligning Your Assets with Reality. On April 11th, Clara Analytics returns to present AI’s Impact on Emerging Risk Management Trends. [18:47] On April 18th, Hub International returns for the second installment of its Ready For Tomorrow Series, Challenging the Status Quo: Rethinking Your Casualty Risk Strategy. Visit RIMS.org/Webinars to learn more about these webinars and to register! Links are in the show notes. Webinar registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [19:11] Our friends at FERMA encourage you to participate in its inaugural International Risk Managers Survey, open through March 2024 to risk professionals from the U.S., Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. It is produced in partnership with PwC France. The results will be distributed in October 2024. A link is in this episode’s show notes. [19:50] March is Women’s History Month. It’s a great time to observe the achievements of women in risk management. Megan was a Spencer Scholar. She received the Part-time Master’s Scholarship that Spencer awards, while she was earning her MBA. [20:28] Megan was working part-time in the industry, getting her MBA, and that allowed her to transition from an underwriting role to a key client management role, working with Fortune 100 clients. Now, at Spencer, running the organization, including the financial component, her MBA degree comes in handy. [20:48] In terms of being a woman in the industry, Megan thinks the industry has come a long way. Early in her career, she helped develop women’s networks, getting panels together, and elevating issues to senior management. Megan recently noticed a panel on LinkedIn that was all women and the topic was not women in insurance but captives! [21:46] Just seeing women coming together, and being the majority in situations where the topic is not just focused on how to advance women; that, to Megan, is a benchmark of success. She is proud that women are being tapped for their experience, technical ability, client-facing ability, and not just the fact that they’re women who persevered. [22:18] Tandeka was fortunate to meet students in her college classes who were transferring to Georgia State University to study actuarial science and she followed them. That was her introduction to this industry. After graduating from Georgia State, she got a job with Marsh. [22:54] Tandeka worked in Marsh’s Commercial Insurance Brokerage for five years. She moved on to the non-profit sector, for a student association as a recruiter, to help students get entry-level jobs and internships in the risk management and insurance industry. Tandeka joined Spencer a year and a half ago. It has been amazing!  [23:34] Tandeka has been working in this industry for about 10 years. She has seen a difference over the past 10 years. She didn’t see women in senior leadership 10 years ago. She would love to see it progress in the right direction in the future. [24:08] Justin and Tandeka met at RISKWORLD 2022 in San Francisco, just before she was scooped up by Spencer. Everything happens for a reason, Tandeka says. Tandeka acts as an unofficial Spencer ambassador. [25:42] Megan says the students who are applying for our scholarships and taking the courses we are helping to develop are a diverse group. A lot of our funds are going to students from historically underrepresented groups in our industry and minority-serving institutions like HBCUs and Hispanic-serving institutions. The diversity is there. [26:23] Megan likes to say to donors, we can help you get the diversity in the door but you have to make them feel that they belong there. That’s where I would like to see the industry go, to have more companies embracing that inclusion piece, and doing a better job internally of building a culture where people feel included and heard. [26:59] Tandeka says she would love for our industry to get to a place where diversity and equity are baked into who we are as an industry. Instead of subsections focused on DEI, I would love for all our companies and organizations to have DEI as part of their core programming; part of what they do every day, where it’s not even a discussion. [27:42] The Funding Their Future Gala will be Thursday, September 12th at The Cipriani on 42nd Street. They will announce their amazing honoree before the RISKWORLD 2024 Conference. Plan to join them on September 12th, 2024! There’s a link to the press release for last year’s event in this episode’s show notes. [29:24] Megan Miller and Tandeka Nomvete, thank you both so much! it’s a pleasure to speak with you! [29:33] Special thanks to Megan Miller and Tandeka Nomvete of the Spencer Educational Foundation, for joining us. A lot is happening this year for Spencer! Get involved. Visit Spencered.org for more information. There is a link in this episode’s show notes. [29:51] Go to the App Store and download the RIMS App. This is an exclusive members-only benefit with all sorts of RIMS resources and coverage. Everybody loves the RIMS App! [30:16] You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in our show notes. RIMScast has a global audience of risk professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let’s collaborate! Contact [email protected] for more information. [31:00] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email [email protected] for more information. [31:17] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today’s risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [31:33] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com, and check out the blog at RiskManagementMonitor.com. Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at [email protected]. [31:54] Thank you for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Mentioned in this Episode: RISKWORLD 2024 — San Diego, CA | May 5–8, 2024 NEW FOR MEMBERS! RIMS Mobile App Spencer Educational Foundation Funding Their Future Gala 2023 Press Release Spencer Educational Foundation — Grants Page RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops 2024 International Risk Manager Survey conducted by FERMA in partnership with PwC FERMA   RIMS Webinars: Women of Risk & Compliance: Leading & Learning One Step at a Time | Sponsored by Origami Risk | March 7, 2024 Maximizing Business Value: Top 5 Risk and Compliance Dashboards for Organizational Resilience | Sponsored by Resolver | March 14, 2024 Elevating ERM in Federal Agencies: The RIMS-CRMP-FED Explored by Deloitte & Touche LLP and RIMS | March 15, 2024 Recertification: Keep Your RIMS-CRMP Active | Presented by RIMS | March 20, 2024 Fraud Attitude Shifts in the Industry | Sponsored by Zurich | March 21, 2024 Inflation and Property Valuation: Aligning Your Assets with Reality | Sponsored by TUV SUD GRC | March 28, 2024 AI’s Impact on Emerging Risk Management Trends | Sponsored by Clara Analytics | April 11, 2024 Hub’s “Ready for Tomorrow” series: “Challenging the Status Quo: Rethinking Your Casualty Risk Strategy” | Sponsored by Hub International | April 18, 2024 RIMS.org/Webinars Upcoming Virtual Workshops: See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops Related RIMScast Episodes: “RISKWORLD 2024 Keynote Peter Diamandis” “A Menu of Risk Options with Elle Michell Hall” “Risk Management Education with David Cisneros” “Celebrating #SpencerDay and Funding the Future of Risk Management” Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Alliant’s P&C Outlook For 2024” | Sponsored by Alliant (New!) “Why Subrogation is the New Arbitration” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyclone Season: Proactive Preparation for Loss Minimization” | Sponsored by Prudent Insurance Brokers Ltd. “Subrogation and the Competitive Advantage” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyberrisk Outlook 2023” | Sponsored by Alliant “Chemical Industry: How To Succeed Amid Emerging Risks and a Challenging Market” | Sponsored by TÜV SÜD “Insuring the Future of the Environment” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Insights into the Gig Economy and its Contractors” | Sponsored by Zurich “The Importance of Disaster Planning Relationships” | Sponsored by ServiceMaster   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars Risk Management Magazine Risk Management Monitor RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Stories — New interview featuring Dr. Lianne Appelt! Spencer Educational Foundation RIMS DEI Council   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® RIMS Events App Apple | Google Play RIMS Buyers Guide   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: [email protected].   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guests Megan Miller Spencer Educational Foundation Executive Director LinkedIn Megan Miller   Tandeka Nomvete Spencer Educational Foundation External Engagement Director LinkedIn Tandeka Nomvete Tweetables (Edited For Social Media Use): The Spencer Organizational Foundation was founded over 45 years ago with two main goals: to fund the students and talent that are seeking to come into our industry and to attract more talent. — Megan Miller   We want the Spencer Educational Foundation to be top-of-mind when people in the industry think about early talent and getting college students into this industry. — Tandeka Nomvete   I’m proud that women are being tapped for their experience, technical ability, and client-facing ability, and not just the fact that they’re women who persevered in a male-dominated field. — Megan Miller   Besides course development, Spencer offers scholarships, internships, and the Risk Manager On Campus program. — Tandeka Nomvete

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin interviews guest Sarah Mikolich, Risk and Insurance Coordinator at the Ontario Clean Water Agency. Sarah tells about her 25-year career path in risk and insurance management, describes the work of Ontaria Clean Water Agency, the partnership OCWA has with First Nations in Ontario, and what her priorities are at OCWA. She discusses the importance of World Water Day and how water brings peace. She shares her experience as a woman in risk and insurance and how the industry has become more gender equal. Listen in for Sarah’s thoughts about the industry, networking in ORIMS, and her tips for women entering the risk and insurance industry.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Public registration for RISKWORLD 2024 is now open. Explore infinite opportunities with RIMS from May 5th through May 8th, 2024, in San Diego, California. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. Be thankful that it’s a leap year! Advance Registration rates end on February 29th, 2024. [:38] About today’s EPISODE of RIMScast. We will discuss water and sustainability, with Sarah Mikolich of the Ontario Clean Water Agency. [1:01] The RIMS-CRMP is the only competency-based risk management credential. That matters because earning the certification shows employers and recruiters that you have the skills necessary to manage risk and create value for your organization. [1:17] Several Exam Prep virtual workshops are coming up. On March 19th and 20th, this two-day course will be presented with PARIMA. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop will be held from April 2nd through the 4th and led by Joe Mayo. Visit the certification page on RIMS.org for more information. A link is in these show notes. [1:47] If there is a full group of employees in your organization who should earn the RIMS-CRMP, visit RIMS.org/webinars and register for the complimentary webinar, How Deloitte Leveraged the RIMS-CRMP: A Fireside Chat. A link is on this episode’s show notes. [2:06] We will have leaders from the RIMS-CRMP Commission and leaders from Deloitte, who will speak to why they supported several of their employees in earning the RIMS-CRMP. It will be a relaxed, informational session and a lot of fun. Mark your calendars for March 15th and register! [2:26] On March 20th at 9:00 a.m., Eastern, we have another informational session about Recertification: Keep Your RIMS-CRMP Active. I will be hosting that session, along with RIMS VP of Professional Development, Denise Osorio. If you have the CRMP and you don’t want the credits to lapse, find out how to keep it active! The link is in the notes. [2:53] We are looking forward to RISKWORLD 2024 in sunny San Diego, California, from May 5th through May 8th, 2024. Public registration is open. Register today at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD and the link in this episode’s show notes. [3:08] In the prior episode of RIMScast we had opening keynote Peter Diamandis join us. Check out that episode for just a taste of what’s in store for RISKWORLD 2024. [3:22] Early registration rates are available through February 29th, 2024; yet another benefit brought to you by RIMS and leap year! [3:31] March is Women’s History Month. March 22nd is World Water Day. Our guest today brings the best of both worlds. She is Sarah Mikolich, the Risk and Insurance Coordinator at the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA). [3:51] Many of you know Sarah as a long-time and very visible member of ORIMS. We’ll talk about her career, her work in water, and her perspective on how the risk profession is evolving to meet the needs of, and retain, women. [4:09] Sarah Mikolich, welcome to RIMScast! [4:49] Sarah started as a broker for a smaller brokerage and then for Aon in their large risk management sector. From there, she worked in risk management at a global medical company, and then at a global engineering firm. She learned what it’s like to put together a global insurance program. Sarah has been involved with ORIMS. [5:25] Sarah has worked on the Canada Council’s newspaper. She has worked on two conferences in Canada. For the second conference, in Toronto, she helped organize all the speakers and seminars. Over the last 20 years, Sarah has made good friends in the risk industry. [6:40] Sarah is coming up on three years with OCWA. She looks after the insurance program. OCWA is a Crown agency in Ontario. It reports to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks. OCWA operates and maintains over 1,000 water and wastewater facilities in about 170 municipalities, for a population of about 4.5 million. [7:35] OCWA is one of the biggest operators in Canada. Sarah’s department includes just herself. Her previous positions with the medical and engineering firms were also one-person shows. At OCWA, she reports to Legal, so she has support from her general counsel. She loves the responsibility of her positions, past and present. [8:49] Sarah’s top priority is clean water. The next priority is the retention of their 600+ certified local water operators. Another high priority is cybersecurity. No cyber threats have bubbled up to Sarah’s department. Everything has been dealt with by the IT department. [10:11] OCWA has an ERM department of one, not Sarah, but she is tuned into the ERM leader’s work. She has recently been asked to help with some of the board materials and minute-taking so she has learned a lot more about what the ERM program looks like. [10:35] Because they are highly regulated, they lean conservative. They are fully supported by the Executive Management Team and the Board of Directors. The ERM department has done a top-down risk review and is rolling out a bottom-up look at risk, engaging the employees, and providing some ERM risk training, including for the board. [11:15] OCWA is not mandated to test for “forever chemicals” or PFAS. The main focus is going to be on infrastructure upgrades. This needs to be addressed by researchers, water industry professionals, and governments at all levels, in the years ahead. [12:01] OCWA has a partnership with First Nations in Ontario. First Nations face a lot of water risks, including some boil water advisories. OCWA is proud of this partnership, providing project management, capital management, emergency services, asset management, and improving the operation and maintenance of its infrastructure. [12:48] In 2021, OCWA established a First Nations Advisory Circle to gain a greater understanding of the broader water issues facing First Nations communities. The Circle, which reports through the First Nations Committee of the Board of Directors, are individuals who identify as indigenous from a variety of backgrounds and communities. [13:16] In 2022, OCWA created a First Nations Regional Hub that focuses exclusively on supporting water and wastewater sustainable operations and maintenance for First Nations communities. [13:48] OCWA’s biggest client is in Mississauga, where its head office is. Sarah lives there and drinks the Ontario Clean Water Agency’s maintained facility water. She has an appreciation of what goes into clean water. She participates in facility tours and inspections; she has never seen a facility so clean. The facilities are fascinating. [14:44] RIMS plug time! RIMS Virtual Workshops: Visit RIMS.org/virtualworkshops to see the full calendar. On March 6th and 7th, our friend Elise Farnham hosts Applying and Integrating ERM. On March 12th and 13th, former RIMS president Chris Mandel hosts, Captives as an Alternate Risk Financing Technique. [15:10] Information about these workshops and others is on the RIMS Virtual Workshops page and a link to the full calendar is in this episode’s notes. [15:18] On February 29th, Hub International sponsors Ready for Tomorrow: Protecting Your Profits in the Property Market. On March 7th, in celebration of International Women’s Day, Origami Risk leads the session Women of Risk & Compliance: Leading & Learning One Step at a Time. [15:39] Resolver returns on March 14th to deliver the session Maximizing Business Value: Top 5 Risk and Compliance Dashboards for Organizational Resilience. On March 21st, Zurich presents Fraud Attitude Shifts in the Industry. [15:54] On March 28th, our friends at TÜV SÜD GRC present Inflation and Property Valuation: Aligning Your Assets with Reality. Visit RIMS.org/Webinars to learn more about these webinars and to register! Links are in the show notes. Webinar registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [16:16] Quick shout-out to our friends at the Spencer Educational Foundation, which funds the education of next-generation risk management and insurance talent. Spencer’s scholarship program is open but coming to a close on March 1st for Ph.D. applicants. [16:31] Students and risk management and insurance faculty with interest can visit Spencered.org for additional details. [16:40] Our friends at FERMA encourage you to participate in its inaugural International Risk Managers Survey, open through March 2024 to risk professionals from the U.S., Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. It is produced in partnership with PwC France. The results will be distributed in October 2024. A link is in this episode’s show notes. [17:12] World Water Day is March 22nd, 2024. The theme this year is Water for Peace, which focuses on the critical role that water plays in the stability and prosperity of the world. Henk Ovink, Ambassador to the U.N. for Clean Water, has been on the show twice. Justin has had a lot of guests speaking of clean water. [17:48] Water can bring peace to the world. We all need clean water. It’s so important. There’s so much that needs to be done around the world to bring clean, fresh water to so many communities. If we all work toward doing that, in our capacity, providing water that’s clean, fresh, and sustainable, will bring peace. [18:28] Sarah has been in the risk and insurance profession for 25 years. She reflects on how the risk and insurance profession has changed regarding gender equality. She believes it has changed quite a bit. She is meeting female risk managers, left, right, and center. She thinks it’s a wonderful field. She loves working with clients and partners. [19:13] Being a woman is not as big an issue anymore. You’re a worker on a career path. Sarah has had great managers who have given her ways to grow in her career. Her previous companies are also working to be diverse. She is supported by her peers and her managers. The playing field has gotten more level, in Sarah’s experience. [20:33] Sarah has mentored a few women. She doesn’t have many opportunities, being a sole specialist in a department of one. Working on the RIMS Canada Conference was a way she could promote her ideas and support other women to promote their careers. Justin emphasizes to listeners to get involved with RIMS to help others in their careers! [21:54] Sarah’s tips for women entering the risk and insurance profession: “Education is the biggest one for me, learning as much as I could and picking up as many certificates as I could. Definitely, do your CRM, ARM, or the RIMS-CRMP. Network. Try to get a mentor or two. I’ve done a lot of networking at the global and Canadian conferences.” [22:39] “So, get out there! Go to your chapter meetings. There’s a lot to learn; there are lots of great people out there to learn from. The risk management community is so giving. They’ll drop anything to help you; any question you have! Education and networking would be the biggest points. We all want to see each other do well.” [23:41] Sarah Mikolich, it’s been a pleasure to have you on RIMScast finally! I wish you a happy World Water Day, 2024 and beyond! [23:51] Special thanks again to Sarah Mikolich of the Ontario Clean Water Agency and also of ORIMS, for joining us. Links to her bio and work are in this episode’s show notes as well as links to World Water Day and Women’s History Month initiatives. [23:19] There’s still time to get the early bird registration rate for RISKWORLD through February 29th. Visit RIMS.org/RISKWORLD and register there. Peter’s opening Keynote is one of the many memorable presentations we’ll be experiencing at RISKWORLD 2024. [24:10] Go to the App Store and download the RIMS App. This is an exclusive members-only benefit with all sorts of RIMS resources and coverage. Everybody loves the RIMS App! [24:35] You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in our show notes. RIMScast has a global audience of risk professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let’s collaborate! Contact [email protected] for more information. [25:19] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email [email protected] for more information. [25:36] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today’s risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [25:52] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com, and check out the blog at RiskManagementMonitor.com. Justin Smulison is Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at [email protected]. [26:13] Thank you for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Mentioned in this Episode: World Water Day 2024 Campaign Women’s History Month RISKWORLD 2024 — San Diego, CA | May 5–8, 2024 NEW FOR MEMBERS! RIMS Mobile App Spencer Educational Foundation Spencer Educational Foundation — Grants Page RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops 2024 International Risk Manager Survey conducted by FERMA in partnership with PwC FERMA Diamandis.com RIMS Webinars: Ready for Tomorrow: Protecting Your Profits in the Property Market | Sponsored by Hub International | Feb. 29, 2024 Women of Risk & Compliance: Leading & Learning One Step at a Time | Sponsored by Origami Risk | March 7, 2024 Maximizing Business Value: Top 5 Risk and Compliance Dashboards for Organizational Resilience | Sponsored by Resolver | March 14, 2024 Elevating ERM in Federal Agencies: The RIMS-CRMP-FED Explored by Deloitte & Touche LLP and RIMS | March 15, 2024 Recertification: Keep Your RIMS-CRMP Active | Presented by RIMS | March 20, 2024 Fraud Attitude Shifts in the Industry | Sponsored by Zurich | March 21, 2024 Inflation and Property Valuation: Aligning Your Assets with Reality | Sponsored by TUV SUD GRC | March 28, 2024 RIMS.org/Webinars Upcoming Virtual Workshops: See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops Related RIMScast Episodes: RISKWORLD 2023 Keynote Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM President and CEO “Diving in with RIMS 2024 President David Arick” “Kicking Off 2024 with RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche” “Scenario Planning with the RIMS SERMC in 2024” “Solving Wicked Problems with Dr. Gav Schneider” Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Alliant’s P&C Outlook For 2024” | Sponsored by Alliant (New!) “Why Subrogation is the New Arbitration” | Sponsored by Fleet Response Cyclone Season: Proactive Preparation for Loss Minimization | Sponsored by Prudent Insurance Brokers Ltd. “Subrogation and the Competitive Advantage” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyber risk Outlook 2023” | Sponsored by Alliant “Chemical Industry: How To Succeed Amid Emerging Risks and a Challenging Market” | Sponsored by TÜV SÜD “Insuring the Future of the Environment” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Insights into the Gig Economy and its Contractors” | Sponsored by Zurich “The Importance of Disaster Planning Relationships” | Sponsored by ServiceMaster   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars Risk Management Magazine Risk Management Monitor RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Stories — New interview featuring Dr. Lianne Appelt! Spencer Educational Foundation RIMS DEI Council   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® RIMS Events App Apple | Google Play RIMS Buyers Guide   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: [email protected].   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest Sarah Mikolich Risk & Insurance Coordinator at Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA)LinkedIn Sarah Mikolich Tweetables (Edited For Social Media Use): Ontario Clean Water Agency reports to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks. We operate and maintain over 1,000 water and wastewater facilities in about 170 municipalities. One of our biggest clients is that sector. — Sarah Mikolich   No cyber threats have bubbled up to me. We’ve been able to deal with everything internally right now, with our IT department. Nothing’s come through as a threat. — Sarah Mikolich   There’s so much that needs to be done around the world to bring clean, fresh water to so many communities. If we all work toward doing that, in our capacity, water that’s clean, fresh, and sustainable, will bring peace. — Sarah Mikolich   I am meeting female risk managers, left, right, and center. I think it’s a wonderful field to be in. — Sarah Mikolich

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin interviews guest RISKWORLD 2024 Keynote Peter Diamandis about many intriguing topics, starting with Peter’s book, Abundance, Peter’s career and professional history as it relates to risk management, the purpose and importance of storytelling, and positivity. Peter shares the key for risk professionals to become great organizational leaders: it’s to depend analytically on the data! Peter shares his excitement about his RISKWORLD 2024 Opening Keynote on May 6th, what he will present, and how he will engage the audience. Listen in for wisdom on risk and abundance.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Public registration for RISKWORLD 2024 is now open. Explore infinite opportunities with RIMS from May 5th through May 8th, 2024, in San Diego, California. Register at RIMS.org/riskworld. Be thankful that it’s a leap year! Advance Registration rates end on February 29th, 2024. [:38] About today’s episode of RIMScast. Our topic is risk and innovation, with RISKWORLD 2024 Opening Keynote Peter Diamandis. [1:01] The RIMS-CRMP is the only competency-based risk management credential. That matters because earning the certification shows employers and recruiters that you have the skills necessary to manage risk and create value for your organization. [1:17] Several Exam Prep virtual workshops are coming up. On March 19th and 20th, this two-day course will be presented with PARIMA. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop will be held from April 2nd through the 4th and led by Joe Mayo. Visit the certification page on RIMS.org for more information. A link is in these show notes. [1:47] If there is a full group of employees in your organization who should earn the RIMS-CRMP, visit RIMS.org/webinars and register for the complimentary webinar, How Deloitte Leveraged the RIMS-CRMP: A Fireside Chat. A link is on this episode’s show notes. [2:06] We will have leaders from the RIMS-CRMP Commission as well as leaders from Deloitte, who will speak to why they supported several of their employees in earning the RIMS-CRMP. It will be a relaxed, informational session and a lot of fun. Mark your calendars for March 15th and register! [2:26] On March 20th at 9:00 a.m., Eastern, we have another informational session about Recertification: Keep Your RIMS-CRMP Active. I will be hosting that session, along with RIMS VP of Professional Development, Denise Osorio. If you have the CRMP and you don’t want the credits to lapse, find out how to keep it active! The link is in the notes. [2:53] We are looking forward to RISKWORLD 2024 in sunny San Diego, California, from May 5th through May 8th, 2024. Public registration is open. Register today at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD and the link in this episode’s show notes. Early registration rates are available through February 29th, 2024, brought to you by RIMS and leap year! [3:19] I’m so pleased to present an interview with our RISKWORLD 2024 Opening Keynote Speaker, Peter Diamandis. He’s a successful entrepreneur several times over, a thought leader, and a New York Times best-selling author of four books, including Abundance: The Future is Better than You Think.  [3:39] Peter Diamandis was named by Fortune as one of the world's 50 great leaders. He is also the Founder and Executive Chairman of the XPrize Foundation, which leads the world in designing and operating large-scale incentive competitions. He is also the Executive Founder of Singularity University. [3:55] Peter Diamandis has a lot of experience with risk and risk professionals. He’s going to be one of the standout opening keynote speakers in RISKWORLD history. We’ll hear about his risk philosophy, what it will take for risk professionals to become organizational leaders, and a preview of his May 6th RISKWORLD 2024 Keynote. [4:19] Peter Diamandis, welcome to RIMScast! Peter has aerospace engineering, molecular genetics, and medical degrees from MIT and Harvard. He started numerous companies in the space world and the exponential technologies world. For the last decade, his focus has been on longevity, adding decades of health to a person’s life. [5:33] Peter has written several books he’s proud of, focused on optimism and abundance. Abundance: The Future is Better than You Think, Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World, The Future is Faster Than You Think, a few books on longevity, and exponential organizations. [5:59] Peter has a large venture fund, Bold Capital, which has six or seven hundred million dollars. He’s investing heavily in AI and longevity. A lot of his work is helping people to change their mindset, which is one of the most important and relevant things we can talk about in the realm of risk. Peter asks you to consider your mindset. [6:31] Imagine the most extraordinary leader on the planet, whomever you consider that to be. Ask yourself what got them there. Was it the money they had, their friends, technology, or was it their mindset? Peter posits that their mindset is what enabled them to be such an extraordinary leader and success. [6:58] The next question is what mindset do you have, where does it come from, and what mindset do you need for the decade ahead in this period of extraordinary accelerating exponential change? [7:41] There are a multitude of risks on the horizon at all times. Pandemics have been and will continue to be a global risk. We have risks on that scale from asteroid impacts. We have risks that are mounting in the realm of AI. We have risks from manmade biological disruptions. [8:26] People don’t take into account the accelerating countervailing forces. We live in a day when individuals can come up with new strategies and technologies to combat problems. Individuals can also cause problems. [9:20] Peter defines entrepreneurs as individuals who find juicy problems and solve them and the more entrepreneurs empowered with more powerful technologies, the more problems get knocked down. Then we are left with only first-world problems. [10:02] The fundamental problem is, humans have a hard time truly judging risk accurately. The amygdala scans all of our sensory data. If it sees something that’s potentially dangerous, it puts you on “red alert.” It raises your blood pressure, narrows your pupils, and gets you ready for your fight-or-flight reaction. [10:58] We tend to be easily tipped into fight-or-flight even though the chances of real danger are orders of magnitude lower. Peter describes loss of life through the violence of warfare or crime, through time. People would think from the news that we are living in the most dangerous time in history but we are living in the most peaceful time in history. [11:46] The Middle Ages were disastrous. We romanticize the past. Today, your chance of dying from a violent act is minuscule compared to what it used to be. [12:05] RIMS plug time! RIMS Virtual Workshops: Visit RIMS.org/virtualworkshops to see the full calendar. On March 6th and 7th, our friend Elise Farnham hosts Applying and Integrating ERM. On March 12th and 13th, former RIMS president Chris Mandel hosts, Captives as an Alternate Risk Financing Technique. [12:31] Information about these workshops and others is on the RIMS Virtual Workshops page and a link to the full calendar is in this episode’s notes. [12:39] On February 29th, Hub International sponsors Ready for Tomorrow: Protecting Your Profits in the Property Market. On March 7th, in celebration of International Women’s Day, Origami Risk leads the session Women of Risk & Compliance: Leading & Learning One Step at a Time. [13:01] Visit RIMS.org/Webinars to learn more about these webinars and to register! Links are in the show notes. Webinar registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [13:14] Quick shout-out to our friends at the Spencer Educational Foundation, which funds the education of next-generation risk management and insurance talent. Spencer’s scholarship program is open but coming to a close on March 1st for Ph.D. applicants. [13:29] Students and risk management and insurance faculty with interest can visit Spencered.org for additional details. [13:54] Leading risk managers who are data-driven decision-makers would make good organizational leaders. Peter believes that depending on the human “gut” is no longer viable. Gut feelings based on years of experience are irrelevant. What is important is what the data shows. [14:47] Peter states that risk managers who can gather the data, analyze it, and make data-driven decisions are going to be great leaders. [15:12] Storytelling is how we convey means and ideas. We evolved as humans to tell stories and receive stories around the campfire. As long as humans are involved in a decision process, which they will be less and less in the future, an emotional connection is going to sway an individual. Great stories connect you with individuals. [15:56] If you tell a great story and connect with a person emotionally, you can sway them pro or con, yes or no, on the decision that you want. So storytelling is fundamental. All day long, Peter seeks investments. Investments are selected by an investment committee that believes in the entrepreneur and the company and what they’re doing. [16:33] When you’re trying to raise money, it’s super important to tell a great story about “Why me? Why this? And why now?” The data will sway at least equally, if not more but today, as flesh and blood, hearts and minds, storytelling is still critically important, whether you are selling or being sold. [17:23] Peter is the opening keynote speaker at RISKWORLD 2024 on Monday, May 6th in San Diego, California. Peter says the world of risk assessment, risk balancing, and risk-taking is more important than ever before. Peter’s job is to tell stories to the audience to help them understand the role they have to play. [17:44] Doing anything big and bold in the world is risky. If we take the risk out of everything, then we’re stuck, stagnant, and moving backward. There needs to be a way that entrepreneurs, companies, and even governments, can take risks that have the upside potential to transform society for the better. [18:14] Peter wants to infect people with the positivity of this increasing world of abundance. A key area Peter wants to hit is that the world is getting better; we need to take risks to transform insurance. Fire insurance should prevent fires. Health insurance should keep you healthy. Life insurance should keep you alive a lot longer. [19:17] The most exciting thing about all these exponential technologies is the reinventing of business models. How do we reinvent business models not only to financially protect against the risk but also to use technology to remove the risk, if at all possible, and change the way we think about all these areas? [20:06] Peter loves Q&A. The more questions, the better. He wants to make several points. First, he wants people to see the data that the world has been improving at an extraordinary rate in terms of increased access to food, water, healthcare, and education; with reduced child mortality rates, maternal mortality rates, and violence. [20:41] When you look at the numbers, they’re awesome. The question becomes … why is the world getting better on all these different dimensions? … It’s not that we’re getting smarter or that we have better politicians; it’s the impact of technology. Peter wants to share that to begin. The next point is to talk about what’s going on in the meta trends. [21:03] Meta trends are the forces that are heading our way and changing everything. The meta trend in energy is from whale oil 100 years ago to fusion energy in the near term; looking at reinventing transport with flying cars and autonomous cars; and humanoid robots coming. [21:23] Looking at longevity and the ability to add 10 to 30 healthy years to your life, and how that will impact society. Where we are with AI today and where it’s going; what are the challenges? How do we think about these challenges? Everything we’ve ever known is about to change. [22:01] Artificial intelligence, in its current use and capabilities and how fast it’s evolving, and where it’s going needs to be a conversation in your board room, at your dinner table, and with your children, everywhere! [22:28] Peter’s parting words: “I think the world of risk is about to be transformed and it’s going to be transformed by exponential technologies, sensors, networks, AI, robotics, all of these areas; AR, VR, and blockchain, and I want to show you what’s possible today and where these technologies are taking us in the next two to five years. It’s awesome!” [22:49] “It’s an amazing time to be alive and I think that business models, companies, and the future of the entire risk industry are going to be refined and transformed. So that’s our conversation; I’m looking forward to it!” [23:07] Thank you so much, Peter Diamandis! Looking forward to seeing you! [23:11] Special thanks to Peter Diamandis for joining us and giving us a preview of his RISKWORLD 2024 Keynote which will be on Monday, May 6th. [23:19] There’s still time to get the early bird registration rate for RISKWORLD through February 29th. Visit RIMS.org/riskworld and register there. Peter’s opening Keynote is one of the many memorable presentations we’ll be experiencing at RISKWORLD 2024. [23:36] Go to the App Store and download the RIMS App. This is an exclusive members-only benefit with all sorts of RIMS resources and coverage. Everybody loves the RIMS App! [24:02] You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in our show notes. RIMScast has a global audience of risk professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let’s collaborate! Contact [email protected] for more information. [34:44] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email [email protected] for more information. [25:00] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today’s risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [25:15] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com, and check out the blog at RiskManagementMonitor.com. Justin Smulison is Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at [email protected]. [25:36] Thank you for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Mentioned in this Episode: RISKWORLD 2024 — San Diego, CA | May 5–8, 2024 NEW FOR MEMBERS! RIMS Mobile App Spencer Educational Foundation Spencer Educational Foundation — Grants Page RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops 2024 International Risk Manager Survey conducted by FERMA in partnership with PwC FERMA Diamandis.com RIMS Webinars: Ready for Tomorrow: Protecting Your Profits in the Property Market | Sponsored by Hub International | Feb. 29, 2024 Women of Risk & Compliance: Leading & Learning One Step at a Time | Sponsored by Origami Risk | March 7, 2024 Elevating ERM in Federal Agencies: The RIMS-CRMP-FED Explored by Deloitte & Touche LLP and RIMS | March 15, 2024 Recertification: Keep Your RIMS-CRMP Active | Presented by RIMS | March 20, 2024 Fraud Attitude Shifts in the Industry | Sponsored by Zurich | March 21, 2024 RIMS.org/Webinars Upcoming Virtual Workshops: See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops Related RIMScast Episodes: Riskworld 2023 Keynote Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM President and CEO “Diving in with RIMS 2024 President David Arick” “Kicking Off 2024 with RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche” “Scenario Planning with the RIMS SERMC in 2024” “Solving Wicked Problems with Dr. Gav Schneider” Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Alliant’s P&C Outlook For 2024” | Sponsored by Alliant (New!) “Why Subrogation is the New Arbitration” | Sponsored by Fleet Response Cyclone Season: Proactive Preparation for Loss Minimization | Sponsored by Prudent Insurance Brokers Ltd. “Subrogation and the Competitive Advantage” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyberrisk Outlook 2023” | Sponsored by Alliant “Chemical Industry: How To Succeed Amid Emerging Risks and a Challenging Market” | Sponsored by TÜV SÜD “Insuring the Future of the Environment” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Insights into the Gig Economy and its Contractors” | Sponsored by Zurich “The Importance of Disaster Planning Relationships” | Sponsored by ServiceMaster   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars Risk Management Magazine Risk Management Monitor RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Stories — New interview featuring Dr. Lianne Appelt! Spencer Educational Foundation RIMS DEI Council   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® RIMS Events App Apple | Google Play RIMS Buyers Guide   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: [email protected].   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest Peter Diamandis, PeterDiamandis.com Moonshots with Peter Diamandis Tweetables (Edited For Social Media Use): Imagine the most extraordinary leader on the planet. … Ask yourself what got them there. Was it the money they had, was it friends, was it technology, or was it their mindset? … What mindset do you have? — Peter Diamandis   I define entrepreneurs as individuals who find juicy problems and solve them and the more entrepreneurs empowered with more powerful technologies, the more problems get knocked down. — Peter Diamandis   I also want to infect people’s minds with the positivity that is out there to show them this increasing world of abundance, which is counter to what we think of all the time. — Peter Diamandis   The question becomes … why is the world getting better on all these different dimensions? … It’s not that we’re getting smarter or that we have better politicians; it’s the impact of technology. So I want to share that to begin. — Peter Diamandis   The world of risk is about to be transformed … by exponential technologies, sensors, networks, AI, robotics, AR, VR, and blockchain. I want to show you what’s possible today and where these technologies are taking us in the next two to five years. — Peter Diamandis

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin interviews guest Daily Bread Food Bank CEO Neil Hetherington about the Daily Bread Food Bank, the rapidly accelerating numbers of people with post-secondary education making use of food charity in Toronto, the causes of increasing food insecurity, statistics on food inequity in the context of systemic racism, and how legislative solutions are needed to restore equity in food security. Listen in to learn more about how the culture of your organization can be applied to find solutions to food inequity in your community.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Public registration for RISKWORLD 2024 is now open. Explore infinite opportunities with RIMS from May 5th through May 8th, 2024, in San Diego, California. Register at RIMS.org/riskworld. Be thankful that it’s a leap year! Advance Registration rates end on February 29th, 2024. [:38] About today’s episode of RIMScast. We will be joined by Daily Bread Food Bank CEO Neil Hetherington. We will explore the intersection of risk and hunger. [1:01] The RIMS-CRMP is the only competency-based risk management credential. That matters because earning the certification shows employers and recruiters that you have the skills necessary to manage risk and create value for your organization. [1:17] Several Exam Prep virtual workshops are coming up. On March 19th and 20th, this two-day course will be presented with PARIMA. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop will be held from April 2nd through the 4th and led by Joe Mayo. Visit the certification page on RIMS.org for more information. A link is in these show notes. [1:47] If there is a full group of employees in your organization who should earn the RIMS-CRMP, visit RIMS.org/webinars and register for the complimentary webinar, How Deloitte Leveraged the RIMS-CRMP: A Fireside Chat. A link is on this episode’s show notes. [2:06] We will have leaders from the RIMS-CRMP Commission as well as leaders from Deloitte, who will speak to why they supported several of their employees in earning the RIMS-CRMP. It will be a relaxed, informational session and a lot of fun. Mark your calendars for March 15th and register! [2:26] We are looking forward to RISKWORLD 2024 in sunny San Diego, California, from May 5th through May 8th, 2024. Public registration is open. Register today at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD and the link in this episode’s show notes. Early registration rates are available through February 29th, 2024, brought to you by RIMS and leap year! [2:52] My guest is Neil Hetherington, the CEO of the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto, Canada. I had the pleasure of meeting Neil at the ORIMS 2023 year-end luncheon and we had a nice conversation. Recently, The Daily Bread Food Bank released its “Who’s Hungry Report 2023” so I thought this would be a great time to extend that dialog. [3:25] We will discuss how food inequity can impact risk managers and the decisions that organizations need to make when hiring. Neil Hetherington, welcome to RIMScast! [4:17] The Daily Bread Food Bank is Canada’s largest food bank. It took 38 years to serve one million clients in Toronto in a single year. It took two years to serve two million in a year. In 2023, they served three million. [4:47] There has been exponential growth in the number of individuals who are food insecure. As depressing as that has been, it’s been a real joy working with a team that is firmly committed to a mission: What is going on that is requiring individuals to come to a food bank and how can we make a difference? [5:16] In partnership, Daily Bread Food Bank and North York Harvest Food Bank have released Who’s Hungry 2023 — an annual profile of food insecurity and poverty in Toronto. Some of the increase in food insecurity may be attributed to the pandemic. Before the pandemic, they were serving about 60,000 a month, holding steady. [5:56] The pandemic happened and the number doubled to 120,000 a month. Then inflation happened and it went to 240,000 a month. In December 2023, it was closer to 300,000. Twelve thousand individuals in Toronto who had never used a food bank signed up for the first time. Unemployment is low but food bank usage is high. [7:12] Food insecurity is rising in Canada, particularly in large cities where affordable housing is at a premium. In Canada, if you are on Disability, you live in poverty. Individuals who are working at two or three part-time jobs don’t have health benefits or access to dental care. They are coming to food banks in the fastest-rising numbers. [8:44] What can be done? Affordable housing helps individuals and employers who need workers close to jobs. It is good for legislative bodies to take care of the vulnerable. Individuals on disability should have an income that allows them to buy food. Employers should be given incentives to hire full-time employees with benefits to thrive. [9:55] There’s a link to the “Who’s Hungry 2023” report in the show notes. The report says, “Systemic racism produces deep inequities with respect to food insecurity in Canada.” Black households are more than 3.5 times more likely, and Indigenous communities are 3 to 5 times more likely to be food insecure than White households. [10:26] “These inequities stem from systemic discrimination that results in Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities facing barriers to education, employment, health care, and social services.” How do we change that reality? [10:55] What are the ways that we can ensure that, first of all, there is no food insecurity, everyone can thrive in the community, and everybody can live in simple, decent, affordable housing? [11:13] Neil says we’re pointing out the numbers, in terms of the inequity that is present, and giving legislatures across the country the opportunity to be able to deal and grapple with that problem. [11:38] Neil discusses the changing profile of a client. Fifty-nine percent of individuals using food banks in the Toronto area have a post-secondary education. They’ve gone to college. They’ve done everything right. People with this level of education having to make use of food charity is obscene. [12:40] The other changing demographic is individuals who are working but still have to rely on friends, family, and charity to get by. [12:59] The report points to a number of recommendations for changing social policies. [13:26] Neil says the report asks legislators to “Change this, please, eh?” It’s an uphill battle. The Daily Bread food bank has a dual mission to feed the need now and talk to every level of government about the opportunity to walk back from the ledge we’re on. Neil talks about recent and upcoming presentations of solutions to government leaders. [15:34] The risk to a corporation is not having the right people. Are the employees able to feed their kids, is their mental health OK or do they have massive stressors that are not allowing them to focus on the task at hand? Neil works out an example where $50K is inadequate. Without nearby affordable housing, where will the workforce live?  [18:10] RIMS plug time! RIMS Virtual Workshops: Visit RIMS.org/virtualworkshops to see the full calendar. On March 6th and 7th, our friend Elise Farnham hosts Applying and Integrating ERM. On March 12th and 13th, former RIMS president Chris Mandel hosts, Captives as an Alternate Risk Financing Technique. [18:37] Information about these workshops and others is on the RIMS Virtual Workshops page and a link to the full calendar is in this episode’s notes. [18:45] On February 29th, Hub International sponsors Ready for Tomorrow: Protecting Your Profits in the Property Market. On March 7th, in celebration of International Women’s Day, Origami Risk leads the session Women of Risk & Compliance: Leading & Learning One Step at a Time. [19:06] Visit RIMS.org/Webinars to learn more about these webinars and to register! Links are in the show notes. Webinar registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [19:20] Quick shout-out to our friends at the Spencer Educational Foundation, which funds the education of next-generation risk management and insurance talent. Spencer’s scholarship program is open but coming to a close on March 1st for Ph.D. applicants. [19:35] Spencer’s course development grant cycle is entertaining submissions through February 15th. Students and risk management and insurance faculty with interest can visit Spencered.org for additional details. [20:46] Neil talks about the need to have donations year-round. After the holidays, the selves at food banks tend to get sparse. In July and August, kids are home from school and need to be fed. In July and August, the shelves are bare at the Food Bank. Those are difficult times. It’s an opportunity for you to give back to the community! [22:14] Justin suggests the hashtag #FoodInFebruary to get social awareness going. [22:57] The pandemic was revealing to a lot of people who saw lines at food banks very soon. The shutdown happened in the third week of March and the lines started getting very long in April. That one acute shock to the system drove people to food charity. [23:35]  It was clear there was a lack of resilience in the population across North America. That should be alarming for legislatures. The Daily Bread Food Bank works hard to raise awareness of food insecurity through media and social media, integrating their research with their food advocacy program. [24:05] Letting donors know the opportunity to divest their wealth into something that will be fantastic for the community, not only feeding the need now but also looking into decreasing those lineups. How do we change the systemic policies that are resulting in individuals having to make use of a food bank? [24:45] You can donate food to any food bank, and it’s appreciated. It gives variety to what is distributed to individuals. Bring your company out to volunteer in a food bank. Donating funds allows them to purchase more food at a lower rate. Write a letter to any elected official asking them to tackle food insecurity in the best way they think possible. [25:57] Everybody listening to this podcast, please have a conversation about this tonight with your family at dinner so we heighten awareness and so elected officials know that they are required to and have the authority to make good things happen. [26:50] Any organization that is successful in North America has a detailed plan on how they are contributing to the community. Having an ESG strategy is important if you want younger employees to come to your firm. It’s an opportunity for new emerging leaders. Neil quotes Bryan Stevenson — “The opposite of poverty is not wealth but justice.” [27:59] If you’re an employer, a community leader, or an elected official, you have the opportunity to spread justice every single day through the work that you’re doing and how you are developing the culture within your firm or organization. [28:07] Neil Hetherington, it’s been great to see you again. I’m so glad that we had a chance to reconnect. “Who’s Hungry Report 2023: A Call to Action From a City in Crisis,” is available right now, it’s complimentary, and there’s a link in this episode’s show notes.  [28:51] Neil hopes people will visit fundthebenefit.ca and push the Canada Disability Benefit. “Thank you to everyone who is that positive changemaker!” [29:31] Special thanks again to Neil Hetherington of the Daily Bread Food Bank for joining us here today on RIMScast. A link to the Daily Bread Food Bank’s site and to its “Who’s Hungry Report 2023” is in this episode’s show notes. Look for the hashtag, #FoodInFebruary. Let’s be trendsetters and help people going through a hard time. [30:01] Go to the App Store and download the RIMS App. This is an exclusive members-only benefit with all sorts of RIMS resources and coverage. Everybody loves the RIMS App! [30:26] You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in our show notes. RIMScast has a global audience of risk professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let’s collaborate! Contact [email protected] for more information. [31:08] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email [email protected] for more information. The RIMS app is a benefit of RIMS membership and is available only for RIMS members! You can find it in the App Store. [31:33] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today’s risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [31:48] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com, and check out the blog at RiskManagementMonitor.com. Justin Smulison is Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at [email protected]. [32:10] Thank you for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Mentioned in this Episode: RISKWORLD 2024 — San Diego, CA | May 5 – 8, 2024 NEW FOR MEMBERS! RIMS Mobile App Spencer Educational Foundation Spencer Educational Foundation — Grants Page RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops 2024 International Risk Manager Survey conducted by FERMA in partnership with PwC FERMA Who’s Hungry 2023 Report RIMS Webinars: Ready for Tomorrow: Protecting Your Profits in the Property Market | Sponsored by Hub International | Feb. 29, 2024 Women of Risk & Compliance: Leading & Learning One Step at a Time | Sponsored by Origami Risk | March 7, 2024 Elevating ERM in Federal Agencies: The RIMS-CRMP-FED Explored by Deloitte & Touche LLP and RIMS | March 15, 2024 Recertification: Keep Your RIMS-CRMP Active | Presented by RIMS | March 20, 2024 RIMS.org/Webinars Upcoming Virtual Workshops: See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops Related RIMScast Episodes: “Diving in with RIMS 2024 President David Arick” “Kicking Off 2024 with RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche” “Scenario Planning with the RIMS SERMC in 2024” “Recipes for Success with Wendy’s CRO Bob Bowman” “Equality and the Risk Profession with Elisa Stampf” Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Alliant’s P&C Outlook For 2024” | Sponsored by Alliant (New!) “Why Subrogation is the New Arbitration” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyclone Season: Proactive Preparation for Loss Minimization” | Sponsored by Prudent Insurance Brokers Ltd. “Subrogation and the Competitive Advantage” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyberrisk Outlook 2023” | Sponsored by Alliant “Chemical Industry: How To Succeed Amid Emerging Risks and a Challenging Market” | Sponsored by TÜV SÜD “Insuring the Future of the Environment” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Insights into the Gig Economy and its Contractors” | Sponsored by Zurich “The Importance of Disaster Planning Relationships” | Sponsored by ServiceMaster   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars Risk Management Magazine Risk Management Monitor RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Stories — New interview featuring Dr. Lianne Appelt! Spencer Educational Foundation RIMS DEI Council   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® RIMS Events App Apple | Google Play RIMS Buyers Guide   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: [email protected].   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest Neil Hetherington, Daily Bread Food Bank CEO Tweetables (Edited For Social Media Use): There has been exponential growth in the number of individuals who are food insecure. As depressing as that is, it’s a real joy working with a team that is firmly committed to a mission. What is going on that is requiring individuals to come to a food bank? — Neil Hetherington   What are the ways that we can ensure that, first of all, there is no food insecurity, everyone can thrive in community, and everybody can live in simple, decent, affordable housing? Those are the questions. — Neil Hetherington   “The opposite of poverty is not wealth but justice.” — Bryan Stevenson, quoted by Neil Hetherington   If you’re an employer, a community leader, or an elected official, you have the opportunity to spread justice every single day through the work that you’re doing and how you are developing the culture within your firm or organization. — Neil Hetherington

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin interviews guests Katie Sexton and Adrian Castillo, recorded live at the RIMS Leadership Forum 2024 in San Antonio, Texas on January 25 and 26. Katie and Adrian each describe the companies where they work, their ERM responsibilities there, how they began in the risk management profession, and what they do for their respective RIMS Chapters. They discuss the risk management culture of their Australasia and Mexico Chapters and planned activities for 2024. Listen in to learn more about the RIMS Australasia and RIMS Mexico Chapters.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMScast. [:13] Public registration for RISKWORLD 2024 is now open. Explore infinite opportunities with RIMS from May 5th through May 8th, 2024, in San Diego, California. Register at RIMS.org/riskworld. Be thankful that it’s a leap year! Advance Registration rates end on February 29th, 2024. [:38] About today’s episode of RIMScast. We will be joined by leaders from the RIMS Australasia Chapter and the RIMS Mexico Chapter. [:59] The RIMS-CRMP is the only competency-based risk management credential. That matters because earning the certification shows employers and recruiters that you have the skills necessary to manage risk and create value for your organization. [1:16] Several Exam Prep virtual workshops are coming up. On March 19th and 20th, this two-day course will be presented with PARIMA. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop will be held from April 2nd through the 4th and led by Joe Mayo. Visit the certification page on RIMS.org for more information. A link is in these show notes. [1:46] If there is a full group of employees in your organization who should earn the RIMS-CRMP, visit RIMS.org/webinars and register for the complimentary webinar, How Deloitte Leveraged the RIMS-CRMP: A Fireside Chat. A link is on this episode’s show notes. [2:05] We will have leaders from the RIMS-CRMP Commission as well as leaders from Deloitte, who will speak to why they supported several of their employees in earning the RIMS-CRMP. It will be a relaxed, informational session and a lot of fun. Mark your calendars for March 15th and register! [2:25] We are looking forward to RISKWORLD 2024 in sunny San Diego, California, from May 5th through May 8th, 2024. Public registration is open. Register today at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD and the link in this episode’s show notes. Early registration rates are available through February 29th, 2024, brought to you by RIMS and leap year! [2:52] RIMS recently hosted its Annual Leadership Forum in San Antonio, Texas. This is a chance for chapter leaders to meet, network, and share ideas on how to strengthen their own chapters as well as RIMS, globally. Justin was delighted to meet several of you and he invited some to be on the show, who traveled long distances. [3:14] We will hear from two leaders today. The first guest is the Vice President of the RIMS Australasia Chapter 2024, Katie Sexton. She is also the Risk Manager for Woods Bagot, a global architectural firm. Justin wants the RIMScast audience to hear what she’s got in store for her chapter and how she has championed ERM at Woods Bagot. [3:47] Katie Sexton, welcome to RIMScast! Katie is Vice President of the RIMS Australasia Chapter and next year, she will be the chapter President. Her daytime job is Global Leader of Risk for Woods Bagot, an architectural firm. [4:17] Woods Bagot has studios in 17 cities around the globe. It has been an architectural practice for about 150 years. Its largest operations are in Melbourne and Sydney. Katie is based in Melbourne. Katie has always enjoyed architecture. Before Woods Bagot, Katie was at a large American engineering firm. [5:06] The risk group at Woods Bagot consists of two people. Katie’s title is Global Leader of Risk. Woods Bagot has a unique way of managing risk. From an insurance perspective, their key risk is professional liability for project disputes and litigation. From a company perspective, cyber is a massive risk. [6:01] Other concerns are health and safety, legislative and governance compliance, with the increasing cost of compliance being a key risk for international firms, data protection, and supply chain risks. Woods Bagot also works in interior design and consulting so it’s a multi-disciplinary firm operating in multiple environments. [7:03] Woods Bagot has a company-wide ERM framework that gets reported up to the board. A lot of their regions have the risk registers they manage and comply with. Projects also have their risk registers. Katie has been with Woods Bagot for eight-and-a-half years. She replaced the old ERM framework and built one from scratch. [7:55] It’s key for documents to be streamlined and easily reported up to the board and the Audit and Risk Committee. The risk group does workshops every year with board members and the Audit and Risk Committee to update the ERM framework, based on risk tolerance levels, risk appetite, and a risk register, all collated together and reported. [8:35] The Woods Bagot ERM framework is an ongoing process. They improve it and streamline it every year after the workshops with the board and Audit and Risk Committee. The initial development of the ERM framework took about six months. The board and executive team receive the framework well, as they are quite risk-aware. [10:01] The RIMS Australasia Chapter has a great board with collaborative members. Everyone pulls their weight. Katie loves working with chapter members. She enjoys promoting risk management and networking for younger, rising professionals, and sharing knowledge from herself and sponsors, partners, and RIMS. [11:23] The RIMS Australasia Chapter’s conference held last November was a one-day event in three venues, ending with a working drinks session. The theme was The Human Factor. Great partners came to talk. It was an excellent event. The 2024 event will be in the fourth quarter. The Australasia chapter website link is in this episode’s show notes. [12:21] Katie says “Get involved if you’re not already. Get to the events of your chapters and global RIMS. They’re always great and the networking’s fabulous. Come to Australia to see us and get involved in our events! Most of them are online. You can listen to them or the recordings. Like us on LinkedIn, as a lot of our events are open to all.” [13:23] RIMS plug time! RIMS Virtual Workshops: Visit RIMS.org/virtualworkshops to see the full calendar. On February 7th and 8th, we have Facilitating Risk-based Decision Making. On March 6th and 7th, our friend Elise Farnham hosts Applying and Integrating ERM. [13:47] Information about these workshops and others is on the RIMS Virtual Workshops page and a link to the full calendar is in this episode’s notes. Save $100 when you register for any February or March Virtual Workshop using the promo code RIMSVW100. You must use the code through February 9th. Register today! [14:10] On February 29th, Hub International sponsors Ready for Tomorrow: Protecting Your Profits in the Property Market. On March 7th, in celebration of International Women’s Day, Origami Risk leads the session Women of Risk & Compliance: Leading & Learning One Step at a Time. [14:31] Visit RIMS.org/Webinars to learn more about these webinars and to register! Links are in the show notes. Webinar registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [14:45] Quick shout-out to our friends at the Spencer Educational Foundation, which funds the education of next-generation risk management and insurance talent. Spencer’s scholarship program is open but coming to a close on March 1st for Ph.D. applicants. [15:00] Spencer’s course development grant cycle is entertaining submissions through February 15th. Students and risk management and insurance faculty with interest can visit Spencered.org for additional details. [15:18] Our next guest is the Global ERM Manager for CEMEX, a global company known for its cement ready-mix concrete and aggregates and urbanization solutions. He is also the president of the RIMS Mexico Chapter. We had a nice chat about the state of risk management in Mexico, the RIMS Mexico Chapter, and business continuity. [15:49] Adrian Castillo, welcome to RIMScast! Adrian has been a risk professional for nearly 20 years. He has dealt with risks for his entire life. Adrian is with CEMEX, a global cement, ready-mix, and aggregate company, and a construction material producer. He has been working at CEMEX for a quarter of a century. [17:07] As a global company, risks include conflicts in the Middle East, the geopolitical situation with shifts of power, climate-related events, and natural disasters. Last year, Mexico was impacted by Otis. The intensity of the storm was new for Mexico and it took weather monitors by surprise. Overnight, it went from a category one to a category five. [18:41] CEMEX has operations in the Middle East, including Israel, and Europe. Their supply chains are impacted by the present conflict. The effects are spreading beyond the Middle East. CEMEX monitors the risks to keep ahead of them. [19:25] Adrian believes that in Latin America, in general, their risk awareness is not yet mature. In the beginning, they have a tendency to deny the risk of something happening. Then, they say they will cross that bridge whenever they come to it. It is a very resilient culture, on the positive side. [19:58] Nothing can prepare you for a situation, other than performing risk management techniques and programs. Once a situation hits you, it’s an overwhelming sensation. If you’re not prepared, there’s a great risk that you might not overcome it. Once you have done your risk management assessment and preparation, you have extra confidence.  [20:32] For global companies, especially, preparation is key. In business continuity, you prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Adrian says that in Latin America, they still need to foster that risk awareness culture. [21:04] The risk group at CEMEX, in the sides of ERM, security, and business continuity, is close to 100 people. Adrian’s boss manages these groups. Adrian and his team give them support and guidance on preventing risks and mitigating the consequences of risks that happen with crisis management techniques and guidance. [21:59] Adrian talks about CEMEX’s Business Continuity Implementation (BCI) plan. They revamped it after the pandemic so they could be more prepared and more resilient than they were before the pandemic. The plan will be unveiled in several months. 2023 was preparation for the 2024 kickoff. [22:48] The RIMS Mexico Chapter raises awareness of risk. Its membership is composed of people who have risk management responsibility and believe that risk has to be managed formally and professionally. All managers manage risks. If you have a technique and a plan you follow with discipline, that gets you ahead, with better sleep. [23:35] Adrian says that’s something Mexico needs to work on, with the rest of Latin America; raising awareness of risk. Risk management needs to be managed professionally, in a disciplined way. [23:59] Adrian says they are planning at least one but possibly two activities to revamp the RIMS Mexico Chapter and regain momentum. They want to support their risk management professionals to network, learn, get content, and be updated. Those are the objectives they have for this year, to raise the level of maturity in risk awareness. [24:55] The dates of events will soon be finalized. They want one event in the first quarter and one after vacations. The link to the RIMS Mexico Chapter is in this episode’s show notes. They are launching a new web page, supported by RIMS staff. 2024 will be a year of revamping. They are also working on digital content for those who can’t travel. [26:21] Justin thanks Adrian for being on RIMScast.  [26:35] Special thanks to Katie Sexton of the RIMS Australasia Chapter and Adrian Castillo of the RIMS Mexico Chapter. Links to their chapter pages are in this episode’s show notes. We hope to see them again at RISKWORLD 2024, May 5th through May 8th. Register now at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. [27:03] Go to the App Store and download the RIMS App. This is an exclusive members-only benefit with all sorts of RIMS resources and coverage. Everybody loves the RIMS App! [27:28] You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in our show notes. RIMScast has a global audience of risk professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let’s collaborate! Contact [email protected] for more information. [28:12] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email [email protected] for more information. The RIMS app is a benefit of RIMS membership and is available only for RIMS members! You can find it in the App Store. [28:37] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today’s risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [28:53] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com, and check out the blog at RiskManagementMonitor.com. Justin Smulison is Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at [email protected]. [29:15] Thank you for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Mentioned in this Episode: Riskworld 2024 — San Diego, CA | May 5–8, 2024 NEW FOR MEMBERS! RIMS Mobile App Spencer Educational Foundation Spencer Educational Foundation — Grants Page RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops RIMS Mexico Chapter RIMS Australasia Chapter 2024 International Risk Manager Survey conducted by FERMA in partnership with PwC FERMA RIMS Webinars: Ready for Tomorrow: Protecting Your Profits in the Property Market | Sponsored by Hub International | Feb. 29, 2024 Women of Risk & Compliance: Leading & Learning One Step at a Time | Sponsored by Origami Risk | March 7, 2024 RIMS.org/Webinars Upcoming Virtual Workshops: See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual WorkshopsRIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops Related RIMScast Episodes: “Diving in with RIMS 2024 President David Arick” “Kicking Off 2024 with RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche” “Risk Management in 2024 with FERMA CEO Typhaine Beaupérin” “Scenario Planning with the RIMS SERMC in 2024” Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Alliant’s P&C Outlook For 2024” | Sponsored by Alliant (New!) “Why Subrogation is the New Arbitration” | Sponsored by Fleet Response Cyclone Season: Proactive Preparation for Loss Minimization | Sponsored by Prudent Insurance Brokers Ltd. “Subrogation and the Competitive Advantage” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyberrisk Outlook 2023” | Sponsored by Alliant “Chemical Industry: How To Succeed Amid Emerging Risks and a Challenging Market” | Sponsored by TÜV SÜD “Insuring the Future of the Environment” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Insights into the Gig Economy and its Contractors” | Sponsored by Zurich “The Importance of Disaster Planning Relationships” | Sponsored by ServiceMaster   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars Risk Management Magazine Risk Management Monitor RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Stories — New interview featuring Chris Mandel! Spencer Educational Foundation RIMS DEI Council   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® RIMS Events App Apple | Google Play RIMS Buyers Guide   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: [email protected].   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guests Katie Sexton, Global Leader — Risk at Woods Bagot RIMS Australasia 2024 Vice President   Adrian Castillo, Global ERM Manager at CEMEX RIMS Mexico 2024 President Tweetables (Edited For Social Media Use): The way we at Woods Bagot manage risks is unique to architecture. From an insurable perspective, our key risk is professional liability or project disputes and then litigation. — Katie Sexton   Our ERM framework is an ongoing process. We improve it and streamline it every year, particularly after the workshops that we do with the board and Audit and Risk Committee. — Katie Sexton   Once a situation hits you, it’s an overwhelming sensation. If you’re not prepared for it, there’s a great risk that you might not overcome it. Once you have done your risk management assessment and preparation, you have that extra confidence. — Adrian Castillo   Every manager in the world manages risks. That’s why they are managers. If you have a technique and a plan you follow with discipline how to monitor and manage those risks, that gets you ahead, and that gets you a better sleep at night. — Adrian Castillo

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin interviews guest David Arick, RIMS 2024 President. They discuss David’s career and how he was introduced to the profession of risk management David speaks of his experiences with RIMS early in his career, serving on the boards of the Central Ohio Chapter and the St. Louis Chapter.  David shares his thoughts on how experienced risk professionals can give back and pay it forward by engaging with young rising risk professionals who are curious, thirsty for knowledge, and searching to add value and expand their careers. The conversation turns to David’s attendance at RISKWORLD for over 20 years, and how he will be participating this year at RISKWORLD 2024 in San Diego, May 5th through May 8th. Listen in! You are invited to learn more about David Arick in the Leadership Corner at RIMS.org.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMScast. [:13] Public registration for RISKWORLD 2024 is now open. Explore infinite opportunities with RIMS from May 5th through May 8th, 2024, in San Diego, California. Register at RIMS.org/riskworld. Be thankful that it’s a leap year! Advance Registration rates end on February 29th, 2024. [:38] About today’s episode of RIMScast. We will be diving right into a conversation with RIMS 2024 President David Arick. [:59] The RIMS-CRMP is the only competency-based risk management credential. That matters because earning the certification shows employers and recruiters that you have the skills necessary to manage risk and create value for your organization. [1:16] Several Exam Prep virtual workshops are coming up. On March 19th and 20th, this two-day course will be presented with PARIMA. The two-day RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop will be held on January 30th and February 1st. Visit the certification page on RIMS.org for more information. A link is in these show notes. [1:46] If there is a full group of employees in your organization who should earn the RIMS-CRMP, visit RIMS.org/webinars and register for the complimentary webinar, How Deloitte Leveraged the RIMS-CRMP: A Fireside Chat. A link is on this episode’s show notes. [2:05] We will have leaders from the RIMS-CRMP Commission as well as leaders from Deloitte, who will speak to why they supported several of their employees in earning the RIMS-CRMP. It will be a relaxed, informational session and a lot of fun. Mark your calendars for March 15th and register! [2:25] We are looking forward to RISKWORLD 2024 in sunny San Diego, California, from May 5th through May 8th, 2024. Public registration is open. Register today at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD and the link in this episode’s show notes. Early registration rates are available through February 29th, 2024, brought to you by RIMS and leap year! [2:52] RIMS likes to keep things exciting and every year we have a new president. We are delighted that the RIMS 2024 President is David Arick. David is very well known among RIMS members and chapters. He was originally an officer and a board member for the Central Ohio and St. Louis RIMS chapters. [3:11] David then served in Society roles as a member of the RIMS International Committee. He was Chair of the Long Range Planning Committee and a member of the External Affairs Committee. He joined the board in 2019 and was Vice President in 2023. We’ve got much to discuss with David. [3:28] His first Leadership Corner installment is now live. The link is in this episode’s show notes. We’re here to create a new dialog based on that and hear about what his plans are for RIMS, the greater risk profession, and how RIMS has played a pivotal role in his career. [3:55] I’m very pleased to be joined by RIMS 2024 President David Arick. David, welcome to RIMScast. [4:10] Justin and David did a webinar together right after the pandemic hit on where they thought the pandemic would lead and how bad it might get. Now they know how bad it got. [4:30] David’s first Leadership Corner article as the new President is up on the RIMS.org website. There is a link in this episode’s show notes. David is all about diving in. [5:09] David praises past RIMS presidents including immediate past president Jennifer Santiago. He feels fortunate to have served on the board with them and to be following in Jennifer’s footsteps. She’s there whenever he needs something. Having watched her as President in a tumultuous year gave David an idea of what to expect. [5:43] David is excited by the opportunity and feels humbled to follow in the footsteps of people he has watched from afar and admired over the years. [6:21] David’s first experience in risk and insurance was in a claims group with Nationwide Insurance, while he was working his way through school. Then he got a job in risk management at a bank. That was where he learned about RIMS. He decided he wanted to continue in the career of risk management. [7:14] A few years later, David was working for Abbot in Chicago where he gained global experience. He then went to Emerson Electric in St. Louis, another global company in a different sector. He moved to GE in 2001 and enjoyed working there for three years. Then he came to International Paper. [8:05] David likes that risk management gives you a lot of opportunity to see across different functions both inside and outside the company. You learn a lot about the DNA of a firm. Risk management works with people across the firm and they look to risk management for guidance. You work with a broad network of external partners. [9:14] Every industry has its unique challenges and every company is different in how they view financial decision-making and legal concerns. A way of thinking, being inquisitive, and gathering facts is transferable from one industry or firm to another. If you are around risk management for a while, you build a standardized tool kit. [10:29] David’s view on standards is that they have a place, depending on your industry. Every industry has different regulations that may determine the standards you follow. [11:27] In David’s first risk management position, he needed knowledge. Some people in the risk department invited him to a meeting of the local Ohio chapter of RIMS. He quickly saw the available network of local risk managers, insurance companies, brokers, and others who attended chapter meetings. They were all helpful in helping David learn. [12:20] David was asked to join the board and there he saw what chapter leadership looked like. Later, he served on the chapter Board in St. Louis. Those opportunities helped him learn to network differently to attract prospective members and make meetings successful. [13:18] David commends chapter leaders who find dynamic programming to bring people back, with speakers and topics that differentiate going to a meeting from staying at home and watching a podcast or a webinar. [14:03] RIMS plug time! RIMS Virtual Workshops: Visit RIMS.org/virtualworkshops to see the full calendar. On February 7th and 8th, we have Facilitating Risk-based Decision Making. On March 6th and 7th, our friend Elise Farnham hosts Applying and Integrating ERM. [14:28] Information about these workshops and others is on the RIMS Virtual Workshops page and a link to the full calendar is in this episode’s notes. [14:36] On February 29th, Hub International sponsors Ready for Tomorrow: Protecting Your Profits in the Property Market. On March 7th, in celebration of International Women’s Day, Origami Risk leads the session Women of Risk & Compliance: Leading & Learning One Step at a Time. [14:58] Visit RIMS.org/Webinars to learn more about these webinars and to register! Links are in the show notes. Webinar registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [15:11] Quick shout-out to our friends at the Spencer Educational Foundation, which funds the education of next-generation risk management and insurance talent. Spencer’s scholarship program is open but coming to a close on January 31st for undergraduate and graduate students and on March 1st for Ph.D. applicants. [15:30] Spencer’s course development grant cycle is entertaining submissions through February 15th. Students and risk management and insurance faculty with interest can visit Spencered.org for additional details. [16:28] David discusses the biggest risks of the year ahead: how new technology will be used and the new risks it will introduce. What are the controls and framework around new technology? Cybersecurity is a current and future issue. Remote work presents a set of issues and challenges. How do you manage culture, working from a couch? [18:00] In the U.S., litigation and the abuse of the legal system are huge problems affecting a lot of industries and impacting their ability to continue. Litigation costs are out of control. There are also concerns about wars, supply chains, and natural disasters. These things will keep risk professionals busy. [18:33] The World Economic Forum released its global risks report for 2024. They list misinformation and disinformation as the number one risk for the two-year outlook and the number five risk for the ten-year outlook. Cyber insecurity is number four on the two-year outlook and number eight on the 10-year outlook. [19:07] Adverse outcomes of AI technologies is number six on the 10-year outlook and wasn’t on the two-year outlook. We have these short-term and long-term risks to be thinking about within the profession. David will be presenting with a group from Marsh and Zurich at the RISKWORLD 2024 Conference on the WEF global risks report. [20:44] Ahead of the conference, David suggests reaching out to your IT and information security folks and your legal department about AI technology. It’s on their radars, too. It’s a great opportunity to learn how they view this topic, how it applies to your company,  and what they need from risk management. Draw in your insurance advisors, also. [22:07] David sees that it is effective when people with experience engage with those people without as much experience who are curious and want to learn and grow. There’s a group of young professionals who are thirsty for knowledge and want to expand their value and grow their careers. David hopes you engage with them. [23:21] Try to give back and pay it forward a little bit. One of the exciting elements of engaging with young risk professionals is showing them that there is a path forward, helping them navigate through some uncertainty, and showing them that there are a variety of ways to be successful. Networking helps a lot in finding a path for a person. [24:05] David prefers in-person interaction to a virtual experience. He loves to be with people to see by their body language what resonates with them. It allows a genuine conversation that builds relationships. [24:47] An upcoming in-person event is RISKWORLD 2024, May 5th‒8th, in San Diego, California. David guesses he has been to RISKWORLD more than 20 times. This one will be special for David as he will be onstage and leading some of the events. David has presented at many conferences, preparing for months. He loves seeing people react. [26:16] David looks forward to RISKWORLD like a reunion. There are many old friends and people you only get to see there and you make new friends as you learn and have fun along the way. RISKWORLD presents relevant topics, “ripped from the headlines.” People want cutting-edge knowledge to take with them from leaders in the space. [27:16] David looks for speakers he respects and that he knows will deliver insightful information in a way that is meaningful to the attendees. He looks for topics he knows he wants to learn something about to take back. He looks for good speakers. [28:40] David has advice for first-time RISKWORLD attendees. First, don’t over-commit. Things take longer than expected. Once you’re late on your schedule, you’re playing catch-up. Second, think about where you’re meeting people when you’re scheduling things. Things are spread out. Factor in the travel time and don’t overschedule. [29:49] Justin adds, “Comfortable shoes! Maybe an extra pair of socks. There’s a lot of walking involved. These convention centers are big!”  [30:19] Justin looks forward to seeing David on stage in the opening session of RISKWORLD 2024 in San Diego and to attending his session with Marsh and Zurich on the WEF Global Risks Report. “Go hear from the RIMS President directly!” [30:44] Justin looks forward to seeing David at other RIMS events this year. Justin thanks David Arick. [31:00] Special thanks to RIMS 2024 President David Arick, for joining us here on RIMScast. We hope to hear more from him throughout the year. Be sure to catch his presence at RISKWORLD 2024 in San Diego, May 5th-8th for many of the ceremonies and his session on the WEF Global Risks Report. Register today! RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. [31:29] Go to the App Store and download the RIMS App. This is an exclusive members-only benefit with all sorts of RIMS resources and coverage. Everybody loves the RIMS App! [31:55] You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in our show notes. RIMScast has a global audience of risk professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let’s collaborate! Contact [email protected] for more information. [32:37] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email [email protected] for more information. The RIMS app is a benefit of RIMS membership and is available only for RIMS members! You can find it in the App Store. [33:01] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today’s risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [33:16] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com, and check out the blog at RiskManagementMonitor.com. Justin Smulison is Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at [email protected]. [33:38] Thank you for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Mentioned in this Episode: Riskworld 2024 — San Diego, CA | May 5–8, 2024 RIMS SERMC Professional Report: Managing Alternate Futures with Scenario Planning 2024 International Risk Manager Survey conducted by FERMA in partnership with PwC FERMA RIMS Leadership Corner: David Arick NEW FOR MEMBERS! RIMS Mobile App Spencer Educational Foundation Spencer Educational Foundation – Grants Page RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS CRMP Virtual Workshops RIMS Webinars: Ready for Tomorrow: Protecting Your Profits in the Property Market | Sponsored by Hub International | Feb. 29, 2024 Women of Risk & Compliance: Leading & Learning One Step at a Time | Sponsored by Origami Risk | March 7, 2024 RIMS Presents: How Deloitte Leveraged the RIMS-CRMP: A Fireside Chat | March 15, 2024 RIMS.org/Webinars Upcoming Virtual Workshops: See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual WorkshopsRIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops Related RIMScast Episodes: “Kicking Off 2024 with RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche” “Risk Management in 2024 with FERMA CEO Typhaine Beaupérin” Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Alliant’s P&C Outlook For 2024” | Sponsored by Alliant (New!) “Why Subrogation is the New Arbitration” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyclone Season: Proactive Preparation for Loss Minimization” | Sponsored by Prudent Insurance Brokers Ltd. “Subrogation and the Competitive Advantage” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyberrisk Outlook 2023” | Sponsored by Alliant “Chemical Industry: How To Succeed Amid Emerging Risks and a Challenging Market” | Sponsored by TÜV SÜD “Insuring the Future of the Environment” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Insights into the Gig Economy and its Contractors” | Sponsored by Zurich “The Importance of Disaster Planning Relationships” | Sponsored by ServiceMaster   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars Risk Management Magazine Risk Management Monitor RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Stories — New interview featuring Chris Mandel! Spencer Educational Foundation RIMS DEI Council   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® RIMS Events App Apple | Google Play RIMS Buyers Guide   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org and listen on Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: [email protected].   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest David Arick, RIMS 2024 President Tweetables (Edited For Social Media Use): I find that risk management gives a lot of opportunities to see across different functions inside and outside the company. You learn a lot about the DNA of a firm. … In risk management, we have to gather information. We have people contact us looking for guidance. — David Arick   Every industry has its unique challenges. Every company is different in how they view things. If you are around risk management for a while, you build a standardized tool kit. — David Arick   I commend chapter leaders in today’s world where you’ve got so much information. You’re trying to find that dynamic programming that brings people back. It requires you to network more broadly within your chapter and the community. — David Arick   Reach out to your IT and information security folks and your legal department about AI technology. It’s on their radars, too. Learn how they view this topic, how it applies to your company,  and what they need from risk management. — David Arick   It’s invigorating for me to hear how much better prepared young professionals are for their careers because they studied risk management or they grew up thinking about what it’s like to be a risk and insurance professional. — David Arick

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin interviews guests Tom Easthope, RIMS SERMC Chair, Carol Fox, Retired risk manager, and Denise Sobczak, Director, Group Risk Management, BIC Group. They tell how they became ERM practitioners and they discuss the new paper from RIMS SERMC on scenario planning.   Visit the Strategic and Enterprise Risk Management Center for more SERMC contributions and ERM resources. Rims.org/resources/strategic-enterprise-risk-center Listen in to learn more about starting scenario planning within your organization.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMScast. [:13] Public registration for RISKWORLD 2024 is now open. Explore infinite opportunities with RIMS from May 5th through May 8th, 2024, in San Diego, California. Register at RIMS.org/riskworld. Be grateful it’s a leap year! Advance Registration rates end on February 29th, 2024. [:38] About today’s episode of RIMScast. I will be joined by members of the RIMS Strategic and Enterprise Risk Management Council to talk about scenario planning and alternate futures. [1:00] The RIMS-CRMP is the only competency-based risk management credential. That matters because earning the certification shows employers and recruiters that you have the skills necessary to manage risk and create value for your organization. [1:18] Several Exam Prep virtual workshops are coming up. On March 19th and 20th, this two-day course will be presented with PARIMA. The two-day RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop will be held on January 30th and February 1st. Visit the certification page on RIMS.org for more information. A link is in these show notes. [1:49] RIMS is looking forward to RISKWORLD 2024 in sunny San Diego, California, from May 5th through May 8th, 2024. Public registration is open. Register today at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD and the link in this episode’s show notes. Early registration rates are available through February 29th, 2024, brought to you by RIMS and leap year! [2:15] I am delighted to welcome three guests to RIMScast today. They are all members of the RIMS Strategic and Enterprise Risk Management Council (SERMC). I’ll be joined by council chair Tom Easthope, and members Denise Sobczak and Carol Fox. They’re here to talk about all things ERM and, especially, scenario planning. [2:41] In November 2023, RIMS published “Managing Alternate Futures with Scenario Planning,” which is a professional report that you can download through the Risk Knowledge page at RIMS.org. That report was authored by Tom Easthope and Carol Fox and Denise Sobczak was one of the lead contributors. [3:01] The report guides you through the scenario planning journey. You can learn about critical steps, key considerations, scenario planning types, and case studies. Tom and Denise led two sessions on scenario planning at the RIMS ERM Conference in Denver in November 2023. The sessions were very well attended and we will extend the dialog. [3:39] Tom Easthope, Carol Fox, and Denise Sobczak, welcome to RIMScast! These three guests are three of the great minds of the Strategic and Enterprise Risk Management Council here at RIMS. [4:11] Carol Fox, Tom Easthope, and Denise Sobczak introduce themselves to the listeners. [5:42] The council was started by Carol Fox. There are 11 members, all in enterprise risk management roles. It’s a diverse group, representing different industries and different-sized organizations. The council looks at things such as thought leadership projects that bring value to the risk community. [7:29] Tom addresses what we can expect this year from the SERMC. They will continue looking into the changing landscape of the future. They will look to provide the nuts and bolts of how to survive in this increasingly dynamic and chaotic risk management world where staff are often small. Some ERM departments have a staff of one. [8:35] Denise became an ERM practitioner after completing an international assignment in Brazil and returning to the U.S. She had been a finance professional. ERM opened up a different world to her looking beyond the financial risks to all aspects of the organization. This shift was in 2015. [9:34] Tom got into risk management when he owned a small international company and had to get certificates of insurance for all of his subcontractors. He had to create a risk management program. He then worked for a corporation where business continuity was important. That was Tom’s entry into ERM. He was there for 16 years, [10:54] Carol has been in ERM “for a very, very long time.” She shares a story about her entry into ERM through RIMS and the SERMC. What she loves about the SERMC is that she gets to talk to so many different people. She pitched ERM to an attorney at her organization and he became an advocate for it. The CFO also wanted ERM. [11:56] Carol was given the go-ahead to get ERM started, with no software for it or staff. She came up with a program of ERM and business continuity and worked with a strategy group. Years later at an airport, she met a former colleague who told her they still talk about her at the company. [13:17] Scenario planning is a lot of fun. Carol stresses how crucial it is to engage people on a level that's meaningful to them. The scenarios you write about what the future could look like need to inspire thinking about things differently. [14:38] Denise says we hear every year how much more dynamic and evolving the risk landscape is and it continues to be the case. She points to scenario planning during an election year to anticipate the policy changes that may be put in place after the election. [15:45] Scenario planning is taking what is imagined in the future and taking into your hands what are the things that require immediate action and what would be the longer-term actions you need to take, Scenario planning is for action-driven conversations. It can impact your operating plan and practices and it can lead to agility. [16:34] Tom says scenario planning is risk identification. It helps you consider in a structured way the unknown risks. It will become less and less feasible for a person working alone to understand all the permutations of risk. Relevant scenario planning is becoming a more necessary part of your ERM program’s value proposition. [17:59] RIMS plug time! RIMS Virtual Workshops: Visit RIMS.org/virtualworkshops to see the full calendar. On February 7th and 8th, we have Facilitating Risk-based Decision Making. On March 6th and 7th, our friend Elise Farnham hosts Applying and Integrating ERM. [18:24] Information about these workshops and others is on the RIMS Virtual Workshops page and a link to the full calendar is in this episode’s notes. [18:32] On February 29th, Hub International sponsors Ready for Tomorrow: Protecting Your Profits in the Property Market. On March 7th, in celebration of International Women’s Day, Origami Risk leads the session Women of Risk & Compliance: Leading & Learning One Step at a Time. [18:53] Visit RIMS.org/Webinars to learn more about these webinars and to register! Links are in the show notes. Webinar registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [19:07] Quick shout-out to our friends at the Spencer Educational Foundation, which funds the education of next-generation risk management and insurance talent. Spencer’s scholarship program is open but coming to a close on January 31st for undergraduate and graduate students and on March 1st for Ph.D. applicants. [19:26] Spencer’s course development grant cycle is entertaining submissions through February 15th. Students and risk management and insurance faculty with interest can visit Spencered.org for additional details. [20:17] This paper was inspired by a discussion in the SERMC. They wanted to provide risk practitioners with tools to assess and prepare for risks and they saw they needed to provide a baseline before giving tools. They needed to create a baseline understanding of what scenario planning is about and then produce more materials on how to do it. [21:39] The scenario planning white paper has been issued, but there is more to come with different frameworks or methods of scenario planning. [22:34] Tom generally agrees with this view and adds that his interest in this topic was ignited by reading The Art of the Long View: Planning for the Future in an Uncertain World, by Peter Schwartz. In 2023, large language models and technology tools became available to bring scenario planning research within the grasp of individual practitioners. [24:13] If you were at the RIMS ERM Conference 2023 in Denver, you will remember the two sessions on scenario planning that Tom and Denise led. This episode is an extension of those sessions. In one of those sessions, people worked with ChatGPT on their device of choice, practicing scenario planning. [25:17] Carol shares some of the high-level points the paper explores. Reading the paper will give you the confidence to plan out a scenario planning session, with whom you should invite, what the output should look like, various ways to think about scenario planning, how you should start, and which methods might work for which situations. [26:13] Too often, people think about scenario planning and they jump to “What’s the output?” without taking into account the steps in-between. The paper takes you through beginning, planning, execution, and output. It’s especially helpful for small teams or individuals. It’s a place to start. It’s customizable for your situation. [27:08] Denise thought it was amazing for this white paper to include examples. It gives you a flavor of what would be the potential output. [27:35] Carol shares some of the fun of using AI in the context of this white paper. As they worked on developing examples, they learned a lot. [28:16] Using AI in scenario planning is a game-changer for small ERM shops to create content and thought leadership within your organization in the research area. Things that would take you months on your own, can be done with a well-worded prompt. We are not all “prompt engineers” but it is quite learnable. [29:20] Tom got great joy seeing how quickly people could accelerate their understanding and their use of AI in the lab that Tom and Denise administered at the conference. AI makes this practice much more accessible to a bigger population of the RIMS membership. [30:53] Carol explains that AI does not replace the risk professional. You have to read through the sources and make it work for your organization. Your professionalism includes your ability to discern what really matters. Tom adds to use your awareness of risk management so you don’t put your company information into a public database. [31:54] Final question: What do you hope readers take away from the paper “Managing Alternate Futures with Scenario Planning”? Denise: As you read this, it gives you the first step. The SERMC is also going to be launching “How to” modules. Also, there may be some hands-on sessions at the ERM Conference 2024. [33:15] Carol: When we started writing the paper, my hope was that it would inspire somebody with the confidence to try it out within their organizations to see how well it works and feel confident in executing scenario planning within their organization. I truly believe you can make a difference in your organization. [33:52] Tom: I want to thank Denise and Carol. This is a team sport. None of this would be here without their help. To someone listening, I would say the job of the enterprise risk manager is not getting easier. The environment you work in is more complex. The demand for efficiency in business value for an ERM organization has never been higher. [34:36] Consider scenario planning as a means to deliver business value and strategic insights. A tool that formerly has been only available to wealthy organizations is now available more broadly. I hope that the paper has people asking, “Why not us? We should be doing this, as well.” [35:12] Carol: For those who read it and act on it, we’d love to hear from you. We say constantly in the council that we feed off of each other’s ideas, The more broadly we can feed off of ideas, the better RIMS becomes and the better risk professionals we all become. [35:32] Send your feedback to [email protected]. I’ll be sure that those messages get forwarded to the authors and contributors. I want to thank Tom Easthope, Denise Sobczak, and Carol Fox for joining us here on RIMScast. You did a great job! [36:27] Special thanks to Tom Easthope, Carol Fox, and Denise Sobczak, for joining us here on RIMScast. The RIMS executive report we referenced is “Managing Alternate Futures with Scenario Planning” and it is available on the Risk Knowledge page of RIMS.org. A link is in this episode’s show notes. [36:44] There is also a link to the SERMC’s page and as Denise said, be on the lookout for some more scenario-planning content from this fantastic council! [36:57] Go to the App Store and download the RIMS App. This is an exclusive members-only benefit with all sorts of RIMS resources and coverage. Everybody loves the RIMS App! [37:22] You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in our show notes. RIMScast has a global audience of risk professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let’s collaborate! Contact [email protected] for more information. [38:05] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email [email protected] for more information. The RIMS app is a benefit of RIMS membership and is available only for RIMS members! You can find it in the App Store. [38:30] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today’s risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [38:45] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com, and check out the blog at RiskManagementMonitor.com. Justin Smulison is Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at [email protected]. [39:07] Thank you for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Mentioned in this Episode: Riskworld 2024 — San Diego, CA | May 5–8, 2024 RIMS SERMC Professional Report: Managing Alternate Futures with Scenario Planning 2024 International Risk Manager Survey conducted by FERMA in partnership with PwC FERMA NEW FOR MEMBERS! RIMS Mobile App Spencer Educational Foundation Spencer Educational Foundation — Grants Page RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS CRMP Virtual Workshops RIMS Webinars: Ready for Tomorrow: Protecting Your Profits in the Property Market | Sponsored by Hub International | Feb. 29, 2024 Women of Risk & Compliance: Leading & Learning One Step at a Time | Sponsored by Origami Risk | March 7, 2024 RIMS.org/Webinars Upcoming Virtual Workshops: See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops Facilitating Risk-based Decision Making | February 7th and 8th RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops Related RIMScast Episodes: “Kicking Off 2024 with RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche” “Risk Management in 2024 with FERMA CEO Typhaine Beaupérin” “Leadership and Coffee Talk with Sacha Coburn” “Solving Wicked Problems with Dr. Gav Schneider” “Live From RIMS ERM Conference 2023” “All Roads Lead to ERM” “ERM’s Value Proposition with Chris Mandel” “Harnessing Innovation’s Promise with Bob Roitblat” “The State of ERM with Carol Fox, RIMS VP of Strategic Initiatives (retired)” Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Alliant’s P&C Outlook For 2024” | Sponsored by Alliant (New!) “Why Subrogation is the New Arbitration” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyclone Season: Proactive Preparation for Loss Minimization” | Sponsored by Prudent Insurance Brokers Ltd. “Subrogation and the Competitive Advantage” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyberrisk Outlook 2023” | Sponsored by Alliant “Chemical Industry: How To Succeed Amid Emerging Risks and a Challenging Market” | Sponsored by TÜV SÜD “Insuring the Future of the Environment” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Insights into the Gig Economy and its Contractors” | Sponsored by Zurich “The Importance of Disaster Planning Relationships” | Sponsored by ServiceMaster “Technology, Media and Telecom Solutions in 2023” | Sponsored by Allianz “Analytics in Action” | Sponsored by Alliant “Captive Market Outlook and Industry Insights” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Using M&A Insurance: The How and Why” | Sponsored by Prudent Insurance Brokers Ltd. “Zurich’s Construction Sustainability Outlook for 2023”   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars Risk Management Magazine Risk Management Monitor RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Stories — New interview featuring Chris Mandel! Spencer Educational Foundation RIMS DEI Council   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® RIMS Events App Apple | Google Play RIMS Buyers Guide   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org and listen on Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: [email protected].   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.     About our guests Tom Easthope, RIMS SERMC Chair   Carol Fox, Retired risk manager   Denise Sobczak, Director, Group Risk Management, BIC Group Tweetables (Edited For Social Media Use): What we can expect from the council this year is to continue looking into the future and understanding what is that changing landscape. Many of the people in RIMS are practitioners and need to have some nuts and bolts about how to survive. — Tom Easthope   When we started writing the paper, my hope was that it would inspire somebody with the confidence to try it out within their organizations to see how well it works and feel confident in executing scenario planning within their organization. — Carol Fox   As you read this, it gives you the first step. The SERMC is also going to be launching “How to” modules. Also, there may be some hands-on sessions at the ERM Conference 2024. — Denise Sobczak   The job of the enterprise risk manager is not getting easier. The environment you work in is more complex. The demand for efficiency in business value for an ERM organization has never been higher. — Tom Easthope