Talking ERM: From Geopolitical Whiplash to Leadership Buy-In

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Chrystina Howard’s ERM Background and Practice Build-Out

Chrystina summarizes her career at Willis Towers Watson and building an ERM consultancy at HUB International.

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Episode notes

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.

In this episode, Justin interviews Chrystina Howard, the ERM Leader of the Complex Risk Practice at HUB International. Chrystina relates a bit of her career and then explores topics around emerging disruptions such as climate change and extreme weather, geopolitical whiplash, the pandemic, and AI. Chrystina shares her recipe for organizational resilience and some tips for catching and holding the attention of the C-Suite and the board.

Listen for hints about Chrystina's upcoming webinar and her presentation on November 17th at the RIMS ERM Conference 2025 in Seattle, Washington.

Key Takeaways:

[:01] About RIMS and RIMScast.

[:14] The RIMS CRO Certificate Program in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management is our live virtual program led by the famous James Lam. Great news! A third cohort has been announced, from January through March 2026.

[:32] Registration closes January 5th. Enroll now! A link is in this episode's show notes.

[:43] About this episode of RIMScast. We will talk all about ERM with Chrystina Howard, ERM Leader of the Complex Risk Practice at HUB International. But first…

[1:10] RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops! The CBCP and the RIMS-CRMP are presenting The Exam Prep Bootcamp for "Mastering Business Continuity and Risk Management" from November 3rd to 6th. That is a virtual course.

[1:23] The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Virtual Workshop will be held on November 11th and 12th and led by Joseph Mayo. Links to these courses can be found through the Certifications page of RIMS.org and through this episode's show notes.

[1:40] RIMS Virtual Workshops! RIMS has launched a new course, "Intro to ERM for Senior Leaders." It will be held again on November 4th and 5th and will be led by Elise Farnham.

[1:54] On November 11th and 12th, Chris Hansen will lead "Fundamentals of Insurance". It features everything you've always wanted to know about insurance but were afraid to ask. Fear not; ask Chris Hansen! RIMS members always enjoy deep discounts on the virtual workshops!

[2:13] The full schedule of virtual workshops can be found on the RIMS.org/education and RIMS.org/education/online-learning pages. A link is also in this episode's notes.

[2:24] RIMS Webinars! On October 30th, Swiss Re will present "Parametric Insurance: Providing Financial Certainty in Uncertain Times". On November 6th, HUB will present "Geopolitical Whiplash — Building Resilient Global Risk Programs in an Unstable World".

[2:45] Register at RIMS.org/Webinars.

[2:48] The RIMS ERM Conference 2025 will be on November 17th and 18th in Seattle, Washington.

[2:56] If you are a Washington resident who would like to attend, you can enjoy an exclusive $150 discount on your registration by entering the discount code ERM2025WA on the Review step of the registration form. Act quickly because this offer expires on Friday, October 31st.

[3:18] This is your chance to expand your ERM knowledge, here in Washington. That brings us to today's guest, Chrystina Howard. Chrystina is the ERM Leader of the Complex Risk Practice at HUB International, and she will be one of the presenters at the RIMS ERM Conference in Seattle.

[3:39] On November 17th, she will present "Talk ERM to Me: How to Get and Keep Attention from Management." On November 6th, she will be moderating the HUB International Webinar "Geopolitical Whiplash — Building Resilient Global Risk Programs in an Unstable World."

[3:59] Registration links for the conference and the webinar are in this episode's show notes.

[4:04] On with the show! We're all about ERM in this episode, and I wanted to give you all a chance to get to know Chrystina a little bit, in case you want to meet with her virtually, in person, or both. Let's get to it!

[4:14] Interview! Chrystina Howard, welcome to RIMScast!

[4:22] We will see more of Chrystina soon, on November 17th and 18th, in Seattle, Washington, at the RIMS ERM Conference 2025. We're going to talk more about that in a bit.

[4:39] Chrystina Howard spent a couple of decades with the Willis Towers Watson organization, where she looked after ERM consulting. She built out a platform and rolled it out, that is still going strong globally.

[4:53] Chrystina says she was fortunate to come to the HUB International organization, with a great culture, where she kick-started an ERM Consulting Division. She's having a blast, helping clients get what they need in terms of risk management.

[5:14] Chrystina says that when building the ERM Consultancy, she had a lot of great folks to work with and two decades under her belt of developing processes and models. She was set to go as soon as she arrived at HUB.

[5:31] Chrystina says they have great specialization, and she is able to get into a lot of industry risk information that she may not have known, to build out the breadth of the consultancy. She helps people learn what ERM is, how it's used, how it works, and why people are interested in it.

[5:53] Chrystina says, We're just guns blazing, now!

[6:09] Chrystina says geopolitical risks are definitely at the forefront for organizations. This includes economic volatility around the globe, tariffs, and import/export regulations between countries, that will call the shots for some time.

[6:27] Chrystina says right along with geopolitical risks will be the effective use of AI. There are security concerns with AI. Some people are not comfortable with it. We're moving into a phase where we've got to put AI to work for us. How can we do that effectively and securely?

[6:44] Chrystina says a lot of industries will have staffing challenges, particularly skilled workers. It will hit the healthcare industry pretty hard, along with agriculture, and construction.

[6:58] Chrystina says she is seeing a bit of a resurgence in ESG risks. Despite the regulatory environment, people are keen to make sure that companies are being good environmental stewards, treating employees fairly, and behaving as the public thinks is appropriate.

[7:41] AI will make data compilation and claims processing faster. Chrystina has been reading of physicians and medical practitioners using AI as a background double-check when they're working toward a diagnosis.

[7:58] With its access to information, AI might ask, Your diagnosis is probably right, but did you consider this? We hope this will enhance the diagnostic process, and not take over.

[8:11] There is a concern that there's pressure to use AI tools because your colleagues are using them. If you rely on it too much, that can also backfire. We're going to have to strike a balance.

[8:40] Chrystina is an optimist when it comes to AI. AI tools can make shorter work of a lot of things in ERM, like scenario analysis; having a tool that will allow you to see multiple scenarios that maybe individuals couldn't come up with on their own, and make decisions from them.

[9:06] Chrystina mentions automation for reporting and metric updates. Successful organizations that have the resources can use AI in ERM training, policy updates, and even collecting information through surveys and interviews.

[9:23] Enhancing dashboards is a big focus going forward, getting a robust database that gives alerts and keeps everybody up to date.

[9:35] Justin mentions crises of the past few years. The Baltimore Key Bridge collapsed a year ago, and we don't hear about it anymore. Justin asks, How can ERM leaders keep resilience and risk appetite aligned with long-term strategy, rather than reactive short-term fixes.

[10:00] Chrystina thinks ERM, by nature, is focused on preparation and then response. It takes into account "left of loss." Before the incident occurs, how can we prepare ourselves the best and implement plans should something happen?

[10:16] Chrystina has seen organizations widely embrace ERM more readily following the successful navigation of crises.

[10:24] It would behoove ERM leaders to seize that opportunity and make a great connection between the protection and preparation that ERM brought through the crisis to the strategic success of the organization.

[10:40] ERM leaders may have to campaign a little bit still, but it's something they can point out to executives, and the selling of ERM will be a lot easier.

[10:53] Quick Break! RISKWORLD 2026 will be in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 3rd through the 6th. RIMS members can now lock in the 2025 rate for a full conference pass to RISKWORLD 2026 when you register by October 30th!

[11:12] This also lets you enjoy earlier access to the RISKWORLD hotel block. Register by October 30th, and you will also be entered to win a $500 raffle! Do not miss out on this chance to plan and score some of these extra perks!

[11:26] The members-only registration link is in this episode's show notes. If you are not yet a member, this is the time to join us! Visit RIMS.org/Membership and build your network with us here at RIMS!

[11:37] Save the dates March 18th and 19th, 2026, for The RIMS Legislative Summit, which will be held in Washington, D.C.

[11:46] Join us in Washington, D.C., for two days of Congressional Meetings, networking, and advocating on behalf of the risk management community. Visit RIMS.org/Advocacy for more information and updates and to register.

[12:02] Let's return to our interview with Chrystina Howard!

[12:08] Chrystina Howard is the ERM Leader of the Complex Risk Practice at Hub International. Justin asks Chrystina about ERM leaders needing to campaign. Chrystina is one of the featured presenters at the RIMS ERM Conference 2025 in Seattle, Washington, November 17th and 18th.

[12:58] Chrystina's foundational session is called "Talk ERM to Me: How to Get and Keep Attention from Management." It is a solo session. She likes to be at the controls!

[14:09] Chrystina says speaking about risk to management is a perennial struggle. One of the top questions she gets is how to translate ERM for the C-Suite so they understand the value of the work.

[14:21] As risk management professionals, we often get excited about details that might not capture management's attention.

[14:29] We have to think about things from the perspective of a CEO and a CFO. What things are important to them? What are they keeping an eye on? How does this relate to the bottom line? Connect those things. Connect risk management to strategy.

[14:45] Demonstrate how the protection and preparation of things like Enterprise Risk Management support the execution of corporate strategy. When you're talking to the C-Suite, you've got to hit the high points, quick, like an elevator speech.

[15:00] Link positive impacts of risk management to things that the C-Suite is focused on. Grab attention with things that are on their minds, like growth, M&A, performance volatility, how we're doing in the market, how these things play out, and how to help minimize volatility.

[15:20] Chrystina says we see a lot of interest from private equity in the strategic business practice of ERM. That's a good thing for risk professionals to keep in mind as they campaign for ERM. There are other people who are keen to know about it.

[15:48] ERM gets alerts about negative trends, but it's important to keep the positive news coming too about how they helped create a solution, minimize a threat, and protected the organization so that operations can continue and the strategy can go forward.

[16:33] Chrystina says Streamline things. She approaches ERM from a practical and realistic perspective. She doesn't like a lot of jargon or a lot of metrics. She likes simple, streamlined stuff that everybody can get on board with.

[16:51] Chrystina tells people, Don't boil the ocean. Participants and risk owners are going to get bogged down if they've got too many things to keep track of. Set up tiers of risks. Start at the top. What can we affect over the next year or two years?

[17:10] Keep it practical and realistic. Limit the amount of information you collect. If you start adding different metrics and definitions, that can be a slippery slope. You have to train people how to do it. They have to remember what it's supposed to be. And there are updates to fill out!

[17:33] Think about how often you're asking people to update. Every so often, have a blank-sheet risk assessment. Limit how often you do updates throughout the year.

[18:14] Reporting intervals should be more than twice a year. Strict ERM practitioners are going to be monitoring risks and looking at the dashboard and the risk register, preparing all the time to report to management.

[18:34] Risk owners are an important source of information. All of those folks already have a job; maybe a job and a half. We have to be careful about how we engage them so that we get robust information and we don't overwhelm them.

[18:50] When we do updates, they should be limited but powerful. These are the big things that you want executives to know about. Once a year, when you do your board presentation, tell them these things are going great and you want to update them on these other things. Keep it simple.

[19:19] One Final Break! As many of you know, the RIMS ERM Conference 2025 will be held on November 17th and 18th in Seattle, Washington. We recently had ERM Conference Keynote Speaker Dan Chuparkoff on the show.

[19:36] He is back, just to deliver a quick message about what you can expect from his keynote on "AI and the Future of Risk." Dan, welcome back to RIMScast!

[19:47] Dan says, Greetings, RIMS members and the global risk community! I'm Dan Chuparkoff, AI expert and the CEO of Reinvention Labs. I'm delighted to be your opening keynote on November 17th, at the RIMS ERM Conference 2025 in Seattle, Washington.

[20:02] Artificial Intelligence is fueling the next era of work, productivity, and innovation. There are challenges in navigating anything new. This is especially true for risk management, as enterprises adapt to shifting global policies, economic swings, and a new generation of talent.

[20:20] We'll have a realistic discussion about the challenges of preparing for the future of AI. To learn more about my keynote, "AI and the Future of Risk Management," and how AI will impact Enterprise Risk Management for you, listen to my episode of RIMScast at RIMS.org/Dan.

[20:39] Be sure to register for the RIMS ERM Conference 2025, in Seattle, Washington, on November 17th and 18th, by visiting the Events page on RIMS.org. I look forward to seeing you all there.

[20:50] Justin thanks Dan and looks forward to seeing him again on November 17th and hearing all about the future of AI and risk management!

[20:58] Let's Conclude Our Interview with Chrystina Howard!

[21:05] Justin reminds the listeners, Before we get to see Chrystina live at the ERM Conference 2025, she will be moderating a RIMS Webinar sponsored by HUB, titled "Geopolitical Whiplash — Building Resilient Global Risk Programs in an Unstable World."

[21:23] Chrystina says everyone is talking about this, and she's excited to get some great experts about it on the line. Justin notes that over the past few years, geopolitical volatility has intensified with trade wars, sanctions, and supply chain disruption.

[21:54] Chrystina says there are so many, and they are interrelated. In conflict areas, everything gets turned upside-down. On a global basis, the U.S. economy has broad-reaching impacts. She would keep an eye on import/export trends. This global trade issue is so volatile and dynamic.

[22:22] You cannot sleep on the changing regulations around the world. An important subset related to global trade is increasing requirements for in-country hiring and procurement. That will affect a lot of people with respect to where we grow things and get raw materials and tech.

[22:51] Chrystina doesn't think we've seen the end of supply chain disruption. She mentions extreme weather from climate change. A large component of the outcome of climate change is energy security. She doesn't think we're clear of pandemics, either.

[23:11] Justin says Hilary Tuttle, Editor of RIMS Risk Management magazine, told him something a year ago that has stayed with him. "We're not in post-pandemic anymore. We're in post-height-of-the-pandemic." It's still here. It's never going away.

[24:11] Chrystina says there is no substitute for local knowledge and experience. The best way to approach a Global ERM Program across all of your jurisdictions is for ERM leaders to have deputies in each of the jurisdictions.

[24:30] These deputies should have a very keen sense of the landscape in their region in terms of policy, risk, interactions, and trade, as well as an understanding of the big picture across the global organization.

[24:46] Those people will be key to develop in all of your locations to support the ERM function. They have a job. It doesn't mean hiring extra staff. You can generally find people with that level of expertise locally, with a good understanding of the big picture, within your existing personnel.

[25:15] Making that connection with individuals who know exactly what's happening there on the ground is crucial. Chrystina says that is the very best solution.

[25:49] Chrystina says there are a number of stakeholders for any organization, internal and external. Chrystina is seeing favorable views from insurers toward companies and organizations that have implemented ERM globally.

[26:07] Other key stakeholders also want assurances that there are plans in place to protect them. This goes back to the inception of ERM when there was serious mismanagement at companies like WorldCom and Enron.

[26:23] Everybody's board was asking who's minding the store? This isn't going to happen to us, right?

[26:27] All of this risk is ultimately going to roll up to your reputation. That's difficult but not impossible to quantify. You can demonstrate how ERM plans address global threats in an anecdotal fashion. That will communicate real value and put people's minds at ease.

[26:52] You can do that in a country-specific way with partners in the countries to communicate the nuances, and give you information about how things work in there, why the risk is a problem, what are the drivers, what are the vulnerabilities, and how might this take place?

[27:19] That session will be on November 6th. Chrystina will moderate it with Eric Howie, the Vice President for Complex Risk in Canada, and Will Mule, Global Risk Solutions Practice Leader for HUB. For that session, Chrystina asks listeners to send in their questions ahead of time.

[28:00] The links to both the ERM Conference 2025 and the Webinar, "Geopolitical Whiplash — Building Resilient Global Risk Programs in an Unstable World," are in this episode's show notes.

[28:12] Chrystina, it's been lovely to see you again. I can't wait to see you virtually and in person.

[28:21] Special thanks again to Chrystina Howard for joining us. Remember to register for the HUB November 6th Webinar, "Geopolitical Whiplash — Building Resilient Global Risk Programs in an Unstable World," that she will be moderating.

[28:32] On November 17th, Chrystina will be hosting the session, "Talk ERM to Me" (but she'll be talking to you), at the RIMS ERM Conference 2025! Registration links for the Webinar and for the RIMS ERM Conference 2025 are in this episode's show notes.

[28:51] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes.

[28:19] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information.

[28:38] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information.

[28:55] 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.

[30:12] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management.

[30:26] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org.

[30:38] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continuous support!

Links:

RIMS ERM Conference 2025 — Nov. 17‒18

Washington Residents — Enjoy $150 off ERM Conference Registration through Oct. 31!

"RIMS-CRO Certificate Program In Advanced Enterprise Risk Management" | Jan‒March 2026 Cohort | Led by James Lam

RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy | RIMS Legislative Summit SAVE THE DATE — March 18‒19, 2026

RISKWORLD 2026 — Members-only early registration through Oct 30! LAST DAYS!

RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP)

The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center

RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council

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