Absence Management with Ondrea Matthews

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Aug 26, 2025

In this discussion, Ondrea Matthews, Sr. Director of Risk Management & Benefits at CoorsTek and a RIMS Board Director, shares her insights into the world of risk management. She emphasizes the integration of employee benefits into corporate risk culture and innovative strategies for absence management. Ondrea offers valuable advice on fostering collaboration between risk leaders and HR, highlighting the crucial role of empathy and communication during employee challenges. Get ready for her upcoming presentation on navigating disability and risk!

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ANECDOTE

From Engineer To Risk Leader

Ondrea Matthews started as an engineering major and moved into workers' compensation claims before shifting to risk management at CoorsTek.
She has spent 18 years at CoorsTek and now oversees insurance and benefits as Senior Director.

INSIGHT

Scale Reduces Operational Variability

CoorsTek's global sites share consistent materials and processes, which reduces variability in claims and lets risk focus on strategic priorities.
Low claim volume frees the team to improve renewals, processes, and communication rather than firefighting.

ADVICE

Prioritize People Then Financials

Prioritize risks by impact to employees first, then balance sheet and growth enablement.
Say yes where possible and present the cost and controls so the business can move forward safely.

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

In this episode, Justin interviews Ondrea Matthews, Sr. Director, Risk Management & Benefits at CoorsTek. Ondrea is also on the board of RIMS. She will be presenting at the RIMS Western Regional on October 2, “Gone But Not Forgotten: Mastering Absence, Disability, and Risk Without Losing Your Sanity!” Justin and Ondrea cover her risk career, the history of CoorsTek, her risk philosophy, and her experiences on the RIMS Rocky Mountain Chapter Board and the RIMS Global Board. She suggests how risk managers can work with HR to bring value to the organization.

Listen to learn about Ondrea’s upcoming presentation at the RIMS Western Regional Conference.

Key Takeaways:

[:01] About RIMS and RIMScast.

[:14] The call for educational content submissions for RISKWORLD 2026 is open through September 4th! A link is in this episode’s show notes.

[:28] About this episode of RIMScast. We will discuss HR risks with Ondrea Matthews, the Senior Director of Risk Management and Benefits at Coorstek. She is also a RIMS Board Director. She will share her risk perspective.

[:55] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! The next Virtual RIMS-CRMP exam prep, co-hosted by Parima, will be held on September 2nd and 3rd.

[1:06] 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 on the Certification Page of RIMS.org and through this episode’s show notes.

[1:22] 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. RIMS members enjoy deep discounts!

[1:39] 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.

[1:50] The next RIMS Webinar will be held on September 4th and will be led by AXA XL. It is titled “Lockdown & Level Up: Turn Up Your Cyber Security Game Against Creative Cyber Criminals”.

[2:03] On September 18th, Origami Risk will present “Driving Better Incident and Claims Management with Data, Technology & Strategic Collaboration”.

[2:12] On October 30th, Swiss Re will present “Parametric Insurance: Providing Financial Certainty in Uncertain Times”.

[2:20] On November 6th, Hub will present “Geopolitical Whiplash — Building Resilient Global Risk Programs in an Unstable World”. Register at RIMS.org/Webinars.

[2:32] Mark your calendars for November 17th and 18th for the RIMS ERM Conference 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The agenda is jam-packed with educational sessions that will resonate with risk practitioners in all stages of their careers.

[2:53] See the full agenda at RIMS.org/ERM2025.

[2:59] RISKWORLD 2026 will be in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 3rd through May 6th. RIMS members can now lock in the 2025 rate for a full conference pass to RISKWORLD 2026 when registering by September 30th.

[3:14] This also lets you enjoy earlier access to the RISKWORLD hotel block. Register by September 30th, and you will also be entered to win a $500 raffle. Don’t miss out on this chance to plan and score some extra perks.

[3:26] 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 risk network with us here at RIMS.

[3:41] On with the show! Our guest today is Ondrea Matthews. She is the Senior Director for Risk Management at CoorsTek. She is also a RIMS Board Director. On October 2nd, she will have a key role at the RIMS Western Regional Conference at the Santa Clara Marriott in California.

[4:02] On the afternoon of October 2nd, she will be co-leading the session “Gone But Not Forgotten: Mastering Absence, Disability, and Risk Without Losing Your Sanity!” We’re going to get a preview of that session, and she’ll be speaking to us from experience. Let’s get to it!

[4:19] Interview! Ondrea Matthews, welcome to RIMScast!

[4:25] As of January 2025, Ondrea is on the RIMS Board of Directors. Ondrea will be a presenter at the RIMS Western Regional Conference on October 2nd, partnering with ESIS, talking about Gone But Not Forgotten, touching on absence management.

[5:04] Ondrea started as an engineering major. With an engineering degree, Ondrea moved from Michigan to Colorado and landed in claims. She was a Workers’ Compensation claims adjuster and manager for about 11 years. She decided that claims was not where she wanted to be.

[5:29] Eighteen years ago, Ondrea moved to CoorsTek as their Risk Manager. It’s been great at CoorsTek with a lot of opportunities, from Risk Manager to her current role, Senior Director of Risk Management and Benefits. She oversees insurance.

[5:59] CoorsTek has nothing to do with beer. Adolph Coors founded CoorsTek in 1910. He is also the Founder of Coors Brewing. He branched out into ceramics. CoorsTek is the leading global manufacturer of technical ceramics in the world. It’s headquartered in Golden, Colorado.

[5:36] Justin and Ondrea comment on the beauty of Golden, Colorado. Justin likes the Coors Brewery and recommends the tour. He says Coors Ceramics (CoorsTek) is a close second. Both Coors Brewing and CoorsTek are owned and managed by the Coors family.

[7:08] CoorsTek has 30 facilities across 10 countries. Ondrea has visited the majority of the CoorsTek facilities and has built relationships with the local leadership teams in Finance, Human Resources, and Health and Safety.

[7:34] CorsTek manufactures thousands of parts, but the processes and materials are fairly consistent. They have a very low claim volume. That allows the risk team to focus on streamlining renewals, process improvements, and communication flow.

[7:48] They prioritize larger strategic initiatives in alignment wth their corporate vision. It’s not challenging when they all come together for the same common purpose.

[8:13] Ondrea’s team includes Ondrea, with a full-time Risk Manager and a part-time Workers’ Compensation Manager. It’s a department of 2.5. The work ebbs and flows. Between renewals and with low claim volume, there is some downtime to work on projects and other initiatives.

[8:36] CoorsTek is looking at further developing its fleet management and maintaining alignment with global partners. The size of the risk team is good for CoorsTek.

[8:51] Ondrea prioritizes risks by the largest exposure. CoorsTek pays attention to what is most impactful and prioritizes the health and safety of its employees. That’s through Workers’ Compensation, Health and Safety Partnerships with the global EHS staff.

[9:12] CoorsTek looks at its property exposures. Its property insurer has a robust Risk Engineering department. CoorsTek has a dedicated Property Protection Engineer. CoorsTek prioritizes people first, and then the balance sheet and the financials.

[9:31] CoorsTek is a very innovative company. The teams are always bringing a new product or process to the table. They look for ways to protect the company’s financials while still enabling growth; for ways to say yes to the business while making them aware of the risks and costs.

[10:17] Ondrea explains how she oversees benefits. Benefits represent a large strategic risk and opportunity, as well as increased fiduciary responsibility.

[10:39] Ondrea explains that changing a health care provider requires not just a detailed financial analysis but also assessing the risk related to employee engagement, comprehensive communication, access to care, and employees’ emotional well-being.

[11:00] It’s a framework of risk identification, assessment, and response.

[11:05] Ondrea monitors risks like medical inflation, pharmacy management shifts, compliance, and vendor performance, to continually reduce financial exposure to the company and employees, related to large losses, changes in prescription coverage, deductibles, and more.

[11:24] CoorsTek works with partners, consultants, and local human resource teams on responses to support and clarify for its employees.

[11:44] At CoorsTek, risk doesn’t just belong to Ondrea and her team. Risk is addressed by every function, every day. CoorsTek has a wide expanse of expertise, and they’ve brought everyone together to support the company.

[12:01] They have a global trade department, a supply chain, and a government affairs position, and they’ve kept on top of the tariffs for the organization, reporting on changes weekly or bi-weekly. CoorsTek’s Health and Safety team is also global. They stay on top of regulations.

[12:19] Ondrea appreciates the collaboration they all have at CoorsTek. It makes her job easier. When they say risk, it doesn’t mean Ondrea and her team. Every department comes together to face all the new challenges they are seeing recently in the economy. It’s in the KoorsTek culture.

[12:57] Ondrea is fortunate to have access to CoorsTek’s leadership. Most of the employees do. The CEOs have direct email lines, and any employee is welcome to reach out at any time.

[13:24] In Ondrea’s unique role, combining risk and benefits, she has the opportunity to join the Human Resources team and the Finance leadership teams, and she reports directly to the CFO for the family company.

[13:40] The family has helped build and support mechanisms for communicating with leadership. They do skip-levels. Everybody feels respected as individuals. Ondrea joined the company when they had one global location, and the company was a lot smaller.

[14:05] Ondrea has been able to grow with the company and see the evolution that has come with that growth. It’s exciting to see all the innovation and all the ways that CoorsTek continues to contribute to the communities and the world.

[14:23] Quick Break for RIMS Events! On September 18th, the 10th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will be held at The Old Post Office in Chicago. Register at ChicagoRIMS.org.

[14:38] On October 1st through the 3rd, the RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held in North San Jose at the Santa Clara Marriott. The agenda is live. It looks fantastic! Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and register today!

[14:55] On November 17th and 18th, elevate your ERM Program and career at the RIMS ERM Conference 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The agenda is live, and early rates are available until September 5th. Register now to save $110 and secure your spot at the ERM event of the year.

[15:17] Canadian listeners, take note, that’s just a little bit South of the border in British Columbia. That’s a great way to extend your knowledge after the RIMS Canada Conference. Visit RIMS.org/ERM2025 to register.

[15:32] At the top, Justin mentioned RISKWORLD 2026. Through September 4th, the RISKWORLD education content submission process is still open.

[15:41] RIMS invites you to share your experiences, best practices, and innovative strategies that represent the global outlook of risk management. Send us your submission, and who knows? We might select you to speak at RISKWORLD 2026 in Philadelphia! The link is in the show notes.

[15:59] Let’s Return to My Interview with RIMS Board Director Ondrea Matthews!

[16:11] Ondrea is a member of the RIMS Rocky Mountain Chapter. Rocky Mountain Chapter members Emily Buckley, Emily Bloedel, and Neil Colclough have been guests on RIMScast. Ondrea joined about 18 years ago when she started at CoorsTek. She’s glad she joined.

[17:02] The RIMS Rocky Mountain Chapter has been amazing. It helped create a community for Ondrea. She joined, not knowing a lot about risk management. The chapter has been a source of support for her for her entire career. She wouldn’t be where she is today without that community.

[17:40] Ondrea joined the chapter board and has held a lot of board positions, including Past President, Community Service Chair, and Secretary. She finds her time with the chapter to be invaluable. She was excited that Neil Colclough won the Volunteer of the Year award.

[18:07] It’s exciting to see the energy that the current board has.

[18:21] As of January of this year, Ondrea is a member of the Global RIMS Board. She loves her interactions with RIMS. She likes the camaraderie and impact that you have from serving on a board.

[18:53] The opportunity to serve on the RIMS Global Board came up. It was an intense process to be nominated. She’s learning a lot. She’s surrounded by great leaders who have been on the board for a couple of years. She loves the energy Kristen Peed brings to the board.

[19:46] RIMS emphasizes professional development, inclusivity, and innovation in risk management. Ondrea’s passion is giving back to the community. She appreciates the inclusion that RIMS brings. It brings together people from every walk of life and level of risk management.

[20:45] Ondrea feels that RIMS’s culture is very inclusive. She was welcomed with open arms. She hopes that everyone else in the RIMS community is feeling welcomed and that we want their thoughts, ideas, and their participation.

[21:03] Ondrea appreciates the inclusion around RIMS. Professional development and innovation go hand in hand. You need to educate to innovate. Risk managers need to stay ahead of innovation, bring ideas to the table, and not just solve problems as they are presented.

[21:31] Ondrea talks about workforce well-being and risk management, and the risks of recruitment, retention, absenteeism, and presenteeism. These are not as easy to quantify as an actuarial analysis for future claims and IBNR projections. They rely on human behavior.

[22:12] CoorsTek gathers data through annual engagement surveys and Great Places to Work surveys, and addresses those results with action items, identifying areas of risk to its human capital and employee well-being.

[22:27] Ondrea thinks you need to look at employee well-being through a different lens than “How is everybody feeling today, and how are they reacting to surveys?” You need to look at them with respect to absenteeism. Why are employees not showing up?

[22:56] What are you doing to improve their work-life balance or get them other supports that they may need in their lives so that they can be present at work?

[23:07] A Final Break! The Spencer Educational Foundation’s goal to help build a talent pipeline of risk management and insurance professionals is achieved, in part, by its collaboration with risk management and insurance educators across the U.S. and Canada.

[23:27] Since 1999, Spencer has awarded over $2.9 million to create more than 570 Risk Management Internships. The Internship Grants application process is now open through October 15th, 2025.

[23:43] To be eligible, risk managers must be based in the U.S., Canada, or Bermuda. A link to the Internship Grants page is in this episode’s show notes. You can always visit SpencerEd.org, as well.

[23:57] The Spencer 2025 Funding their Future Gala will be held on Thursday, September 18th, at the Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York. This year’s honoree is Tim Ryan, the U.S. President of Lockton, and we look forward to having Tim join us here on RIMScast very soon.

[24:16] A link to the Gala is also in this episode’s show notes. Buy a ticket, enjoy a great night in the city, and support the future of risk management.

[24:24] Let’s Conclude Our Interview with Ondrea Matthews!

[24:31] Ondrea will be at the RIMS Western Regional Conference on October 2nd. She is very excited. This is her 3rd Western Regional Conference. She’s kicking herself for not having gone all these years in the past.

[24:50] Ondrea says the vibe there is one of connections. It’s a lot smaller than RISKWORLD. The Western Regional Conference is a little more laid back. There’s more time to create connections and have meaningful conversations.

[25:16] It provides the opportunity to create a network with people who have the same challenges as you. There’s a session on wildfires. Someone in another region may not have a wildfire exposure like they have in the Western Region. It brings people together.

[25:46] Ondrea will have a session on October 2nd, “Gone But Not Forgotten: Mastering Absence, Disability, and Risk Without Losing Your Sanity!” She will co-present with Brett Wilson of ESIS, a Chubb company.

[26:04] The session title is a mouthful! Ondrea says she is excited to present the topic with Brett. They are getting to know each other now.

[26:35] Ondrea has sat on the planning committee for the Western Regional Conference for the last couple of years. Ondrea is the conference liaison for ESIS. ESIS wanted to present this topic, and they asked Ondrea if she knew anyone who would be able to speak on this with them.

[27:05] As Ondrea was already familiar with the ESIS team and currently leads absence management within CoorsTek, it seemed that she would be a really good fit, so she will be co-presenting with ESIS.

[27:20] Ondrea says there are so many changes in compliance and regulation regarding absence management that it is an organizational risk. It’s not just an employee well-being risk, but it’s also a compliance and financial risk.

[27:39] The regulations change quickly. If you are a national company across the U.S., every state has its nuance. You have to know what every state is doing where you have employees, whether it’s a virtual employee or hundreds of employees.

[28:02] Regulations can put your organization at significant risk for non-compliance. There’s also a reputational risk that goes along with non-compliance.

[28:24] The presentation will include tips and thoughts on avoiding the common pitfalls that organizations face in navigating these regulations.

[28:37] Ondrea suggests helping risk leaders connect more with their Human Resource partners, create more value for them within the company, and create more value for the company.

[28:53] Ondrea will give the audience time to ask questions and share stories. Ondrea says the best sessions are interactive. Presenters learn as much from an audience as they hope the audience is going to learn from them.

[29:12] Each attendee has a unique mindset and situation. Sharing unique situations helps broaden everyone’s overview of how to address and potentially help solve problems.

[29:27] If you’re going to attend, everybody bring your questions! Ondrea’s very personable and easy to speak with. Even after the session, people come up to her. She will be at the Western Regional Conference for the entire time, hoping to get some good sessions in.

[29:43] Ondrea says she is available anytime through LinkedIn or email. She is happy to connect.

[30:09] Ondrea shares how empathetic communication can help defuse a risky or contentious employee absence situation. Keep in mind that when an employee is on leave, it’s because they are going through a significant life event. We need to have ongoing communications with them.

[30:30] People think that when an employee’s not at work, they shouldn't talk to them or bother them. Ondrea says you need to continue to let your employees know they’re a part of the organizational family still and that you care for them.

[30:51] Empathy goes a really long way. Listening and active listening help, even if you don’t have answers for what they’re going through. Let them know that you are going to help them navigate this.

[31:04] CoorsTek has a great internal team that helps manage, leads, and is the point for employee communication. CoorsTek outsources its leave management to distance itself from the regulatory environment and focus on the employee as a person.

[31:30] Justin adds that it’s that sort of perspective that you’re going to get at the RIMS Western Regional Conference when you go to Ondrea’s session on October 2nd, “Gone But Not Forgotten.” Do not forget to go and attend! Ondrea is looking forward to seeing everyone there!

[31:52] Special thanks again to Ondrea Matthews of CoorsTek and the RIMS Board of Directors for joining us here at RIMScast. Remember to see her at the RIMS Western Regional Conference from October 1st through the 3rd.

[32:06] Ondrea will deliver the session on October 2nd, “Gone But Not Forgotten: Mastering Absence, Disability, and Risk Without Losing Your Sanity!” The conference will be held at the lovely Santa Clara Marriott in California.

[32:20] Register, attend, and tell Ondrea that you heard her first here on RIMScast!

[32:27] 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.

[32:55] 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.

[33:13] 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.

[33:31] 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.

[33:47] 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.

[34:01] 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.

[34:13] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continuous support!

Links:

RIMS ERM Conference 2025 — Nov. 17‒18

The call for RISKWORLD 2026 submissions is open through Sept 4.

RIMS Canada 2025 — Sept. 14‒17 | Registration open!

10th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum — Sept. 18 | Registration open!

RIMS Western Regional — Oct 1‒3 | Bay Area, California | Registration open!

RISKWORLD 2026 — Members-only early registration! Register through Sept 30!

RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP)

The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center

Spencer Educational Foundation 2025 Funding Their Future Gala — Sept. 18, 2025, in NYC!

Spencer Internship Program — Registration Open Through Oct. 15.