Vitaly Pisetsky is the Underwriting Manager and Head of Executive Liability at Energy Insurance Mutual, a company for which he’s worked for slightly over seven years. Vitaly offers insight into what he does at EIM, how he thinks about executive liability, where the future of the insurance industry is headed, and how to proactively manage different risks as an underwriter.   Key Takeaways: A little bit about Vitaly and the type of work he does at EIM. Fun fact that Vitaly used to be on the Russian soccer team! Vitaly shares what it was like migrating to the United States as a teenager. Vitaly talks about his love for sports and transitioning from playing soccer to American football. It’s important that with anything you do, you give effort with results. Vitaly learned a lot of important sports lessons and has transferred some of those skills into the way he shows up in the insurance industry today. How did Vitaly get his start in the insurance industry? When it comes to executive liability, what are some of the things Vitaly has to think about? Is underwriting reactive or is there an art to staying ahead of the curve? If you’re struggling with understanding underwriting, Vitaly says keep at it, it all clicks into place after two to three years. If you find yourself making a mistake, own up to it. Everyone makes mistakes. You make things worse if you try to hide them. What is Vitaly currently reading about or inspired by?   Mentioned in This Episode: Eimltd.com Vitaly on LinkedIn  

Robert Cartwright Jr. is the Division Manager for Environmental, Health, Safety, and Sustainability and the former President and Board of Directors at RIMS. Robert has seen a lot of growth after being in the industry for over 25 years and shares some of the rapid improvements the insurance industry has undergone since he’s been in the field. Everything from being a more welcoming, and diverse, place to work, how he used his work ethic to shine through, and what young professionals can look forward to in the insurance space today.   Key Takeaways: A little bit about Robert and how he got into risk management. Robert has been at Bridgestone for over 25 years and has seen a lot of promotions and changes since then. As a minority, Robert has seen his fair share of challenges and the lack of diversity in the space didn’t help. Robert has seen this space completely open up and make diversity a priority. It’s blown him away. It’s a great time to join! Robert grew rapidly in his career field; what made him so successful early on? Whenever someone asked Robert to do something, he always wanted to know why. When Robert understood the reason, he was able to be an advocate for the new solution and get more people behind the change. What did it mean to be a black professional 25-plus years ago in health and safety? Diversify was always talked about, even back 20 years ago, but it was always just a noun with no action plan. Today it’s much different. The people in power are the only ones who can make the change. The next generation wants a diverse workforce. Nobody walks on water, but when you’re being second-guessed, you do have to be conscious of the details. Robert was the first black president to serve on the RIMS organization and it was a huge honor and opportunity. Ships are safer in the harbor but that’s not what they’re built for. What advice would Robert give his younger self?   Mentioned in This Episode: Bridgestone.com Robert on LinkedIn  

Lars Bille is the Executive Vice President of DSV, a Danish transport and logistics company. Prior to his role as Executive Vice President, he was the Director of Group Insurance & Group Procurement at DSV. Lars shares his extensive knowledge in this field and how he views insurance from a global perspective. With an underwriter background, Lars feels like this knowledge has helped shape him into a more holistic leader that’s well-prepared for different and unknown risks. Find out more about Lars’s story in this week’s episode!   Key Takeaways: A little bit about Lars and what he does for DSV. Growing up, Lars wanted to be a police officer! He shares his story of how he got into insurance. Lars believes his experience as an underwriter has really shaped him into the leader he is today. When Lars started his career, global insurance was still not as widely known or used. Today, many young professionals are versed in this. What was Lars’s experience working for the Lego group? One of the nice perks of working at Lego is that Lars got to see his children play with legos, and they always had an unlimited supply. What makes Lars so successful in his line of work? He shares some of his strengths as a leader. The transportation market share is very fragmented. There isn’t an Amazon or Google that dominates this sector of the market, which means there’s a lot of room for growth. Supply chain is a real issue and these are challenges that still have no solution. How does Lars relax during his time off? Lars loves to take the time to run as it clears his head and gets the blood flowing. What lessons does Lars wish he’d learned sooner in his career? Lars offers advice on how to get young people interested in insurance and its growing industry.   Mentioned in This Episode: Dsv.com Lars on LinkedIn  

During the worst of the pandemic, SEPTA’s Rick Graham saw a drastic decline in ridership due to closures and people working from home. As the Chief Risk Officer for the sixth-largest public transit system in the U.S., Rick needed to take special care in assessing the risks and loss of revenue to his organization. During today’s informative interview, Rick offers advice to risk management professionals who are new to the game and those looking to enhance their careers. He also conveys the importance of understanding the culture and communication style of an organization and how risk professionals can develop cross-functional relationships with other departments for the benefit of all.   Key Takeaways: Rick has been the Chief Risk Officer of SEPTA for eight years. SEPTA is the sixth-largest public transit system in the U.S. Philadelphia has a large education and medical economy. Starting as a junior in high school, Rick left the volunteer fire department as an Assistant Chief. As an undergrad, Rick had part-time work performing underwriting tasks. Rick compares time in a career to tomatoes on the vine. Risk is risk. Risk managers must prepare for anything, like a pandemic. If you risk nothing, you get nothing. Advice for developing cross-functional relationships with other departments. How to measure an organization to check its tolerance for change. Rick explains how his group interacts with government affairs and utilizes public funds. Risk managers can help their clients get to yes. Rick has a hockey mask that makes risk management relatable. It’s key to understand the culture of an organization and how it communicates. What to look for in a broker or risk consultant. The book Band of Brothers offers examples of great and poor leadership qualities.     Mentioned in This Episode: Band of Brothers, by Stephen E. Ambrose  

Starting a second career in Risk Management is not the expected path of a former producer of Talk Radio shows. But for Steve Pottle of Thompson Rivers University, it makes perfect sense. During his conversation with Katie and Hunter at The World of Risk, Steve offers the inside scoop about working as the Director of Risk Management in higher education. The cool parts, the difficult parts, and how a degree in communications gives him a leg up when offering solutions to a university’s Board of Directors.   Key Takeaways: The Director of Risk Management Services is responsible for wearing many hats at TRU. The TRU campus was in peril due to the wildfires of August 2021. While there were interface plans in place, the fires of 2021 offered lessons in risk management and mitigation. Steve worked in talk radio before slipping into his second career, Risk Management. The Ontario chapter of RIMS fostered Steve’s career development. Steve shares how his communications degree helps him in risk management. Working in higher education has a lot of structure and challenges. The attributes that make a good risk manager. Enterprise Risk Strategies of a university is cool but a multifaceted endeavor. Risk management is industry agnostic. Steve would insist his younger self enjoy each moment.     Mentioned in This Episode: A Promised Land, by Barack Obama  

In addition to being a ski bum and bartender, Joe Meaney was the first Insurance and Risk Manager at three different companies. Currently, Joe serves as the Global Insurance and Risk Manager at AES. During this conversation, Joe reveals the importance of a good risk engineer, the dark role Risk Managers must play while creating value for a company, the art of hiring, and the beautiful secret of the strange world of risk and insurance.   Key Takeaways: Joe was the very first insurance and risk manager at three different companies, including AES. RIMS has been there for Joe several times as a network of knowledgeable people. Even though every company was different, he learned invaluable skills in every position he held. Joe hired Katie based on a gut feeling. He taught her to take risks. Joe says America’s willingness to take risks is what has made it great. A business should consider a risk management team long before it believes it needs to. Joe offers tips for those starting to build a risk management team. When Joe first started with AES they did not have a focus on risk engineering. Joe includes a Mark Twain quote with every email he sends. Joe considers himself an outlier, living in a world much like The Matrix. The insult Joe is most proud of is when someone called him emotional. Joe details the role of a Risk Manager. Joe believes the most brilliant ideas come when a team is talking after hours. If Joe could give his former self one piece of advice it would be to take more risks.   Mentioned in This Episode: The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything, by Stephen M. R. Covey    

It’s hard to believe that today’s guest, Christy Kaufman, used to underestimate her abilities. She currently serves as the VP of Risk Management at Zillow, is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and serves as a board member of RIMS. She even shares her passion for insurance and risk management at the dinner table. During this clever interview, Christy discusses the benefits and challenges of transitioning from one career to another, how she found her voice to become a public speaker, and the innovative new projects she hopes to bring to fruition.   Key Takeaways: Before Zillow, Christy worked as a risk manager for a venture capital fund that invests in startups and obtained extensive knowledge of Enterprise Risk Management at Ernst & Young. Following in the footsteps of one of her mentors, Christy sought out a degree in Risk Management. The challenges Christy faced when transitioning from Consultant to Risk Manager. Fun fact: SNL did a skit on the number of people who spend hours upon hours on Zillow. 200 million users peruse Zillow every month. Regulated versus unregulated responsibilities are vastly different. Christy shares the risks associated with a data-based business dealing in uncharted territory. Christy teaches a risk management course at her alma mater the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Survey says brokers party harder than risk managers at RIMS. Christy would like to develop a customer experience around homeowners’ and renter’s insurance that people don’t hate. The Badgers may be better at risk management than they are at basketball. Christy was shy about her qualifications when she first graduated college. Christy does a performance review about the podcast.   Mentioned in This Episode: Blinkist App  

Besides making a mean Manhattan, Rich Johanson is the bilingual Director of Risk Management for a Fortune 100 Defense Contractor. He was introduced to the insurance and risk management industry a short 24 years ago at 24 Hour Fitness. In today’s episode, Rich offers tips for those who desire a career in Risk Management, what to expect when building partnerships in the industry, what to consider when creating risk profiles for innovative new products and services, and why successful risk managers leave the decision-making to others within the organization.   Key Takeaways: Rich describes what led up to him becoming a Director of Risk Management for a defense contractor. Rich would probably enjoy the show Heist based on his time in Spain. Working for 24 Hour Fitness on general liability and workers comp claims gave Rich his first taste of risk management. How Rich transitioned from a privately-held fitness company to a publicly-traded Fortune 500 defense contractor. Having a mentor early in his career helped Rich understand the context of Risk Management and the role of a Risk Manager. Risk Managers understand all the implications of the decisions others make. How being bilingual helps Rich in his role. Rich attributes having a strong background in claims for his successful career in Risk Management. How Rich conceptualizes the risk associated with a brand new product. Spending time with his wife is how Rich prefers to spend his time outside of the office. Rich refers to his whisky collection as aggressive. It is important to understand where your assets, tools, and resources are in your organization. What to consider and expect when brokering a relationship with a partner. Advice for students interested in a career in Risk Management.   Mentioned in This Episode: Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice, by Adam Makos  

Ward Ching is a Managing Director for Aon Global Risk Consulting as well as an Adjunct Professor for USC Marshall School of Business. He is primarily responsible for Captive and Insurance Management Services, Domicile Management, and supporting a variety of Aon’s Management Consulting Services to clients. In this episode, Ward shares what students should focus on today to better equip themselves from the unknown future, how risk is different today, and so much more.   Key Takeaways: A little bit about Ward and his work in insurance. How does risk management differ when working at an intentional level? Ward is always inspired by the work and passion his students bring to class. The talent is getting better. The kinds of questions clients are asking today are different. They’re more focused on the day-to-day discussions. Underwriting is not an easy world today, but Ward encourages his students to get a risk management internship and understand all aspects of risk. It will serve them greatly in business. How did Ward fall into insurance and why is he so passionate about it today? Ward wasn’t expecting to be in insurance, but he ended up staying in his first risk management position for nine years. It was exciting. Ward got to see his working plan implemented in a $44 billion company. He saw the direct impact he had on an organization. Ward shares some of his pros and cons. Impatience can sometimes be a virtue, but you need balance. Fun fact, Ward knows how to play the ukulele! Ward shares some fond memories of Hawaii and the Hawaiian culture. Ward talks about Aon’s apprentice program and some of its benefits. Ward talks about the importance of diversity and inclusion and why it matters.   Mentioned in This Episode: Theinstitutes.org Marshall.usc.edu/personnel/ward-ching  

Amanda Chittenden is the Director of Risk and Insurance Management at Laureate International Universities and has been working with them for over ten years. In this episode, Amanda talks about the different risk management models around education and the impact of the pandemic on them. As a leading risk manager, she shares her passion for artistic activity and how she is able to inspire others through creativity.   Key Takeaways: A little bit about Amanda and her role at Laureate. Amanda went to art school for her undergrad and wanted to be a teacher. She shares how she shifted towards risk management. Most people in the risk and insurance industry have unusual backgrounds and Amanda finds it fascinating how younger generations are realizing that it is a viable career. Amanda shares some of the intricacies of risk management and how risk managers can add value. She also talks about how she got a more in-depth understanding of different cultures through her role without having to travel. Amanda provides an example of Laureate’s risk management model through their green space project in Australia. Amanda shares what she learned by going through Laureate’s risk management model. Depending on the different regions where you’re functioning, considerations can be really different. Amanda shares another example where she worked on a bank account reconciliation project in Mexico. What are the liabilities and exposures created by the pandemic to education in general? Amanda shares their struggles with nursing and medical students in ensuring their safety in their chosen field of study. She also shares the different criteria of facilities they look into when they reopen schools again. Does Amanda think online learning will be a growing trend in the future? Amanda also shares her thoughts on the metaverse as a learning vehicle for her child. During the pandemic, Amanda started her own side hustle. She talks about the reason why she started it. Amanda isn’t interested in insuring high-end artwork. She shares her reasons. Losing Amanda’s parents motivated her to overcome her fears and pursue what she really wants to do. Amanda learned to just do it, prepare herself to fail, learn from the experience, and just love that process.   Mentioned in This Episode: Theinstitutes.org Shop.amandatoryactivity.com Amanda on Instagram Amanda on Facebook Amanda on YouTube Amanda on LinkedIn