RIMScast

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews James Swanke, Lecturer in Risk and Insurance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Wisconsin School of Business. He currently serves as Director of the Risk Management and Insurance MBA program. Justin and Jim talk about his 42 years of experience in Risk Consulting with Willis Towers Watson, and his specialties there, particularly with captives. They discuss the University of Wisconsin-Madison Risk Management and Insurance MBA program, what the students learn, and the competitions they have won in the last year, and they look forward to winning this year. Also, Jim tells of disc jockeying in college, from Classic Rock to Polka.   Listen to learn about captive design, how to prepare for emerging trends, and who wrote the best music of the ’70s.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:17] About this episode of RIMScast. This is our special International Podcast Day episode because it’s released on September 30th. We will be joined by Jim Swanke. He’s a lecturer in the Risk Management Program of the University of Wisconsin. [:46] Jim started his career in broadcasting, and he still has the voice. We’ve got a lot to talk about today! [:54] RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops! The next RIMS CRMP Prep Workshops will be held on October 29th and 30th and led by John Button. [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 through the Certifications page of RIMS.org and through this episode’s show notes. [1:23] 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. [1:39] 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 virtual workshops! [1:58] 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. [2:09] Several RIMS Webinars are being hosted this Fall. On October 9th, Global Risk Consultants returns to deliver “Natural Hazards: A Data-Driven Guide to Improving Resilience and Risk Financing Outcomes”. [2:22] On October 16th, Zurich returns to deliver “Jury Dynamics: How Juries Shape Today's Legal Landscape”. On October 30th, Swiss Re will present “Parametric Insurance: Providing Financial Certainty in Uncertain Times”. [2:39] On November 6th, HUB will present “Geopolitical Whiplash — Building Resilient Global Risk Programs in an Unstable World”. Register at RIMS.org/Webinars. [2:51] We’re very excited that today is International Podcast Day! Before we celebrate, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge and mourn the passing of Todd Cochrane. Todd was a podcast pioneer. [3:06] I’ve linked in this episode’s show notes to a wonderful obituary from Podnews®, about his career, starting with his time in the Navy up to launching his own podcast, and writing Podcasting: The Do It Yourself Guide, from Wiley Publishing in 2005. [3:25] Over the last couple of months, I’ve had the pleasure of communicating with Todd over email for the Podcast Awards, and it was only last week that I saw the unfortunate news of his passing, which occurred suddenly on September 8th. [3:30] Our condolences go out to his family, friends, and the greater podcasting industry. [3:47] On with the show! This is our special International Podcast Day episode, and I am delighted to be joined by James Swanke, the Director of the Risk Management and Insurance MBA Program at the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. [4:06] Jim spent four decades at WTW, specializing in financial and strategic planning issues, as well as captive insurance company design. [4:18] Jim was recently quoted in a new professional report, available on the RIMS Risk Knowledge page, and sponsored by LineSlip Solutions, titled “The Future of Captive Insurance: Governance, Technology, and Performance Optimization.” [4:32] Jim got his start at the University of Wisconsin in broadcasting. We’re going to talk about his career path and how being a disc jockey led him to where he is today, educating the next generation of risk professionals. Let’s get to it! [4:50] Interview! Jim Swanke, welcome to RIMScast! [5:38] When Jim was in high school, he competed in forensics, in extemporaneous speaking. He did very well. He did well at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and it got put in the newspaper. WLDY, in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, saw it in the newspaper and contacted him. [6:03] They were looking for a radio jock to “spin vinyls,” do some DJing, and read sports and news. That job helped Jim get into the University of Wisconsin-Madison. [6:21] Jim studied actuarial science and risk management. He went into the Bachelor’s program, the MBA program, and the graduate program in risk management, insurance, and corporate finance. [6:40] Jim was hired by the Wyatt Company and did lots of feasibility studies. After 42 years at Willis Towers Watson, he retired. Now he teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. [6:57] Broadcasting set Jim on his path. He says that everything about what we do in the captive and risk management area is about communication. If you’re not communicating, listening, helping out, and building stuff, you’re not going to be a success. [7:28] When Jim was a DJ at WLDY, they played different kinds of music. On Sundays, he played polka music. On Saturdays, it was country western, and Monday through Friday, it was rock music. Rock music is what he enjoys. At the top of every hour, he did the news and weather. [8:13] Justin recalls his own career. He was just waiting for podcasting to be invented, then he was able to make it all work out. [8:31] Jim worked with captives at Willis Towers Watson. He is quoted in a new LineSlip paper, “The Future of Captive Insurance: Governance, Technology, and Performance Optimization.” Justin saw his name there and thought it would be good to have him on RIMScast. [8:53] Jim described captives as a lifeline during extreme market conditions, comparing today’s hard market to the turbulence of the 1980s. Jim tells what makes captives effective under hard conditions. Captives allow organizations to control their own destiny. [9:20] When you’re in a hard market, having a captive allows you to take premiums that you normally pay to a commercial insurance carrier and put them into your captive insurance company. A captive is a subsidiary of the captive owner. [9:41] Most of the Fortune 500 companies in the United States have a captive. It allows them to arbitrage whatever’s going on in the insurance marketplace. When we’re having a difficult market, they put more of their premiums into the captive and rely on the captive more. [9:58] When the market softens, carriers may provide insurance at premiums that are lower than the expected losses. Organizations will buy commercial insurance all the time when the premiums are less than their projected losses. [10:14] Depending on where it is in the market, a captive has a role in an organization’s risk management program. [10:27] Jim says a lot of organizations have looked to captives since 2020. We were in the midst of the pandemic, with all kinds of economic hardship. The insurance industry was in despair, as well. A lot of insurance companies cut back on the limits they were willing to offer. [10:49] Insurance companies put additional exclusions onto their insurance, so organizations had to rely on their own sophisticated ways of financing their losses. If they hadn’t set up a captive, they set up a captive. If they had a captive in the past, they re-engineered it to do more. [11:15] They also used their captives to access the reinsurance marketplace. Reinsurance is insurance for insurance companies. A captive can be used as a platform to access reinsurers. [11:37] Even in difficult markets, having reinsurers involved created more competition, provided more limits, and there was more flexibility in the coverage terms. [11:48] That was when the pandemic was going on, which triggered the hardening of the market and the lack of availability of insurance. Organizations with captives relied on them and did more. Organizations without captives had captive feasibility studies done and formed captives. [12:09] Jim says the CEO of a captive should be a senior person who will monitor what’s going on, fairly senior in the organization. It’s not a full-time position. It takes three or four hours a month, plus board meetings. [12:46] A captive is required to have a captive manager, who is an accountant. They keep the books and interface for the captive with the regulator. The President or CEO of the captive relies on the captive manager to do a lot of the daily work. [13:09] Jim says you need a senior person involved so people take the captive seriously. The senior person is going to be the driver in reducing the severity of loss through loss prevention and loss reduction. Having a senior person is so important to the success of the captive. [13:40] There are lots of considerations when you’re looking to make changes to your captive. Changes could include adding emerging types of risks, like cyber risk. If you’re a hospital, a lot of medical malpractice captives have been hugely successful and have grown surplus. [14:08] Healthcare institutions are passing on some of their capitated risk exposures into their captives because they’ve done quite well with their medical malpractice. These risks are not correlated with each other, so there is a diversification benefit. [14:22] As you look to make these changes, you need to look at increasing risk assumptions, different attachment points on reinsurance, and changing your investment policy. You have lots of levers, and if you make changes, you need to analyze what the impact will be on your captive. [14:52] Jim talks about leaning into technology. Before 9/11, we didn’t have the sophisticated software we’ve created in the last few years. [15:06] To look at covering all the possibilities and changing your captives, from adding new coverages to reinsurance reattachment points, was a monumental amount of actuarial work to figure out how to optimize your captive. [15:19] Recently developed software looks at all the possibilities in terms of changing your captive to optimize what you’re doing. 20 years ago, Jim would spend months doing the actuarial work, working with an investment bank and charging them heavy fees. [15:39] Now, with new software, what took Jim months and months to do can be done in a matter of two to three days. The productivity today, in terms of optimizing your captive, is far greater than it was 20 years ago, because of the software that has been developed. [15:55] Jim likes that the software looks at all the risks and how these risks interact with one another. Looking at risks in a captive holistically is very important because many of these risks are hardly correlated with one another. [16:15] Looking at risks holistically, you can figure out the diversification benefit of having all of these risks within your captive, which has a major impact on the amount of economic capital that your captive will need to maintain. This software has been a game-changer. [16:34] RIMS Events! 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! [16:55] On November 17th and 18th, join us in Seattle, Washington, for the RIMS ERM Conference 2025. The agenda is live. Check out Episode 357 for Justin’s dialogue with ERM Conference Keynote Presenter Dan Chuparkoff on AI and the future of risk. [17:14] Visit the Events page of RIMS.org to register. [17:17] 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 you register by September 30th! [17:32] 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! Do not miss out on this chance to plan and score some of these extra perks! [17:46] The members-only registration link is on 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! [17:56] If you are listening to RIMScast on our broadcast day, that means today is September 30th. It is last call for registration at the Earlybird rate! [18:08] In the spirit of it being September 30th, which is International Podcast Day, let’s return to our interview with Jim Swanke! [18:22] Jim is the Director of the Risk Management and Insurance MBA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The curriculum includes technology, AI, and automation. In his classes, Jim is using the new software he discussed earlier. [18:46] Jim taught a class the day before on the principles of risk management. He talked about how risks are interrelated with each other and how you need to analyze them holistically, figuring out how they are correlated, not in siloes. [19:13] The holistic view will give you the best answer in terms of the economic capital that will be required to put into your captive. If you’re analyzing risks silo by silo for each risk, that will lead you to having more economic capital in your captive than you need. [19:35] Jim has learned, in 42 years of consulting, that the CFOs in these organizations don’t want to trap cash in their captives. Teaching this software to this new generation of students, they will be able to step into the roles of captive managers that the industry will need. [20:07] We’re at the tip of the iceberg with AI. We’re still learning in Academia what the power of AI is going to be. Jim foresees AI being very important in handling claims and in underwriting. [20:30] AI will allow commercial insurance companies to have a better way of doing their pricing and making decisions on whether or not risks should be accepted. It will also be beneficial to captives. [20:43] Jim thinks AI will advance the technology far ahead. We’re just beginning to touch on some of the advantages within the insurance industry and within captives. [21:05] Jim started teaching in 2011. When University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor Dan Anderson retired, Jim was chosen to teach a class on sustainability that was started by Professor Anderson. He has taught it since 2011. [21:41] At the time, some students did not think anything was going on with climate change. A couple of students stood up in class and said all of this was just made up. It was a fantasy. [22:03] Today, when Jim goes into class, students are there a half-hour early and stay late. They are very connected and working together to figure out how to reduce CO2 emissions to slow down the heating of the planet and the extreme weather events that are coming more often. [22:24] The class has evolved over the years, and the students are more engaged than they ever have been. [22:33] The students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison were the winners of the Spencer-RIMS Risk Management Challenge at RISKWORLD 2025 in Chicago. Jim knows all of those students and had a couple of them in his class yesterday. [23:04] The students won with the Huntington, West Virginia case study, a six-month project. Huntington is on the Ohio River, and with extreme weather events, flooding has become a big issue in that community. They competed with students around the world to solve the issue. [23:49] Each school’s team came up with things that could be done and conducted an analysis on what they thought was the best way of handling it. The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s team focused on resiliency with levees and dikes to hold back the flooding. [24:27] The four Wisconsin students presented their paper and won, out of 61 schools competing. The University of Wisconsin-Madison received $10K. The second-place university, DePaul, received $7.5K, and the third-place school, IIRM Hyderabad (past year winner), got $5K. [25:04] The University of Wisconsin-Madison team entered two other contests last year and won them both. The CICA Captive competition involved case studies around Kaneka captives. It required an essay and a PowerPoint deck. [25:52] The MBA students entered the A.M. Best competition for insurance solutions to a global issue. The students used a combination of parametric and indemnity triggers to provide insurance to the disadvantaged in the Caribbean and Latin America. [26:23] If there was hurricane damage, it would trigger a parametric to allow an amount of money to be paid immediately to these disadvantaged families. Then there would be the indemnity insurance that would look at the actual losses and true them up to the loss amount. [26:49] It involved the combination of parametrics and conventional indemnity insurance, which was noteworthy and probably pushed the team over the top. [27:11] The professor who was the advisor in the Spencer Challenge is Carl Barlett. Carl is an attorney by training, and he has the energy to work with bachelor’s students. He’s graduated hundreds of people out of his program over the last four or five years. [27:59] The University has Career Fairs where 60 or 70 companies will come to meet with students. That’s a credit to Carl. Not a lot of companies will come to a university to meet with students. Because of the program he put together, lots of organizations want to hire students. [28:21] The University of Wisconsin-Madison business school is typically ranked number 1. [28:31] 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. [28:50] 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. [29:06] 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. [29:19] Let’s Get Back to Our Interview with Jim Swanke of the University of Wisconsin-Madison! [29:46] Jim tells his students that we don’t know today what the emerging risks are going to be. What we need to do is design our risk management program and keep our eyes and ears open to what is going to happen next. [30:04] Jim cites The Black Swan, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. It gets into what we need to do as people of risk management and societies to try to identify the emerging risks that will impact us going forward. [30:21] In risk management, we look at the past to try to project what’s going to happen in the future. We were caught by the pandemic. Very little business interruption insurance was offered. If we had been forward-thinking, we would have thought about coverages for the emerging risks. [31:19] An emerging risk after 9/11 was that insurance companies put exclusions on their insurance policies, excluding terrorism. The Federal Government passed the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) and offered it as a backstop to insurance companies. [31:55] Anybody with a captive could access that reinsurance through the U.S. Treasury, using their captive insurance company. [32:23] Jim sees more employee benefits going into captives. The advantages you have in the P&C area are also in place for employee benefits. Organizations with large workers’ compensation self-insurance programs are putting excess workers’ compensation into captives. [32:57] Jim says you need to be nimble and on your toes. Emerging risks are going to come out over the next 10 to 15 or 20 years. Keep your eyes and ears open so when they emerge, you can deal with them to reduce the frequency and severity of loss and see how to finance them. [33:19] Jim highly recommends reading The Black Swan. It’s a good way to begin to think about how you should think about emerging risks. [33:42] Jim says school is going really well. One thing he noticed this year is the diverse nature of his students. There are more disciplines within the risk management area that people are interested in. [33:56] In class recently, Jim had a group that was in the investment banking area, a group that was in HR, and a couple of students from China. There was a broad diversity in the class. [34:16] It enriches the conversation to have people coming from different places with different backgrounds and different educational experiences. It shows the power of having diversity in the classroom. It’s exciting. [34:32] The class will write papers on Enterprise Risk Management and talk about captives, and more. They’ll compete in the CICA Captive Competition again, to maintain their number one rating there! They’re off to a great start! It’s nice to see students so highly energized! [34:53] Jim says the future is bright with the students graduating from the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. [35:22] Justin and others have liked Jim’s broadcasting voice. Jim thanks Justin for commenting on it. [35:55] Jim’s time as a DJ was 50 years ago. He recalls two or three instances of hot mikes, when some of the FCC’s seven deadly words may have been spoken. He says nobody wants that, but it was a real learning experience. [36:29] Jim recalls when the studio tower was hit by lightning. Jim was alone in the radio station when it happened. Lightning bolts were flying around the building after the tower got hit. The station went off the air, and Jim had to figure out a way to put it back on the air. [36:58] Jim highly recommends to young people, if you get an opportunity to get involved with radio or TV, give it a shot, because it’s a lot of fun! Justin ties it to podcasting and video blogging. [37:42] Jim likes all the music of 1976 and didn’t have a favorite album. He likes Deep Purple and Bob Seger. He says there’s no better songwriter than Bob Seger. There was a diversity of good music going out at that time. It was a wonderful time to be working in a radio station. [38:47] Justin is a father of two young people under 12 who like to listen to classic rock. “Dancing in the Moonlight,” by King Harvest, is a greatest hit in the family. They love Van Morrison. [39:56] On the subject of podcasting, Jim thinks there is an opportunity to develop content that helps the everyday American with their personal insurances, like homeowners, auto, health, life, and how they buy their insurances. [40:45] In class recently, the MBA students, the brightest and best, designing plans for New York investment banks and worldwide financial institutions, told Jim that they had questions about what to buy in auto policies and homeowners policies. [41:07] Jim states that an insurance podcast for the everyday American is something the industry needs to be doing. Justin suggests that members of the global RIMScast audience could pick up the baton and get to work! [41:27] Maybe it becomes part of the coursework for a class like Jim’s. It could be part of a challenge, like the Spencer-RIMS Risk Management Challenge. [41:48] Jim says being able to talk about this with graduate students gives them some familiarity with what risk is, in terms of the instability of results. They can relate to it because they need to buy an auto policy or a homeowners policy. [42:03] While these coverages don’t match up perfectly with what’s going on in the commercial insurance marketplace, learning about them gives students a sense of what insurance is about, what risk management is about, and how to reduce the frequency and severity of losses. [42:22] Jim, it has been such a pleasure to speak with you and to pick your brain on risk management education, broadcasting, and music! Thank you so much for joining us here on RIMScast! [42:33] Good luck to you and your students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as you look to the 2026 competitions. I can only imagine they’re going to do great things! [42:58] Special thanks again to Jim Swanke for joining us here on RIMScast! For more information, check out the links in this episode’s show notes. [43:06] Remember to check out “The Future of Captive Insurance: Governance, Technology, and Performance Optimization”, a Professional Report sponsored by LineSlip. It is available through the Risk Knowledge Page of RIMS.org. That link is also in this episode’s show notes. [43:22] The paper features a lot of Jim’s fascinating perspective and insights on captives. [43:28] 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. [43:56] 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. [44:14] 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. [44:33] 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. [44:48] 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. [45:02] 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. [45:15] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continuous support!   Links: RIMS ERM Conference 2025 — Nov. 17‒18 Spencer Internship Program — Registration Open Through Oct. 15. RIMS Western Regional — Oct 1‒3 | Bay Area, California | Registration open! RISKWORLD 2026 — Members-only early registration through Sept 30! — Last Call! RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRO Certificate in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management — Featuring Instructor James Lam! Next bi-weekly course begins Oct 9. RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy | RIMS Legislative Summit SAVE THE DATE — March 18‒19, 2026 RIMS Risk Management magazine | Contribute RIMS Now “The Future of Captive Insurance: Governance, Technology, and Performance Optimization” — Professional Report, Sponsored by LineSlip | Featuring insight from James Swanke University of Wisconsin-Madison Wins 2025 Spencer-RIMS Risk Management Challenge Internationalpodcastday.com Obituary for Podcasting Trailblazer Todd Cochrane RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars “Natural Hazards: A Data-Driven Guide to Improving Resilience and Risk Financing Outcomes” | Oct. 9 | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants “Jury Dynamics: How Juries Shape Today's Legal Landscape” | Oct. 16, 2025 | Sponsored by Zurich “Parametric Insurance: Providing Financial Certainty in Uncertain Times” | Oct. 30, 2025 | Sponsored by Swiss Re “Geopolitical Whiplash — Building Resilient Global Risk Programs in an Unstable World” | Nov. 6 | Sponsored by HUB   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Virtual Exam Prep — Oct. 29‒30, 2025 RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop — November 11‒12 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule Risk Appetite Management | Oct 22‒23 | Instructor: Ken Baker Intro to ERM for Senior Leaders | Nov. 4‒5 | Instructor: Elise Farnham Fundamentals of Insurance | Nov. 11‒12 | Instructor: Chris Hansen Leveraging Data and Analytics for Continuous Risk Management (Part I) | Dec 4. See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Related RIMScast Episodes about Education, Risk Talent, and Captives: “Risk Management Momentum with Lockton U.S. President Tim Ryan” “RIMS 2025 Risk Manager of the Year, Jennifer Pack”   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience” | Sponsored by AXA XL (New!) “Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs” | Sponsored by Zurich “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich “What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping” | Sponsored by Medcor “Risk Management in a Changing World: A Deep Dive into AXA's 2024 Future Risks Report” | Sponsored by AXA XL “How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips” | Sponsored by Alliant “RMIS Innovation with Archer” | Sponsored by Archer “Navigating Commercial Property Risks with Captives” | Sponsored by Zurich “Breaking Down Silos: AXA XL’s New Approach to Casualty Insurance” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Weathering Today’s Property Claims Management Challenges” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Storm Prep 2024: The Growing Impact of Convective Storms and Hail” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Partnering Against Cyberrisk” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Harnessing the Power of Data and Analytics for Effective Risk Management” | Sponsored by Marsh “Accident Prevention — The Winning Formula For Construction and Insurance” | Sponsored by Otoos “Platinum Protection: Underwriting and Risk Engineering's Role in Protecting Commercial Properties” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Elevating RMIS — The Archer Way” | Sponsored by Archer   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 RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Kristen Peed!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org 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: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: James Swanke, Lecturer: Risk and Insurance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Wisconsin School of Business, Director of the Risk Management and Insurance MBA program Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin divides this episode into three segments. He first interviews Eddie Tettevi, Sandbox Mutual Insurance CRO and RIMS Canada Council Chair — DEI and Comms, about his risk career and his service on the RIMS Canada Council. In the second segment, Justin interviews Janiece Savien-Brown, Metro Vancouver, and Shaun Sinclair, BCIT, about the C2C Challenge and the winning student team. The third segment is a recording of "Intentional Mentorship," an improvised session from the DEI Studio, featuring Dionne Bowers, Co-Founder & Chair of the Canadian Association of Black Insurance Professionals (CABIP), Ray Chaaya, Head of talent for Zurich Canada, and Natalia Szubbocsev, Executive Vice President at Appraisals International Inc.   Listen to learn about some exciting events of the RIMS Canada Conference 2025.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:17] About this episode of RIMScast. This episode was recorded live on September 15th, 16th, and 17th at the RIMS Canada Conference 2025, at the Telus Convention Center in Calgary. We had a blast! We will relive the glory of the RIMS Canada Conference in just a moment, but first: [:50] 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. [1:07] On November 11th and 12th, my good friend 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 enjoy deep discounts on virtual workshops! [1:26] 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. [1:37] Several RIMS Webinars are being hosted this Fall. On October 9th, Global Risk Consultants returns to deliver “Natural Hazards: A Data-Driven Guide to Improving Resilience and Risk Financing Outcomes”. [1:50] On October 16th, Zurich returns to deliver “Jury Dynamics: How Juries Shape Today's Legal Landscape”. On October 30th, Swiss Re will present “Parametric Insurance: Providing Financial Certainty in Uncertain Times”. [2:07] On November 6th, Hub will present “Geopolitical Whiplash — Building Resilient Global Risk Programs in an Unstable World”. Register at RIMS.org/Webinars. [2:20] On with the show! It was such a pleasure to attend the RIMS Canada Conference 2025 in Calgary. There’s always electricity in the air at RIMS Canada, and I wanted to capture some of it!  [2:33] We’ve got two interviews, and then an improvised session I recorded at the DE&I Studio. The sound came out great, and I used it here with the panelists’ permission. [2:49] We’ve got excellent education and insight for you today on RIMScast! My first guest is Eddie Tettevi. He is the Chief Risk Officer at Sandbox Mutual. He’s a very active member of the Saskatchewan RIMS Chapter and a member of the RIMS Canada Council. [3:11] We’re going to talk about his risk management career, his RIMS involvement, and how his insights from one of his RIMS DE&I sessions led to this discussion. [3:24] First Interview! Eddie Tettevi, welcome to RIMScast! [3:38] Eddie is the Chief Risk and Compliance Officer at Sandbox Mutual Insurance. He’s also the Corporate Secretary, which means he helps the organization navigate strategic initiatives within the boundaries of risk appetite and regulatory compliance. [4:12] Eddie has been at Sandbox for approximately two years. When he joined the company, Sandbox was going through a period of rapid growth and taking the right risks. That was something Eddie looked forward to being involved in. [4:54] The CRO role was not an independent role at Sandbox before Eddie started. It was held by the Chief Financial Officer. The CCO role was held by HR. The Corporate Secretary role was held by the CEO. Eddie fills the three roles in his new position. His background fits all three roles. [6:06] Eddie normally leads a risk group of three. Eddie was previously in cyber for 13 or 14 years. His background is in electrical engineering and computer science. He helped organizations secure their software and network. [7:02] Eddie doesn’t think risk management is any different. He’s helping organizations make the right decisions. The difference is that the portfolio is much larger. Cybersecurity is one aspect of Eddie’s risk management work. [7:33] Eddie says cyber attacks are growing. Individuals who may not be skilled are using AI tools to perpetrate cyber attacks. The attacks are increasing exponentially in skill and sophistication. [8:09] Eddie co-hosted a session in the DE&I Studio with Aaron Lukoni and Tara Lessard-Webb, focused on understanding how mental health plays a part in risk management and how organizations should think about mental health as part of a risk management framework. [8:31] The session was “Building Resilient Workplaces, the Role of Mental Health in Risk Management.” In it, Eddie revealed he is skilled in multiple languages, but an expert in none, including English. He grew up with influences from English, French, Malay, and Creole Patois. [9:38] Eddie loves learning about new cultures. That has influenced his accent. In every language he speaks, he has an accent, which makes it interesting. He has worked in French and English organizations. He learns languages in six months. He picks them up quickly. [10:50] Eddie, Aaron, and Tara emphasized making sure we are thinking about and embedding mental health in our risk framework. [11:02] When designing any strategies and initiatives, risk professionals should consider what’s happening in the organization. An organization going through a lot of change is already a stressed organization. You have to consider that as you introduce more change. [11:40] Eddie says the award-winning Saskatchewan RIMS Chapter is exciting. It’s great to work with people who are interested, dedicated, and committed. He says the chapter is doing some incredible things, such as introducing risk courses into the universities in the province.  [12:15] Eddie was a RIMS member before joining Sandbox. You can be a RIMS member without joining a chapter. Moving to Saskatoon created the opportunity for Eddie to join the Saskatchewan RIMS Chapter, which he had been looking forward to, to connect with people. [12:36] Justin gives shoutouts to various Saskatchewan Chapter members. [13:03] Eddie serves on the RIMS Canada Council as Chair of the Communications, External Affairs, and DEI Committee. [13:22] The committee is responsible for making sure that all RIMS communications have a DEI lens and advocate for the risk community, partnering with other advocacy groups around Canada. [13:52] Justin says it’s been such a pleasure to meet you and hang out with you! I look forward to seeing you at more RIMS Canada and RIMS events. [14:02] Our next guests organized the 2025 C2C Coast to Coast Challenge. This is a competition for risk management students based in Canada. We’ll learn about the case studies and what it took to produce their presentations, and also have a chance to acknowledge the winners. [14:19] We will hear from Shaun Sinclair, the Program Head of General Insurance and the Risk Management Program at British Columbia Institute of Technology, and Janiece Savien-Brown, the Manager for Risk and Claims Management at Metro Vancouver. [14:35] We’re going to learn about their various roles, as well. Let’s get to it! [14:39] Second Interview! Shaun Sinclair and Janiece Savien-Brown, welcome to RIMScast!  [14:47] Janiece Savien-Brown is the Manager of Risk and Claims Services with Metro Vancouver by day. She has been involved with BCRIMA for 17 or 18 years. BCRIMA started the Coast 2 Coast Legacy Challenge three years ago. Last year was its first year in Vancouver. [15:07] Shaun Sinclair is the Program Head of the General Insurance and Risk Management Program at BCIT, an institute of technology in Vancouver and Burnaby, B.C. [15:17] They teach students insurance and risk management courses. Students graduate with a CRM and a Chartered Insurance Professional designation. [15:26] Shaun is also the President of BCRIMA this year. He has been a BCRIMA member for a long time. This C2C Legacy Challenge was awesome for Shaun because two teams from BCIT got into the finals. Shaun had to recuse himself.  [15:51] Janiece says the RIMS Canada Conference 2025 was fantastic! Shaun was there with seven students, and it was awesome to see what they were learning. The students told Shaun they loved everything about it. [16:45] The two finalist teams were The Deductibles and Insure and Conquer. This year’s submissions were highly creative and impactful. [17:10] Shaun has been involved in Risk Management Challenges for years and has been to the nationals several times with groups. Shaun stays pretty hands-off. The students get the challenge, and Shaun discusses it with them. He figures out what they need from him to do it. [17:42] In this case, a root cause analysis wasn’t needed. They learned how to do a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), a heat map, and gather general knowledge. Then he let them go. They came up with the 10-page report. He didn’t watch their presentation until they went live. [18:14] Their champion for the challenge was Ken Letander. The challenge was a procurement question. If your organization’s ownership is 51% Indigenous, and you keep your staff 33% Indigenous, money comes your way for contracts. [18:48] When the contract is over and it’s time to get the money, but the organization refuses to give that information, how do you make sure they have the 33% Indigenous staff and 51% Indigenous ownership? Do you need pictures, or can you use Elders to say it’s enough? [19:12] The students had to read a lot about risk and the rules and regulations regarding this question. They had to read the Canadian government’s language on what the rules are. It was an interesting case. [19:38] Janiece didn’t envy them at all. The students came up with some solutions for Ken Letander, and he was thrilled with what came from all of the reports. [20:33] Janiece says the presentations were phenomenal from both teams, as well as the written submissions. The collaboration came through and showed they owned the essence of the project. You could see the desire of the top team to make it work. [21:12] Shaun says the cases used in C2C are pretty much real cases. Janiece says last year’s case competition had to come up with an equitable access tool to use in the system. After Janiece had surgery, she was given a survey, and she recognized it from the case study. [22:26] Justin says it’s great that the students collaborate. You need teamwork. [22:54] Shaun says you hear a lot about isolation. He says BCIT is sometimes called “Being Crammed Into Teams.” Shaun and the other teachers assign projects where students are forced to work with at least three or four people. [23:13] After two years of group projects, collaboration is relatively easy. Shaun also makes the students hand-write their exams. They learn how to think through a problem and put it down on paper. Afterward, they go outside and talk about what they did. [24:52] Shaun’s advice to academics and students entering a C2C challenge is to follow the rules. If they say 8-point font, 10-page maximum, don’t send 14 pages. The instructor should help students understand the material and then step back. Let the students do it. It’s on them. [25:42] Janiece says it is key to engage at the conference. While the Challenge is the key feature, the experience at the RIMS Canada Conference is a large part of it. Be present. Don’t be on your phones the whole time. Attend sessions. Come to the events, have fun, and network. [26:07] Janiece was at an event, and five people came up to her and asked if she had brought the BCIT students (Shaun had). [26:22] People were absolutely amazed at how engaging the students were, willing to put themselves out there, and setting meetings with people in BC for opportunities when they come back. That’s part of the experience. [26:40] Shaun points out that a couple of the students are quite shy and have come out of their shells because they’ve had to talk to people. The more you do it, the better you get at it. [27:01] Janiece reports that at one of the events, the students who were in Vancouver from Calgary came out and met with her students. RIMS, RIMS Canada, and the local chapter promote engagement. [27:31] The 2025 C2C Challenge Calgary winner is The Deductibles, 1.95 points ahead of Insure and Conquer. Insure and Conquer did an awesome job as well. [28:11] The Deductibles team is: Rabia Thind, Triston Nelson, and Ryan Qiu. [28:32] Parting advice for risk students as they step into their careers: Shaun says, if you’re going to be an accountant or finance student, think about insurance risk management. Amazing career opportunities in fields that cover everything are all within your grasp. Put it on your radar. [29:26] Janiece says she is living proof of that. She was going to be an accountant. After a car accident, she switched to insurance and risk. It’s a lifestyle. She has gained many friends, colleagues, and mentors. She started as an adjustor and after 31 years, she’s still in the industry. [29:54] Shaun says you can swap jobs from broker to underwriter, to claims, to risk manager, to education, and not start again at the bottom. It’s an amazing career. [30:26] Justin says Thank you so much, it’s been such a pleasure to reconnect with you here at the Telus Convention Center in Calgary, for RIMS Canada Conference 2025. Shaun and Janiece are already thinking about the C2C Challenge in 2026. We’ll see you there! [30:51] As I said at the top, we’re going to close things out with an improvised session called “Intentional Mentorship,” which was produced at the DE&I Studio. [31:19] Improvised Session, “Intentional Mentorship,” at the DE&I Studio! With the insights of Dionne Bowers, the Cofounder and Chair of CABIP, Ray Chaaya, the Head of Talent at Zurich Canada, and Natalia Szubbocsev of Appraisals, International. Please enjoy! [31:40] Natalia Szubbocsev introduces the panel. Natalia is the Executive Vice President at Appraisals, International, an insurance appraisal company, global but small, with a diverse, inclusive team. Natalia has been a mentee and a mentor and is glad to contribute her insights. [32:38] Dionne Bowers is the Co-founder and Chair of the Canadian Association of Black Insurance Professionals, a nonprofit organization, and has recently joined Markel Canada as one of their business development Colleagues. [32:57] Ray Chaaya is head of talent for Zurich Canada. Ray oversees talent acquisition, talent development, and talent management, as well as the culture portfolio for the company, DEIB, and community impact. [33:15] Natalia asks What does mentorship, particularly inclusive or intentional mentorship, mean for you? Dionne says that it is a strong commitment by both the mentor and the mentee to work together for growth opportunities. [33:38] Intentional mentorship is the dedication that each party has to bring to the table, and fulfilling any sort of mandates that have been asked by both. Depending on the program, it’s making sure that everyone is on the same page in terms of what they want from each other. [34:04] Ray agrees with Dionne. There has to be a mutual benefit. Ray has been a mentee and a mentor, and finds that the most valuable mentorship relationships are where the mentor and the mentee walk away feeling like they’re learning something every day, having a conversation. [34:30] Ray says it’s a two-way street and a relationship that can often last for years, because it is a relationship where the value is long-term. Ray talks to young people, and they ask, You’re my mentor, what do I do? It doesn’t work that way. It’s a long-term investment. [34:56] Natalia says that traditional mentorship, besides being one of the best ways of professional development, is also to transfer knowledge from someone who has the experience to someone junior in his or her role. What other purpose does mentorship serve? [35:19] Dionne says it’s also recognizing that it’s an opportunity for learning from one another. A mentor is a seasoned insurance professional who is working with someone who is a new entrant to the industry. [35:37] It’s recognizing that a mentor and a mentee are learning from each other. Strength in development is making sure that you are taking away something from each other, each time you meet, connecting and learning trends and thoughts, and diversity of thought. [36:10] Dionne asks, How can we do things differently? She has learned a lot from young people. Dionne thought she was cool, but apparently, she’s not. And she’s just taking away a lot of that into her own world, professionally and personally. [36:23] Natalia says her experiences are not just intergenerational, but in Canada and beyond, intercultural. She says what needs to be respected and adapted to, both by the mentor and the mentee, is that you’re coming from different backgrounds. [36:45] In a global setting, that will affect communication, that will affect the thought processes, that will affect everything; the way we do things. Because Natalia leads a global team, she has to be adaptable, sensible, and respectful of the cultural nuances. [37:07] At the same time, she asks her mentees or team to do the same for her, because she comes from a very specific background. She has an Eastern European background. It doesn’t matter that she’s lived in Canada for 25 years. [37:25] Her background defines the way she communicates, thinks, and handles things. Every culture communicates differently. That’s an overall mutual understanding, knowing that we all come from different backgrounds. [37:47] Dionne says there has to be a willingness to learn. There’s no point in having a mentor-mentee relationship where it’s just going to be closed off, and this is what we’re going to talk about. There has to be a willingness to learn. [38:07] Ray says there’s a learning agility piece. You have to be flexible in how the relationship is going to go. Every mentorship relationship is different, too. There are no steps on how to be a good mentor or a good mentee. [38:25] It’s the chemistry between the two, the value that you bring to each other, and the conversations. The maturity of a mentorship can also go into sponsorship. [38:37] When Ray has a conversation with somebody, and they get to know each other, and feel what they want to get out of this, he can be a voice for that person. It goes back to the conversation of lifting others when you can. [38:54] When Ray thinks back to his mentors who stick out in his mind. He has a lot of respect for them. They are the people who spoke about him when he was not in the room, and had his back in that room when he was not there. [39:15] Those are the people, as Ray matures in his career, he doesn’t know that he would be here today if it weren’t for those mentors. And that is what he hopes he can bring to somebody else as a mentor. [39:29] Natalia says, in a global setting where she works, boosting confidence is very important. In a multicultural global setting, it’s important to encourage someone in a different country, who communicates differently, that it doesn’t matter, they can do it. [39:50] We are working on a common goal. That’s part of the sponsorship/mentorship/training. [40:08] Ray says you have to be honest as a mentor. The toughest times for Ray were when he realized he was trying to make this work for a person, but to be honest with himself, as a mentor, he should be encouraging this person to look somewhere else, at what their passions are. [40:33] He went into it thinking he wanted this person to be the best they could be at this job. And he realized that’s not his job as a mentor. [40:43] His job is to understand what they want out of their career, where they bring value, where their passion is, and guide them to make sure that they ultimately are happy with their career, and they’re bringing value to society, and they’re contributing to the community. [41:06] One specific person Ray was mentoring, he was desperate to fit them into the insurance industry, because that’s how he was programmed. He was thinking, Why is this not working? And he realized it’s not working because they don’t want to do this. [41:25] And as a mentor, Ray’s job now is to say, What do you want to do, and let’s help you get there. And when he made that mind shift, it just clicked. That was a little bit of a learning opportunity. Now he’s a better mentor for learning that. [41:42] Dionne agrees with that. She had one mentor who told her, If you plan to give back as a mentor, don’t have any expectations, or you’re setting yourself up for failure. [42:05] A lot of mentors have a similar approach, because we don’t know. We want it so badly. We want to be able to say, I did that. I helped them get to wherever. If you have a mentee who is not in the mindset, and you’re not sure that this is for them, have that conversation. [42:38] It’s important to recognize that you’re going to impact their lives differently. Even though you have that mentor-mentee relationship, you may be asking them to reconsider dipping their foot into the industry. [42:55] Natalia says not making assumptions about the other person and having that curiosity, openness, and mutual communication is very important. [43:05] How do you build in mentorship or inclusive or intentional mentorship into your organization? Ray says mentorship programs should be part of any industry, any corporation, or any organization. If you expect people to learn and grow, they need mentors. [43:30] Ray says Zurich has baked in mentorship programs into a lot of its development programs. Your development means you get a mentor, and you learn from that mentor. They bake it into the development strategy that’s already there, and don’t make it an off-site thing. [43:57] It shouldn't be another thing; it should just be part of your growth and development. And so, whenever they can bake it in, that’s what Zurich does. [44:04] Zurich also has amazing employee resource groups that champion a lot of its programs, and the Zurich African and Caribbean Alliance, ZACA, which has worked with KBIP, is a massive champion of its mentorship program. [44:19] Just two or three months ago, Zurich held a mentorship day and increased the mentors on its mentorship platform by 48%. It was just another thing that was out there that nobody was talking about, and another thing people had to sign up for. [44:39] Zurich’s employee resource group put a spotlight on it, and they showed the value, and they made it part of the ERG’s culture to participate in mentorship. Then all of those ERG participants signed up to be mentors, and now are actively mentoring. [45:00] You really need to look at it from a strategy perspective. It can’t just be an extracurricular activity that you add on. [45:08] Dionne agrees. KBIP works with organizations like Zurich, and with the ZACA program and the team, but also does the work for organizations that are not there yet or not willing to put the extra effort in to embed it into the DNA of the organization. [45:33] Part of KBIP’s mandate is to create a mentorship program specific to Black insurance professionals. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, international or domestic student, or anyone who wants to be part of the organization and get extra support to build on their career trajectory. [46:02] What do mentors get out of mentorship? Dionne says as a mentor, she gets satisfaction from seeing someone excel, not necessarily from start to finish. You could be at the tail end of their journey, you could be at the beginning, or you could be in the middle. [46:36] If there is a desired outcome for both parties, and there’s success, when someone calls you or texts you and says, You know what, I got that job, or I was recognized for doing XYZ, that is satisfaction. That is success. [47:00] Ray says his passion is helping people grow and develop. He started his HR career in learning and development, because he used to be intrinsically rewarded when he saw somebody learn something he taught them, or he trained them on. That felt like a superpower. [47:21] When Ray can do that with the programs Zurich runs, and he interviews people and watches their growth, and they are so grateful; to Ray, that is worth it all. You don’t even have to pay him for that. He will volunteer and do that his entire life because of what he gets out of it. [47:47] Natalia agrees. There are obvious advantages from an organizational point of view, but from an individual point of view, Natalia feels that she has arrived at a point where there's no ego anymore. She wants to transfer her knowledge to someone. [48:04] Natalia wants to tell someone that they can do it. Because she did it, they can do it as well. And that’s a very important aspect of mentorship. [48:15] How do you make mentorship intentional and inclusive? Ray says it means they have to see the value. It has to be part of the business strategy. Anything that is not intentional, people think, Why do I have to do this, on top of everything else that I need to do? [48:36] The second we are making it intentional, it has to make sense. This is why I’m doing this, because it's going to benefit me, it’s going to benefit the company, and it’s going to benefit the people I’m impacting. [48:47] They have to see the strategic business value, and with mentorship, it’s easy. Because there’s massive value for the organization, there is a massive competitive edge if you’re doing it properly, and there is massive learning and development for your workforce. [49:05] You just need to sit down with professionals like KBIP, with people who have thought through it, and understand how to help you bake it into the strategy. Just do the work. Anything intentional has to make sense. If it does not make sense, it can’t really be that intentional. [49:28] Dionne says that in every organization, when you are constructing your missions and your value statements, it’s sitting down as an executive team, and asking, How can we execute on this? What does that mean? Mentorship is something that bleeds into your brand. [49:57] The brand recognition from a competitive edge standpoint is huge. Dionne says she can walk into a school for outreach programs and say, Zurich is a market of choice. You would want to work with Zurich because of this, this, and this. [50:14] If you can tell them that they’re going to be supported along the way with their career, that’s added value. That is something that will definitely differentiate Zurich in the marketplace. [50:26] Dionne adds that being intentional is huge because when you are not, people can see right through that. That is where you create toxic cultures. [50:39] It’s not in a company’s best interest to ignore the opportunities that stem from mentorship programs. [50:47] Natalia says she’s not an HR professional, but she imagines that mentorship has a great role in not just attracting the right talent, but in retention as well. [50:58] Ray affirms, 100%. It’s part of your growth and development. Sure, you can use it as a competitive edge to attract people, but if you’re not doing it right, then they’re not going to develop and grow, and that competitive edge is really just smoke and mirrors. It’s not real. [51:15] So, if you’re going to do it right, you have to develop people and grow people through your mentorship programs, and you have to show the results for it. [51:26] Dionne adds, That speaks to the inclusivity part of diversity, equity, and inclusion. If you can build a strategy that equates to inclusion, it equates to retention. It’s not rocket science.  [51:49] Ray says Zurich is really good at that. [51:52] Final thoughts on intentional mentorship. Dionne says, “Just do it. I'm a Nike gal. Just do it.” [51:59] Ray says, “I wouldn't be where I am in my career if it weren’t for my mentors and my sponsors. And so, if you see potential, mentor the heck out of that potential, because they will thrive.” [52:15] Dionne says, “And acknowledge it. I think that’s a big part of that strategy.” [52:21] Natalia thanks Ray, Dionne, and the RIMS DE&I Studio for picking up this topic, a very important topic, and she hopes you enjoyed the session. [52:38] Justin says special thanks again to all of our guests here at the RIMS Canada Conference 2025. Be sure to mark your calendars for October 18th through the 21st, 2026, for RIMS Canada, which will be held in Quebec City. [52:55] Shout out to the RIMS Canada Council for producing another fantastic conference and to the RIMS Events Team and all my RIMS colleagues who worked tirelessly to make the last three days so smooth. It’s such a pleasure to work with you all. I look forward to seeing you next year. [53:14] 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. [53:43] 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. [54:02] 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. [54:19] 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. [54:35] 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. [54:50] 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. [55:02] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continuous support!   Links: From RIMS Canada: “RIMS Ontario Chapter Honours Bombardier's Daniel Desjardins with the 2025 Donald M. Stuart Award” RIMS ERM Conference 2025 — Nov. 17‒18 Spencer Internship Program — Registration Open Through Oct. 15. RIMS Western Regional — Oct 1‒3 | Bay Area, California | Registration open! RISKWORLD 2026 — Members-only early registration through Sept 30! RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRO Certificate in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management — Featuring Instructor James Lam! Next bi-weekly course begins Oct 9. RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy | RIMS Legislative Summit SAVE THE DATE — March 18‒19, 2026 RIMS Risk Management magazine | Contribute RIMS Now RIMSCanadaConference.ca RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars “Natural Hazards: A Data-Driven Guide to Improving Resilience and Risk Financing Outcomes” | Oct. 9 | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants “Jury Dynamics: How Juries Shape Today's Legal Landscape” | Oct. 16, 2025 | Sponsored by Zurich “Parametric Insurance: Providing Financial Certainty in Uncertain Times” | Oct. 30, 2025 | Sponsored by Swiss Re “Geopolitical Whiplash — Building Resilient Global Risk Programs in an Unstable World” | Nov. 6 | Sponsored by Hub   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop — November 11‒12 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule Risk Appetite Management | Oct 22‒23 | Instructor: Ken Baker “Intro to ERM for Senior Leaders” | Nov. 4‒5 | Instructor: Elise Farnham “Fundamentals of Insurance” | Nov. 11‒12 | Instructor: Chris Hansen “Leveraging Data and Analytics for Continuous Risk Management (Part I)” | Dec 4. See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Related RIMScast Episodes with 2025 RIMS Canada keynotes: “Distilling Risk and Resilience with Manjit K. Minhas” “On Resilience with Amanda Lindhout” “Thoughts and IDEAs on Inclusivity with Michael Bach”   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience” | Sponsored by AXA XL (New!) “Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs” | Sponsored by Zurich “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich “What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping” | Sponsored by Medcor “Risk Management in a Changing World: A Deep Dive into AXA's 2024 Future Risks Report” | Sponsored by AXA XL “How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips” | Sponsored by Alliant “RMIS Innovation with Archer” | Sponsored by Archer “Navigating Commercial Property Risks with Captives” | Sponsored by Zurich “Breaking Down Silos: AXA XL’s New Approach to Casualty Insurance” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Weathering Today’s Property Claims Management Challenges” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Storm Prep 2024: The Growing Impact of Convective Storms and Hail” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Partnering Against Cyberrisk” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Harnessing the Power of Data and Analytics for Effective Risk Management” | Sponsored by Marsh “Accident Prevention — The Winning Formula For Construction and Insurance” | Sponsored by Otoos “Platinum Protection: Underwriting and Risk Engineering's Role in Protecting Commercial Properties” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Elevating RMIS — The Archer Way” | Sponsored by Archer   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 RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Kristen Peed!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org 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: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guests: Eddie Tettevi, Sandbox Mutual Insurance CRO RIMS Canada Council Chair — DEI and Comms Janiece Savien-Brown, Metro Vancouver Shaun Sinclair, BCIT "Intentional Mentorship" improvised session from the DE&I Studio, featuring: Dionne Bowers, Co-Founder & Chair of the Canadian Association of Black Insurance Professionals (CABIP); Ray Chaaya, Head of talent for Zurich Canada; Natalia Szubbocsev, Executive Vice President at Appraisals International Inc.    Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

In this engaging discussion, Dan Chuparkoff, CEO and Founder of Reinvention Labs, shares his insights on the crucial role of AI in risk management. He emphasizes the importance of early adaptation to AI to stay competitive in today’s landscape. Dan dives into the balance between AI tools and human judgment, proposing AI as a recommendation engine while advocating for human oversight. He also explores the complexities of integrating AI into policy-making and communication, offering a glimpse into his upcoming keynote at the RIMS ERM Conference.

In this engaging conversation, Manjit K. Minhas, a Calgary-born entrepreneur and CEO of Minhas Brewery, shares her journey from a young start-up founder to a seasoned venture capitalist. She emphasizes the vital role of risk professionals in decision-making for businesses. Manjit delves into brand resilience post-COVID, innovative strategies in product development, and the importance of strong communication in leadership. With her upcoming keynote at RIMS Canada Conference 2025, she sets the stage for a future where risk management is at the forefront of entrepreneurial success.

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   The Spencer Educational Foundation, a leading nonprofit organization to nurture the next generation of risk management and insurance professionals, will hold its annual Funding Their Future Gala in New York City on Thursday, September 18, 2025. This eagerly awaited event will occur at the renowned Cipriani 42nd Street, uniting industry leaders and supporters to acknowledge achievements in risk management and insurance.   This year’s gala recognizes Tim Ryan, U.S. President at Lockton, for championing the next generation of talent and shaping the future of the risk management and insurance industry. Since being named U.S. President in 2024, Tim has been pivotal in positioning Lockton for the future. With over 30 years of industry experience, Tim brings a strategic and enduring approach to leadership. He is committed to fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence that carries Lockton’s momentum forward. Tim’s vision is to build on Lockton’s strong foundation, guiding the company through evolving market demands while maintaining its reputation as the best place to work in insurance.   “Tim’s commitment to attracting and developing top talent has been instrumental in Lockton’s continued success and evolution as an industry leader,” stated Julie Gibson, Spencer board member and Chief Marketing Officer at Lockton.   In this episode, Justin interviews Tim Ryan on his career, his risk philosophy, his leadership vision on mentorship, and his recognition by the Spencer Educational Foundation.   Listen to learn about attracting top, rising talent to the risk management and insurance industry.   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 be joined by Tim Ryan. He is the U.S. President at Lockton and the honoree at this year’s Spencer’s Funding Their Future Gala on September 18th. We’ll get his perspective on leadership and the future of risk management in just a moment. [1:00] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! 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. [1:20] 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! [1:37] 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. [1:48] 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”. [2:01] On September 18th, Origami Risk will present “Driving Better Incident and Claims Management with Data, Technology & Strategic Collaboration”. [2:10] On October 9th, Global Risk Consultants returns to deliver “Natural Hazards: A Data-Driven Guide to Improving Resilience and Risk Financing Outcomes”. [2:19] On October 16th, Zurich returns to deliver “Jury Dynamics: How Juries Shape Today's Legal Landscape”. [2:28] On October 30th, Swiss Re will present “Parametric Insurance: Providing Financial Certainty in Uncertain Times”. [2:37] On November 6th, Hub will present “Geopolitical Whiplash — Building Resilient Global Risk Programs in an Unstable World”. Register at RIMS.org/Webinars. [2:49] 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 registering by September 30th. [3:04] 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. [3:17] 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. [3:31] On with the show! On September 18th, 2025, the Spencer Educational Foundation will hold its annual Funding Their Future Gala in New York City at the renowned Cipriani 42nd Street. [3:44] This year’s Gala recognizes Tim Ryan, U.S. President at Lockton, for championing the next generation of talent and shaping the future of risk management and insurance. [3:54] Tim Ryan is our guest today. He has over 30 years of industry experience. We’re going to dive into his philosophies on leadership and what it takes for the next generation of risk professionals to be successful in the short and long term. Let’s get to it! [4:11] Interview! Tim Ryan, welcome to RIMScast! [4:32] Tim Ryan is excited to be here today to talk about the Spencer Educational Foundation! He says it’s an exceptional organization, doing important work. It’s a unique organization that brings the entire industry together to rally around an issue that’s important to us all. [4:52] Tim says the recognition is humbling and gratifying. It’s nice to be recognized, but he doesn’t view it as a personal achievement. He sees it as a reflection of the incredible work being done by Lockton and Associates throughout the country, more than it is of his individual efforts. [5:14] Tim says he is honored to be recognized, and he’s proud to be part of a company that sees this as a priority. [5:26] Tim has been at Lockton for 20 years. Before Lockton, Tim worked on the carrier side for 10 years. Tim became the U.S. President at Lockton almost a year ago to the day.  [5:49] Tim’s leadership style has changed over time, through the wisdom of maturity and a lot of trial and error. He started in the industry straight out of college. Working at a couple of different organizations exposed him to different leaders along the way. [6:10] Tim learned a few foundational lessons. First, leadership is rarely about title. People follow people, not the position. When Tim was first made a team leader, he was excited to be in charge. He promised himself he wouldn’t make the same mistakes his managers had made. [6:37] He made the same mistakes. He started to realize that a leadership position isn’t about you. Your job is to set the vision, align stakeholders, make sure there’s clarity on roles and responsibilities, and create and foster an environment that allows people to be successful. [6:58] Tim’s leadership style is about building teams with complementary skill sets. It’s not about being the smartest person in the room; it’s about making sure the room is filled with smart and motivated people. [7:08] Put the right people in the right place and trust them to get the job done. People want to believe in what they’re doing and who they’re doing it with. It’s critical to bring together people with a diversity of thought and background. Bring a variety of different viewpoints to the table. [7:28] Tim believes it’s critical to get to know your people. What motivates and drives them? What are their goals and aspirations? How do they like to absorb information? [7:55] Tim views it as his job to listen, to motivate, and to remove obstacles. It’s about being authentic. Don’t play the role, especially for first-time leaders. You have to be open and transparent, and true to yourself. [8:32] Tim says the role of the broker has changed with the world. If brokers did the same things they did 10 to 15 years ago, they would be at risk of being obsolete. [8:44] Fifteen years ago, there was no Instagram or TikTok. You were probably on MySpace, playing music on your iPod. Some of the emerging risks that are at the forefront of today’s discussions range from autonomous vehicles to data centers to digital assets and currency. [9:04] The pace of change in the industry is fast, and it’s only increasing. The constant emergence of new and evolving risks requires greater specialization and the use of data analytics to deliver deeper insights into our clients’ businesses. [9:18] As you look ahead, you can start to see how AI is going to have a dramatic impact on how we do business in the not-too-distant future. [9:26] Despite these advances and changes, for a broker, one thing is unchanged. Clients want us to help them see around corners. They want us to help them understand what’s coming next. They look to us to provide expertise and help make decisions. [9:46] Tim says our job is to be a fierce advocate for them, to be that trusted advisor. We need to know and understand their business, the industry they operate in, and the risks associated with it. We need to understand their risk tolerance and help them solve their business need. [10:04] Quick 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. [10:26] 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. [10:43] 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. [10:57] 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. [11:11] On September 14th through the 17th, we will be in Calgary for the RIMS Canada Conference 2025. Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca to register. [11:21] 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! [11:37] 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. [11:59] 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. [12:14] At the top, Justin mentioned RISKWORLD 2026. Through September 4th, the RISKWORLD education content submission process is still open. [12:23] 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. [12:41] Let’s Return to Our Interview with Lockton U.S. President Tim Ryan!  [13:03] Tim Ryan talks about cultivating the next generation of risk and insurance professionals. His motivation comes from his story. It’s all about paying it forward. He wouldn’t be where he is today without the guidance and support of some great mentors throughout his career. [13:16] Tim’s mentors had no reason to want to help him, but from early on, they decided to help him reach his potential. Tim started his career as a trainee at Fireman’s Fund Insurance in a branch office North of New York City. [13:36] The office manager was incredible. He was generous with his time. He was never too busy to help or answer questions. He always found ways to give Tim opportunities in meetings, in projects, or with clients. [13:49] Opportunities that Tim probably wasn’t ready for, but that were part of his developmental process. Tim is incredibly grateful for the impact this manager had on his career and his life. Almost 35 years later, Tim still thinks of him as a person that he tries to emulate. [14:12] Tim says, “ So, John Lience, if you’re listening, thank you! It made a difference. Give me a call. I’d love to catch up.” [14:20] Justin is glad to hear the shoutout by name. It’s a small world in risk management, and everybody knows each other. John may be listening. Tim agrees, for as big an industry as it is, it is definitely a very small world. [14:33] Tim continues, fast forward to today, this is something that we’re passionate about because we see it as a strategic priority for the business. Lockton invests an incredible amount of time and money into the technical and professional development of all its associates. [14:53] It starts with the first-year analysts, many of whom came out of Lockton’s intern program. Leaders have an obligation to grow and develop the next generation of talent. [15:04]  It’s about creating a culture of continuous learning, one where people feel valued, included, and connected to the purpose of the work and the people that they work with. [15:14] What drives and motivates Tim is that shared sense of purpose that brings everyone together. [15:34] What must the sector do differently to attract, engage, and top rising talent? Tim says the industry has made progress, but we’re still not where we need to be. We have to expand the talent pool by building stronger partnerships with different schools and organizations. [15:55] The Spencer Educational Foundation is already doing the work to engage more diverse communities. These relationships help us reach individuals who may not have considered a career in risk and insurance, but bring valuable perspectives and skills. [16:08] Tim continues, beyond sourcing talent, retention has to be a priority. It’s great to get people into the industry, but can we keep them? That means investing in leadership development programs accessible to a broader audience, including underrepresented groups.  [16:22] It also means helping young talent understand their purpose and how they fit within the vision of the company they’re working in. When people see a path for growth and feel connected to the purpose, they’re more likely to stay and thrive. [16:35] Building that workforce that better reflects the communities and businesses we serve isn’t just the right thing, but it also makes our industry stronger, it makes it more innovative, and it makes it better equipped to meet the evolving needs of our clients. [16:53] Tim has attended Spencer Educational Foundation’s Funding Their Future Gala for years. He was there last year for Lilian Vanvieldt-Gray. She was great! The grant recipients also spoke. They were incredibly impressive. Lockton asked two of them for their numbers and resumes. [17:26] Justin comments that the event itself can be a networking and career advancement opportunity. Tim says it was great to hear from the recipients. It brings it back to what impact the Spencer Educational Foundation has. [17:50] Justin had a great time last year, and he looks forward to seeing Tim this year, on September 18th. The Spencer Educational Foundation supports students and educational programs across the risk and insurance professions. [18:14] Tim says most young people don’t have any idea what a broad, vibrant, and dynamic industry this is. We have to do more to generate awareness and excitement about our industry. [18:23] Partnerships like the one with Spencer Educational Foundation are critical. They bring awareness and help us reach smart, young, talented individuals who might not otherwise consider a career in this field. The scholarship program is a big part of that. [18:35] Lockton has been involved in the Foundation since the early days. 20 years ago, they established the John T. Lockton Memorial Scholarship through the Spencer Scholarship Program. [18:47] Lockton continues to support that program, donating over $1 million in funding for about 200 scholarships. The program is just one of the many ways Spencer is driving awareness and engagement in the industry. [18:57] Tim praises the Spencer Educational Foundation for the great work they do with colleges and universities, helping build risk management programs, facilitating internships, and bringing new people into the industry through the scholarship program. [19:06] These partnerships are essential for the future of risk and insurance because they create pathways for students to discover the unique value the profession offers. Tim says many scholarship recipients are working at Lockton today, and they are excellent. [19:37] Tim shares advice to students or early career professionals discovering risk management. “Every year, I meet with our first-year analysts and interns, and I talk to them about this very subject.” [19:45] “We talk about how big the industry is and that there are so many opportunities and career paths available to them. But the backdrop of that conversation is about the pace of change and the importance of being a continuous learner.” [19:59] “You’re going to have to reinvent yourself many times over the course of your career to stay relevant, so now, at this early stage of your career, is the time to invest in yourselves. Don’t get caught up in worrying about the next promotion or the next step in your career.” [20:13] “Just be patient. You’re going to have plenty of time for all that. All that’s going to work itself out. Just focus on gaining new experience and knowledge, and figure out what you’re good at. Don’t just do things. Seek to understand why.” [20:27] “Look, you can have a job or you can have a career, and they’re different. But that’s ultimately going to be up to you. It’s your responsibility. If you focus on what you’re doing and do it well, your next job will likely come from someone you’re impressing today.” [20:47] “Get out of your bubble, build relationships, network, and go meet with people. Make people want to invest in you.” [21:00] “If you take nothing else out of this conversation, try to remember these things: Be curious. Ask questions. Understand why you’re doing things. Show up and be present. If you can do those things, you’ll ultimately be successful.” [21:20] Special thanks to Tim Ryan of Lockton for joining us here on RIMScast! We look forward to seeing him on September 18th at the Spencer Funding Their Future Gala in New York City. Visit the link in this episode’s show notes for tickets and SpencerEd.org for more information. [21:40] 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. [22:09] 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. [22:27] 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. [22:44] 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. [23:01] 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. [23:15] 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. [23:27] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continuous support!   Links: RIMS ERM Conference 2025 — Nov. 17‒18 Spencer Educational Foundation 2025 Funding Their Future Gala — Sept. 18, 2025, in NYC! The call for RISKWORLD 2026 submissions is open through Sept 4. Spencer Internship Program — Registration Open Through Oct. 15. 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 RIMS-CRO Certificate in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management — Featuring Instructor James Lam! Next bi-weekly course begins Oct 9. RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy | RIMS Legislative Summit SAVE THE DATE — March 18‒19, 2026 RIMS Risk Management magazine | Contribute RIMS Now “Tim Ryan to Receive Honor at Spencer Educational Foundation’s 2025 Gala” RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars “Lockdown & Level Up: Turn Up Your Cyber Security Game Against Creative Cyber Criminals” | Sept. 4, 2025 | Sponsored by AXA XL “Driving Better Incident and Claims Management with Data, Technology & Strategic Collaboration” | Sept. 18 | Sponsored by Origami Risk “Natural Hazards: A Data-Driven Guide to Improving Resilience and Risk Financing Outcomes” | Oct. 9 | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants “Jury Dynamics: How Juries Shape Today's Legal Landscape” | Oct. 16, 2025 | Sponsored by Zurich “Parametric Insurance: Providing Financial Certainty in Uncertain Times” | Oct. 30, 2025 | Sponsored by Swiss Re “Geopolitical Whiplash — Building Resilient Global Risk Programs in an Unstable World” | Nov. 6 | Sponsored by Hub   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop — November 11‒12 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule Intro to ERM for Senior Leaders | Nov. 4‒5 | Instructor: Elise Farnham See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Related RIMScast Episodes: “The Strengths of DE&I Initiatives with Lilian Vanvieldt-Gray of Alliant Insurance Services”, Spencer Gala Honoree 2024   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience” | Sponsored by AXA XL (New!) “Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs” | Sponsored by Zurich “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich “What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping” | Sponsored by Medcor “Risk Management in a Changing World: A Deep Dive into AXA's 2024 Future Risks Report” | Sponsored by AXA XL “How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips” | Sponsored by Alliant “RMIS Innovation with Archer” | Sponsored by Archer “Navigating Commercial Property Risks with Captives” | Sponsored by Zurich “Breaking Down Silos: AXA XL’s New Approach to Casualty Insurance” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Weathering Today’s Property Claims Management Challenges” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Storm Prep 2024: The Growing Impact of Convective Storms and Hail” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Partnering Against Cyberrisk” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Harnessing the Power of Data and Analytics for Effective Risk Management” | Sponsored by Marsh “Accident Prevention — The Winning Formula For Construction and Insurance” | Sponsored by Otoos “Platinum Protection: Underwriting and Risk Engineering's Role in Protecting Commercial Properties” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Elevating RMIS — The Archer Way” | Sponsored by Archer   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 RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Kristen Peed!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org 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: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Tim Ryan, U.S. President, Lockton Spencer Educational Foundation Funding Their Future Gala’s 2025 Honoree   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

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!

David Neikrug, CEO of Optimatum Solutions and expert in vendor management for employer-sponsored healthcare, dives deep into the challenges and opportunities of managing healthcare vendors. He discusses the financial liabilities that come from poor vendor oversight and the critical need for risk management practices in HR. Neikrug also highlights how risk managers can enhance vendor relationships and accountability, crucial for employee benefits. Furthermore, he underscores the importance of confidentiality and effective communication in vendor partnerships.

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   The inaugural RIMS Texas Regional was held Aug. 4‒6 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. Nearly 500 attendees filled the hall for the groundbreaking event, which united the Texas RIMS chapters and welcomed risk management professionals worldwide.   In this episode, Justin interviews Conference attendees Tiara Wallace, DFW RIMS Inclusivity Chair and Director of RISK Invesco US, Jason Turk,  Director of Operations for Bondy Law Group, and Founder of Swag for Schools, and Maximilian Glodde, Co-Founder and CEO of MEO Continuity. They discuss their experiences at the inaugural RIMS Texas Regional Conference, their risk management backgrounds, and their advice for risk managers today.   Listen to learn more about this inaugural annual RIMS Texas Regional event.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:17] About this episode of RIMScast, recorded and produced live onsite at the RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2025 in San Antonio. We have three fascinating perspectives today. [:47] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! The next Virtual RIMS-CRMP exam prep, co-hosted by Parima, will be held on September 2nd and 3rd. [:58] 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. [1:14] 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! [1:32] 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. [1:43] 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”. [1:56] On October 30th, Swiss Re will present “Parametric Insurance: Providing Financial Certainty in Uncertain Times”. [2:04] 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. [2:25] See the full agenda at RIMS.org/ERM2025. Nominations are open for the RIMS Global ERM Award of Distinction 2025. The nomination deadline is Saturday, August 16th. The award is presented annually at the RIMS ERM Conference. There is a link in this episode’s show notes. [2:52] If your organization’s ERM program or one you know of deserves this recognition, we want to hear about it. Remember to send in that nomination form by August 16th. [3:03] 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. [3:18] 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. [3:31] 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. [3:45] On with the show! The RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2025 was a smashing success, with nearly 500 attendees in the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio! [3:58] Feedback has been wonderful, on everything from keynotes to educational sessions to networking opportunities. If you missed it this year, mark your calendar for August 10th through 12th, 2026. We will be back at the convention center in San Antonio next year. [4:14] Justin interviewed a few of the attendees, the first of whom is very well-known in the DFW RIMS Chapter. Tiara Wallace is a long-time DFW RIMS Chapter member, and she is also the Inclusivity Chair. [4:30] In her full-time job, Tiara is the Director of Risk Management for Invesco US. We’re going to talk about construction risk in Texas and the power of inclusivity, and what it means for her and everyone at DFW RIMS. Let’s get to it! [4:44] Interview! Tiara Wallace, welcome to RIMScast! [5:26] Tiara says it is amazing to see all four chapters come together with Global RIMS! It’s been great meeting new folks, seeing new vendor partners, and meeting risk professionals from across the state of Texas. It’s been a great event and a great turnout! [5:55] Tiara is part of the DFW RIMS Chapter and also sits on the Board for the Texas Regional as one of the contributors, to help bring together DFW’s POV for the Texas Regional. [6:25] Tiara says we are stronger together, and it’s been great to collaborate across the different chapters and meet folks she wouldn’t ordinarily have met.  [6:44] Tiara is the Director of Risk Management for Invesco Real Estate. Invesco acquires real estate assets and develops and constructs new assets. Tiara handles the insurance for liability, property, environmental, claims management, and contract review. [7:07] Everything for risk management for a major property owner in Texas and across the U.S. [7:36] Tiara says that since the pandemic of 2020, Texas has seen an increase in folks flocking to DFW for the cost of living. That brought in more development, construction, and congestion on the roads. This required more labor and construction employees to build offices. [8:20] Tiara says there are issues in keeping up with the pace of people coming in. There is a labor shortage, and extreme weather with heat and flooding. For a couple of years, Texas had bad freezes that they were not prepared to handle. Justin says Texas faces unique exposures. [9:22] Tiara says, post-pandemic, we have supply chain issues. Some companies buy warehouses to store materials. Tiara worked for an owner-developer who had land and facilities to store materials. Manage great relationships with your vendors. Purchase locally. [9:53] Tiara looked at ways to shorten the pipeline so that when they had disruptions, they didn’t delay projects. Invesco wanted to be able to continue construction so that folks would have a place to live, work, and play. [10:14] Tiara elaborates on partnerships and contract management. What does the contract say? What are we doing to protect not only ourselves but our vendor partners, to fulfill our fiduciary responsibility to continue to produce, build, and not go bankrupt? [11:37] Tiara thinks that safety takes a couple of things: first, your alignment and partnership with safety managers, even outside of your organization, to discuss challenges, and discussing claims history with teams on the ground to help them practice safety. [12:24] The second thing is to leverage your carriers’ risk control/loss control department so they can come in and give you tools. [12:37] Typically, a risk manager is a team of one, so you have to be resourceful about whom you work with, and run it up to the organization to make sure they’re aligned with it. [13:01] At Invesco, Tiara is in a team of three, and they partner with a larger risk management consulting group. Tiara has a risk analyst and a risk manager on her team, and they attack everything together. Tiara lays out the division of tasks between them. [13:44] Tiara is the Inclusivity Chair at RIMS DFW Chapter. It’s a new role. They wanted to bridge the gap between ages, risk managers, carrier partners, and vendor partners. [14:34] They wanted everyone coming to a DFW RIMS event to know that they have a place where they feel they belong. They are a part of a community working together to advance the risk management and insurance industry within Dallas-Fort Worth. [15:20] Tiara says people have not taken a moment to pause and use a common-sense approach about inclusivity. We need to be intentional. Some of us are getting ready to exit our industry. We need to recruit people into it. [16:02] How are we making sure this industry will be around for the rest of our time? Insurance is an industry that touches everything. Inclusivity means everybody should be included in it. [16:54] Tiara is a transplant from Oklahoma City to Dallas. She knew few people here. When her boss asked her for risk management connections, she started with LinkedIn. She asked her broker, and they started a real estate council to help her with the questions she had. [18:53] Justin tells Tiara it has been inspiring to hear her story. He is glad she is doing so well and was able to join us on RIMScast live from the RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2025. Thank you, Tiara! [19:22] 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. [19:36] 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! [19:53] 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. [20:15] 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. [20:30] On with the Show! Our next guest was highly visible at the RIMS Texas Regional. He is Jason Turk, the Founder and Project Coordinator of the charity program, Swag for Schools. He is also the Director of Operations for the Bondy Law Group in Encino, California. [20:50] Jason is the former Membership Director for DFW RIMS. We will discuss his fascinating risk career and work with risk managers. We will learn about how Swag for Schools emphasizes sustainability by redistributing conference giveaways and giving back to the local community. [21:16] Interview! Jason Turk, welcome to RIMScast! [21:22] If you’ve been to DFW RIMS events, you may remember the Swag for Schools booth, which is manned by former Membership Director for DFW RIMS, Jason Turk. Jason, welcome to RIMScast! [22:03] Jason joined the Marine Corps in the early ’90s and got out in ’97. He worked as a security guard at the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board in San Bernardino. From there, he did surveillance and investigations in Southern California and then returned home to Texas. [22:36] Jason went to work for an investigation company in Dallas and became involved with the DFW RIMS Chapter. He worked in claims, Medicare compliance, and medical canvassing, and he was a California workers’ compensation claims adjuster in the Dallas office of Crum & Forster. [22:58] He has a well-rounded career in claims. He’s been involved with the DFW RIMS chapter since the early 2000s. [23:06] Jason is the Director of Operations of the Bondy Law Group. They do California workers’ compensation defense. Jason tracks performance and maintains smooth communication in operations throughout the firm and with its clients. [23:36] Jason’s goal has been to build relationships with the risk managers. His job directly impacts their bottom line, their employees, and the culture they set within their companies. [23:48] In Jason’s experience, the workers’ compensation world in California is a litigious area. He tries to make a positive impact on those employers and maintain long-term relationships. Jason’s LinkedIn page link is in this episode’s show notes. [24:19] Swag for Schools was born from an experience Jason had at a conference in 2019. Exhibitors were leaving, a storm was coming, and they abandoned boxes of marketing materials in the hall. Jason thought there had to be something he could do with those items. [24:48] He thought of donating the items, saving the exhibitors’ shipping costs and time, saving the materials from going to a landfill, and doing some good, providing items to school teachers. There are a lot of items that the school teachers would go and purchase on their own. [25:04] That gave Jason the idea in 2019 to create Swag for Schools. He ran pilot tests in California and Texas, and it was very successful. Then COVID-19 hit, and conferences came to a grinding halt. [25:24] When Jason returned to the industry and the Bondy Law Group, he reinvigorated the program. Now they’re on the 10th or more conference since resuming the program. [25:47] As a charity program, not a 501(c)(3), and not a non-profit, Swag for Schools does not seek or accept monetary donations. As a pass-through program, they will accept gift cards. They facilitate the donation to a local school in the area of the conference. They don’t ship. [26:07] They accept typical conference swag: pens, notepads, water bottles, towels, and hand sanitizer. Many of the schools that receive the swag also support battered women’s shelters, adult education, and other programs. Items not needed for schools can help other folks. [26:43] The stress balls they use in arts and crafts. Koozies get turned into hand puppets. The teachers find a way to utilize these items. [27:04] Swag for Schools doesn’t have an expectation from the exhibitors. The items cost the exhibitors. Often, they want to take them home. Last year, they filled half of a 26-foot box truck with donation items that went to a school’s foundation that went to K-12 and adult education. [27:35] Swag for Schools doesn’t discriminate on the items because schools will find a way to use them. Unless it’s a shot glass or something sharp, Swag for Schools will take it. [27:56] The items donated at the RIMS Texas Regional 2025 Conference will be boxed up and taken to Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in San Antonio, about four miles away from the Conference Center. [28:18] Woodrow Wilson School will put the items in a school store where the teachers can pull the items they need without paying for them or accounting for them, as they are donations. Every little bit helps. You never know what use someone is going to have for these items. [29:02] It helps the teachers who don’t have to buy things for their class, and it helps the exhibitors on their ESG goals, not putting swag in a landfill. [29:14] Jason, it has been such a pleasure to see you again. As a reminder to the listeners, a link to the Swag for Schools LinkedIn page is in this episode’s show notes. Jason, thank you for doing such wonderful work for yourself and on behalf of the greater risk community. [29:53] 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. [30:12] Since 1999, Spencer has awarded over $2.9 million to create more than 570 Risk Management Internships. The Internship Grants application process will open on August 15th, 2025. It will close on October 15th. [30:32] 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. [30:46] 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. [31:05] 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. [31:14] Our next guest is the Co-Founder and CEO of MEO Continuity, a risk management software company that helps you optimize business disruption response. [31:25] His name is Maximilian Glodde, and we discuss risk management and why it was so important for him, as the Founder and CEO of a startup, to join RIMS. [31:43] Interview! Maximilian Glodde, welcome to RIMScast! [31:45] Maximilian has been in RIMS and the risk management space for 10 years. MEO Continuity is a relatively young startup of just over three years. [32:29] Maximilian believes the biggest challenge for a startup is getting your word out. They had early validation that we had something people found valuable. We had to stay disciplined about staying in our lane. The big challenge is getting your name out and staying focused. [32:51] Maximilian says there is a lot that comes with starting a company. He has a completely different appreciation for HR. You take it for granted. He gives HR a big shoutout for the policies and procedures you don’t think about. [33:11] Once you grow past your founding team, HR becomes very important. You need to think about what people care about at work and what makes them happy. [33:37] When Maximilian and Justin met in Denver at the ERM Conference 2023, MEO Continuity was just Christopher Wegman and Maximilian Glodde. They now have a team of over 15. They’ve grown fast, and they have wonderful clients in all different industries. [34:24] Maximilian had come from a large carrier, and RIMS was an event the carrier sponsored. Maximilian got to see what RIMS was all about. He knew, when he came out with MEO Continuity, they needed to start the journey by attending RIMS conferences. [34:45] RIMS conferences are attended by a high caliber of companies, vendors, and prospects. The first conference where MEO Continuity exhibited was RISKWORLD 2024 in San Diego. That event was a huge success. MEO Continuity got their message out. [35:28] Since exhibiting at RISKWORLD 2024, MEO Continuity has streamlined their conference preparation process. Maximilian liked that the RIMS team was very responsive to their many questions and answered them quickly. They felt super supported for a successful event. [35:57] That support and success is why they came back to RISKWORLD 2025 in Chicago. MEO Continuity will exhibit at the RIMS Canada Conference 2025, from September 14th through 17th, and at the RIMS Western Regional from October 1st through 3rd. [36:22] MEO Continuity will also exhibit at the RIMS ERM Conference in Seattle, on November 17th and 18th, and will co-present a session on November 17th, “Are You Mapping Your Value Chain Backwards?” with Emily Buckley of Specialized Bicycle Components. [36:52] Maximilian believes the value chain mapping process lives at the core of the risk management process. It’s very difficult to manage and mitigate risk if you don’t understand what’s important in your value chain. [37:27] MEO Continuity is a proponent of starting at the end of the value chain, with your customers and working your way backward toward raw materials. When you map backward, wherever you stop, up to that point, you get some decision-useful information. [37:49] That’s what the presentation will be about. Maximilian and Emily have been working together on it. [38:14] Maximilian shares his advice for risk professionals considering starting a company. You have to be somewhat crazy! If Maximilan had known all the things that could go wrong, he likely would not have taken that leap. Don’t look too far forward. It will scare you to death! [38:35] Don't be afraid to get your name out there. Attending these RIMS conferences was very valuable for MEO Continuity. Maximilian adds that conferences increase the conversations you have and how often you talk about your product. You improve your presentation quickly. [39:02] Presenting in person is invaluable. It is authentic. Go to conferences. People are open to supporting and having those conversations. [39:24] Maximilian Glodde, thank you so much for joining us here on RIMScast!  [39:30] Special thanks again to all of my guests, and to everyone who attended, sponsored, and exhibited at the RIMS Texas Regional Conference  2025. This inaugural event was fantastic! [39:44] Be sure to mark your calendars for the 2nd Annual RIMS Texas Regional Conference from August 10th through 12th, 2026, back here in San Antonio! Be sure to check out the RIMS.org/events page for more information. [40:02] 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. [40:31] 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. [40:49] 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. [41:07] 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. [41:23] 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. [41:37] 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. [41:49] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continuous support!   Links: RIMS ERM Conference 2025 — Nov. 17‒18 | RIMS Global ERM Award of Distinction 2025 Nominations Open Through Aug. 16 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! RIMS-CRO Certificate in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management — Featuring Instructor James Lam! Next bi-weekly course begins Oct 9. RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy | RIMS Legislative Summit SAVE THE DATE — March 18‒19, 2026 RIMS Risk Management magazine | Contribute RIMS Now RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars “Lockdown & Level Up: Turn Up Your Cyber Security Game Against Creative Cyber Criminals” | Sept. 4, 2025 | Sponsored by AXA XL “Parametric Insurance: Providing Financial Certainty in Uncertain Times” | Oct. 30, 2025 | Sponsored by Swiss Re   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Virtual Workshop — Sept 2‒3, 2025 | Presented by RIMS and PARIMA RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop — November 11‒12 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule “Intro to ERM for Senior Leaders” | Nov. 4‒5 | Instructor: Elise Farnham See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Related RIMScast Episodes: “Leadership Lessons with Major General (Ret.) Robert F. Whittle Jr., RIMS Texas Keynote” “Risk and Clarity with Huw Edwards, RIMS Texas Keynote” “ERM, Retail, and Risk with Jeff Strege” “Supply and Bike Chains with Emily Buckley”   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience” | Sponsored by AXA XL (New!) “Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs” | Sponsored by Zurich “Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding” | Sponsored by Zurich “What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping” | Sponsored by Medcor “Risk Management in a Changing World: A Deep Dive into AXA's 2024 Future Risks Report” | Sponsored by AXA XL “How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips” | Sponsored by Alliant “RMIS Innovation with Archer” | Sponsored by Archer “Navigating Commercial Property Risks with Captives” | Sponsored by Zurich “Breaking Down Silos: AXA XL’s New Approach to Casualty Insurance” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Weathering Today’s Property Claims Management Challenges” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Storm Prep 2024: The Growing Impact of Convective Storms and Hail” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Partnering Against Cyberrisk” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Harnessing the Power of Data and Analytics for Effective Risk Management” | Sponsored by Marsh “Accident Prevention — The Winning Formula For Construction and Insurance” | Sponsored by Otoos “Platinum Protection: Underwriting and Risk Engineering's Role in Protecting Commercial Properties” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Elevating RMIS — The Archer Way” | Sponsored by Archer   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 RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Kristen Peed!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org 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: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guests: Tiara Wallace, DFW RIMS Inclusivity Chair, Director of RISK, Invesco US Jason Turk, Bondy Law Group, Director of Operations (California), Swag for Schools on LinkedIn Maximilian Glodde, CEO of MEO Continuity   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

Amanda Lindhout, a bestselling author and sought-after speaker, shares her remarkable journey of resilience after 460 days in captivity in Somalia. She discusses the cathartic experience of writing her memoir, 'A House in the Sky,' and the complexities of healing from trauma. Through her insights, Amanda emphasizes the power of intentional living, gratitude, and mindset in overcoming adversity. Listeners can expect to gain transformative lessons on resilience, especially from her upcoming keynote at the RIMS Canada Conference in 2025.

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews Thomas Brandt, Chief Risk Officer of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) and one of the 2024 RIMS ERM Award of Distinction winners. Thomas shares some of his experiences at the IRS, where he won the 2021 RIMS ERM Award of Distinction, and how he moved from the IRS to join the FRTIB. Tom covers how he successfully integrated strategy and ERM at the FRTIB. He tells how the FRTIB moved from a high-level to a medium-level cyber risk posture, with improved Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) scores. Tom shares how the FRTIB  works with a managed services model in a way that’s scalable and sustainable. Tom relates his views on risk culture and the portfolio view that a mature ERM program supports.   Listen to learn how to nominate your organization’s ERM Program for the RIMS ERM  Award of Distinction.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] RIMScast is a proud nominee of the 20th Annual People’s Choice Podcast Awards. We are nominated in the category of Government and Organizations, and we would appreciate your support. [:26] Help us win that award by visiting PodcastAwards.com and the link in this episode’s notes.  [:36] About this episode of RIMScast. We will be joined by Thomas Brandt, Chief Risk Officer of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board and one of the 2024 RIMS ERM Award of Distinction winners. [1:05] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! The next Virtual RIMS-CRMP exam prep, co-hosted by Parima, will be held on September 2nd and 3rd. [1:17] 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. [1:34] RIMS Virtual Workshops! On August 5th, we have a day-long course about “Emerging Risks.” [1:42] RIMS has launched a new course, “Intro to ERM for Senior Leaders.” This is a two-day course. The first two-day course will be held on August 12th and 13th and will be led by former RIMS President, Chris Mandel. [1:56] The course will be held again on November 4th and 5th and will be led by Elise Farnham. RIMS members enjoy deep discounts! [2:05] 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. [2:17] 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 at all stages of their careers. [2:38] See the full agenda at RIMS.org/ERM2025. Nominations are open for the RIMS Global ERM Award of Distinction 2025. The nomination deadline is Saturday, August 16th. The award is presented annually at the RIMS ERM Conference. There is a link in this episode’s show notes. [3:05] If your organization’s ERM program or one you know of deserves this recognition, we want to hear about it. Remember to send in that nomination form by August 16th. [3:16] 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. [3:31] 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. [3:44] 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. [3:58] On with the show! Our guest today is one of the winners of the 2024 RIMS ERM Award of Distinction. He is also the Chief Risk Officer for the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB). [4:15] Tom Brandt is here to discuss ERM and how it has been a guiding light throughout his risk career, which includes several years at the IRS. He recently participated in the RIMS ERM Q&A Series, and we’re going to extend the dialogue beyond those digital pages, so let’s get to it. [4:35] Interview! Tom Brandt, welcome to RIMScast! [4:42] At long last, Tom Brandt is here on RIMScast! Tom is one of the members of the Strategic and Enterprise Risk Management Council and one of the recipients of the 2024 ERM Award of Distinction. There’s so much to discuss when it comes to ERM! Tom loves ERM. [5:18] Tom was also a 2021 ERM Award of Distinction recipient for his work at the IRS, where he worked for about 27 years, for the last eight of which, he was their Chief Risk Officer. There, he got into the whole ERM space. [5:38] Then, in late 2021, an opportunity opened at the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB), and Tom took on the role of Chief Risk Officer. He enjoys the opportunity to work in a small organization with a different focus. [5:55] The FRTIB is sort of the 401(k) for federal employees and uniformed services. They have a singular mission around that plan. [6:13] Tom was brought into the FRTIB to integrate strategy and ERM. He stresses the importance of linking risk and strategy. When Tom started, the offices of Enterprise Planning and Enterprise Risk had just been brought together. [6:51] They were looking for the first Director of Planning and Risk/CRO. Tom applied and was selected for the role. Even though it’s a small agency of 250, those functions had been siloed. [7:07] Tom’s first area of focus was getting the staff to know each other and learn more about what each process entailed, and then working with the team to look at how to bring these processes together. [7:23] Tom says, when we’re identifying risks and needing to mitigate risks, the next question is, where do we get the resources? When the process is not integrated into your planning and budgeting process, that becomes very challenging. [7:36] As we go through our annual planning process, we work with our business offices, and if they’re risk owners, we talk about what risks they are managing or mitigating, and if there are related initiatives or resources needed. [7:51] That information gets captured in the annual plan and becomes an input to the budget process. We’re not only raising the risks and talking about them, but also identifying initiatives and getting funding, support, and resources to manage and mitigate those risks. [8:16] Tom’s risk group has seven or eight people. They also do internal controls, policies, and procedures. They are the agency’s anti-fraud group. They do brand monitoring and run the third-party risk monitoring program. They do work beyond the enterprise risk component. [8:51] The FRTIB moved from a high-level to a medium-level cyber risk posture, which improved Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) scores. FISMA is an annual cybersecurity audit of federal organizations. [9:27] Years ago, the FRTIB was scoring in the 1s and 2s on most domains in this audit, out of a possible score of 5. That coincided with cybersecurity being one of the FRTIB’s high risks. They needed to put in place better governance and protections. [9:53] Because cybersecurity had been one of the FRTIB’s high risks, they require any of their enterprise risks that are medium high or higher to have a risk treatment plan. They work with their CISO and the cyber team to develop risk treatment plans each year. [10:08] The risk treatment plans identify resource needs and specific areas of focus. They use the FISMA domains, questions, and assessment criteria to keep in mind where they need to shore things up. [10:20] Justin clarifies that FISMA, the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, is a U.S. Federal law that requires federal agencies to develop a document and implement information security programs to protect government information. [10:36] Tom remarks that as a result of great work done by the CISO and the cyber team, the FRTIB scored a 5 in each domain on their 2024 FISMA audit. That moved the cybersecurity risk score down. It’s still at a medium level because the threat landscape continues to evolve. [10:56] Threat actors are always out there, trying to stay one step ahead of you, so you have to stay on your game to get ahead of them. [11:15] The cyber threat is so significant that collectively, we all need to be working as hard as we can to maintain our defenses. Tom says the CISO community is working together to integrate the latest technology and developments and understand where the threat is. [11:49] The CISO community is staying on top of what’s happening in the AI space to be able to share good practices across agencies and ensure that our posture government-wide is as strong as possible in detecting and preventing the cyber threat. [12:06] One of the strategic goals for FRTIB is the managed services model. Tom speaks about assessing and monitoring third-party and vendor risks in a way that’s scalable and sustainable. [12:18] When Tom moved into his position, in December 2021, the agency was about six months away from implementing that managed services model for their record-keeping service. Record keeping is a huge part of the FRTIB’s work. They have almost 7.5 million participants. [12:36] Managing participant transactions and keeping their information is a core responsibility for the agency. They were moving to a managed service model. [12:48] When you shift to that type of model, you don’t give up accountability and responsibility for the program. You work with a provider. The Agency needed to look at what its mechanism for oversight was, to manage and understand third-party risk. [13:06] The Agency had some capabilities in place for vendor monitoring and supply chain risk management. Tom’s area of focus was to build up the third-party risk management program. [13:18] Tom did a maturity assessment to compare what they were doing to good practices and look for opportunities to enhance their capabilities. He brought in some services from external providers to help with access to data about the performance of third-party services. [13:42] Quarterly, Tom reports to the FRTIB board on their top vendors, their overall operations, whether there are any risks he has concerns about, and if so, what is being done to address those risks. That has helped to put in place a strong third-party risk management program. [14:03] When Tom joined the FRTIB, his predecessor had already built a strong, mature ERM program. There was a repeatable process in place with a risk register and a risk profile. [14:22] The opportunity was in integrating risk with planning and looking at how to enhance the program and bring it to the next level of maturity and build out that third-party risk management monitoring capability.  [14:42] RIMS Events! The very first RIMS Texas Regional Conference will be held from August 4th through August 6th in San Antonio at the Henry B. González Convention Center. Public registration is open. The full conference agenda is live, so you can start planning. [15:00] Don’t miss the post-conference workshop, the RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep course available on-site. This event is open to any RIMS chapter member. [15:10] If you are local to the area, you might consider becoming a RIMS member today so you can get all the benefits and begin networking with your new RIMS Texas peers. Visit RIMS.org/TexasRegional. [15:22] Just a month later, we will be up North for the RIMS Canada Conference 2025, which will be held from September 14th through the 17th in Calgary. Registration is open. Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca and lock in those favorable rates. We look forward to seeing you! [15:41] On September 18th, the 10th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will be held at The Old Post Office in Chicago. Register at ChicagoRIMS.org. [15:52] Also on September 18th, the Spencer Educational Foundation will host the 2025 Funding Their Future Gala at the Cipriani 42nd Street. Visit SpencerEd.org. [16:03] 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! [16:20] Let’s Return to My Interview with RIMS 2024 ERM Award of Distinction Winner, Tom Brandt! [16:37] Shortly after Tom won the 2021 ERM Award of Distinction, along with Melissa Reynard, for his work with the IRS, he left to go to the FRTIB. Tom talks about the switch. [16:57] Tom had a great career with the IRS. He had a range of different roles and responsibilities. For his last eight years with the IRS, he was the CRO. [17:23] Tom was ready to make a change. He learned about the opportunity at FRTIB to help them bring risk and strategy programs into one department. He was happy to be selected and see the value of having risk and strategy come together. [18:12] Tom was the second CRO at the IRS. In 2013, the IRS had a crisis, so they brought in a CRO from the GAO for about a year. Tom had been doing risk work in one of the business units of the IRS. He was chosen for the CRO position in 2014. [18:50] The IRS crisis in 2013 related to concerns about how the agency had been handling applications for tax-exempt status. It led to Congressional hearings and IRS leadership changes. [19:04] Before going to the FRTIB, Tom was contacted by a recruiter. Someone in the risk community knew of the position and suggested Tom for it. He’s thankful he was contacted because it has turned out to be an excellent opportunity. [19:35] Through RIMS, Tom connects with public and private sector colleagues. He sees a lot of similarities. The public sector has been practicing ERM for just under a decade. [20:16] The most essential ingredient in ERM is leadership support. Tom has support at FRTIB from leadership and the Board. Without leadership support, ERM is a compliance exercise. If ERM is truly leveraged, it can add a lot of value. [20.42] Tom thinks we’re seeing too many instances where organizations have not had robust risk programs and have had risk events that could have been prevented or had the impact lessened, had they had a risk program.  [21:02] Tom thinks the challenge in the public sector is that there isn’t much room for government error. Anything that doesn’t go according to plan tends to get attention. [21:22] That oversight creates an environment that tends to be more risk-averse. That’s not the way we want to run our risk program, because we want to take advantage of the opportunity that risk prevents, but it’s a factor of the environment we operate in. [21:44] Part of what led to the establishment of the IRS ERM program was the 2013 crisis and an after-event assessment of what went wrong. Bad news didn’t make it to the top quickly enough. Information that leadership should have been made aware of didn’t get there in time. [22:05] As a result, issues and problems were allowed to fester and go out of control. In the IRS, people took a lot of pride in fixing and solving their problems. Sometimes you don’t have a lot of time to fix an issue before it goes sideways. [22:41] A real benefit from sharing information is that often you can find other parts of the organization that can help because they’ve experienced a similar type of issue. They might have additional resources. Ignoring or hiding the problem doesn’t make it go away. [23:01] The key value of ERM is creating a culture where people are willing to speak up, information gets escalated quickly, and you’re able to bring the right people and resources together to work collectively to manage and mitigate those risks. [23:15] At FRTIB, Tom focuses on creating an environment where people feel comfortable speaking about risk, where it’s part of the regular way they operate. [23:32] Since starting in risk many years ago and working with his teams, Tom’s approach has been doing risk with offices and not doing risk to offices. He wanted to meet them where they were, understand where they needed help, and nudge them, rather than drag them, along. [24:00] Tom says take time to understand the organization, the unique needs of each office, and work with them to help manage and mitigate a risk, versus trying to force something on them. [24:18] A Quick Plug! If you tuned in to the recent episode featuring James Lam, you will know he is hosting a new six-module workshop for us, the “RIMS-CRO Certificate in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management”. [24:33] The inaugural summer course is completely sold out! We are filled to the virtual capacity! Don’t worry, in the Fall, the bi-weekly course will begin on October 9th. Registration closes on October 2nd. A link is in this episode’s notes. Check it out and register today! [24:52] If you’re getting inspired by Tom Brandt and his ERM Award of Distinction win, remember that nominations are now open for the ERM Award of Distinction 2025. Be sure to listen closely for the tips that he offers about what makes a strong nomination! [25:10] The link to the nomination form is in this episode’s show notes. Good luck! [25:13] Let’s Return to the Conclusion of My Interview with Tom Brandt! [25:18] Before becoming the CRO at the IRS, Tom was the Director of Planning and Research for the Large Business and International Division with responsibility for case selection, determining risk on corporate and international tax returns, and which ones should be selected for audit. [25:52] This was a compliance risk experience. That provided the stepping stone to take on a more strategic, operational view of risk within the division. When the broader CRO opportunity became available at the IRS, he was considered and ultimately selected for that position. [26:14] Tom’s view of risk has evolved. Within a business unit, he focused on the day-to-day operational and compliance risk. He didn’t take a view of the whole organization or what choices he made for his unit ight create risk for another part of the organization. [26:51] It’s a real value for ERM to have a portfolio view of the most critical risks across the organization, and understanding how actions to address risks in one area could create or exacerbate a risk somewhere else. [27:08] Tom tells of reputational risk. Sometimes decisions don’t factor in how they will be perceived. Tom helped people at the IRS understand reputational risk and the stakeholders they may need to engage to help them understand why particular decisions are made. [28:22] Tom shares advice for nominating an ERM Program for the ERM Award of Distinction. What are the results? What are the outcomes that the program accomplished that you can talk about? How did ERM help the organization? What value did it bring? [29:07] Take an example of something you can share, and explain how ERM was able to surface the risk and bring the right people together to help with that risk and help the organization. [29:24] It’s critical to have letters of recommendation. At the IRS, Tom had two Deputy Commissioners write letters about what they saw as the value that ERM brought to the agency. [29:42] At FRTIB, Tom had letters from the Executive Director and a member of its Board, who had served for over a decade and had historical knowledge of how ERM had helped the Agency. [30:04] Tom notes that the process of going through the application is a great learning opportunity to reflect on accomplishments as well as areas of remaining opportunity. [30:17] If you are fortunate enough to be selected to receive recognition, it’s a great way to recognize the team. Tom used the Awards to recognize his teams at the IRS and at FRTIB, who are the ones who make all of this possible. The recognition turns out to be great kudos for them. [30:41] You can learn more about Tom’s achievements through the links on this episode’s show notes, which feature his recent ERM Q&A from 2025. I’ve also included one with his former coworker from the IRS, Melissa Reynard, from 2022. [30:58] This should give you a great sense of not just the great work that Tom has done but also, what it takes to have your nomination seen and heard and get the recognition that you deserve. [31:13] Tom, it’s been great getting to know you these past few years, and I look forward to seeing you in Seattle. Thank you for joining us here on RIMScast! [31:32] Special thanks again to Tom Brandt for joining us here on RIMScast. Be sure to check out the links in this episode’s show notes for recent ERM Q&A interviews about his work with the FRTIB. [31:46] Tom is a recipient of the RIMS ERM Award of Distinction. The Call for Nominations is open through August 16th. Check this episode’s show notes for the link and details. [32:00] The Awards will be presented at the RIMS ERM Conference 2025, November 17th and 18th in Seattle. A link to that event is also on this page. [32:08] 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. [32:36] 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. [32:54] 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. [33:12] 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. [33:29] 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. [33:43] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org. [33:50] Thank you all for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Links: 20th Annual People’s Choice Podcast Awards! Vote for RIMScast (Gov’t & Organizations) To vote for RIMScast, please sign up with your email, then select RIMScast on the pulldown under Government and Organizations. Thank you! RIMS ERM Conference 2025 — Nov. 17‒18 | RIMS Global ERM Award of Distinction 2025 Nominations Open Through Aug. 16 “Embedding ERM Into One of the World’s Largest Retirement Programs.” — RIMS Interview with Tom Brandt (2025) RIMS Texas Regional 2025 — August 3‒5 | Registration open. RIMS-CRMP In-Person Workshop in Texas Aug. 6 & 7 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! 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RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Kristen Peed!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org 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: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Thomas Brandt, Chief Risk Officer at the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.