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 Ondrea Matthews, Sr. Director, Risk Management & Benefits at CoorsTek. Ondrea is also on the board of RIMS. She will be presenting at the RIMS Western Regional on October 2, “Gone But Not Forgotten: Mastering Absence, Disability, and Risk Without Losing Your Sanity!” Justin and Ondrea cover her risk career, the history of CoorsTek, her risk philosophy, and her experiences on the RIMS Rocky Mountain Chapter Board and the RIMS Global Board. She suggests how risk managers can work with HR to bring value to the organization.   Listen to learn about Ondrea’s upcoming presentation at the RIMS Western Regional Conference.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] The call for educational content submissions for RISKWORLD 2026 is open through September 4th! A link is in this episode’s show notes. [:28] About this episode of RIMScast. We will discuss HR risks with Ondrea Matthews, the Senior Director of Risk Management and Benefits at Coorstek. She is also a RIMS Board Director. She will share her risk perspective. [:55] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! The next Virtual RIMS-CRMP exam prep, co-hosted by Parima, will be held on September 2nd and 3rd. [1:06] The next RIMS-CRMP-FED virtual workshop will be held on November 11th and 12th, and led by Joseph Mayo. Links to these courses can be found on the Certification Page of RIMS.org and through this episode’s show notes. [1:22] RIMS Virtual Workshops! RIMS has launched a new course, “Intro to ERM for Senior Leaders.” It will be held again on November 4th and 5th and will be led by Elise Farnham. RIMS members enjoy deep discounts! [1:39] The full schedule of virtual workshops can be found on the RIMS.org/education and RIMS.org/education/online-learning pages. A link is also in this episode’s notes. [1:50] The next RIMS Webinar will be held on September 4th and will be led by AXA XL. It is titled “Lockdown & Level Up: Turn Up Your Cyber Security Game Against Creative Cyber Criminals”. [2:03] On September 18th, Origami Risk will present “Driving Better Incident and Claims Management with Data, Technology & Strategic Collaboration”. [2:12] On October 30th, Swiss Re will present “Parametric Insurance: Providing Financial Certainty in Uncertain Times”. [2:20] On November 6th, Hub will present “Geopolitical Whiplash — Building Resilient Global Risk Programs in an Unstable World”. Register at RIMS.org/Webinars. [2:32] Mark your calendars for November 17th and 18th for the RIMS ERM Conference 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The agenda is jam-packed with educational sessions that will resonate with risk practitioners in all stages of their careers. [2:53] See the full agenda at RIMS.org/ERM2025. [2:59] RISKWORLD 2026 will be in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 3rd through May 6th. RIMS members can now lock in the 2025 rate for a full conference pass to RISKWORLD 2026 when registering by September 30th. [3:14] This also lets you enjoy earlier access to the RISKWORLD hotel block. Register by September 30th, and you will also be entered to win a $500 raffle. Don’t miss out on this chance to plan and score some extra perks. [3:26] The members-only registration link is in this episode’s show notes. If you are not yet a member, this is the time to join us. Visit RIMS.org/membership and build your risk network with us here at RIMS. [3:41] On with the show! Our guest today is Ondrea Matthews. She is the Senior Director for Risk Management at CoorsTek. She is also a RIMS Board Director. On October 2nd, she will have a key role at the RIMS Western Regional Conference at the Santa Clara Marriott in California. [4:02] On the afternoon of October 2nd, she will be co-leading the session “Gone But Not Forgotten: Mastering Absence, Disability, and Risk Without Losing Your Sanity!” We’re going to get a preview of that session, and she’ll be speaking to us from experience. Let’s get to it! [4:19] Interview! Ondrea Matthews, welcome to RIMScast! [4:25] As of January 2025, Ondrea is on the RIMS Board of Directors. Ondrea will be a presenter at the RIMS Western Regional Conference on October 2nd, partnering with ESIS, talking about Gone But Not Forgotten, touching on absence management. [5:04] Ondrea started as an engineering major. With an engineering degree, Ondrea moved from Michigan to Colorado and landed in claims. She was a Workers’ Compensation claims adjuster and manager for about 11 years. She decided that claims was not where she wanted to be. [5:29] Eighteen years ago, Ondrea moved to CoorsTek as their Risk Manager. It’s been great at CoorsTek with a lot of opportunities, from Risk Manager to her current role, Senior Director of Risk Management and Benefits. She oversees insurance. [5:59] CoorsTek has nothing to do with beer. Adolph Coors founded CoorsTek in 1910. He is also the Founder of Coors Brewing. He branched out into ceramics. CoorsTek is the leading global manufacturer of technical ceramics in the world. It’s headquartered in Golden, Colorado. [5:36] Justin and Ondrea comment on the beauty of Golden, Colorado. Justin likes the Coors Brewery and recommends the tour. He says Coors Ceramics (CoorsTek) is a close second. Both Coors Brewing and CoorsTek are owned and managed by the Coors family. [7:08] CoorsTek has 30 facilities across 10 countries. Ondrea has visited the majority of the CoorsTek facilities and has built relationships with the local leadership teams in Finance, Human Resources, and Health and Safety. [7:34] CorsTek manufactures thousands of parts, but the processes and materials are fairly consistent. They have a very low claim volume. That allows the risk team to focus on streamlining renewals, process improvements, and communication flow. [7:48] They prioritize larger strategic initiatives in alignment wth their corporate vision. It’s not challenging when they all come together for the same common purpose. [8:13] Ondrea’s team includes Ondrea, with a full-time Risk Manager and a part-time Workers’ Compensation Manager. It’s a department of 2.5. The work ebbs and flows. Between renewals and with low claim volume, there is some downtime to work on projects and other initiatives. [8:36] CoorsTek is looking at further developing its fleet management and maintaining alignment with global partners. The size of the risk team is good for CoorsTek. [8:51] Ondrea prioritizes risks by the largest exposure. CoorsTek pays attention to what is most impactful and prioritizes the health and safety of its employees. That’s through Workers’ Compensation, Health and Safety Partnerships with the global EHS staff. [9:12] CoorsTek looks at its property exposures. Its property insurer has a robust Risk Engineering department. CoorsTek has a dedicated Property Protection Engineer. CoorsTek prioritizes people first, and then the balance sheet and the financials. [9:31] CoorsTek is a very innovative company. The teams are always bringing a new product or process to the table. They look for ways to protect the company’s financials while still enabling growth; for ways to say yes to the business while making them aware of the risks and costs. [10:17] Ondrea explains how she oversees benefits. Benefits represent a large strategic risk and opportunity, as well as increased fiduciary responsibility. [10:39] Ondrea explains that changing a health care provider requires not just a detailed financial analysis but also assessing the risk related to employee engagement, comprehensive communication, access to care, and employees’ emotional well-being. [11:00] It’s a framework of risk identification, assessment, and response. [11:05] Ondrea monitors risks like medical inflation, pharmacy management shifts, compliance, and vendor performance, to continually reduce financial exposure to the company and employees, related to large losses, changes in prescription coverage, deductibles, and more. [11:24] CoorsTek works with partners, consultants, and local human resource teams on responses to support and clarify for its employees. [11:44] At CoorsTek, risk doesn’t just belong to Ondrea and her team. Risk is addressed by every function, every day. CoorsTek has a wide expanse of expertise, and they’ve brought everyone together to support the company. [12:01] They have a global trade department, a supply chain, and a government affairs position, and they’ve kept on top of the tariffs for the organization, reporting on changes weekly or bi-weekly. CoorsTek’s Health and Safety team is also global. They stay on top of regulations. [12:19] Ondrea appreciates the collaboration they all have at CoorsTek. It makes her job easier. When they say risk, it doesn’t mean Ondrea and her team. Every department comes together to face all the new challenges they are seeing recently in the economy. It’s in the KoorsTek culture. [12:57] Ondrea is fortunate to have access to CoorsTek’s leadership. Most of the employees do. The CEOs have direct email lines, and any employee is welcome to reach out at any time. [13:24] In Ondrea’s unique role, combining risk and benefits, she has the opportunity to join the Human Resources team and the Finance leadership teams, and she reports directly to the CFO for the family company. [13:40] The family has helped build and support mechanisms for communicating with leadership. They do skip-levels. Everybody feels respected as individuals. Ondrea joined the company when they had one global location, and the company was a lot smaller. [14:05] Ondrea has been able to grow with the company and see the evolution that has come with that growth. It’s exciting to see all the innovation and all the ways that CoorsTek continues to contribute to the communities and the world. [14:23] Quick Break for RIMS Events! On September 18th, the 10th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will be held at The Old Post Office in Chicago. Register at ChicagoRIMS.org. [14:38] On October 1st through the 3rd, the RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held in North San Jose at the Santa Clara Marriott. The agenda is live. It looks fantastic! Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and register today! [14:55] On November 17th and 18th, elevate your ERM Program and career at the RIMS ERM Conference 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The agenda is live, and early rates are available until September 5th. Register now to save $110 and secure your spot at the ERM event of the year. [15:17] Canadian listeners, take note, that’s just a little bit South of the border in British Columbia. That’s a great way to extend your knowledge after the RIMS Canada Conference. Visit RIMS.org/ERM2025 to register. [15:32] At the top, Justin mentioned RISKWORLD 2026. Through September 4th, the RISKWORLD education content submission process is still open. [15:41] RIMS invites you to share your experiences, best practices, and innovative strategies that represent the global outlook of risk management. Send us your submission, and who knows? We might select you to speak at RISKWORLD 2026 in Philadelphia! The link is in the show notes. [15:59] Let’s Return to My Interview with RIMS Board Director Ondrea Matthews!  [16:11] Ondrea is a member of the RIMS Rocky Mountain Chapter. Rocky Mountain Chapter members Emily Buckley, Emily Bloedel, and Neil Colclough have been guests on RIMScast. Ondrea joined about 18 years ago when she started at CoorsTek. She’s glad she joined. [17:02] The RIMS Rocky Mountain Chapter has been amazing. It helped create a community for Ondrea. She joined, not knowing a lot about risk management. The chapter has been a source of support for her for her entire career. She wouldn’t be where she is today without that community. [17:40] Ondrea joined the chapter board and has held a lot of board positions, including Past President, Community Service Chair, and Secretary. She finds her time with the chapter to be invaluable. She was excited that Neil Colclough won the Volunteer of the Year award. [18:07] It’s exciting to see the energy that the current board has. [18:21] As of January of this year, Ondrea is a member of the Global RIMS Board. She loves her interactions with RIMS. She likes the camaraderie and impact that you have from serving on a board. [18:53] The opportunity to serve on the RIMS Global Board came up. It was an intense process to be nominated. She’s learning a lot. She’s surrounded by great leaders who have been on the board for a couple of years. She loves the energy Kristen Peed brings to the board. [19:46] RIMS emphasizes professional development, inclusivity, and innovation in risk management. Ondrea’s passion is giving back to the community. She appreciates the inclusion that RIMS brings. It brings together people from every walk of life and level of risk management. [20:45] Ondrea feels that RIMS’s culture is very inclusive. She was welcomed with open arms. She hopes that everyone else in the RIMS community is feeling welcomed and that we want their thoughts, ideas, and their participation. [21:03] Ondrea appreciates the inclusion around RIMS. Professional development and innovation go hand in hand. You need to educate to innovate. Risk managers need to stay ahead of innovation, bring ideas to the table, and not just solve problems as they are presented. [21:31] Ondrea talks about workforce well-being and risk management, and the risks of recruitment, retention, absenteeism, and presenteeism. These are not as easy to quantify as an actuarial analysis for future claims and IBNR projections. They rely on human behavior. [22:12] CoorsTek gathers data through annual engagement surveys and Great Places to Work surveys, and addresses those results with action items, identifying areas of risk to its human capital and employee well-being. [22:27] Ondrea thinks you need to look at employee well-being through a different lens than “How is everybody feeling today, and how are they reacting to surveys?” You need to look at them with respect to absenteeism. Why are employees not showing up? [22:56] What are you doing to improve their work-life balance or get them other supports that they may need in their lives so that they can be present at work? [23:07] A Final Break! The Spencer Educational Foundation’s goal to help build a talent pipeline of risk management and insurance professionals is achieved, in part, by its collaboration with risk management and insurance educators across the U.S. and Canada. [23:27] Since 1999, Spencer has awarded over $2.9 million to create more than 570 Risk Management Internships. The Internship Grants application process is now open through October 15th, 2025. [23:43] To be eligible, risk managers must be based in the U.S., Canada, or Bermuda. A link to the Internship Grants page is in this episode’s show notes. You can always visit SpencerEd.org, as well. [23:57] The Spencer 2025 Funding their Future Gala will be held on Thursday, September 18th, at the Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York. This year’s honoree is Tim Ryan, the U.S. President of Lockton, and we look forward to having Tim join us here on RIMScast very soon. [24:16] A link to the Gala is also in this episode’s show notes. Buy a ticket, enjoy a great night in the city, and support the future of risk management. [24:24] Let’s Conclude Our Interview with Ondrea Matthews! [24:31] Ondrea will be at the RIMS Western Regional Conference on October 2nd. She is very excited. This is her 3rd Western Regional Conference. She’s kicking herself for not having gone all these years in the past. [24:50] Ondrea says the vibe there is one of connections. It’s a lot smaller than RISKWORLD. The Western Regional Conference is a little more laid back. There’s more time to create connections and have meaningful conversations. [25:16] It provides the opportunity to create a network with people who have the same challenges as you. There’s a session on wildfires. Someone in another region may not have a wildfire exposure like they have in the Western Region. It brings people together. [25:46] Ondrea will have a session on October 2nd, “Gone But Not Forgotten: Mastering Absence, Disability, and Risk Without Losing Your Sanity!” She will co-present with Brett Wilson of ESIS, a Chubb company. [26:04] The session title is a mouthful! Ondrea says she is excited to present the topic with Brett. They are getting to know each other now. [26:35] Ondrea has sat on the planning committee for the Western Regional Conference for the last couple of years. Ondrea is the conference liaison for ESIS. ESIS wanted to present this topic, and they asked Ondrea if she knew anyone who would be able to speak on this with them. [27:05] As Ondrea was already familiar with the ESIS team and currently leads absence management within CoorsTek, it seemed that she would be a really good fit, so she will be co-presenting with ESIS. [27:20] Ondrea says there are so many changes in compliance and regulation regarding absence management that it is an organizational risk. It’s not just an employee well-being risk, but it’s also a compliance and financial risk. [27:39] The regulations change quickly. If you are a national company across the U.S., every state has its nuance. You have to know what every state is doing where you have employees, whether it’s a virtual employee or hundreds of employees.  [28:02] Regulations can put your organization at significant risk for non-compliance. There’s also a reputational risk that goes along with non-compliance. [28:24] The presentation will include tips and thoughts on avoiding the common pitfalls that organizations face in navigating these regulations. [28:37] Ondrea suggests helping risk leaders connect more with their Human Resource partners, create more value for them within the company, and create more value for the company. [28:53] Ondrea will give the audience time to ask questions and share stories. Ondrea says the best sessions are interactive. Presenters learn as much from an audience as they hope the audience is going to learn from them. [29:12] Each attendee has a unique mindset and situation. Sharing unique situations helps broaden everyone’s overview of how to address and potentially help solve problems. [29:27] If you’re going to attend, everybody bring your questions! Ondrea’s very personable and easy to speak with. Even after the session, people come up to her. She will be at the Western Regional Conference for the entire time, hoping to get some good sessions in. [29:43] Ondrea says she is available anytime through LinkedIn or email. She is happy to connect. [30:09] Ondrea shares how empathetic communication can help defuse a risky or contentious employee absence situation. Keep in mind that when an employee is on leave, it’s because they are going through a significant life event. We need to have ongoing communications with them. [30:30] People think that when an employee’s not at work, they shouldn't talk to them or bother them. Ondrea says you need to continue to let your employees know they’re a part of the organizational family still and that you care for them. [30:51] Empathy goes a really long way. Listening and active listening help, even if you don’t have answers for what they’re going through. Let them know that you are going to help them navigate this. [31:04] CoorsTek has a great internal team that helps manage, leads, and is the point for employee communication. CoorsTek outsources its leave management to distance itself from the regulatory environment and focus on the employee as a person. [31:30] Justin adds that it’s that sort of perspective that you’re going to get at the RIMS Western Regional Conference when you go to Ondrea’s session on October 2nd, “Gone But Not Forgotten.” Do not forget to go and attend! Ondrea is looking forward to seeing everyone there! [31:52] Special thanks again to Ondrea Matthews of CoorsTek and the RIMS Board of Directors for joining us here at RIMScast. Remember to see her at the RIMS Western Regional Conference from October 1st through the 3rd. [32:06] Ondrea will deliver the session on October 2nd, “Gone But Not Forgotten: Mastering Absence, Disability, and Risk Without Losing Your Sanity!” The conference will be held at the lovely Santa Clara Marriott in California. [32:20] Register, attend, and tell Ondrea that you heard her first here on RIMScast! [32:27] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [32:55] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let’s collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [33:13] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [33:31] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today’s risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [33:47] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [34:01] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [34:13] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continuous support!   Links: RIMS ERM Conference 2025 — Nov. 17‒18 The call for RISKWORLD 2026 submissions is open through Sept 4. RIMS Canada 2025 — Sept. 14‒17 | Registration open! 10th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum — Sept. 18 | Registration open! RIMS Western Regional — Oct 1‒3 | Bay Area, California | Registration open! RISKWORLD 2026 — Members-only early registration! Register through Sept 30! RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center Spencer Educational Foundation 2025 Funding Their Future Gala — Sept. 18, 2025, in NYC! Spencer Internship Program — Registration Open Through Oct. 15. 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 www.coorstek.com 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 “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 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: “Vendor Management with David Neikrug” “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 guest: Ondrea Matthews, Sr. Director, Risk Management & Benefits, CoorsTek   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

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! RIMS ERM Conference 2025 — Nov 17‒18 in Seattle! [Save the Date!] RIMS-CRO Certificate in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management — Featuring Instructor James Lam! Summer course sold out! | 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   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 “Emerging Risks” | Aug 5 | Instructor: Joe Mayo “Intro to ERM for Senior Leaders” | Aug. 12‒13 | Instructor: Chris Mandel “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: “Risk and Clarity with Huw Edwards, RIMS Texas Keynote” “James Lam on ERM, Strategy, and the Modern CRO” “ERM, Retail, and Risk with Jeff Strege” “Bigger Risks with the Texas State Office of Risk Management” | Sponsored By Hillwood “ERMotivation with Carrie Frandsen, RIMS-CRMP” “Live from the ERM Conference 2024 in Boston!” “Risk Quantification Through Value-Based Frameworks”   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: Thomas Brandt, Chief Risk Officer at the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board   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 interviews Major General (Ret.) Robert F. Whittle, Jr., RIMS Texas Keynote speaker, about his experience as Deputy Commanding General of Operations for U.S. Army North, responsible for homeland defense and coordination with civil authorities, about his experience with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its work in water resource management, and the lessons he can share for flood preparedness. Justin and Robert (Bob) discuss risk management training that engineers receive and how it applies to combat operations and domestic situations. Bob talks about building trust in different cultures. Finally, he shares some of what he will cover in his closing keynote on August 6th for the RIMS Texas Regional in San Antonio, Texas, from August 4th through 6th.   Listen to learn military lessons that apply to risk management in industry.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:15] To our friends and RIMS members in Texas, it has been heartbreaking to witness the devastation caused by the floods in the Lone Star State. [:23] Your RIMS community extends its heartfelt thoughts and wishes for your health, safety, and well-being during this challenging time. [:30] The floods are a stark reminder of the critical role that risk professionals play in a crisis. The RIMS Hurricane and Storm Risk Management Resource Center offers several informative articles and resources about flood and storm preparedness and recovery. [:45] As you navigate through your recovery efforts, please know that you have the support of RIMS.  [:50] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest today is Major General (Retired) Robert F. Whittle, Jr. He will be the closing keynote speaker at the RIMS Texas Regional Conference on August 6th. We will talk about his military career and flood risk and leadership. [1:23] RIMScast is a proud nominee of the 20th Annual People’s Choice Podcast Awards. I’m hoping I can count on you to help us bring this win home! Vote by going to PodcastAwards.com and the link in this episode’s notes.  [1:40] Sign up with your email, find RIMScast under Government and Organizations, and save your nomination. Every vote counts! Thank you so much for your support! [1:50] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! The next Virtual RIMS-CRMP exam prep, co-hosted by Parima, will be held on September 2nd and 3rd. [2:00] The next RIMS-CRMP-FED virtual workshop will be held on November 11th and 12th, in conjunction with George Mason University 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. [2:17] RIMS Virtual Workshops! We have a day-long course on July 24th, “Risk Taxonomy for Effective Risk Management.” On August 5th, we have a day-long course about “Emerging Risks.” [2:30] 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. [2:45] The course will be held again on November 4th and 5th and will be led by Elise Farnham. RIMS members enjoy deep discounts! [2:54] 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. [3:05] 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”. [3:19] 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! [3:38] Mark your calendars for November 17th and 18th for the RIMS ERM Conference 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The Call for Nominations for the ERM Award of Distinction has been distributed. There is a link in this episode’s show notes. The nomination deadline is August 16th. [3:59] If your organization’s ERM program or one you know of has generated and retained value and led to the growth of your organization, consider nominating that ERM program and manager for the ERM Award of Distinction 2025. [4:13] 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. [4:27] 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. [4:40] The members-only registration link is in this episode’s show notes. If you are not yet a member, this is the time to register at RIMS.org/membership. [4:50] On with the show! Robert F. Whittle Jr. was a Major General of the U.S. Army. He retired in 2023 as the Deputy Commanding General of Operations for the U.S. Army North. He is also Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff to the CEO at USAA. [5:06] On August 6th, he will deliver the closing keynote at the RIMS Texas Regional, providing highlights from his 33 years in the Army, including years as the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Great Lakes and Ohio River Division. [5:20] I’m so glad he’s here to provide a preview of his keynote and also discuss flood risk and leadership. Let’s get to it! [5:28] Interview! Retired Major General Robert F. Whittle Jr., welcome to RIMScast! [5:35] Joining us now is one of the RIMS Texas Regional’s keynotes, Major General (Retired) Bob Whittle. [5:46] Major General (Retired) Bob Whittle, Jr. asks Justin to call him Bob. [6:03] This is the inaugural Texas Regional event. Bob is excited about it. He loves Texas, and he knows people are coming from all over the country to attend. Justin adds that it’s a big deal for the Texas chapters, which are some of the most active and voluminous RIMS chapters. [6:27] Bob’s keynote will close out the Conference on August 6th.  [6:31] Today’s discussion will be about flood risk and then about leadership. [6:47] Bob’s bio is on the RIMS Texas Regional page. [6:52] Bob was Deputy Commanding General of Operations for the U.S. Army North, responsible for Homeland Defense and coordination with civil authorities. One major event occurred domestically while he was there. [7:17] That was the integration of 70,000 refugees from Afghanistan to the United States. When the U.S. left Afghanistan, a lot of interpreters, their families, and other key players were able to come to the United States. They needed help integrating into U.S. society with jobs and homes. [8:05] Bob says there was never an expectation that we would have to move 70,000 people here. We thought that Afghanistan would continue to move forward after we left, but it fell pretty rapidly. Some Afghan interpreters and officers who were under threat were brought to the U.S. [8:52] One of the challenges in any kind of operation like that is that it involves Federal, state, and local officials, and non-governmental organizations. Within the Federal side, we have FEMA, the State Department, and the Department of Defense. [9:14] These agencies worked together to build a framework and partner with the other authorities. The first risk is that politics or ego get in the way of accomplishing the mission. [9:28] The mitigation for that is trying to build relationships well ahead of the crisis, so people trust each other and can work together. They constantly emphasized the unity of the mission. [9:41] It’s not unity of command, as there’s no chain of command with all the partnerships, but there must be unity over the mission of resettling the Afghan refugees. [10:06] Justin asks if Bob is as easygoing as he seems. Bob says, you’d have to ask the people he worked with to get a solid understanding of who he is, versus how he self-reports. He says he is known for being cool, calm, and collected. When he needs to step it up, he can do it rapidly. [10:35] Bob found that projecting a calm personality helped him build trust. From years in the military, Bob learned that you succeed by making your peers successful. The more you help your peers, the more likely it is that you will earn a promotion or the assignment that you want. [11:37] Bob was in the Corps of Engineers for 33 years. He’s a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Virginia. He led the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Great Lakes and Ohio River Division. The civilian side of the Corps of Engineers deals with infrastructure. [12:13] Bob speaks of dam safety. The Corps of Engineers is responsible for the dams in Federal Navigation channels. They work through the inherent risks of the dams, making sure they have the right controls in place and testing to ensure that the controls are there. [12:42] There are so many other dams in the U.S. Some of them are private. While Bob was at the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, two private dams failed in Michigan, the Edenville Dam and the Sanford Dam. The Corps went up there to assist and help determine the root cause. [13:07] It was a lesson in making sure you are doing all the right things from a risk perspective. Controls weren’t in place. Some issues had been identified but not mitigated. The State of Michigan stepped in and worked with the private company to mitigate the issues. [13:35] The dams had failed, and there was a lot of flooding in that area. It was unexpected as it had not happened before. It was in May 2020, a month after COVID-19 started hitting. [13:53] When things happen, you have to look forward. The Corps of Engineers is key. If the Ohio River drops too low for barge traffic to go through, eventually, Nashville starts to have a lot of trouble with power. It’s very important to keep the Corps of Engineers running. [14:15] During COVID-19, the Secretary of Defense stated, “I want everybody in the Defense Department to stop moving. Stay where you are.” Bob was the Acting Deputy of the Corps of Engineers then. He immediately communicated to the 37K in the Corps, Don’t stop moving. [14:32] If the Army Corps of Engineers had stopped, it would have been a huge issue. There were repair shifts at work, making sure things were running. In Michigan, when those two dams failed, the Corps put their masks on and moved out to help solve issues. [15:03] The risk framework the Corps of Engineers uses for dam safety is similar to what Bob has seen in industry and similar to what the Army does, even at a small unit level. The Army has a risk document that they use for training or going into combat. [15:26] The Army’s risk document covers inherent risk, the probability of an issue, mitigation and controls, residual risk, and what the impact would be. The controls are the most important thing. They help ensure a low probability of a huge issue. The risk document is simple, and it works. [16:17] On the topic of the tragic recent Texas floods, how should leaders be thinking about flood risk mitigation? Bob knows that everyone involved in the situation is doing the absolute best that they can. If you want to be prepared for any disaster, it starts with simple planning. [17:24] You have to look at what the disaster may be, what the probability of it may be, and if it does occur, the key things that will need to happen on the ground in response, the people who will need to be involved, the resources they will need, and the timing of those activities. [17:46] It’s like deliberate project management. You have to make assumptions in the beginning about what will happen. The next thing is getting funding for the resources, the people, and the tasks that have to occur. [18:01] There’s a lot of deliberate planning and, for any domestic emergency in the U.S., the planning has to be done at the Federal level, the State level, the local level, and with non-governmental organizations that will be involved.  [18:15] The first step is building relationships ahead of time. Step two is to have rehearsals. The rehearsals can be with a map and some key leaders on site. Rehearsals help to validate the planning you’ve done. [18:51] In a disaster, one of the first steps is to allocate resources. There were decisions about resources when COVID-19 hit all over the U.S. They couldn’t just send money to one area. The Federal government, states, local governments, and NGOs decided how to allocate resources. [19:23] Bob points out that you can decide with no information or with 100% of the information. In an emergency, you don’t have time to get 100% of the information out there, so you need to determine if you have enough information to make this decision and if you need to act now. [19:46] It’s about risk. Do you take a chance? Risk is all about the probability of success. It’s achieving an objective. [20:04] After the disaster is over, a lot of people evaluate those decisions and take two years to study whether the right decision was made. You’ve got to be in the shoes of the person making the decision, with the same timing, to understand how they did it and why. [20:24] You do want to review the decisions, to learn from them, but you have to know that these leaders are making decisions based on the time available and the necessity of moving things forward. [20:36] Plugs with Roma Rishi, Sr. Sales Executive, Origami Risk! Origami Risk is excited to be a sponsor at the RIMS Texas Regional Conference. Origami Risk will have a booth there to demonstrate their products. They will also speak at one of the sessions. [21:17] They will be talking with Roy Hock, the Director of Excess Insurance at Valero Energy, about leveraging technology to manage your captive. See Origami at its table, at its session, or both! [21:30] Origami Risk will be at the RIMS Texas Regional Conference from August 4th through August 6th. Origami Risk will also be at the tenth Chicagoland Risk Forum, on September 18th at the Old Post Office in Chicago. [21:44] Origami Risk will have a booth there, and Roma’s colleague, Gina Rothweiler, is going to be speaking. Come find Origami Risk at the Chicagoland Risk Forum! [21:54] Registration is complimentary for members of risk management departments in the nearby area. A link to the registration page is in this episode’s show notes. You can visit ChicagoRIMS.org as well. [22:15] On October 1st through the 3rd, Origami Risk will be in the Bay Area, California, for the RIMS Western Regional Conference. They will have a booth and will speak at a session with the Risk Manager of Sprouts about leveraging data and technology for proactive risk management. [22:44] Origami Risk will be at RIMS ERM, on November 17th and 18th in Seattle, Washington. That agenda is being built. Origami Risk will have a kiosk and hope to speak, too. [22:59] Origami Risk will have a presence at the 2025 Florida RIMS Educational Conference from July 29th through August 2nd. Connect with Roma’s colleague Alex and Origami Risk there. [23:19] Roma, it’s always great to see you and the Origami Risk team. Connect with Roma and Origami Risk online at LinkedIn and OrigamiRisk.com, in the Contact Us area on the website. [23:34] Let’s Return to the Conclusion of My Interview with RIMS Texas Keynote Speaker Major General (Ret.) Robert F. Whittle Jr.! [23:44] What’s the vibe at a Bob Whittle keynote? Bob focuses on the lessons he’s learned over his career. A lot of the lessons are from mistakes that he has made, or vicariously from mistakes others have made. [24:00] Bob’s goal is to make it humorous with some anecdotes; people remember anecdotes. He plans for an enjoyable session. Bob feels that when you’re speaking to an audience, it’s a hostage crisis. You owe it to them to entertain them a bit while providing valuable information. [24:34] Bob says it’s not a hostage crisis if people are glad they went. [24:44] At the end of his keynote, Bob takes questions from the audience. He says it’s the most enjoyable part because it’s a free flow of information. [25:01] Bob has led troops in combat and peacekeeping missions across multiple continents. Bob says he learned a lot about cultural risk and adaptability in leadership. He says the Armed Forces learned a lot during that process, and the U.S. government did, as well. [25:22] After major combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and moving into a stability effort, Bob says they learned about human terrain, the culture of the people. The culture can vary from place to place and village to village. [25:58] An American isn’t ever going to understand the cultures as well as the interpreters (many of whom had emigrated to the U.S. and had come back to interpret) and the NGOs in place. Have them help you learn the culture. [26:34] Bob talks about how these experiences shaped his strategies. He became more of an active listener to gain situational awareness. To develop a relationship with an Afghan officer, you visit him at least three times and have tea with them. [27:11] Bob speaks of vision. Afghanistan, for thousands of years, had not been a democracy. Are you going to make it a democracy in a year or even in one generation? You have to know the human terrain. What is the best governance for the people to make the country not a threat? [27:55] Within the culture, how do you make that as benign as possible and effective, the way that they like to do it? [28:17] Bob talks about decision-making under pressure. It is harder in some ways and easier in others than your regular decisions. You’re not going to get to 100% of the information under pressure. [28:33] You have to accelerate the decision-making. The more you know about your environment and the probability of different things happening, the more comfortable you can be with that.  [28:50] A leader has to stay as cool, calm, and collected as possible in that environment. Everyone who works for you or with you, whom you want to influence, is looking to you for how they should feel. How bad is it? If you can keep that posture, they’re going to perform better. [29:18] It’s easier to do that when you’re a leader because you know people are counting on you. If you focus on that, the cool calmness just comes. [29:31] Bob was Commandant of the U.S. Army Engineers School. Bob talks about preparing the next U.S. Army Engineers. The key is training. If you know your job well and you’ve trained as much as possible, then you’ll be more apt to take the right actions and be cool and calm. [30:05] The Army does a great job of investing in training for its people. An Engineer Officer goes to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for seven months right after they’re commissioned. They come back, four years later, for a year. [30:19] They’ll come back again as they get different promotions and constantly sharpen their edge. They are trained in every task that they’re going to do, domestically in the U.S., or combat. [30:37] The training is repeated so the officers will gain good instincts and be able to take action without having to think long and hard about it; at the same time, being able to realize that every situation is different; How do they need to make this decision? [30:53] The U.S. Army Engineers School specifically teaches risk management. When the Army goes into a new nation for combat operations, they have to assess the bridges there. The bridges won’t be in a U.S. database. A lot of the bridges are small. There may be many streams. [31:15] Bridges over streams may be small, and the Army has huge tanks. The Army has float bridges that they assemble in streams. The speed of the river and the types of banks affect how much material those bridges can handle. [31:51] They need engineers to go out there and evaluate the load classification for each bridge. When the Army went into Bosnia, they crossed the Sava River, which was in flood stage at the time. That takes a much longer bridge. It took a lot of ingenuity and more resources to cross. [32:34] When it comes to risk management, it’s important to look at all the different controls. For bridges, one control is that one vehicle crosses at a time. You don’t need three tanks on the bridge. Engineers need to decide if a float bridge can handle two tanks or limit it to one. [32:55] They could limit it to day crossing only, with people guiding the tank. There are all kinds of things to make sure they get right. [33:04] Justin looks forward to hearing more about Bob’s experience on August 6th at 11:00 a.m. at the RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2025 in San Antonio. [33:17] Bob is a graduate with a Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, so a little Texas accent comes through. He loves Texas, and he got there as soon as he could. [34:23] Special thanks again to Retired Major General Bob Whittle for joining us here on RIMScast. Visit RIMS.org/TexasRegional to see the full agenda and register. I’ve got a link to the opening keynote’s RIMScast episode. Huw Edwards joined us recently to discuss his address. [34:41] Huw will present “Your Insurance Policy for Success: Eight Mental Toughness Lessons I’ve Learned from Running 100 Miles through the Mountains.” Be sure to check that out. We look forward to seeing you August 4th through the 6th in San Antonio, Texas! [35:01] 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. [35:28] 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. [35:46] 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. [36:04] 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. [36:21] 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. [36:35] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org. [36:42] 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 Risk Management Magazine 2025 Awards Edition RIMS Texas Regional 2025 — August 3‒5 | Registration open. RIMS-CRMP In-Person Workshop in Texas Aug. 6 & 7 RIMS 2025 Florida Educational Conference | July 31‒Aug 2 | Registration open. RIMS Canada 2025 — Sept. 14‒17 | Registration open! 10th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum — Sept. 18 | Registration open! RIMS Western Regional — Oct 1‒3 | Bay Area, California | Registration open! RISKWORLD 2026 — Members-only early registration! Register through Sept 30! RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center Spencer Educational Foundation 2025 Funding Their Future Gala — Sept. 18, 2025 in NYC! Spencer Education Foundation — General Grants 2026 — Application Deadline July 30, 2025 RIMS ERM Conference 2025 — Nov 17‒18 in Seattle! [Save the Date!] RIMS-CRO Certificate in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management — Featuring Instructor James Lam! Summer course sold out! | 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 Rocky Mountain Chapter RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars   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 “Risk Taxonomy for Effective Risk Management” | July 24 | Instructor: Joe Mayo “Emerging Risks” | Aug 5 | Instructor: Joe Mayo “Intro to ERM for Senior Leaders” | Aug. 12‒13 | Instructor: Chris Mandel “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: “Risk and Clarity with Huw Edwards, RIMS Texas Keynote” “James Lam on ERM, Strategy, and the Modern CRO” “ERM, Retail, and Risk with Jeff Strege” “Bigger Risks with the Texas State Office of Risk Management | Sponsored by Hillwood”   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: Major General (Retired) Robert F. Whittle, Jr., Senior Vice President and CEO, Chief of Staff at USAA   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

Neil Colclough, Vice President of Risk, Compliance, and Audit at Sage Hospitality Group and the 2025 RIMS Volunteer of the Year, shares insights from his unique career journey. He discusses how his background as a Royal Marine shaped his risk management philosophy and the lessons learned during his transition from Texas to the Rockies. Neil emphasizes the significance of volunteerism, encouraging young professionals to step into leadership roles while promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry.

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin interviews Huw Edwards, an entrepreneur, investor, and international speaker. Huw will kick off the RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2025 with his keynote speech. Huw covers the varied topics of leveraging his quantitative training in risk roles, his cybersecurity experience in the companies he helped develop, and even his extensive ultramarathon experience. Huw explores what entering the “pain cave” as an ultramarathon runner has taught him about life and risk management.   Huw believes that being AI-first will be a key factor in whether risk professionals will be promoted. He shares a preview of his keynote and his advice to risk professionals. Listen to learn about the role of quantitative analysis in entrepreneurship and risk management, and how risk management is evolving with AI tools.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:17] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest today is Huw Edwards, who will kick off the RIMS Regional Texas Conference 2025, which will be from August 4th through the 6th in San Antonio. [:44] Huw is a three-time business owner and an executive coach. We’ll get a glimpse of his keynote today. [:51] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! The next Virtual RIMS-CRMP exam prep, co-hosted by Parima, will be held on September 2nd and 3rd. [1:02] The next RIMS-CRMP-FED virtual workshop will be led by Joseph Mayo on July 17th and 18th. Register by July 16th. 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! We have a day-long course on July 24th, “Risk Taxonomy for Effective Risk Management.” On August 5th, we have a day-long course about “Emerging Risks.” [1:32] We’ve 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. [1:47] The course will be held again on November 4th and 5th and will be led by Elise Farnham. RIMS members enjoy deep discounts! [1:56] 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. [2:07] 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”. [2:21] 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! [2:40] Mark your calendars for November 17th and 18th for the RIMS ERM Conference 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The agenda is being built. Soon, we will distribute a Call for Nominations for the ERM Award of Distinction. I’ll update this episode’s show notes when that link is ready. [3:04] Think about your organization’s ERM program or one you know of, and how it has generated value. We will have more on that in the coming weeks. [3:12] 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. [3:26] 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. [3:39] The members-only registration link is in this episode’s show notes. If you are not yet a member, this is the time to register at RIMS.org/membership. [3:49] On with the show! Our guest today is a Harvard- and Oxford-educated entrepreneur, investor, and international speaker. [3:57] On Tuesday, August 5th, he’ll kick off the Inaugural RIMS Texas Regional Conference with his keynote, “Your Insurance Policy for Success: Eight Mental Toughness Lessons I’ve Learned from Running 100 Miles Through the Mountains.” [4:10] His name is Huw Edwards. He is the founder of multiple ventures, including Jungle Disk and CyberFortress. We’re going to get a preview of his keynote and learn about his risk philosophies and risk journey. [4:21] Interview! Huw Edwards, welcome to RIMScast! [4:36] Huw is excited to be on RIMScast and to be opening the RIMS Texas Regional Conference in August. Justin loves going to Texas and is looking forward to the conference. [5:01] Huw comes from Wales. His accent comes from living in about 16 parts of the U.S. [5:55] Growing up, Huw was good with numbers. After college, being a mathematician, he landed a job with Goldman Sachs in a derivatives group. He helped big corporations manage their financial risks. [6:54] Huw tells about buying his first business. When he sold it, he didn’t have the attachment of having founded it. He took it on a journey and then sold it to a private equity firm that joined it with several other companies to create a much bigger platform. [7:52] Huw is a “reluctant entrepreneur.” He was not a teenage businessman. He was good at school and at doing work. The first business he bought was a profitable going concern with existing customers. It was a business unit in a big company, stuck in a corner. [8:39] Huw saw it had wonderful economics and just had to be invested in. It had sticky customers. It was very profitable. It needed some love, care, and attention. That was Huw’s easy transition into entrepreneurship. He bought the business in 2016. [9:00] In 2017, customers started asking where they could buy Bitcoin. Customers were asking about Bitcoin because they were victims of a ransomware attack that demanded Bitcoins to unlock their computers. Huw’s company had backups of its clients’ data. [10:00] This circumstance pulled the company into the world of cyber insurance. It was a new field. Huw’s company served small businesses and helped them protect their data. Managing their clients’ data, they realized they could do the job better. [10:53] Huw says two things connect him to the RIMS Texas Regional Conference. The Insurance Company, USAA, is in San Antonio. Another insurance company, Argo, was there for a time. In 2018, RISKWORLD was held in San Antonio. [11:30] In 2018, Huw and partners incubated an MGA within a large company. They showed up at RISKWORLD to do customer testing and exploration. Coming back to a RIMS conference as a keynote speaker is a full-circle journey for Huw. [12:11] Huw’s company was CyberFortress. It was spun out from Jungle Disk, a larger company. Huw raised a bunch of VC money and swung for the fences, but didn’t find a product market fit there. They had built a solution, looking for a problem. It was a character-building experience. [13:06] It gave Huw some great insight, working with the insurance company. They launched their insurance policy in Texas, backed by Markel. The challenge was that it wasn’t well-positioned, and people didn’t buy it. [13:29] Huw believes the greatest opportunity for risk managers in today’s cybersecurity landscape is to understand that the big factor is human behavior. You can buy systems, but it comes down to the people running those systems. [13:52] The successful cyber insurance offerings and cybersecurity firms largely help, train, monitor, and guide behavior to avoid clients doing the dumb stuff. Don’t click on dumb stuff. [14:14] Risk managers are now interested in AI. AI is just another very powerful tool that can give you a lot of leverage. You can’t outsource responsibility to AI, but it can do a lot of things. You can leverage those things. [15:01] Companies are looking for employees who are AI-first. Your comfort with AI will be a deciding factor that separates the people who are promoted or kept on.  [16:12] Huw thinks risk managers get a bad rap. Huw worked for Bridgewater. When he took the job, he was given a lot of books on managing risk. He learned you’re not trying to eliminate risk but trying to manage it. How do you take advantage of risk? How do you scale risk exposure? [16:59] How do you mitigate the catastrophic risk or existential risk that could kill, but be open to riding the waves of the lesser risks that could give great upsides? [17:18] Risk managers can be seen as Negative Nancy, saying no. But risk management can enable. [17:47] Huw will talk about his long-distance running. He is also a big Formula 1 fan. Formula 1 cars can go really fast. What makes the Formula 1 car go fast around the track is good brakes. Like brakes in a car, risk management can make something go faster, braking when needed. [18:55] Plugs with Roma Rishi, Sr. Sales Executive, Origami Risk! Origami Risk is excited to be a sponsor at the RIMS Texas Regional Conference. Origami Risk will have a booth there to demonstrate their products. They will also speak at one of the sessions. [19:35] They will be talking with Roy Hock, the Director of Excess Insurance at Valero Energy, about leveraging technology to manage your captive. See Origami at its table, at its session, or both! [19:48] Origami Risk will be at the RIMS Texas Regional Conference from August 4th through August 6th. Origami Risk will also be at the tenth Chicagoland Risk Forum, on September 18th at the Old Post Office in Chicago. [20:02] Origami Risk will have a booth there, and Roma’s colleague, Gina Rothweiler, is going to be speaking. Come find Origami Risk at the Chicagoland Risk Forum! [20:10] Registration is complimentary for members of risk management departments in the nearby area. A link to the registration page is in this episode’s show notes. You can visit ChicagoRIMS.org as well. [20:33] On October 1st through the 3rd, Origami Risk will be in the Bay Area, California, for the RIMS Western Regional Conference. They will have a booth and will speak at a session with the Risk Manager of Sprouts about leveraging data and technology for productive risk management. [21:02] Origami Risk will be at RIMS ERM, on November 17th and 18th in Seattle, Washington. That agenda is being built. Origami Risk will have a kiosk and hope to speak, too. [21:22] Origami Risk will have a presence at the 2025 Florida RIMS Educational Conference from July 29th through August 2nd. Connect with Roma’s colleague Alex and Origami Risk there. [21:37] Roma, it’s always great to see you and the Origami Risk team. [21:45] Connect with Roma and Origami Risk online at LinkedIn and OrigamiRisk.com, in the Contact Us area. [21:52] Let’s Return to the Conclusion of My Interview with RIMS Texas Keynote Speaker Huw Edwards! [22:01] On Tuesday, August 5th, at 9:00 a.m., Huw Edwards will kick off the RIMS Texas Regional with his keynote address. He will talk about personal experiences, which include several ultramarathons.  [22:54] For Huw, it was the challenge and the uncertainty that drew him to ultramarathons. When you line up on the start line of a marathon, you might not know how well you’ll do that day, but by and large, you know you’ll finish. [23:40] Huw found himself drawn to these 100-mile races, in the mountains, going up and down, on trails, at altitude. It’s an eating and hydration competition, and getting your electrolytes right. It’s about managing the heat of the day and the cold of the night. [24:18] It’s about your stomach going South, or rolling an ankle. You can have a belief on the start line that you will finish, but you don’t know what’s going to happen that day. It’s a somewhat controlled, uncontrollable environment. It’s less complex than risk management. [25:01] In risk management, you have hundreds of thousands or millions of human players and economic actors interacting. When you’re running, you have yourself, knowing how hard you can push, but you don’t know what the weather will bring. It’s a microcosm of the game of life. [25:39] The lessons are huge. We somehow think we can control everything in life, or we try. In running this kind of distance, things just go wrong. You can’t control everything, so how do you learn how to respond? That’s what keeps Huw coming back to ultramarathons. [26:07] Justin sees the parallels with risk management; you’re striving for greatness, but sometimes you have to settle for goodness. [26:27] You don’t go all in from the start. You have to pace yourself. The races have a time cutoff. If you are too conservative, you won’t get there. In risk management, if you try to mitigate all risk, you’ll have to pay through the nose for insurance. It’s a judgment call. [27:28] In ultramarathons, you navigate emotional highs and lows. No matter how you’re feeling, good or bad, it won’t last. When you’re running great, enjoy it; it’s not going to last. When you feel terrible, that will pass, too. [27:53] That’s a glimpse of part of the keynote. Justin says it’s great that Huw has risk experience and has been to RISKWORLD. [28:18] Huw has a theme, smiling on the outside, suffering on the inside. For a long time, he tried to put a brave face on things. It’s OK to suffer at times, acknowledge it, and not paper over the cracks of your feelings. It’s OK to be authentic. Huw will touch on that in the keynote. [28:54] Sometimes you learn a lot in those moments of suffering. Huw will talk about the pain cave. At some point in an ultramarathon, you enter the pain cave. This term was made famous by one of the greatest ultra runners, Courtney Dauwalter. [29:28] When Courtney Dauwalter talks about the pain cave, she says she used to try to push it off and delay the inevitable moment of going into the pain cave. But the whole point is to experience that edge. [29:48] So you welcome the pain cave. It was meant to hurt. What can we learn about it? [30:06] Huw will take questions at the end of his keynote. Everyone can go to the link in this episode’s show notes for the registration page for the RIMS Texas Regional Conference. [30:18] Huw, it was such a pleasure to meet you! I can’t wait to see you live on stage on August 5th. [30:29] Special thanks again to Huw Edwards for joining us here on RIMScast! He will be kicking off the RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2025. That’s the Risk Management Roundup in San Antonio, Texas, from August 4th through August 6th. Huw will be there on August 5th. [30:48] Visit the Events page on RIMS.org and the link in this episode’s show notes to register. [30:53] RIMS has negotiated a discounted rate at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk. The cutoff date for reservations is July 11th. So, register now and make those reservations! [31:06] 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. [31:34] 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. [31:52] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [32:10] 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. [32:26] 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. [32:40] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org. [32:48] 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: RIMS Hurricane/Storm Risk Management Resource Center  RIMS Texas Regional 2025 — August 3‒5 | Registration open. RIMS-CRMP In-Person Workshop in Texas Aug. 6 & 7 RIMS 2025 Florida Educational Conference | July 31‒Aug 2 | Registration open. 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 Education Foundation — General Grants 2026 — Application Deadline July 30, 2025 RIMS ERM Conference 2025 — Nov 17‒18 in Seattle! [Save the Date!] RIMS-CRO Certificate in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management — Featuring Instructor James Lam! Summer course sold out! | Next bi-weekly course begins Oct 9. RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council OrigamiRisk.com Huw Edwards — Career Clarity Coaching 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   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop — July 17‒18 RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Virtual Workshop — Sept 2‒3, 2025 | Presented by RIMS and PARIMA Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule “Risk Taxonomy for Effective Risk Management” | July 24 | Instructor: Joe Mayo “Emerging Risks” | Aug 5 | Instructor: Joe Mayo “Intro to ERM for Senior Leaders” | Aug. 12‒13 | Instructor: Chris Mandel “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: “James Lam on ERM, Strategy, and the Modern CRO” “ERM, Retail, and Risk with Jeff Strege” “Stacking Habits with Olympic Gold Medalist Jon Montgomery” “Financial Risk Management with Chris Willey of American Eagle FCU” “Applying ERM Theory with Elise Farnham” “Bigger Risks with the Texas State Office of Risk Management” | Sponsored By Hillwood “Exploring Risk in Extreme Environments with Kevin Vallely”   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: Huw Edwards, Entrepreneur, investor, and international speaker Roma Rishi, Sr. Sales Executive, Origami Risk   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 interviews RIMS General Counsel and VP of External Affairs Mark Prysock about the RIMS Legislative Summit in March 2025, how it went, and what to expect next. Mark mentions the registrant participation records they set and the connections they made as they lobbied.   As Mark exits, Morgan O’Rourke and Hilary Tuttle of RIMS Risk Management magazine enter the studio to talk with Justin about the mid-year in risk and four Q2 articles in RIMS Risk Management magazine on tariffs, the 2025 hurricane season, the USDA budget cuts and food safety, and minimizing risk while using AI for innovation. After lessons from the articles, Hilary invites listeners to submit risk management articles to RIMS Risk Management magazine. If you publish in the magazine, what opportunities will that open for you?    Listen to learn more about the highlights of the first two quarters of 2025 and what to prepare for the rest of the year.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:17] About this episode of RIMScast. We’ve got three guests today. We’ll get a RIMS legislative update from Mark Prysock, and we will look back at major risk management news from the first half of 2025 with Morgan O’Rourke and Hilary Tuttle of RIMS Risk Management magazine. [:48] 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 led by Joseph Mayo on July 17th and 18th. Register by July 16th. Links to these courses can be found on the Certification Page of RIMS.org and through this episode’s show notes. [1:16] RIMS Virtual Workshops! We have a day-long course on July 24th, “Risk Taxonomy for Effective Risk Management.” On August 5th, we have a day-long course about “Emerging Risks.” RIMS members enjoy deep discounts! [1:31] 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. [1:42] If you tuned in to the recent episode featuring James Lam, you will know that he is hosting a new six-module workshop for us, the “RIMS-CRO Certificate in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management”. [1:56] 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! [2:15] Mark your calendars for November 17th and 18th for the RIMS ERM Conference 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The agenda is being built. Soon, we will distribute a Call for Nominations for the ERM Award of Distinction. I’ll update this episode’s show notes when that link is ready. [2:38] Think about your organization’s ERM program or one that you know of, and how it has generated value. We will have more on that in the coming weeks. [2:47] 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. [3:01] 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. [3:14] The members-only registration link is in this episode’s show notes. If you are not yet a member, this is the time to register at RIMS.org/membership. [3:24] On with the show! Mark Prysock is the RIMS General Counsel and VP of External Affairs. It’s always wonderful to have him on the show. [3:32] He is here to remind us of the RIMS legislative priorities, how they were addressed during the RIMS Legislative Summit in March, and what else we can expect in the way of public policies that RIMS would like to prevent and those we’d like to support. [3:46] There are lots of links in this episode’s notes, as well, including ones to RISK PAC and an upcoming fundraiser. Let’s get to it! [3:54] Interview! Mark Prysock, welcome back to RIMScast! [4:14] RIMS’s top legislative or advocacy priorities for 2025 include opposing legislation on taxing non-profit associations. RIMS is working with other associations on this. The tax would have a significant impact on RIMS. [5:26] Another issue is the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act, which would allow individuals to use college savings 529 plans to pay for certifications like the RIMS-CRMP. It’s a very popular issue in the association community. [5:55] Third-party litigation funding has become a very big issue, followed by nuclear verdicts. What can we do to stop that? That’s an issue that’s been growing in both the House and the Senate. RIMS is working within a broad coalition to address that issue. [6:14] RIMS believes, at a bare minimum, there needs to be disclosures when third-party litigation funding agreements are in place so that everyone understands who stands to benefit from a nuclear verdict. It’s not the plaintiff. [6:37] The last issue is the National Flood Insurance Program. [7:01] Mark and his team spent Day 1 of the RIMS Legislative Summit in March prepping the registrants so they understood the ins and outs of the issues. They all received one-page leave-behind documents to take to the Congressional offices. [7:18] Panellists had talked to them about the issues. The registrants were prepped to be lobbyists on these issues. [7:30] On Day 2, the registrants went to the Hill and lobbied on behalf of RIMS. [7:39] There were over 60 registrants this year. That was a RIMS Legislative Summit record. They had around 100 Congressional meetings, also a RIMS Legislative Summit record. [8:15] Mark says holding the event at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce building is fantastic. It’s a classic D.C. building that everyone knows. It’s fairly close to Capitol Hill. You can get all the speakers you want to come and meet with your group there. It’s perfect for the Summit. [8:49] A couple of years ago was the first time the Summit met at the Chamber building. Going back this year confirmed that it’s going to be the new location for the Summit. Mark says it was an enriching experience for the attendees. [9:33] The Summit lobbyists focus on committees in both the House and Senate with jurisdiction over insurance. [9:47] The House Financial Services Committee has a Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance. Most of the legislation the Summit is concerned about comes from the House. [10:04] That Subcommittee has a new Chair, Congressman Mike Flood from Nebraska. The Summit has made inroads with his office and with other offices, too. [10:28] The Summit’s focus is on establishing relationships with newer Congressional offices that are in a position to impact RIMS’s legislative priorities. [10:52] Mark says, typically when we meet with a Member of Congress, it might be that we’re talking to them because they’re well-situated to talk to us about NFIP. [11:02] On other issues, we don’t know that they necessarily align with us, but we know that with what we’re trying to accomplish with the NFIP, they are going to be a great ally. That’s our foot in the door to discuss other legislative issues. [11:24] Marks says the Summit is looking to establish long-term relationships with Members of Congress and educate them on the importance of different issues. [11:58] The RIMS Public Policy Committee will continue hammering on these issues for the remainder of 2025 and into 2026. The tax issues are likely to be resolved in RIMS’s favor in the Omnibus tax bill Congress is wrestling with now. [12:18] The One Big Beautiful Bill does not include language for imposing new taxes on non-profits, but it does include the language about liberalizing the use of College 529 plans, which RIMS supports. Mark thinks that it will be wrapped up soon. [12:39] NFIP has been reauthorized through September 30th, the end of the Federal Government’s Fiscal Year. There is legislation out there to reauthorize it for a longer period. The RIMS Public Policy Committee is talking with Members of Congress about that. [12:57] Third-party litigation funding is an issue to keep working on for the next couple of years. [13:04] The RIMS Public Policy Committee will be working closely with the RISK PAC Trustees to figure out how they can help to raise more money for the PAC. They have some ideas for things to do at RISKWORLD 2026 in Philadelphia. [13:22] They have a fundraising event in Philadelphia in the middle of July. They’ll be sending out Calendar invites to the RIMS membership. 2026 will be an election year, so they want to raise as much money as they can for RISK PAC and the right re-election campaigns. [14:02] At RIMS.org/advocacy, you can see that the RIMS Legislative Summit 2026 will be held from March 16th through 18th. Mark is more excited than ever for next year’s Summit! It’s an election year. They’ve got the details nailed down. They’ll be at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. [14:53] They will have a hotel block nailed down soon. They’ll start promoting this event far in advance. Mark your calendars, please! As you build your chapters next year, please include some money to send your Advocacy Ambassador to the Legislative Summit 2026 in March. [15:20] We've got the link in this episode’s show notes and at RIMS.org/advocacy. You can reach out to Mark Prysock directly through his email address on the RIMS Advocacy page. Write to him if you have questions about what it takes to get there or how you can contribute. [15:43] As Morgan O’Rourke and Hilary Tuttle walk into the studio, Justin thanks Mark Prysock for being on the show. [16:04] Plugs! The very first RIMS Texas Regional Conference will be held from August 4th through the 6th in San Antonio at the Henry B. González Convention Center. Public Registration is open. [16:17] Hotel cut-off for the discounted rate is available through July 7th. The full Conference Agenda is now live, so you can start planning your experience. Don’t miss the post-conference workshop, the RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Course, available onsite. [16:33] This event is open to any RIMS Chapter member. If you are local to the area, you might consider becoming a RIMS member today, so that you can get all the benefits and begin networking with your new RIMS Texas peers. Links are in this episode’s show notes. [16:48] You can also visit the Events Page of RIMS.org for more information. We look forward to seeing you in Texas! [16:56] Just a month later, we will be up North for the RIMS Canada Conference 2025, from September 14th through 17th in Calgary. Registration is open. Visit RIMSCanadaConference.CA and lock in those favorable rates. We look forward to seeing you in Calgary! [17:15] 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. [17:31] Let’s Get on with the Show! It is July 1st. We have reached the midpoint of 2025. On RIMScast, we like to take stock of the year in risk, so far. Morgan O’Rourke and Hilary Tuttle are going to break it all down for us. [17:54] Morgan O’Rourke is the RIMS Senior Director of Content and Publications. Hilary Tuttle is the Managing Editor of RIMS Risk Management magazine. That’s our flagship, at RMmagazine.com. [18:07] We will look back on the Q2 digital issue of RIMS Risk Management magazine and discuss some of the news and trends that have been driving the risk profession. We’ll talk about tariffs, AI, and more. Let’s get to it! [18:23] Interview! Morgan O’Rourke and Hilary Tuttle, welcome back to RIMScast! [18:50] We are here to talk about the mid-point of 2025 in risk and what it has meant for the profession and the reporting on the profession. The Q2 digital issue of RIMS Risk Management magazine is now available. The link is on this page. [19:26] A big story from this quarter was tariff volatility. In April, Neil Hodge wrote a great article “How to Navigate the Volatile Tariff Landscape.” Many companies underestimate their exposure to tariffs through lower-tier suppliers. [20:06] Hilary says the number one tip is to map your exposure to tariffs via suppliers. Also, think about finished goods as well as what hypothetical future scenarios would mean. We’ve seen that tariffs are consistently volatile. Map different scenarios to see how they will play out. [20:43] In the article, Neil also mentions alternatives such as near-shoring, alternative suppliers, and technicalities about working within the system. Morgan mentions contract management. Another tip was tariff engineering by modifying your product design or where it’s assembled. [21:35] Morgan shares an example. Converse All Stars have a layer of felt on the bottom, which classifies them as slippers, which have a lower tariff. They tweaked the product so it could be classified differently. Morgan just bought a new pair and saw the felt he had never noticed. [23:24] Morgan says certain auto imports may leave out features that would classify them as commercial vehicles, so they don’t have a commercial vehicle duty. [24:08] Equipment that was bought before steel tariffs will be more expensive to repair after steel tariffs, and insurance that was in place before the tariffs may not cover the drastically more expensive repairs. This will affect heavy machinery. Revisit your insurance coverage. [25:06] Considering what major assets may be changing with tariff changes would be a helpful next step for people. Morgan refers to finding alternate suppliers or diversifying. If you’re starting a new relationship with a supplier, tariffs need to be part of the contract conversation. [25:42] If tariffs are a risk you have not been accounting for in your supplier agreements, you may want to build more flexibility into future agreements.  [26:03] Justin mentions the 2025 hurricane season and accurate weather reporting. That relates to supply chain. Hilary includes replacement values, as materials cost more.  [26:33] Hilary wrote an article, “The 2025 Hurricane Season Outlook.” Hilary says it’s interesting to tell similar stories every year in different ways. She looked at the outlook for this season and compared it to the results from last year. [27:35] She looked for the key trends that drove the results last year and that will impact this year. It’s an outlook and also a strategic input. How does your organization need to adapt to this outlook? It’s about seeing the overarching trends and figuring out how to act on them. [28:20] Hurricane Beryl came in the summer of 2024. It was one of the earliest major hurricanes to form. It reached Category 5 in 42 hours. What strategies should organizations take to address fast-developing storms? [28:43] Rapid intensification is a major trend with hurricanes. This is fueled by above-average ocean temperatures and other impacts of climate change. Storms are getting worse faster. The energy at the surface level contributes to faster-building hurricanes. Then there are trade winds. [29:09] It is a very big challenge for governments and private industry because you need to prepare much faster. You might only have a day of notice between a tropical storm and a Category 3 hurricane. [29:29] Preparedness is a state of being, not something you deal with if and when a storm arises. It needs to be a constant state of readiness. This year there have been significant budget cuts to NOAA and FEMA. This affects weather forecasting and the number of emergency staff. [30:22] Organizations need to understand that they need an increased amount of self-reliance. You cannot count on the cavalry coming. Preparedness means more than ever this year. [30:38] Morgan says it’s less about coordinating with Federal agencies and more about making sure you have your ducks in a row. You may not have access to outside resources. You might be able to coordinate with other companies and organizations. Cooperation helps. [31:43] Hilary says, after last year, we saw with Hurricane Helene that some of these disasters are increasing and hitting in unpredictable areas that don’t have the preparedness or the infrastructure because there is not a legacy sense of being at risk for hurricanes. [32:05] Preparedness is different in different regions. Taking an assessment, thinking about some of those scenarios is a strategic risk management issue that may need to shift in new ways. In some of those areas, you might not have local disaster resources because it has not been a risk. [32:38] Prepare by taking a realistic assessment of emergency resources on the ground, what has the historical risk been, and how that is shifting? [32:51] A Small 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. [33:10] Since 2010, Spencer has awarded over $3.3 million in General Grants to support over 130 student-centred experiential learning initiatives at universities and RMI non-profits. Spencer’s 2026 application process is now open through July 30th, 2025. [33:30] General Grant awardees are typically notified at the end of October. The link is in this interview’s show notes. Be sure to visit the programs page of SpencerEd.org. [33:40] The Spencer 2025 Funding their Future Gala will be held 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 hope to have him here on RIMScast this summer. A link is in the show notes. [34:03] Let’s Return to the Conclusion of My Interview with Morgan O’Rourke and Hilary Tuttle of RIMS Risk Management magazine! [34:55] Jennifer Post, one of the editors, wrote an article, “USDA Budget Cuts Present Food Safety Risks.” Budget cuts may increase the likelihood of an outbreak of foodborne diseases and compromise the USDA’s ability to respond and notify consumers of an outbreak. [36:28] Hilary notes recent outbreaks with cucumbers and tomatoes, which have been deadlier than one might expect. The cucumber recall was for cucumbers that had been sold six weeks before. Hilary has never had a cucumber for more than two weeks. [37:11] Shifting responsibility to under-resourced states creates uneven safety standards. Private companies will have to incur some of the costs of testing and monitoring their food. Who is responsible for coordinating food safety between states or countries is a question mark.  [37:50] This is not a great solution. It’s an area of uncertainty for now. It is likely to increase costs for individual companies. It also increases the risk exposure for companies that are distributing food that makes people sick, but they don’t know it. [38:09] The number of people getting sick and the amount of money a company will lose balloon as a function of time and notice. There are a lot of components to this issue. [38:30] Hilary says we are also seeing some concern around whether some of the shifting standards are going to create different levels of safety in different types of products or from different regions. This shifts a lot of the burden onto the consumer and private companies. [38:42] Morgan adds that beyond the cuts to NOAA, FEMA, and the USDA, there are cuts to cybersecurity infrastructure with CISA. These cuts remove a level of oversight that people have come to rely on. The cuts push responsibility for risks further onto states and private industry. [39:26] Morgan says they were worried about the appetite for change in the government from the Trump administration. The administration is making changes. Some of the fallout is that it has changed the risk landscape regarding storm damage, food safety, cybersecurity, and more. [39:46] You may have to reassess your risks in the light of these cuts to Federal agencies. Hilary points out that the cuts are not fluff when you realize the functions these agencies have. [40:21] Hilary quotes a food safety professor from the article. “Oversight is not a bureaucratic formality; it’s the invisible line between routine production and preventable tragedy.” Hilary thinks that quote applies across a number of the cuts that have been made. [40:39] The magazine has an article on AI called “Balancing Innovation and Compliance When Implementing AI.” Morgan reports that AI is all over the place now. The conversation has to involve implementation issues and liability risks. AI hallucinations and data security are issues. [42:03] You need to have a level of human intervention and involvement to be looking for things that you might have taken for granted are true, but that are problematic or make you liable for something. [42:17] Hilary says another big issue is that the technology is drastically outpacing regulation, safety measures, and best practices. You need to be asking, “What do we have a defensible business reason to do, and what are we putting in place to safeguard those?” [42:44] Some of the AI applications around hiring incur very real consequences in terms of human impact and regulatory impact. You may be dealing with serious employment fines or other things of that nature that regulators will catch up on. [43:06] AI systems are designed to please you. They are not designed to do the right thing or to make intelligent choices. They guide a user, and the user needs to guide them. Hilary compares using AI to riding an elephant. The elephant can go where it wants to go; you need to control it. [43:55] Hilary says that a lot of these AI engines perpetuate bias that the people who developed them may or may not have or may not realize that they have. A large company for a while only hired white men because those were the people who had been successfully hired in the past. [44:20] The content online that trains these models is the content that is published online. It requires a certain amount of privilege, experience, education, and life perspective. It doesn’t draw on the body of human experience and knowledge for representative bodies. [44:49] You have to bring a certain diversity of experience, and also check those inputs with either people or other sources. Morgan talks about the feeling you might get that something like an email was written by an AI. The homogeneity starts to erode the quality of things. [45:27] Morgan has read that one of ChatGPT’s quirks is that a lot of responses will have a “not this but that” structure. For instance, “It’s not just soup, it’s a meal!” Once you see it, you start to see it everywhere. Hilary says a giveaway is the use of inserted emojis. [46:32] Morgan and Hilary have been editing for quite a while. Morgan can identify who wrote a piece of writing by its style. If you get an email from someone with turns of phrase they would never use, you know it’s AI. Losing track of what’s going on is not to your advantage. [47:26] Having AI write an email is an example of something that just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should do it. Should you be working in an environment in which you don’t know how to interact functionally with your coworkers, the length of an email? [48:13] Engineering prompts are one of the biggest skills people need to learn in working with AI. Prompt engineering is the most important component that Hilary had to struggle to learn in an AI course she took. It makes the biggest difference to AI being usable. Take a prompt class. [49:05] Justin shares an experience he had using AI to make an email response he had written much shorter and less defensive. It wasn’t perfect, but it helped him to revise his message. [49:47] Hilary said that Justin gave a great example of prompt engineering. You want to tell it who the recipient is, who you are, and what your specific concern is to address. You can also ask it to explain the changes that it makes, so you learn how to write better emails next time. [50:43] Hilary urges caution on choosing the platform. ChatGPT is decent for writing because you can prime it. You can’t prime Copilot, and she says a lot of the results are garbage.  [51:46] The Q2 edition of RIMS Risk Management magazine is online. All the articles are on the site as links and as part of the digital edition. [51:56] A reminder to the audience: RIMS Risk Management magazine is always seeking contributors and contributions, primarily from the risk profession. The topics that are important to you are the topics that are important to your colleagues. Get your voices out there! [52:37] A good submission answers two questions: Why this? And why now? Why should other people care about this issue? New regulations? New fines? A recent court case? Is there a nuance you are highlighting? Another question is, so what? What do you do about it? [53:28] Justin offers, How will the audience be able to do their job better based on the information you’re telling them? Morgan comments that the idea is risk management. You want to get to the management part of it so your organization can do something about it. [53:58] Go to RMMagazine.com and see the Contribute button at the top. That’s where you’ll find the editorial submission guidelines and the contact information for Morgan, Hilary, and Jennifer. They are open to your ideas, so by all means, reach out. You never know what it could lead to! [54:58] Hilary says they also welcome feedback on their existing coverage and the challenges you are seeing in the field. [55:27] Hilary and Morgan are going to rejoin us at the end of the year. We always close the year with an episode when they look back on the year and forward to the next. [56:01] Special thanks to my RIMS colleagues Mark Prysock, Morgan O’Rourke, and Hilary Tuttle for joining us here on RIMScast! Visit RIMS.org/advocacy to connect with Mark, and RMMagazine.com to connect with Morgan and Hilary, and get the latest risk news and insight. [56:23] Links are in this episode’s show notes, including a link to the Contribute page on RMMagazine.com. [56:29] 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. [56:57] 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. [57:15] 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. [57:33] 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. [57:49] 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. [68:04] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org. [58:11] 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: RIMS Texas Regional 2025 — August 3‒5 | Registration now open. RIMS-CRMP In-Person Workshop in Texas Aug. 6 & 7 RIMS Canada 2025 — Sept. 14‒17 | Registration now open! RIMS Western Regional — Oct 1‒3 | Bay Area, California | Registration now open! RISKWORLD 2026 — Members-only early registration! Register through Sept 30! RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy | RIMS Legislative Summit SAVE THE DATE — March 18‒19, 2026 RIMS Risk Management magazine | Contribute “How to Navigate Tariff Volatility” (April 3, 2025) “2025 Hurricane Season Outlook” (June 9, 2025) “USDA Budget Cuts Present Food Safety Risks” (May 21, 2025) “Balancing Innovation and Compliance When Implementing AI” (April 30, 2025) RIMS Now The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center Spencer Education Foundation — General Grants 2026 — Application Deadline July 30, 2025 RIMS ERM Conference 2025 — Nov 17‒18 in Seattle! [Save the Date!] “RIMS-CRO Certificate in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management” — Featuring Instructor James Lam! Summer course sold out! | Fall bi-weekly course begins Oct 9. RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop — July 17‒18 RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Virtual Workshop — Sept 2‒3, 2025 | Presented by RIMS and PARIMA Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule “Risk Taxonomy for Effective Risk Management” | July 24 | Instructor: Joe Mayo “Emerging Risks” | Aug 5 | Instructor: Joe Mayo See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Related RIMScast Episodes: “James Lam on ERM, Strategy, and the Modern CRO” “RIMS Legislative Priorities in 2025 with Mark Prysock” “Q1 2025 Risks with Morgan O'Rourke”   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: Mark Prysock, General Counsel at Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS) Morgan O’Rourke, Director of Publications at RIMS Hilary Tuttle, Managing Editor of Risk Management Magazine   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

Kyle Leng, Senior Compliance Officer at Airtower Networks, sheds light on the critical importance of wireless connectivity for public safety. He discusses the risks posed by outdated infrastructure in buildings, particularly during emergencies when communication is essential. Exploring IoT advancements, he shares insights on updating Wi-Fi and cellular systems in high-rises and older buildings. Kyle emphasizes the need for modern safety protocols and collaboration with local authorities to ensure reliable communication for first responders in urgent situations.