CNN has ranked risk management #2 on its list of Best Jobs in America and, I can attest, the opportunities that are available and the increasingly positive reputation that risk professionals are earning for adding value to organizations transcends all geographic borders.
Last month, RIMS sent a delegation of Board Directors and staff to India to meet with prominent players in the country’s risk management and insurance industry. We had the privilege of meeting with many risk practitioners, industry leaders, academics and students, and organizations such as the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India and the Institute of Company Secretaries of India. At the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, we delivered a webcast titled, “Gaining Value from ERM” to about 1,800 of their members.
As part of the trip, the delegation attended the Institute of Directors Global Convention on Corporate Ethics & Risk Management, held at the Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai. There, I had the opportunity to deliver a keynote and share my thoughts on the intersection between risk management and ethics, and how ERM can help to drive and support an ethical corporate culture.
RIMS global initiatives continue this month. I’m thrilled to be able to visit RIMS Japan Chapter and meet with our growing membership in Tokyo and Osaka. The concept that risk professionals can play a major part in the organization’s ability to successfully innovate continues to gain momentum in Japan, and I’m honored to speak on this topic.
As you can imagine, the majority of our efforts are now focused on RIMS 2017 Annual Conference & Exhibition. Just months away from the largest annual risk management event in the world, RIMS staff and volunteers are working around the clock to make this the best “RIMS” yet.
Scheduled for April 23rd – 26th in Philadelphia, this year’s conference program features 168 educational opportunities, presentations from nearly 350 subject matter experts, 400 exhibitors and countless networking opportunities with over 10,000 risk professionals from around the world.
A new addition in 2017 is the Executive Leadership Track. The track is developed specifically for senior professionals that drive strategy throughout their organizations. We’ve enlisted some of the world’s leading business thinkers and strategists to present these high-impact sessions and have opened them up to all registrants. You can see the list of Executive Leadership Track speakers here.
Other new additions to RIMS 2017 include the Technology and Risk education category with focus on innovation; RIMS Risk Manager of The Year and Risk Management Honor Roll Awards Breakfast on April 25th; and a Wellness ZENter located centrally in the Marketplace Exhibit Hall.
The Anita Benedetti Student Involvement Program has been a longstanding initiative where we invite exceptional university students to experience the RIMS Annual Conference. This year, we have expanded the program and, for the first time, we will welcome students from universities outside of North America. Jing Chen from Peking University (Beijing), Siming Fan from Peking University, Xinyi Huang from Fudan University (Shanghai) and Ashirwad Padhee from the National Insurance Academy (Pune, India) will attend RIMS 2017.
Finally, I would like to call your attention to two new reports issued by RIMS this month. The Benefits of Developing an Own Risk and Solvency Assessment Report developed by members of a joint project team representing the ERM Committees of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) and RIMS, and A Risk Management Guide to Reservation of Rights report put together by members of RIMS Standards and Practices Council. These and many other useful reports and surveys are available in RIMS Risk Knowledge library.
The first two months of 2017 has flown by, and RIMS is rocking and rolling. It is our priority to deliver the ultimate in risk management knowledge and opportunities to our members all year. And, for me, it has been more than rewarding to be a part of the action. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Nowell R. Seaman
RIMS 2017 President