RIMScast

The Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc.
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The official podcast of RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society. Tune in for weekly discussions about risk management hot topics, interviews with leaders in the profession, and updates on RIMS events and education.

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    RIMS Risk Manager of the Year Jeff Bray

    Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews the RIMS 2026 Risk Manager of the Year, Jeff Bray, about his award and his career at AMB, which merged with Prologis early in his career. Justin and Jeff discuss how risk management earns a strategic seat at the table, how Jeff revived the ERM Program at Prologis, tying it to the business model, and how cross-functional risk management works at Prologis today. Jeff speaks of resilience in the face of polycrisis and climate risk, and working on what he has control over while being aware of the rest. Jeff shares his excitement for developing the next generation of risk professionals and about the amazing opportunity the risk profession holds for them today. Listen for insight on ERM, resilience, and building relationships.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] We hope you are listening to this episode of RIMScast while at RISKWORLD 2026, and we are gently reminding you to download the RIMS Events App to navigate the show successfully! [:29] About this episode of RIMScast. This is our annual Risk Manager of the Year episode. We are delighted to be joined by this year's honoree, Jeff Bray of Prologis. If you are listening to this on its release day of May 4th, you might see him onstage at RISKWORLD. But first… [:59] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Course will be on May 13th and 14th. The popular CBCP and RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Bootcamp will be held from May 18th through the 21st. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Course will be held on June 9th and 10th. [1:19] Links to registration are in this episode's notes. [1:22] Webinars. On May 14th, Origami Risk will return with a new session, "Future-Proofing Your Risk Program: Keeping Pace with Scale, Complexity, and Visibility." [1:34] On May 21st, GRC returns to present "Is Your Fire Protection Strategy Outdated? Emerging Risks Are Changing the Rules." [1:43] On May 28th, Zurich returns with "From Underwriting To Risk Management: What To Expect From The Growing Demand For Data Center Construction." Register for webinars at RIMS.org/Webinars or through the links in this episode's show notes. [1:58] Folks, RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today! [2:16] RISKWORLD 2026 is underway in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! If you are here or on your way, be sure to download the RIMS Events App. It is free and publicly available. This will help you set your agenda and provide ample navigation through the Philadelphia Convention Center. [2:36] RIMS has also released its RISKWORLD Playlist, available through Apple Music and Spotify. Whether you want to get in the zone before RISKWORLD or relive the energy after it, these official RISKWORLD Playlists are available to keep the energy going. [2:53] Links are in this episode's show notes. [2:57] On with the Show! This is our special Risk Manager of the Year episode of RIMScast! This year's honoree is Jeff Bray. [3:08] Jeff is the Senior Vice President and Head of Global Risk Management at Prologis, a global leader in logistics real estate, with 1.3 billion square feet across 20 countries on four continents, and more than 6,500 customers focused on moving goods around the globe. [3:24] That is a lot of responsibility for one person, but don't worry, he's got a mighty team who shoulder it with him. [3:31] We're going to learn all about his work, the leaps and bounds he's made over the last 20 years, his involvement with the Spencer Educational Foundation, and what it takes to succeed in an increasingly uncertain world. We're going to have a lot of fun! Let's get to it! [3:46] Interview! RIMS 2026 Risk Manager of the Year, Jeff Bray, welcome to RIMScast! [4:07] Justin and Jeff met recently for his profile in RIMS Risk Management Magazine. [4:14] This episode is released on Day 1 of RISKWORLD. When people are listening to this, they might be seeing Jeff onstage accepting his award. Jeff says, first and foremost, he is looking forward to RISKWORLD; the award is a nice cherry on top. [4:37] Jeff is 20 years into his career, and he has only missed a few RISKWORLDs. [4:45] Jeff joined AMB Property Corporation in 2005, not knowing anything about risk management and knowing only environmental insurance, a few weeks before Hurricane Katrina. It was trial by fire. Then, Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Wilma hit. It was a transformational year. [5:34] There were two years in a row of serious hurricanes affecting the property insurance market. The challenges AMB had experienced transformed the way the insurance and risk management program has been run ever since. [6:02] AMB merged with Prologis a few years later, following a great financial crisis that occurred in June 2011. [6:32] Jeff says Prologis is an owner of logistics real estate. They don't operate any of the buildings. Jeff's purview is the 1.3 billion square feet of real estate in 20 countries, with around 60,000 assets. [6:47] Prologis has a couple of billion dollars a year of development activity. They have a renewable energy business and a digital infrastructure. [7:32] Jeff says it's critical to see properties first-hand. Warehouses are different in different countries, and seeing them helps solve problems when they arrive. Early on, he attended a captive owners conference in Bermuda, and meeting many peers accelerated his learning. [9:03] Through serving the business, Jeff built trust with senior leaders and the board. Jeff started by figuring out what people wanted or needed and helped them achieve it. He built strong relationships with every group; he's in lockstep with legal, finance, and business teams. [10:33] Jeff's risk team has seven members. He also has two members of the corporate security team. He has worked hard to grow the team as needed. He sees an opportunity with technology to scale the team's capabilities to focus on critical tasks. He's grateful for the team's efforts. [11:49] Risk management is centralized at Prologis. They operate as a consistent global program. Jeff is in San Francisco, with team members in the Bay Area, Denver, and one in Dallas. [12:45] Jeff says he takes advantage of every crisis and pays close attention to every near-miss. It's a reminder that this is why what we do is important. Sometimes it's all hands on deck. What can we do differently next time? [13:35] One big near-miss was a fire that arose from customer operations in a building, which didn't amount to much because the sprinklers operated properly. Jeff participates in Prologis's global safety board. They pay close attention to anything like a contractor injury. [14:06] June is National Safety Month. The Head of Safety of Prologis's Development Team plans Safety Month activities. Every project and team member will be involved. It sends a good message. They make it very clear to every contractor they hire that safety is paramount. [14:49] Justin says the leader of the ASSP will soon be a guest on RIMScast. Safety should be observed every month. Jeff says in the past, safety was something they focused more on when something happened, but now it's ingrained in the way they operate. It's not treated separately. [15:44] Jeff reestablished Prologis's ERM program. His ERM Committee is a sounding board with seven or eight global leads. The members are the Head of Internal Audit, the Head of Info Security, and others, who work closely across the risk register to ask, "What are we missing?" [17:14] The challenge in reactivating the ERM committee was getting the relevance right. For the first meeting or so, they brainstormed. Now it's operating at the right frequency with the right dynamic input. It will continue to evolve in every meeting. [17:55] They meet annually with the Audit Committee, and some years they meet with the Board of Directors. It evolves from the day-to-day Risk Register, working with the business teams. The Audit Committee and the Board are very invested in what the ERM Committee does. [18:34] ERM at Prologis is tied to what's relevant to the CFO, the Chief Legal Officer, and other stakeholders. With the CFO, it's tied to earnings per share and net operating income impact. Jeff is always looking at what the business is looking to accomplish and how ERM can support it. [19:17] A Quick Break! The 2026 Florida RIMS Educational Conference will be held from July 28th through August 1st at the lovely Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida. A link to the event is in this episode's show notes. [19:40] Register now for the Second Annual RIMS Texas Regional Conference, to be held from August 10th through 12th at the Grand Hyatt on the San Antonio River Walk. Advance rates are available through June 5th. [19:55] The 11th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will return to the Old Post Office on Thursday, September 24th, 2026, in Chicago. Visit ChicagolandRiskForum.org for more information. [20:08] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. Registration is open, and you can also submit a session. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information. [20:26] Save the dates October 18th through the 21st. That is when the 50th Annual RIMS Canada Conference will be held in Quebec City. Booth sales are already open. The call for educational sessions is open through May 8th. Early-bird registration will open in June. [20:44] Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information. Also, remember to check out RIMS.org/Canada for our spinoff show, RIMScast Canada, hosted by National Conference Committee Chair, Aaron Lukoni. [20:59] Check RIMS.org for an announcement about

    43 min

  2. 28 APR

    RIMS Rising Risk Professional Award Winner Tyler Vaughan

    Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews RIMS 2026 Rising Risk Professional, Tyler Vaughan. Tyler explains the pizza-and-bonus-points incentive that got him to attend the risk management and insurance informational session in college, which launched his risk management career. Tyler shares what it was like beginning in the industry as COVID was shutting down offices. He encourages students not to seek a remote position, but a hybrid or office position, at least for the first couple of years of their careers, to grow knowledge and build a network. Tyler shares his feelings about winning the RIMS 2026 Rising Risk Professional Award and his hopes for the future of the risk industry. Listen for insight on building a risk management career, mentoring, and networking.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Public registration is open for RISKWORLD 2026, which will be held from May 3rd through 6th in Philadelphia. Visit RIMS.org/RISKWORLD to register. [:27] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest today is the RIMS 2026 Rising Risk Professional, Tyler Vaughan. I'm looking forward to discussing with him about how he is setting a high bar for the next generation of risk professionals. But first… [:58] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Course will be on May 13th and 14th. The popular CBCP and RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Bootcamp will be held from May 18th through the 21st. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Course will be held on June 9th and 10th. [1:18] Links to registration are in this episode's notes. [1:21] Webinars. On May 14th, Origami Risk will return with a new session, "Future-Proofing Your Risk Program: Keeping Pace with Scale, Complexity, and Visibility." [1:32] On May 28th, Zurich returns with "From Underwriting To Risk Management: What To Expect From The Growing Demand For Data Center Construction." Register for webinars at RIMS.org/Webinars or through the links in this episode's show notes. [1:47] Folks, RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today! [2:05] This is a last call for registration for RISKWORLD 2026, from May 3rd through the 6th in Philadelphia! Our opening keynote is thought leader Adam Grant. Our closing keynote is NFL Hall-of-Famer and Emmy-award-winning broadcaster, Michael Strahan. [2:22] Visit RIMS.org/RISKWORLD to register. Connect, Cultivate, and Collaborate with 10,000 of your risk management peers. [2:32] RIMS has also released its RISKWORLD Playlist, available through Apple Music and Spotify. Whether you want to get in the zone before RISKWORLD or relive the energy after it, these official RISKWORLD Playlists are available to keep the energy going. [2:48] Links are in this episode's show notes. [2:52] On with the Show! Our guest today is the Global Risk Manager for Cook Group in Indiana. He is the RIMS Rising Risk Professional for 2026. We will be seeing him onstage receiving his award at RISKWORLD. It's Tyler Vaughan.  [3:11] Tyler has already made an impact on the risk profession and RIMS. We're going to learn about what it took to lead the Northeast Ohio Chapter to greatness, mentors who have lifted him, and how his RIMS participation has made him a more confident risk leader. Let's get to it! [3:31] Interview! 2026 RIMS Rising Risk Professional Tyler Vaughan, welcome to RIMScast! [3:48] Tyler says he appreciates being named the RIMS 2026 Rising Risk Professional. It's humbling and a bit surreal. [3:64] Tyer looks back to when he joined the industry in 2018 as an intern. He joined the Northeast Ohio RIMS Chapter. He didn't think risk management was a profession where you expect public recognition; most of it happens behind the scenes. [4:12] Tyler says in risk management, success often looks like nothing bad happened. Within different corporations, you're protecting against bad things happening. To have RIMS recognize Tyler as the RIMS 2026 Rising Risk Professional means a lot to him. He's very thankful for it. [4:37] Justin says there are several professions where the idea is that no news is good news. If you don't get any feedback, that means you're doing everything fine. Justin says an award like this, and all the RIMS awards, are nice and well-deserved. [5:19] Tyler tells how he became involved in risk management. He was studying corporate financial management at the University of Akron College of Business. The professor of a challenging course held an informational session on risk management and insurance. [5:58] Tyler wasn't interested until the professor announced pizza and bonus points. Tyler couldn't turn that down. The professor, Dr. Jill Bisco, comes from the industry. She had been on the carrier side for many years. She was one of Tyler's first mentors. He still talks to her. [6:17] At that informational session, Tyler learned of how much opportunity the risk management and insurance industry has. He signed up for more information that day. [6:26] Dr. Bisco talked about Gamma Iota Sigma, the collegiate actuarial science risk management business fraternity. Tyler signed up to be an officer. [6:39] Tyler went through the chartering ceremony the next semester, and then the University of Akron officially adopted a risk management insurance program, and Tyler was one of the first students to sign up for that path. [6:50] Pizza and bonus points are still relevant to college students. Tyler says, take advantage of those opportunities. You never know what might come from it. Tyler later organized sessions with food. He used Chick-fil-A when pizza didn't bring a good crowd. [7:24] The Risk Management and Insurance Program at the University of Akron had an event called Risky Business, where they brought in different industry professionals. [7:33] One of those industry professionals was Kristen Peed. Tyler was looking for an internship. Kristen was looking for her umbrella after the event, and Tyler took it to her and asked her name. Tyler says pizza, bonus points, and an umbrella got him where he is today. [8:08] Kristen had just come off the board of the Northeast Ohio Chapter. Justin says Kristen was on the RIMS board for years and is the RIMS Immediate Past President. [8:36] Kristen taught Tyler that risk management is about people. She balances technical expertise with emotional intelligence. Tyler learned from her that the best professionals are the ones who can translate complexity into clarity and build trust across the organization. [8:56] Tyler says, across the industry, it's all about relationships. Kristen taught him that early on. Kristen has had many interns, and they share a community, and she connects with each of them, so they have a network within a network. [9:13] Kristen taught Tyler that we're only as successful as those that we bring up in the industry as well. It's full-circle for Tyler, now being seven years out of college, and giving back to whom he gives now. Any time someone reaches out to Kristen, Kristen loops Tyler in. They talk weekly. [9:44] Throughout the steps Tyler has taken in his career, Kristen has been there. It means something to find that mentor with whom you really connect, whether it be through RIMS Mentor Match or local university mentors. [9:59] You may go through some that aren't an exact fit, and that's OK. Mentorship can't be forced. Look for that person that you want to learn from, build from, and find success from. [10:25] Tyler says he is far more comfortable in public speaking now because of his experiences with Kristen and his experiences in risk management than when he joined the profession. Tyler avoided taking a public speaking class that was offered in high school. He was not extroverted. [10:56] Tyler was somewhat shy going into college. In going to the risk management and insurance pizza and bonus points session, he was nervous to meet people. But it was the push to get out of his comfort zone. [11:14] Dr. Jill Bisco, Kristen Peed, and other mentors taught Tyler that pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone is where you grow as a professional and personally. Tyler has made not only industry connections but also some of his best friends by putting himself out there. [11:38] Public speaking still makes Tyler a little nervous. He says it's cool to look back and see how much he has grown as a professional by putting himself out there. [12:24] Tyler went to the University of Akron and then started on the carrier/underwriting side as an underwriter. He went through a graduate development program at Westfield Insurance, close to home. [12:43] Tyler learned small business underwriting at Westfield and moved to Zurich for middle market underwriting. From there, a mentor of his from Akron University, Kirk Gross of Safelite, came to Tyler with an entry-level opportunity as a Business Continuity Analyst. [13:14] From there, Tyler has grown to where he is today. After Safelite, Tyler was with Avery Dennison as an Insurance Risk Analyst. Now he is with Cook Group, which owns Cook Medical, in Indianapolis. [13:31] Tyler's focus has been depth and versatility. He wants to continue to strengthen his technical foundation. He's gaining exposure across many areas, being a risk manager at a large company in the medical space. [13:47] This exposure includes operational risk, governance, and resilience. It's about emerging risks and how much they've changed recently. In the long term, Tyler hopes to play a role in shaping how organizations integrate risk into strategic-level decision-making. [14:02] Tyler would love to lead a team, continue to mentor the younger professionals, and continue doing what he can for the profession, whether it's lea

    38 min

  3. 21 APR

    Energy Efficiency, Mental Health Awareness, and Risk with Nick Quigley

    Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews Nick Quigley, Risk Manager at the Saskatchewan Association of Rehabilitation Centers (SARC). This is Nick's second career, after starting in the Canadian Military. Nick explains how he joined the military before graduating from high school, the training and education he received, and his field of operational risk and training safety. He says he loved his work, but in 2019, he was medically retired with PTSD. Retirement got old fast, and when he got the opportunity to help a company recover from the problems of the COVID shutdown, he stepped up. From there, he joined SARC, where he works today. Nick speaks of the recycling mission of SARC, and how he has increased his education while there, receiving the RIMS-CRMP recently, and continues his studies. He recounts some of the activities of the Saskatchewan RIMS Chapter (SKRIMS), where he serves on the board. He shares how he manages his PTSD and why he advocates for removing the stigma around mental health. Listen for insight on living with PTSD while managing risk at a major non-profit organization.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Public registration is open for RISKWORLD 2026, which will be held from May 3rd through 6th in Philadelphia. Visit RIMS.org/RISKWORLD to register. [:27] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest is Nicholas Quigley, RIMS-CRMP. He is the Risk Specialist for the Saskatchewan Association of Rehabilitation Centers, or SARC. [:52] We will discuss recycling, energy efficiency, how his military career led him to risk management, and mental health awareness. But first… [1:01] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Course will be on May 13th and 14th. The very popular CBCP and RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Bootcamp will be held from May 18th through the 21st. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Course will be held on June 9th and 10th. [1:21] Links to registration are in this episode's notes. [1:23] Webinars. On May 14th, Origami Risk will return with a new session, "Future-Proofing Your Risk Program: Keeping Pace with Scale, Complexity, and Visibility." [1:35] On May 28th, Zurich returns with "From Underwriting To Risk Management: What To Expect From The Growing Demand For Data Center Construction." Register for webinars at RIMS.org/Webinars or through the links in this episode's show notes. [1:50] Folks, RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today! [2:10] On with the Show! Our guest today is Nick Quigley, the Risk Specialist for the Saskatchewan Association of Rehabilitation Centers (SARC). He is an educator, a veteran, and a member of the Saskatchewan RIMS Chapter (SKRIMS). Justin met Nick at a SKRIMS event.  [2:34] Nick will discuss the work he does for SARC, which handles recycling and energy efficiency, his involvement with SKRIMS, his certifications, including the RIMS-CRMP, and what it's like to be an educator. [2:48] For Mental Health Awareness Month in May, and in Canada, Mental Health Week from May 4th through 10th, Nick will tell us how PTSD impacts his life and his career as a risk professional, how he handles these challenges, and offer words of comfort. Let's get to it! [3:18] Interview! Nick Quigley, welcome back to RIMScast! [3:32] Nick is wearing a shirt that reads: Risk Manager: I solve problems you don't know you have. Nick has worn that shirt to board meetings, senior management meetings, presentations, and to his class when he was teaching. [4:22] Justin mentions a great presentation Nick led last year. After the presentation, Justin wanted Nick to be on RIMScast. Nick also has a RIMS CRMP Story. [4:57] Before Nick was out of high school, he saw an ad for the summer: Do you want to make  $6,000 this summer, and do you like being outdoors? Nick grew up in a small community on Prince Edward Island, and he loves the outdoors. [5:34] He filled out paperwork, not noticing the top of the form, Government of Canada, Department of National Defense. When he showed up at the recruiting center for testing, he saw what he had done. [6:06] Nick followed through, did his basic recruit training and his trades training, and became qualified as a signals operator. His job was radios, satellites, and IT. He enjoyed it. But he got an opportunity early on to focus on operational risk and training safety. [6:35] It was not a traditional 9-to-5. Every day there was something different. That's what kept it exciting. Nick retired in 2019. Then came COVID. People who knew Nick's background asked him to come work with them. He went back to work and found out he enjoyed it again. [7:16] Nick found a second life, working full-time again, in risk management. Nick's background was in operations and crisis and emergency management. He has a degree in emergency management. [8:17] Nick says retirement was fun, at first. All his friends had to go to work, while he did what he wanted. It was also lonely, because all his friends were at work. It got old, really fast. [9:19] Nick says when he retired, he did some little projects and woodworking, but that got old, too. Doing it all day felt like work, not a hobby or a passion. It got lonely and boring, and he needed a change. [9:51] Nick got recruited into risk management from somebody who knew his military background and offered him a chance to assist them during COVID. He got his ISO 31000 while he was there. Shortly after, he went to a large, non-profit charity where he is the risk manager. [10:38] The charity manages all the recycling across the Province of Saskatchewan. Nick got his RIMS-CRMP within a couple of months of starting this position. He has been a lifelong learner. Education can lead to a better outcome when it comes to real-world applicability. [11:14] Nick says education gives you a baseline understanding of what you need to know. Experience allows you to modify what you have learned to fit the situation. [11:44] People tell Nick he has more letters after his name than in his name. He believes education is important. Now he is working toward becoming a Chief Internal Auditor from the IIA. [12:21] Nick explains how SARC operates across Saskatchewan. They collect aluminum cans and other materials from customers and return the deposit fees to the customers. They sort and process the materials and ship them to downstream market partners for recycling. [13:49] SARC has several streams: aluminum, plastics, glass, flexible packaging, and styrofoam. [14:00] Yesterday, April 20th, was Earth Day. SARC takes that seriously. SARC's mission is to have a large recycling presence and to be the best at what they do. [14:52] Nick is fascinated by innovations coming out now in how we leverage technology. Nick read an article about Finland using their data centers underground to heat houses and businesses. [15:38] Nick is always looking for ways to make things more efficient or streamline processes to make them better. If we can do that by reusing materials instead of taking them out of the earth, why not? [16:02] Nick is the Risk Group at SARC. He is a department of one. He gets to dictate his priorities, with guidance from senior management and the strategic initiatives. He can look at things across the organization. Nick has the trust of senior management. [17:03] Nick makes sure senior management is apprised of situations that will negatively affect them, their mission, vision, values, or the strategic priorities. They rely on his expertise when things pop up. [17:32] Nick says when he started, one of the interesting things he got to do was to follow the recyclable material from start to finish. What does it go through at SARC, and where does it go downstream? He spent a lot of time building out those processes to make them efficient. [18:10] Nick worked with Operations and Processing to see how they are doing it and look at it from the perspective of reducing risk, unneeded redundancies, and bottlenecks. [18:45] SARC and SARCAN, the recycling system, have been around since 1989. They had processes. It's a large, fairly mature organization, with about 1,000 employees in 76 locations across the province, serving 1.1 million people. [19:15] Nick's role was to validate the processes. Are they efficient? Can we do better? What can we change? How does the customer experience get better? We want people to bring back their recyclables. If it's a barrier, they're not going to bring them back, and it's wasted material. [19:31] Saskatchewan has a collection rate that's higher than that of other provinces. Some provinces don't have a system. Others rely on a curbside collection system. [20:16] The provinces share knowledge. They have a collective, and the senior management confers with them and shares knowledge about what works and what doesn't. SARC is a non-profit charity, and some of the other systems have a for-profit system. [20:49] SARC owns and operates the collection depot and the recycling system. They don't have the intricacies and risks of working with external businesses in the process. They own the process. They don't have the risks that come with third-party management. [21:36] A Quick Break! RISKWORLD 2026 will be held from May 3rd through the 6th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. RISKWORLD attracts more than 10,000 risk professionals from across the globe. It's time to Connect, Cultivate, and Collaborate with them. [21:56] Public registration is open, and booth sales are still available. Links are in this episode's show notes, and be sure to check out RIMS.org for more information. [22:06] We will kick off Day 1 with a conversation with Adam Grant. He is an organizational p

    47 min

  4. 14 APR

    Board Reporting and ERM in 2026 with Trisha Sqrow and Suzanne Christensen

    Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews SERMC members Suzanne Christensen and Trisha Sqrow about the new RIMS Executive Report they co-authored with Joe Pugh, also of the SERMC, "Board Risk Reporting: How to Deliver Insights that Matter." Suzanne and Trisha share tips for preparing to report to your board, how frequent reporting should be, and the difference between the board's oversight and the executive team's management. Trisha also shares descriptions of her two upcoming RISKWORLD presentations on May 6th. Listen for insight on providing the board with the information they need to support the organization's objectives and strategies.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Public registration is open for RISKWORLD 2026, which will be held from May 3rd through 6th in Philadelphia. Visit RIMS.org/RISKWORLD to register. [:27] About this episode of RIMScast. Our topic is board reporting and ERM, and our guests are Trisha Sqrow and Suzanne Christensen of the RIMS Strategic and Enterprise Risk Management Council. They've co-authored a new Executive Report. We're going to talk all about it. But first… [:58] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Course will be on April 21st and 22nd, and then again on June 9th and 10th. Registration links are in this episode's notes. [1:14] Webinars. On April 16th, Zurich and World Travel Protection will present "Navigating the New Global Risk Landscape: Lessons for Business Travelers in Unstable Times". [1:24] On May 14th, Origami Risk will return with a new session, "Future-Proofing Your Risk Program: Keeping Pace with Scale, Complexity, and Visibility." Register for webinars at RIMS.org/webinars and through the links in this episode's show notes. [1:39] Folks, for more RIMS content, head over to YouTube and subscribe to @RIMSOfficialChannel. There you will find video podcasts, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. [1:55] Head over to RMMagazine.com for the Q1 Edition of the Azbee-Award-winning publication, RIMS Risk Management Magazine. [2:06] On with the Show! Our guests are Suzanne Christensen and Trisha Sqrow. As members of the RIMS Strategic and Enterprise Risk Management Council, they co-authored the new RIMS Executive Report, "Board Risk Reporting: How to Deliver Insights that Matter." [2:24] Co-authored by Joe Pugh of the AARP, a RIMS Strategic and Enterprise Risk Management Council member, the report provides practical insights and guidance to risk practitioners who report to their organization's board of directors or overarching governance committees. [2:38] The report provides guidance on aligning this reporting with the board's role and expectations, the steps that should be taken to sustain the alignment, and how to ensure reporting provides the board with the appropriate level of detail. [2:52] The link to the report is available in this episode's show notes. You can also visit the Risk Knowledge section of RIMS.org. If you like what you read and you like what you hear today, be sure to hear Patricia and Joe at RISKWORLD on May 6th at 11:30 a.m. in Room 119-AB. [3:11] They will extend the dialog with the session "From Risk Aware to Risk Savvy: Elevating Board-Level Risk Reporting and Engagement." It will undoubtedly be a fantastic session! [3:21] Let's talk about board reporting right now! [3:23] Interview! Suzanne Christensen and Trisha Sqrow, welcome back to RIMScast! [3:31] Suzanne Christensen and Trisha Sqrow have been carrying the torch for the Strategic and Enterprise Risk Management Council at RIMS for years. Now, they are rejoining us on RIMScast. It's a delight to welcome them both back. [3:57] The new RIMS Executive Report, "Board Risk Reporting: How to Deliver Insights that Matter," was co-authored by Suzanne Christensen and Trisha Sqrow, with Joe Pugh, who is also on the Strategic and Enterprise Risk Management Council. [4:15] This paper is available for a limited time exclusively to RIMS members. It will then be open to the public. There's a lot of great information in it, and it gets right to the point. [4:40] Research shows that while many risk professionals believe their reporting supports board decision-making, most boards are still asking for more information and deeper analysis. [4:47] Trisha says, boards are becoming more interested in understanding the risk profile of the organization, what's being done, and how leadership is managing risk, because we are in a complex time. There are so many risks that are not internal. [5:33] The board is asking: How do we look at this, how can we manage what we can, and prepare for and respond to those things that we can't manage, but that could come and hit us? [5:47] Boards are more interested. They have regulatory concerns and requirements, potential liability, and things of that nature. [6:07] Suzanne agrees with Trisha about the complexity in our post-COVID world with the interconnectedness of risks and the unexpected. Regarding the pace of change, Suzanne says hang onto your seats right now, particularly with AI! [6:30] Boards serve a lot of constituents and stakeholders, and they're feeling pressure. They're looking for more insightful analysis. The report gets into how to figure out what is insightful to a board. Justin notes that each board will have a different definition of insightful. [6:58] One board can change over time as different board members bring different dynamics and expectations to the board. The paper has a point about keeping pace with the board. [7:18] The paper makes the point that effective board reporting is not about what risk teams want to say but about what boards need to hear. [7:43] Suzanne breaks down the difference between the need that the board knows and understands, and articulates, and the things they should also know, to be good board members. That takes exploration. There are things the board might not know to ask. [8:10] Risk professionals have knowledge and context. They need to lean in and say, "You're asking for this, and that's super important, but in addition, here are some other things to be aware of." You need to start with a mutual understanding. There's a process to go through. [8:31] Trisha says the risk practitioner has the largest view of the risk profile of the organization. The board is thinking more of strategic goals and objectives, but they do want to know about the risk. Board risk reporting is a matter of working to connect strategy with risk management. [9:07] The risk practitioner can develop a culture of discussion and openness to discuss risks, mitigations, and possible blind spots. [9:26] Suzanne says one of the primary roles of the board is to make sure the firm has the right strategy and they're executing it appropriately. The biggest risk to the board is becoming irrelevant to constituents and clients. Not all key risks to the organization are equal to the board. [9:59] The board spends more time on the strategic risks. When reporting, you can't forget the operating risks. You can summarize them as "Here are some things to look at that we've got covered. So, let's spend more time over here." [10:46] If you don't first build alignment with executive management before engaging with the board, Suzanne says you'll end up with a modern-day Babylon. You won't end up with support from the key risk owners on the strategic side. The owners of the risk are the decision-makers. [11:02] The decision-makers are management and executive management. It has to be their story, and they have to buy in. Risk practitioners are the facilitators to create that alignment so those conversations can be robust, open, and transparent. [11:44] Trisha says the executive leadership team (ELT) is the liaison and connection to the board. Most risk practitioners may not be in all of the board meetings or interacting with the board regularly. The executive leaders probably are. [12:05] The ELT can bridge the gap. They have the relationships and know the personalities of the board members. They understand how the board likes to receive information and can help the risk practitioner develop reports in that way. They can open the line of communication more. [12:28] Trisha says that in her previous work for DFW Airport and others, they did this through the structure of the Enterprise Risk Management program, having a risk council report periodically to the ELT, so they have the information and can go forth with it. [13:17] Suzanne says the best practice is to spend some prep time to get some baseline knowledge and level-setting across, so when you go into those meetings, the conversations will be richer. You're not educating. You're getting right to what you want to focus on in your report. [13:58] There are different methods for doing that, depending on the organization, with its aptitude and appetite. You can do it in a pre-conversation setting, starting with the ELT, so that they're part of that conversation, helping to drive it. That is ideal. [14:21] A Quick Break! RISKWORLD 2026 will be held from May 3rd through the 6th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. RISKWORLD attracts more than 10,000 risk professionals from across the globe. It's time to Connect, Cultivate, and Collaborate with them. [14:41] Public registration is open, and booth sales are still available. Links are in this episode's show notes, and be sure to check out RIMS.org for more information. [14:50] We will kick off Day 1 with a conversation with Adam Grant. He is an organizational psychologist, best-selling author, and a leading influential management thinker. [14:59] The excitement continues with the announcement of the closing keynote speaker. NFL Hall of Famer, Super Bowl Champion, Emmy-winning broadcaster, and entrepreneur Michael Strahan wi

    34 min

  5. 7 APR

    Still in the Weeds with Medical Marijuana and Workers' Compensation, with Kiersten Cash

    Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews Kiersten Cash regarding the May 6th RISKWORLD session that she is co-presenting with Frank Wickersham, a Workers' Comp defense attorney, "Reefer Madness: Still in the Weeds with Medical Marijuana and Workers' Compensation Insurance, Legal, and Regulatory." Kiersten shares the biggest misconception risk professionals have about medical marijuana in Workers' Comp. She discusses the conversation around cannabis and workplace injury. Justin and Kiersten talk about the growing patchwork of state laws on cannabis and what risk managers should be paying close attention to right now. Kiersten explains the concerns about Workers' Comp paying for medical marijuana. She gives a preview of what to expect in her RISKWORLD session. Listen for insights about the problems of marijuana as a treatment option in Workers' Comp.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Public registration is open for RISKWORLD 2026, which will be held from May 3rd through 6th in Philadelphia. Visit RIMS.org/RISKWORLD to register. [:27] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest is Kiersten Cash. She is the Senior Manager for Workers' Compensation and General Liability at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She's going to talk to us all about medical marijuana and Workers' Compensation Claims. But first… [:58] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Course will be on April 21st and 22nd, and then again on June 9th and 10th. Registration links are in this episode's notes. [1:14] On April 15th, we have a virtual workshop covering "Emerging Risks", led by Joseph Mayo. Register today and strengthen your risk knowledge. RIMS members always enjoy deep discounts on the virtual workshops. [1:29] Webinars. On April 16th, Zurich and World Travel Protection will present "Navigating the New Global Risk Landscape: Lessons for Business Travelers in Unstable Times". Register for webinars at RIMS.org/webinars and through the links in this episode's show notes. [1:47] Folks, for more RIMS content, head over to YouTube and subscribe to @RIMSOfficialChannel. There you will find video podcasts, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. [2:02] Head over to RMMagazine.com for the Q1 Edition of the Azbee-Award-winning publication, RIMS Risk Management Magazine. [2:15] On with the Show! Our guest today is the Senior Manager for Workers' Compensation and General Liability at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Kiersten J. Cash. She's here to discuss what's going on with medical marijuana and Workers' Compensation claims. [2:31] This will serve as a bit of a preview of her session at RISKWORLD on May 6th at 10:15 a.m. in Room 120-BC, "Reefer Madness: Still in the Weeds with Medical Marijuana and Workers' Compensation." [2:43] We will discuss whether cannabis is still an effective treatment for chronic pain due to workplace injury and what could happen if the U.S. Government were to change its schedule from number 1 to number 3. [2:54] We're going to learn about Kiersten's fascinating work and her career. Let's get to it! [3:00] Interview! Kiersten Cash, MBA, welcome to RIMScast! [3:23] Kiersten is with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, or CHOP. Kiersten Cash has a session at RISKWORLD, "Reefer Madness." [4:27] Kiersten has been in the world of Workers' Comp for a little over 20 years. She started as an adjuster. She adjusted national market claims and middle market claims for 10 years. Then she went to the broker side. [4:46] She managed the claim program for the broker's largest client at the time, along with 23 other claim programs, covering all lines of insurance. Next, Kiersten worked for Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, a residential treatment facility. [5:06] Then Kiersten moved to CHOP, where she manages all of Workers' Comp, General Liability, and Auto for the health system. [5:22] Kiersten says Workers' Comp is one of those industries where you kind of fall into it. In the final year of her graduate program, she needed a job. She met someone who worked at Liberty Mutual, who said they were hiring claims adjusters. She took the job. [5:44] Kiersten says she tried to get out of this industry on numerous occasions, but the industry apparently loves her too much. She's glad she stayed because she really likes where she has ultimately landed, CHOP. [6:52] Kiersten is a member of the Delaware Valley Chapter of RIMS, the oldest RIMS chapter. RIMS is 76 years old. The chapter is 75 years old. Chapter President Tom Armstrong was on RIMScast recently, excited about all the cool things the host chapter is doing for RISKWORLD. [7:44] Justin asks what Kiersten feels is the biggest misconception risk professionals have about medical marijuana and Workers' Compensation. She thinks the biggest misconception is that there is a difference between medical marijuana and recreational marijuana. [8:18] Kiersten says, as an employer, we do not want a trace in our employees' system while working, whether prescribed by a doctor or not. Legalizing marijuana for medicinal use does not excuse an employee from being impaired at work. [8:36] Kiersten thinks that, down the pike, this will cause a major conflict as this continues to be a topic of conversation. Kiersten hopes to dispel that misconception in this episode of RIMScast and in her presentation at RISKWORLD. [9:12] Kiersten says she has not had to have this conversation at CHOP from a Workers' Comp perspective, as they have not seen an influx of chronic pain or severe injuries in her tenure. That's good from the employer's perspective, as injuries are under control. [9:38] Kiersten says that when we get into back surgeries, shoulder surgeries, or other major surgeries, she definitely sees this conversation becoming an issue. [9:53] Kiersten says she is very good at interacting with the medical providers involved in her program. If medical marijuana were to become a treatment option, Kiersten would need to sit down with the pain management specialist or physician to talk about it, so it is monitored. [10:29] The goal is not to put an employee on medical marijuana and keep renewing the card so they're just out there, collecting marijuana. There has to be a treatment plan with a target date. [10:53] The goal of Workers' Compensation is always either to get the employee back to work or to their baseline, so they can function in society as a human being. [11:06] Kiersten has not had to deal with prescription opioid claims, thankfully. In her adjuster days, she has seen situations where opioids have been out of control. There were times when she would propose detox programs for employees who were addicted to opioids. [11:32] It would start with something like a back surgery. The employee was still in pain, and instead of addressing the cause of the pain, they would get opioids and end up getting addicted to them to the point that weaning off the opioids was not an option. [11:55] Talking about medicinal marijuana, could marijuana have the same effect? That's one thing we are not sure of right now. [12:25] Justin notes that opioid addiction often leads to huge nuclear verdicts and settlements, some of which are still being litigated. [12:47] Kiersten brings up the socioeconomic factor of the claim. You can't say, this person had back surgery; this is going to be a situation where they're going to be addicted to medical marijuana, or they're going to be addicted to opioids. [13:08] In her 20 years in the industry, Kiersten has seen that the motivation and the socioeconomic status of the employee, and their need to get back to normal, will always play a factor in whether this becomes an issue or is just something they have to do after surgery. [13:48] Kiersten has worked with plenty of employees who have had surgery, used opioids for three to five days, and asked what they can have instead, because they don't like this medication. That's something to take into account when having this conversation. [14:17] Kiersten talks about reimbursement costs and how long the payment would be required for medicinal marijuana, if approved. Is the medical marijuana prescribed for the work accident or for a pre-existing chronic condition that they claim was aggravated by the injury? [15:11] A Quick Break! RISKWORLD 2026 will be held from May 3rd through the 6th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. RISKWORLD attracts more than 10,000 risk professionals from across the globe. It's time to Connect, Cultivate, and Collaborate with them. [15:27] Booth sales are open now. General registration and speaker registration are also open right now. Marketplace and hospitality badges are now available. Links are in this episode's show notes, and be sure to check out RIMS.org for more information. [15:45] Our guest today, Kiersten Cash, will be a session speaker at RISKWORLD. We are excited for her and also for our just-announced closing keynote, NFL Hall of Famer, Super Bowl Champion, Emmy-winning broadcaster, and entrepreneur, Michael Strahan. [16:09] Michael Strahan will be on the main stage on May 6th. Justin is super stoked! If you're still on the fence, this is a fine time to smash that Register button and hear from one of the all-time greats. [16:21] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. Registration is open, and you can also submit a session. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information. [16:41] Let's Return to Our Interview with Kiersten Cash of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia!  [16:49] On May 6th, Kiersten Cash will deliver the session at 10:15 a.m. in 120-BC, "Reefer Madness: Still in the Weeds with Medical Marijuana and Workers' C

    33 min

  6. 31 MAR

    Navigating Marine Risks in 2026 with Joshua Gold

    Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews Anderson Kill Shareholder Joshua Gold on the May 5th RISKWORLD session that Joshua is co-presenting with RIMS Past President Lance Ewing, "Do Not Let Your Cargo Claim Go Down with the Ship: Tips to Improve Marine Insurance Protection." Joshua shares knowledge on two of his areas of practice, cyber and maritime insurance. Joshua offers some insight into these newest and oldest of practice areas, and how they have begun to intersect. Maritime insurance carries special language and rules, and Joshua and Lance will cover those and answer attendee questions in their session. Justin and Joshua discuss current maritime threats in the Middle East that will likely be discussed in the session. Justin and Joshua comment on Law Day, an annual commemoration of law on May 1st. Listen for a greater understanding of maritime shipping insurance and the importance of promptly filing claims.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Public registration is open for RISKWORLD 2026, which will be held from May 3rd through 6th in Philadelphia. Visit RIMS.org/RISKWORLD to register. [:27] About this episode of RIMScast. We will be joined by RIMS Risk Management Magazine contributor Joshua Gold, Shareholder at Anderson Kill. He's making his RIMScast debut to discuss Marine and Cargo Risk. This is timely. But first… [:59] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Course will be on April 21st and 22nd, and then again on June 9th and 10th. Registration links are in this episode's notes. [1:13] On April 15th, we have a virtual workshop covering "Emerging Risks", led by Joseph Mayo. Register today and strengthen your risk knowledge. RIMS members always enjoy deep discounts on the virtual workshops. [1:30] Webinars. On April 16th, Zurich and World Travel Protection will present "Navigating the New Global Risk Landscape: Lessons for Business Travelers in Unstable Times". Register for webinars at RIMS.org/webinars and through the links in this episode's show notes. [1:48] Folks, for more RIMS content, head over to YouTube and subscribe to @RIMSOfficialChannel. There you will find video podcasts, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. [2:03] Head over to RMMagazine.com for the Q1 Edition of the Azbee-Award-winning magazine, RIMS Risk Management Magazine. [2:15] On with the Show! Our guest today is a shareholder at the law firm Anderson Kill. You've seen his byline in RIMS Risk Management Magazine, and you've seen him on RIMS stages regionally, nationally, and globally. [2:30] Joshua Gold is here to discuss marine and cargo risks generally, and how he will be co-presenting a session at RISKWORLD on May 5th, called "Do Not Let Your Cargo Claim Go Down with the Ship: Tips to Improve Marine Insurance Protection." [2:50] He will present that alongside RIMS Past President Lance Ewing. We expect that session to be highly attended. Joshua is here to give you a preview of that session, talk about how cyber can intersect with marine and cargo risk, and offer some practical risk management takeaways. [3:11] Law Day is coming up in the U.S. on May 1st. Joshua has been practicing law for three decades. We'll find out what Law Day means to him in 2026. Let's get to it! [3:24] Interview! Anderson Kill Shareholder Joshua Gold, welcome to RIMScast! [3:51] Joshua says RIMS is an amazing system for sharing information and education. Joshua couldn't be prouder to be speaking at RISKWORLD 2026. [4:13] Joshua has written for RIMS on topics from cyber to marine insurance. Joshua thinks that cyber risk management is fascinating because cyber is new for many policyholders, in terms of implications, perils, how insurance will respond, and what the products are. [5:15] It's fascinating to see the intersection of technology, insurance, and law. It all comes together in cyber. These perils may be getting more perilous over the next few years before we may start turning the corner. [6:00] Joshua's session on May 5th at RISKWORLD is called "Do Not Let Your Cargo Claim Go Down with the Ship: Tips to Improve Marine Insurance Protection." Joshua will present with former RIMS President Lance Ewing. [6:17] Joshua says he is in both the newest thing in insurance and law, cyber, and the oldest thing in insurance and law, marine. Most of his day-to-day focus is on either end of the spectrum. [7:16] As much as Joahua loves cyber, he is intrigued with maritime insurance and maritime law. It's esoteric and old. It has special rules. If you don't deal with this type of insurance and law regularly, it can be challenging. [7:46] The insurance companies are typically very well-versed in the insurance rules and doctrines. Most policyholders are much less so. There's an information imbalance. [8:00] Joshua always looks forward to educating risk managers about this area. It's so detailed and different. Some might say it's antiquated. It's a challenging area, and we couldn't have a better example of that than with recent current events and hostilities in the Middle East. [8:42] Joshua says, as dangerous and harrowing as the situation exists in certain shipping lines and energy channels, we've seen examples of disruptions in recent times with drought conditions affecting the Panama Canal and other shipping lanes. [9:02] Joshua recalls the Suez Canal freighter mishap. The Suez Canal was shut down while an international engineering effort was launched to free the freighter and free up shipping lanes. [9:29] The current shipping disruption caused by an escalating war will present real challenges for both shippers and energy markets. We're watching that in real time. [9:54] Joshua and Lance don't want a current events discussion. They want to educate policyholders on principles that apply, whether they're dealing with a Suez Canal situation, an Iranian conflict, modern-day pirates in open water, or thieves breaking into your warehouse. [10:37] Joshua and Lance will emphasize certain relevant points like detours, delays in shipping, downstream risk, risk to certain types of cargo, cancellations for war risk coverage, and other marine insurance products. [11:06] There can be a real aftermath, and we're not sure where we are, as of this recording. We'll know more in May at RISKWORLD in Philadelphia. Now, we can only brace for the worst. [11:32] Joshua and Lance are looking to educate policyholders on all of these issues, including ones that will be front-burner, given the hostilities now. [11:52] Joshua says marine insurance policy language is cloaked in words of antiquity. Sometimes you'll see a marine policy that looks like a standard property all-risk policy, and sometimes you'll see one that contains 17th-century nautical and piracy terms. [12:32] It's important to make sure that you understand the rights, protections, obligations, and contingencies under insurance. [12:48] Most marine insurance policies will have a one-year provision the insurance company will argue says that if there's a fight over the claim payment, the amount, or the timing of the payment, that has to be brought in a lawsuit commenced within 12 months of the loss event. [13:14] For people who have never had to go through a complicated claim, a year may sound like plenty of time. But these claims can take months or even years for resolution. Sometimes they don't get resolved without some coverage litigation or alternative dispute mechanism. [13:43] Most policyholders are not accustomed to seeing a one-year contractual statute of limitations to bring a fight. You don't want to be in a position where the insurance company will argue you may have forfeited your coverage rights if you didn't act in time. [14:11] Policyholders may not ever get into that realm, because they've never had that problem, but it's a point of being educated and knowing the lay of the land for policyholders in this arena, insuring goods over open water, in warehouses, on docks, or on a truck. [14:58] A Quick Break! RISKWORLD 2026 will be held from May 3rd through the 6th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. RISKWORLD attracts more than 10,000 risk professionals from across the globe. It's time to Connect, Cultivate, and Collaborate with them. [15:18] Booth sales are open now. General registration and speaker registration are also open right now. Marketplace and hospitality badges are now available. Links are in this episode's show notes, and be sure to check out RIMS.org for more information. [15:36] Our guest today, Joshua Gold, will be one of the session speakers at RISKWORLD. We are excited for him and also for our just-announced closing keynote, NFL Hall of Famer, Super Bowl Champion, Emmy-winning broadcaster, and entrepreneur, Michael Strahan. [15:55] Michael Strahan will be on the main stage on May 6th. Justin is super stoked! If you're still on the fence, this is a fine time to smash that Register button and hear from one of the all-time greats. [16:07] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. Registration is open, and you can also submit a session. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information. [16:28] Let's Return to Our Interview with Joshua Gold of Anderson Kill!  [16:44] Joshua says don't get fooled by the title of your insurance policy. The devil is in the details. You may have Ocean Marine Cargo Coverage, but you may get endorsements, like a warehouse-to-warehouse endorsement. [17:15] You may be buying a product called Stock Throughput. You're looking for coverages that may apply not just for cargo on a ship, but also for cargo that may be at rest, stored in a warehouse where it's being loaded from the ship onto the dockside. [17:48] There a

    39 min

  7. 24 MAR

    Tom Armstrong on Leading Risk at Comcast and RIMS Delaware Valley Chapter

    Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews Tom Armstrong, a Global Risk Director for Comcast and the President of the RIMS Delaware Valley Chapter. Tom shares what inspired him to pivot from studying music education to studying risk and insurance, and how his professors guided and inspired him into a career in risk management. Tom went directly from graduation into a risk management role, eventually landing at Comcast just as it acquired NBCUniversal, transforming from an ISP and cable supplier into a multimedia and theme park powerhouse. Tom discusses how the Risk Management Department works at Comcast. Tom tries to build long-term relationships with his interns that endure when they move on. The RIMS Delaware Valley Chapter is the host chapter for RISKWORLD 2026, held from May 3rd through the 6th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The chapter is also celebrating its 75th Anniversary. Tom shares his enthusiasm for these events and for a member reception on May 1st, linking the chapter's 75th Anniversary to RISKWORLD. Listen for ideas on advancing in your risk career and in your RIMS chapter.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Public registration is open for RISKWORLD 2026, which will be held from May 3rd through 6th in Philadelphia. Visit RIMS.org/RISKWORLD to register. [:28] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest is Tom Armstrong. He is a Global Risk Management Director at Comcast. He is also the President of the Delaware Valley Chapter of RIMS, which is celebrating its 75th Anniversary. Lots to discuss! But first… [:59] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Course will be on April 21st and 22nd, and then again on June 9th and 10th. Registration links are in this episode's notes. [1:13] On April 15th, we have a virtual workshop covering "Emerging Risks", led by Joseph Mayo. Register today and strengthen your risk knowledge. RIMS members always enjoy deep discounts on the virtual workshops. [1:30] Webinars. On April 16th, Zurich and World Travel Protection will present "Navigating the New Global Risk Landscape: Lessons for Business Travelers in Unstable Times". Register for webinars at RIMS.org/webinars and through the links in this episode's show notes. [1:47] Folks, for more RIMS content, head over to YouTube and subscribe to @RIMSOfficialChannel. There you will find video podcasts, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. [2:05] On with the Show! Our guest today is a Director of Global Risk Management at Comcast. He oversees construction, crime, contracts, and executive risks. [2:16] We will learn what it takes to be a Global Risk Director for one of the top communications companies in the world, as well as a household name and brand. [2:27] We're also going to talk about all the joviality surrounding the Delaware Valley Chapter as they celebrate their 75th Anniversary. They happen to be the host city for RISKWORLD 2026, so we'll learn what they have in store for us. Let's get to it! [2:43] Interview! Tom Armstrong, welcome to RIMScast! [3:10] Tom says he is fortunate to hold the positions of Global Risk Director for Comcast and President for the RIMS Delaware Valley Chapter. In each case, he is one of a team that makes it happen. [3:47] Tom shares his career path. He went to Temple University intending to major in music education, to learn to conduct high school choirs and marching bands. After two and a half years into his degree, he decided it was not for him. [4:11] Tom transferred to the business school, where he was fortunate to take an Introduction to Risk course taught by Professor Barbara Manaka, now Chairman of the department there. She told him he'd make a great risk manager. [4:27] With help from Professor Manaka, Professor Robert Drennan, and the rest of the wonderful staff at Temple, Tom finished his four-year degree in only five years! He was one of the few to be hired into a risk management role straight out of school. [4:43] He started at CDI. In 2008, the position was eliminated, and Tom moved over to Aramark. He spent about three and a half years at the risk department. Then he got a call that Comcast was looking for someone to help them with the review of insurance language in contracts. [5:01] Tom was a contractor for his first 18 months at Comcast. A new risk manager came on board, Sandy Aspinall, and he brought Tom in-house as a senior analyst to review insurance language in contracts. [5:24] Tom was able to add on some additional scope, supporting construction, property, executive risks, the crime program, and whatever comes up that needs some support. Like the rest of the team, he's happy to step up. [5:57] Tom says that he never had a great talent for music. What he really liked was the community that a marching band or a choir brought to him as a kid in high school. He has found that this industry can give him a lot of the same community. [6:09] Community is why Tom wants to be a part of RIMS. It's why he stepped up to lead a RIMS chapter. It's why he appreciates his peers at Comcast. [6:23] Tom joined RIMS through meeting participation early in his career, in 2009 or 2010. Aramark supported his involvement in visiting and joining certain meetings. In 2017, he stepped up to be Treasurer of the Delaware Valley Chapter. He's been President for about three years. [6:46] Some staffing changes happened in the RIMS and the RIMS Delaware Valley Chapter in 2017 and 2018, opening up positions like Treasurer. Tom mentions former Treasurer Deborah Saunders and former RIMS President Robert Cartwright Jr., now a huge asset to the chapter. [7:53] Tom says he enjoys his work. He is one of six Directors and Senior Directors on the team, each reporting up to Sandy Aspinall. They each have their slice of the business. Tom gets to work on some really cool stuff. [8:03] Comcast deals with cable and internet delivery. Tom says there are some fun elements to it. They deal with theme parks and movie studios. They put solar panels on roofs. When Tom joined Comcast, he thought it was a boring cable company, but it is light-years more than that. [8:42] Tom and his peers sit at the corporate level at Comcast but have responsibilities across almost all Comcast subsidiaries, with a few exceptions that have their own approach to risk. They have no line authority over any of the subsidiaries. [8:58] Tom says everything we do is through demonstrating our value and persuading through convincing arguments. Risk Management doesn't say, "You have to do it this way." [9:14] They say, "You're not going to say Risk Management approved this, unless we work together and we provide you with the advice that we think will let you do your business in a way that protects the organization while letting you do the cool and inventive things that you do." [9:39] From day one, Tom's been involved in the review of insurance language in contracts. His team reviews 1,500 contracts in a year. They care about what they're doing, from the smallest contracts to the biggest engagements. They inform business leaders to make good choices. [10:21] For Tom, contracts are a framework through which he can look at the operations of the business. If contractors are going to enter customers' homes, they need commercial general liability to make any damages right. [10:38] Similarly, for people who handle customer data, design attractions in Comcast parks, or license intellectual property that Comcast distributes. In all of those situations, Comcast cares about how they engage. [11:07] Tom says the nature of the business to which they apply the risk framework has changed again and again. When Tom came on in 2012 as a contractor, Comcast was just starting to acquire NBCUniversal. [11:22] They went from an Internet Service Provider and a cable operator to a multimedia powerhouse with theme parks, movie studios, and TV production. That was a massive shift in how Comcast operates, and Risk Management had to learn to manage a new suite of risks. [11:42] That happened in a different way when Comcast bought and started operating Sky UK a few years ago. Every time Comcast introduces another element of business, Risk Management has to figure out how that fits into how they manage risk. [12:08] Peacock is a huge piece of the puzzle in terms of how Comcast is approaching its consumers and delivering content. [12:16] From a risk perspective, it mirrors what Comcast used to do from a linear distribution, but through very new channels and with less mature partners. Risk Management has to think about how the partners are capitalizing their exposures and how that cascades onto Comcast. [12:32] A Quick Break! RIMS is once again supporting the FERMA Global Risk Manager Survey 2026. [12:43] Now in its second consecutive global edition, the survey, led by FERMA, brings together insights from Europe, the U.S., Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Africa, offering a truly international perspective on how the risk management profession is evolving. [12:58] Surveys are anonymous, and the final report is free. The deadline to participate is March 31st. A link is in this episode's show notes. [13:08] RISKWORLD 2026 will be held from May 3rd through the 6th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. RISKWORLD attracts more than 10,000 risk professionals from across the globe. It's time to Connect, Cultivate, and Collaborate with them. [13:25] Booth sales are open now. General registration and speaker registration are also open right now. Marketplace and hospitality badges are now available. Links are in this episode's show notes, and be sure to check out RIMS.org for more information. [13:43] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. Registration is open, and you

    32 min

  8. 17 MAR

    World Water Day and the Circular Water Economy with Ralph Exton of WEF

    Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews Ralph Exton, Executive Director of the Water Environment Federation, about World Water Day, March 22nd, and the importance of water governance. WEF is a UN Water Partner, focusing on water access and gender equality. Justin and Ralph discuss the Value of Water Campaign and the Circular Water Economy. Ralph mentions other water organizations that the WEF promotes and supports. They discuss how water governance is a board-level issue, along with cybersecurity and financial risk. They explore ways organizations can participate in World Water Day. Listen for ideas on elevating water governance in your organization.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Public registration is open for RISKWORLD 2026, which will be held from May 3rd through 6th in Philadelphia. Visit RIMS.org/RISKWORLD to register. [:27] About this episode of RIMScast. We will be joined by Water Environment Federation Executive Director Ralph Exton. He's here to talk about the circular water economy ahead of March 22nd, which is World Water Day. This is probably my favorite topic! But first… [:59] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Course will be on April 21st and 22nd, and then again on June 9th and 10th. Registration links are in this episode's notes. [1:13] On April 15th, we have a virtual workshop covering "Emerging Risks", led by Joseph Mayo. Register today and strengthen your risk knowledge. RIMS members always enjoy deep discounts on the virtual workshops. [1:30] Webinars. The "Hard Hats & High Stakes: Women Leaders Shaping Construction Risk Management" Webinar, spotlighting women leaders in risk and construction, was rescheduled to March 20th. [1:42] The registration link is in this episode's show notes. You will have to register again if you have previously done so. [1:48] On April 16th, Zurich and World Travel Protection will present "Navigating the New Global Risk Landscape: Lessons for Business Travelers in Unstable Times". Register for these and other webinars by visiting RIMS.org/webinars and the links in this episode's show notes. [2:05] On with the Show! Our topic is water risk management, and we are joined by the Executive Director of the Water Environment Federation, Mr. Ralph Exton. He has decades of professional experience with water risk. [2:19] He is here to discuss what the Water Environment Federation refers to as the Circular Water Economy, WEF's Value of Water Campaign, responsible water risk management, and World Water Day 2026, which emphasizes water access and gender equality. Let's get to it! [2:40] Interview! Ralph Exton, welcome to RIMScast! [2:48] Ralph Exton, Executive Director of the Water Environment Federation, joins us for this World Water Day episode of RIMScast. [3:29] Ralph Exton's career started with water. As a newly graduated mechanical engineer, his first assignment was to manage and supervise the water operations at an industrial facility. He says he had no idea what he was doing. He had wanted to work on robots. [4:57] Ralph says it did not take long. Once you understand how important water is to an industrial operation, you realize how important water quality is to the environment. Everyone knows how important water is from a personal standpoint. [5:28] When you understand those bigger factors, it becomes inherent in the way you think about your job and career. Ralph tells people, once you get your hands wet in water, they'll never be dry. [5:55] Ralph's entire career has been water. The early part of the career was operational and industrial. Then he worked for water technology companies, and eventually for the largest water technology and servicing companies in the world. He lists some of the global companies. [6:37] Ralph says that a couple of years ago, he was at a point in his career where he wanted to give back more and be more directly focused on the impact he could have on water and the environment. [6:52] Ralph had spent a lot of time with the Water Environment Federation as a customer, a volunteer, and a board member. All those things throughout his career helped him considerably. It's such an important organization for making connections in the water sector and for learning. [7:24] Ralph says that when the opportunity came up to be part of the organization that has been so important to his career for all those years, he jumped at it and was fortunate to be selected for this position. Ralph joined WEF in mid-2024. [7:47] Ralph says he is thrilled with the opportunity for direct contributions to water and the environment. It has been fantastic. The organization has always done super important things. He gets to be a part of making those things a reality now, and it's great. [8:17] World Water Day, March 22nd, is a big day for Ralph and for the WEF. This year, it emphasizes water access and gender equality. WEF is a strong supporter of water access, criminal justice, and gender equality. WEF is very proud to be a UN Water Partner. [9:06] Access to clean water and sanitation is directly correlated with a higher level of education, gender equality, and economic stability. If you have one, you're going to get the other. [9:24] In particular, ready access to clean water and toilets is crucial for women, especially at school age. If women aren't carting water all day long, they have more hours to spend with access to schooling and to join the workforce. [9:51] Ralph says there's also a very high correlation between women in the workforce and economic well-being, not only of the family, but also economic well-being within the regional and national economies. The theme for this year's Water Day ties it all together. [10:42] This is core to some of the work WEF does. WEF has a program called Charities of Choice. [10:54] WEF supports and promotes several not-for-profit organizations that focus on philanthropic and charity work, domestically and in developing countries, that provide services that ensure that the water environment is enhanced or preserved and public health is protected. [11:20] Ralph shares a couple of examples. Global Water Stewardship works to resolve sanitation issues in the developing world by educating people and engineering sustainable centralized solutions that keep waterways clean and communities healthy. [11:38] Water for People is an international nonprofit based in Denver, Colorado. Their goal is to bring water, sanitation, and hygiene services to everyone and to make the solutions last. [11:55] Engineers Without Borders builds a better world through engineering, through projects that empower communities to meet their basic human needs and equip leaders to solve some of the world's most pressing water challenges. [12:14] Operators Without Borders looks to provide certified volunteer water and wastewater operators who can support utilities in developing countries, following emergency or disaster situations, to ensure that safe drinking water and wastewater services are resumed quickly. [12:48] Ralph says WEF largely provides a platform and access to tens of thousands of people around the world who are part of WEF membership. WEF also has grants for water-related emergencies. [13:42] Ralph says volunteer work is probably the biggest thing people can do to help. Making donations to any of these organizations is super important. Feet on the street is a big cost component of this work. [14:10] The other cost component is training. If you send people to a location to solve a problem, and then they leave and don't provide training to the community, the solution won't last. Volunteers participating in some of these projects are a big help in making projects sustainable. [15:06] Ralph says you can provide someone a meal, or you can teach them how to grow that meal. There are short-term and long-term aspects. Long-term, you have to make sure they have the infrastructure, training, knowledge, and resources to provide for themselves. [15:51] The Value of Water campaign highlights the state-by-state economic benefits of investing in water infrastructure. The campaign is a coalition of the U.S. Water Alliance, the WEF, and other organizations. The WEF is on the Value of Water campaign steering committee. [16:27] We're at a pivotal moment regarding water infrastructure. A recent study was on the U.S. water infrastructure, but the issue is global. [16:46] The U.S. water infrastructure gets scored every couple of years on an A through F system. We don't score very well. The recent research has a powerful message. The funding gap is $1.8 trillion in water infrastructure between now and 2044. [17:30] Ralph says that's an opportunity. The latest report from the Value of Water campaign shows what's possible if we invest in water. Every $1 million directed towards water infrastructure generates $2.5 million in economic growth. There is a return on this investment. [18:13] That kind of return builds stronger communities. It creates meaningful jobs and helps drive innovation. [18:26] The report identifies that implementing circular water principles is going to be key. These strategies help transform linear systems into regenerative systems, where water is reduced and recovered, and constituents can be pulled from the water and recovered. [19:00] WEF is committing to advancing this approach as they help to shape a resilient and inclusive future. [19:14] The 2025 Value of Water Campaign Report is publicly available. The link is in this episode's show notes. [19:36] A Quick Break! RIMS is once again supporting the FERMA Global Risk Manager Survey 2026. [19:47] Now in its second consecutive global edition, the survey, led by FERMA, brings together insights from Europe, the U.S., Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Africa, offering an international pers

    37 min
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About

The official podcast of RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society. Tune in for weekly discussions about risk management hot topics, interviews with leaders in the profession, and updates on RIMS events and education.

Information

  • Creator
    The Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc.
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All content in RIMScast is the exclusive copyright of The Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS)
  • Show Website
    RIMScast

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