RIMScast: 2023 Risk Year In Review with Morgan O’Rourke and Hilary Tuttle

2023 Risk Year In Review with Morgan O’Rourke and Hilary Tuttle

Dec 19, 2023

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.

Justin interviews Kerry Bakkerus, President of the RIMS New Zealand and Pacific Island Chapter, and Morgan O’Rourke and Hilary Tuttle, the leaders of the RIMS flagship publication, Risk Management Magazine. Kerry Bakkerus previews the RIMS New Zealand & Pacific Island Branch hosted conference, Embrace The Unknown: Unleashing the Power of Risk.

Morgan O’Rourke and Hilary Tuttle review the year in risk 2023 and suggest what might be coming in the year in risk 2024, without offering precise predictions. They also speak of their journey putting together the final print edition of RIMS Risk Management Magazine, and describe the digital online future of the magazine.

Listen in for an informative end-of-year wrap-up. We’ll be back in January 2024.

Key Takeaways:

[:01] About RIMScast.

[:14] Public registration for RISKWORLD 2024 is now open. Explore infinite opportunities with RIMS from May 5th through May 8th, 2024, in San Diego, California. Register at RIMS.org/riskworld.

[:31] About today’s episode of RIMScast. We will be joined by the editorial leaders of Risk Management Magazine to look back on the year in risk, 2023, and what’s coming up in 2024, plus a visit from the president of the RIMS New Zealand / Pacific Island Chapter.

[1:01] The RIMS-CRMP is the only competency-based risk management credential. That matters because earning the certification shows employers and recruiters that you have the skills necessary to manage risk and create value for your organization.
[1:17] Several Exam Prep virtual workshops are coming up, starting on January 13th, 20th, and 27th, 2024, the RIMS-CRMP Exam Virtual Workshop will be presented in conjunction with Conrad Clark Nigeria.

[1:35] The RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop will be held on January 30th and February 1st. That’s a two-day course. Visit the certification page on RIMS.org for more information. A link is on this episode’s show notes.

[1:52] RIMS is gearing up for awards season. At RISKWORLD 2024, we will honor individuals, organizations, and chapters for their outstanding achievements in risk management. If you know someone who is truly making an impact on the risk profession and paving the way for future generations, consider drafting a nomination!

[2:11] The deadline to submit award nominations is Friday, January 5th, 2024. A link to the awards applications and guidelines page is in this episode’s show notes. Go to RIMS.org’s About Us page and see the awards link there. Nominations for Risk Manager of the Year have closed but other awards might appeal to you or a friend.

[2:39] I recently caught up with my friend Kerry Bakkerus, President of the RIMS New Zealand and Pacific Island Chapter. On February 12th, 2024, The RIMS New Zealand & Pacific Island Chapter will be hosting a day-long event in Auckland, called Embrace The Unknown. It’s all about innovation, technology, AI, and more.

[3:04] You may remember from a recent episode of RIMScast, Dr. Gav Schneider from The Center for the Study of Wicked Problems. He will be there along with Sacha Coburn, CEO of Coffee Culture. She is an upcoming guest for January.

[3:20] Kerry Bakkerus is here to tell us all about the event and why it’s going to stand out from many others. Kerry, welcome back to RIMScast! Embrace the Unknown: Unleashing the Power of Risk will be held on February 12th at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland, New Zealand. It is hosted by the RIMS New Zealand & Pacific Island Chapter.

[4:01] It has been an interesting journey to organize the conference. They decided to use ChatGPT as much as they could. Kerry asked ChatGPT for a great title for a risk conference. That’s how they got the title. She asked ChatGPT “What’s a great agenda for a risk conference?” The agenda was inspired by the agenda developed by ChatGPT.

[4:36] The content on the website for the conference was delivered by ChatGPT. They used technology as much as possible to support the conference. There are exciting tech things planned for the day of the conference.

[5:44] Kerry looked for speakers to bring inspirational content and thought leadership. They were mindful of content and speakers about which people would be able to say they learned something they can apply day-to-day, including leadership skills. They wanted a variety of interesting speakers. Kerry is excited to hear each one.

[6:58] Registration for the conference is open now and Kerry asks you to register now, to give the organizers time to prepare. The conference agenda addresses how technology and innovation are going to drive work as we know it. Topics range from macro to micro. Special thanks to Terry Bakkerus for rejoining us on RIMScast.

[8:45] Register today for Embrace The Unknown: Unleashing the Power of Risk, a day-long event in Auckland, New Zealand. The link is in this episode’s show notes.

[8:55] RIMS plug time! RIMS Virtual Workshops: Visit RIMS.org/virtualworkshops to see the full calendar. On January 16th and 17th, 2024, our friend and former RIMS president Chris Mandel will lead a two-day course, Captives as an Alternate Risk Financing Technique.

[9:17] On January 23rd and 24th, our friend Gail Kyomura will return to host Fundamentals of Insurance. Information about these workshops and others is on the RIMS Virtual Workshops page and a link to the full calendar is in this episode’s notes. Check it out and register!

[9:33] On January 4th, RIMS’s Public Policy Committee will explore Nevada’s “Defense Within The Limits” Ban. Katherine Henry of Bradley Arant was on RIMScast on a prior episode. She will be one of the co-presenters of that session.

[9:50] On January 16th, RIMS will present How Risk Managers Can Combat Human Trafficking In 2024. I’ll be hosting that session and will be joined by three expert panelists. I’m really looking forward to delivering this session and reaching you all.

[10:06] Visit RIMS.org/Webinars to learn more about these webinars and to register! Links are in the show notes. Webinar registration is complimentary for RIMS members.

[10:24] It is always fun when Morgan O’Rourke and Hilary Tuttle of RIMS Risk Management Magazine join me for either the mid-year review or the end-of-the-year review. Since this is December, it’s the end of the year in risk 2023.

[10:39] Morgan and Hilary are here to tell us what is going on with risk management, where we might be going, and what’s new in the world of Risk Management Magazine, itself that you need to know about.

[10:52] Morgan O’Rourke and Hilary Tuttle, welcome back to RIMScast!

[11:41] Morgan talks about the fun of researching and producing the Year in Risk issue of Risk Management Magazine. It’s the one feature that Morgan does during the year when he gets a byline. Morgan, Hilary, and Justin discuss some of the risks in 2023.

[13:49] The times of the year are confusing for Morgan and Hilary because they are always writing a month or two ahead.

[14:31] Data breaches are perennial. It isn’t necessary to write an article about every breach. There were some interesting breaches but you have to get into the why of what makes them interesting. Hilary notes the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Corporate fraud or regulatory activity are hard to condense to 200 words.

[18:20] Why did AI move to the number 4 risk this year from the number 14 risk last year? Morgan comments on the Biden Administration's sprawling policy on AI. AI is becoming an emerging risk. Hilary compares it to covering COVID-19 originally.

[20:48] Risk Management Magazine is going all-digital. The December issue is the last print issue. It is part of the trend of how people consume media now. Being all digital provides the ability to include more content that is more responsive to news and current events. It’s about speed.

[22:07] Hilary notes that rather than having a publishing cycle, digital publishing is like everything, everywhere, all at once. She is always looking for content. Please feel free to reach out if you have any ideas to contribute. The website is RMMagazine.com. New articles go up regularly. They plan a quarterly digital issue. They will send out notices.

[23:00] This is part of the new wave of being there more often for readers including newsletters and social media content. They are figuring out how to tell stories effectively in a shorter turnaround. They are actively soliciting feedback.

[23:31] The magazine will receive submissions throughout the year. The magazine will be published on a continued rolling basis. It’s the best way to stay ahead of the issues people are concerned with. Risk happens quickly and constantly.

[25:37] About how COVID-19 or pandemics are being managed. We’ve gotten used to it. We are dangerously overlooking the public health risk. Hilary does not think there is a new normal for business response to COVID-19. We’ve found ways to live with the risk or to manage it the best we can. It’s part of the fabric of living. Get your COVID shot.

[29:50] About the term “polycrisis.” We are always in a polycrisis. We have to deal with many risks at once. It’s not a new environment. Whatever you call it, manage the risks.

[32:33] About predictions: In Risk Management Magazine of March 2020, in the list of emerging risks, there was no mention of COVID-19. Morgan says any prediction of risk is destined to fail. Hilary Tuttle notes that the cyber predictions she writes are consistently extremely accurate!

[33:41] Generally speaking, things are going to happen! This was a mild hurricane year, but next year may not be. There will be extreme weather that may get more intense. New regulations will be released on data privacy or cybersecurity. There will be a lot of cyber issues.

[34:50] Hilary speaks of connections to draw between risks. What didn’t make this issue was a lot of line items around natural disasters. The many minor hurricanes we had were notable in atypical ways. Southern California had Hurricane Hilary, the first tropical storm there in 20 to 30 years. It was the first tropical storm warning ever issued there.

[36:14] One of the hurricanes this year was the first Category 5 ever to hit Western Mexico. They were wholly unprepared for it. It was one of the most devastating storms Mexico has ever seen. Risk is increasingly impacting areas in ways that we haven’t thought about. How will traditional risks impact untraditional areas or industries?

[36:58] Morgan cites the wildfires in Canada that affected all of North America, not only the West Coast. The skies of New York were orange!

[37:37] Justin compliments Morgan and Hilary on the fine job they did of getting the final print episode of Risk Management Magazine out. There is an exclusive digital issue with more resources available now online. The link is in this episode’s show notes.

[38:45] Special thanks to Morgan O’Rourke and Hilary Tuttle of RIMS Risk Management Magazine for joining us on the year-end episode of RIMScast! Check out their work on RMMagazine.com. If you’re a member, hold on to that final print edition of RIMS Risk Management Magazine. It might be a collector’s item one day!

[39:07] We’re taking a brief break in December and then we’ll return on January 2, 2024, with RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche.

[39:15] Go to the App Store and download the RIMS App. This is a special members-only benefit. Everybody loves the RIMS App!

[39:39] You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in our show notes. RIMScast has a global audience of risk professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let’s collaborate! Contact pd@rims.org for more information.

[40:22] 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. The RIMS app is a benefit of RIMS membership and is available only for RIMS members! You can find it in the App Store.

[40:46] 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.

[41:01] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com, and check out the blog at RiskManagementMonitor.com. Justin Smulison is Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org.

[41:23] Thank you for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!

Mentioned in this Episode:

Riskworld 2024 — San Diego, CA | May 5–8, 2024

RIMS Riskworld Award Nominations — Jan. 5, 2024, is the deadline to submit nominations!

RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP)

NEW FOR MEMBERS! RIMS Mobile App

Spencer Educational Foundation — Grants Page

Embrace The Unknown: Unleashing the Power of Risk | Hosted Live & In-Person by RIMS NZ & PI | Feb. 12, 2024

Dan Kugler Risk Manager on Campus Grant

RIMS Risk Management Magazine: ERM Special Edition 2023

RIMS Webinars:

Nevada’s “Defense Within The Limits” Ban Explored | Presented by RIMS Public Policy Committee | Jan. 4, 2024

How Risk Managers Can Combat Human Trafficking In 2024 | Presented by RIMS | Jan. 16, 2024