RIMScast: Diving in with RIMS 2024 President David Arick

Diving in with RIMS 2024 President David Arick

Jan 30, 2024

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

Justin interviews guest David Arick, RIMS 2024 President. They discuss David’s career and how he was introduced to the profession of risk management David speaks of his experiences with RIMS early in his career, serving on the boards of the Central Ohio Chapter and the St. Louis Chapter. David shares his thoughts on how experienced risk professionals can give back and pay it forward by engaging with young rising risk professionals who are curious, thirsty for knowledge, and searching to add value and expand their careers. The conversation turns to David’s attendance at RISKWORLD for over 20 years, and how he will be participating this year at RISKWORLD 2024 in San Diego, May 5th through May 8th. Listen in!

You are invited to learn more about David Arick in the Leadership Corner at RIMS.org.

Key Takeaways:

[:01] About RIMScast.

[:13] 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. Be thankful that it’s a leap year! Advance Registration rates end on February 29th, 2024.

[:38] About today’s episode of RIMScast. We will be diving right into a conversation with RIMS 2024 President David Arick.

[:59] 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.
[1:16] Several Exam Prep virtual workshops are coming up. On March 19th and 20th, this two-day course will be presented with PARIMA. The two-day RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Virtual Workshop will be held on January 30th and February 1st. Visit the certification page on RIMS.org for more information. A link is in these show notes.

[1:46] If there is a full group of employees in your organization who should earn the RIMS-CRMP, visit RIMS.org/webinars and register for the complimentary webinar, How Deloitte Leveraged the RIMS-CRMP: A Fireside Chat. A link is on this episode’s show notes.

[2:05] We will have leaders from the RIMS-CRMP Commission as well as leaders from Deloitte, who will speak to why they supported several of their employees in earning the RIMS-CRMP. It will be a relaxed, informational session and a lot of fun. Mark your calendars for March 15th and register!

[2:25] We are looking forward to RISKWORLD 2024 in sunny San Diego, California, from May 5th through May 8th, 2024. Public registration is open. Register today at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD and the link in this episode’s show notes. Early registration rates are available through February 29th, 2024, brought to you by RIMS and leap year!

[2:52] RIMS likes to keep things exciting and every year we have a new president. We are delighted that the RIMS 2024 President is David Arick. David is very well known among RIMS members and chapters. He was originally an officer and a board member for the Central Ohio and St. Louis RIMS chapters.

[3:11] David then served in Society roles as a member of the RIMS International Committee. He was Chair of the Long Range Planning Committee and a member of the External Affairs Committee. He joined the board in 2019 and was Vice President in 2023. We’ve got much to discuss with David.

[3:28] His first Leadership Corner installment is now live. The link is in this episode’s show notes. We’re here to create a new dialog based on that and hear about what his plans are for RIMS, the greater risk profession, and how RIMS has played a pivotal role in his career.

[3:55] I’m very pleased to be joined by RIMS 2024 President David Arick. David, welcome to RIMScast.

[4:10] Justin and David did a webinar together right after the pandemic hit on where they thought the pandemic would lead and how bad it might get. Now they know how bad it got.

[4:30] David’s first Leadership Corner article as the new President is up on the RIMS.org website. There is a link in this episode’s show notes. David is all about diving in.

[5:09] David praises past RIMS presidents including immediate past president Jennifer Santiago. He feels fortunate to have served on the board with them and to be following in Jennifer’s footsteps. She’s there whenever he needs something. Having watched her as President in a tumultuous year gave David an idea of what to expect.

[5:43] David is excited by the opportunity and feels humbled to follow in the footsteps of people he has watched from afar and admired over the years.

[6:21] David’s first experience in risk and insurance was in a claims group with Nationwide Insurance, while he was working his way through school. Then he got a job in risk management at a bank. That was where he learned about RIMS. He decided he wanted to continue in the career of risk management.

[7:14] A few years later, David was working for Abbot in Chicago where he gained global experience. He then went to Emerson Electric in St. Louis, another global company in a different sector. He moved to GE in 2001 and enjoyed working there for three years. Then he came to International Paper.

[8:05] David likes that risk management gives you a lot of opportunity to see across different functions both inside and outside the company. You learn a lot about the DNA of a firm. Risk management works with people across the firm and they look to risk management for guidance. You work with a broad network of external partners.

[9:14] Every industry has its unique challenges and every company is different in how they view financial decision-making and legal concerns. A way of thinking, being inquisitive, and gathering facts is transferable from one industry or firm to another. If you are around risk management for a while, you build a standardized tool kit.

[10:29] David’s view on standards is that they have a place, depending on your industry. Every industry has different regulations that may determine the standards you follow.

[11:27] In David’s first risk management position, he needed knowledge. Some people in the risk department invited him to a meeting of the local Ohio chapter of RIMS. He quickly saw the available network of local risk managers, insurance companies, brokers, and others who attended chapter meetings. They were all helpful in helping David learn.

[12:20] David was asked to join the board and there he saw what chapter leadership looked like. Later, he served on the chapter Board in St. Louis. Those opportunities helped him learn to network differently to attract prospective members and make meetings successful.

[13:18] David commends chapter leaders who find dynamic programming to bring people back, with speakers and topics that differentiate going to a meeting from staying at home and watching a podcast or a webinar.

[14:03] RIMS plug time! RIMS Virtual Workshops: Visit RIMS.org/virtualworkshops to see the full calendar. On February 7th and 8th, we have Facilitating Risk-based Decision Making. On March 6th and 7th, our friend Elise Farnham hosts Applying and Integrating ERM.

[14:28] 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.

[14:36] On February 29th, Hub International sponsors Ready for Tomorrow: Protecting Your Profits in the Property Market. On March 7th, in celebration of International Women’s Day, Origami Risk leads the session Women of Risk & Compliance: Leading & Learning One Step at a Time.

[14:58] 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.

[15:11] Quick shout-out to our friends at the Spencer Educational Foundation, which funds the education of next-generation risk management and insurance talent. Spencer’s scholarship program is open but coming to a close on January 31st for undergraduate and graduate students and on March 1st for Ph.D. applicants.

[15:30] Spencer’s course development grant cycle is entertaining submissions through February 15th. Students and risk management and insurance faculty with interest can visit Spencered.org for additional details.

[16:28] David discusses the biggest risks of the year ahead: how new technology will be used and the new risks it will introduce. What are the controls and framework around new technology? Cybersecurity is a current and future issue. Remote work presents a set of issues and challenges. How do you manage culture, working from a couch?

[18:00] In the U.S., litigation and the abuse of the legal system are huge problems affecting a lot of industries and impacting their ability to continue. Litigation costs are out of control. There are also concerns about wars, supply chains, and natural disasters. These things will keep risk professionals busy.

[18:33] The World Economic Forum released its global risks report for 2024. They list misinformation and disinformation as the number one risk for the two-year outlook and the number five risk for the ten-year outlook. Cyber insecurity is number four on the two-year outlook and number eight on the 10-year outlook.

[19:07] Adverse outcomes of AI technologies is number six on the 10-year outlook and wasn’t on the two-year outlook. We have these short-term and long-term risks to be thinking about within the profession. David will be presenting with a group from Marsh and Zurich at the RISKWORLD 2024 Conference on the WEF global risks report.

[20:44] Ahead of the conference, David suggests reaching out to your IT and information security folks and your legal department about AI technology. It’s on their radars, too. It’s a great opportunity to learn how they view this topic, how it applies to your company, and what they need from risk management. Draw in your insurance advisors, also.

[22:07] David sees that it is effective when people with experience engage with those people without as much experience who are curious and want to learn and grow. There’s a group of young professionals who are thirsty for knowledge and want to expand their value and grow their careers. David hopes you engage with them.

[23:21] Try to give back and pay it forward a little bit. One of the exciting elements of engaging with young risk professionals is showing them that there is a path forward, helping them navigate through some uncertainty, and showing them that there are a variety of ways to be successful. Networking helps a lot in finding a path for a person.

[24:05] David prefers in-person interaction to a virtual experience. He loves to be with people to see by their body language what resonates with them. It allows a genuine conversation that builds relationships.

[24:47] An upcoming in-person event is RISKWORLD 2024, May 5th‒8th, in San Diego, California. David guesses he has been to RISKWORLD more than 20 times. This one will be special for David as he will be onstage and leading some of the events. David has presented at many conferences, preparing for months. He loves seeing people react.

[26:16] David looks forward to RISKWORLD like a reunion. There are many old friends and people you only get to see there and you make new friends as you learn and have fun along the way. RISKWORLD presents relevant topics, “ripped from the headlines.” People want cutting-edge knowledge to take with them from leaders in the space.

[27:16] David looks for speakers he respects and that he knows will deliver insightful information in a way that is meaningful to the attendees. He looks for topics he knows he wants to learn something about to take back. He looks for good speakers.

[28:40] David has advice for first-time RISKWORLD attendees. First, don’t over-commit. Things take longer than expected. Once you’re late on your schedule, you’re playing catch-up. Second, think about where you’re meeting people when you’re scheduling things. Things are spread out. Factor in the travel time and don’t overschedule.

[29:49] Justin adds, “Comfortable shoes! Maybe an extra pair of socks. There’s a lot of walking involved. These convention centers are big!”

[30:19] Justin looks forward to seeing David on stage in the opening session of RISKWORLD 2024 in San Diego and to attending his session with Marsh and Zurich on the WEF Global Risks Report. “Go hear from the RIMS President directly!”

[30:44] Justin looks forward to seeing David at other RIMS events this year. Justin thanks David Arick.

[31:00] Special thanks to RIMS 2024 President David Arick, for joining us here on RIMScast. We hope to hear more from him throughout the year. Be sure to catch his presence at RISKWORLD 2024 in San Diego, May 5th-8th for many of the ceremonies and his session on the WEF Global Risks Report. Register today! RIMS.org/RISKWORLD.

[31:29] Go to the App Store and download the RIMS App. This is an exclusive members-only benefit with all sorts of RIMS resources and coverage. Everybody loves the RIMS App!

[31:55] 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.

[32:37] 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.

[33:01] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today’s risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more.

[33:16] 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.

[33:38] 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 SERMC Professional Report: Managing Alternate Futures with Scenario Planning

2024 International Risk Manager Survey conducted by FERMA in partnership with PwC FERMA

RIMS Leadership Corner: David Arick

NEW FOR MEMBERS! RIMS Mobile App

Spencer Educational Foundation

Spencer Educational Foundation – Grants Page

RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP)

RIMS CRMP Virtual Workshops

RIMS Webinars:

Ready for Tomorrow: Protecting Your Profits in the Property Market | Sponsored by Hub International | Feb. 29, 2024