In a disaster-filled 2011, riskmanagers were reminded of the world's dependency on a global supplychain—and of their need to keep data safe from hackers.

These developments and several others have caused a significantshift in the types of risks companies need to address—and in thetype of education risk-management professionals need.

These emerging educational requirements are reflected in thesessions at the 50th annual Risk and Insurance Management Society(RIMS) conference and exhibition, set for April 15-18 inPhiladelphia.

This year's highlights include keynote presentations by thatconfounder of conventional wisdom, Oakland Athletics GeneralManager Billy Beane (the real-life subject of the Brad Pitt film“Moneyball”); and Aspen Institute President/CEO Walter Isaacson,the biographer of Steve Jobs.

Scheduled panels will explore such critical issues as cyberrisk, natural-disaster preparation, enterprise risk management(ERM) and evolving legal issues.

NU asked both the RIMS conference chair and veteranmembers of our Risk Managers Advisory Board to share theirexpectations of what they hope to take away from this year'sconvention—and to offer advice to RIMS newbies.

Lori Seidenberg
Director of the RIMS Conference Committee;
Vice President/Enterprise Risk Management
Centerline Capital Group

What are some of the big issues RIMS is confronting thisyear?

RIMS is changing, and our conference theme is “No Boundaries.”Risk managers are looked at from the outside as more or less peoplewho place insurance. We are educating people that risk managementis far more than that—it's across an organization. We look at ERM,and we need to focus on assisting risk managers to further theircareers and solve issues.

What does RIMS consider the top educational andinformational needs being addressed at the conference?

There is definitely a lot of focus on business continuity,supply-chain risk management and cyber risk. We are focusing onglobal risk management as well. Even though the majority of ourmembers are from the U.S., they deal with international issues.

What unique perspective will the keynote speakers bring tothe conference?

Billy Beane's concept [for transforming the Oakland A's on alimited budget] involved strategy, and today's riskmanagers need to practice effective strategic risk management (SRM)to help their organizations avoid unnecessary consequences as wellas identify new opportunities.

Since SRM is one of our major initiatives, with several sessionsbeing offered, his presence at the conference is a good match.

Walter Isaacson is a leadership guru. Effective ERM starts withan effective leadership team that can work together to successfullybreak down silos. This process is critical to identify realexposures to their organization. 

NU's Risk Managers AdvisoryBoard

Daniel Kugler
Assistant Treasurer, Risk Management
Snap-On Inc.

How have the themes and goals of the RIMS conference changedin the 20 years you've been attending?

The sessions have improved dramatically, and a broader array ofsessions are offered depending on the risk professional's expertiseand tenure in the business. This year, there are plenty of sessionson ERM and a session comprised of past RIMS presidents, giving us achance to hear their perspective.

What are the top educational and informational needs you'rehoping to have addressed at the conference?

I'm definitely going to a session for franchise companies, asSnap-On has a franchise for tool distributors. I'm also attending acouple of ERM sessions. We have a fleet, so we are going to thevehicle-fleet program to share experiences and best practices.That's critical.

What advice do you have for RIMS first-timers aboutmaximizing their conference experience?

You can't take it all in, so try to focus on key sessions—[tryto identify] the top five sessions that you can hit in a three-dayperiod.

Tim East
Director, Corporate Risk Management
The Walt Disney Co.

How have the themes and goals of the RIMS conference changedin the 17 years you've been attending?

When I first started it was narrowly focused on propertyinsurance, health and workers' comp. Now it's much broader andincludes financial sessions and more on holistic approaches torisk.

What advice do you have for RIMS first-timers aboutmaximizing their conference experience?

I would say to attend the educational sessions, but not to missspending a lot of time on the exhibition floor. I compare it toancient Greece or Rome, where a whole marketplace would cometogether to see what's new and different out there. It's also atime to get together with old friends, meet new ones and see what'sup.

This is an opportunity for people to invest in themselves. Turnoff your BlackBerrys, and don't answer your e-mails for the day. Bethere. This is so valuable—relationships are so valuable. Immerseyourself in the conference and in the opportunities that arethere.

Property & casualty is a business of relationships. You needto develop and maintain relationships with people. If you onlyreach out when you have a problem, you have a problem.

William J. Montanez
Director of Risk Management and Insurance
Ace Hardware Corp.

What are the top needs you're hoping to have addressed atthe conference?

I'm definitely looking forward to the ERM sessions and alsolooking for updates on cyber risk. Our company has a lot of IToperations, so it's near and dear to myheart.  

What advice do you have for RIMS first-timers aboutmaximizing their conference experience?

The biggest benefit I get from this, aside from education, isthat I get to network and reinforce my network. For a lot of folksI know, this is our annual meeting place. It's also an opportunityto meet-and-greet and reinforce relationships with underwriters.You get a lot of bang for your buck.

Michael Liebowitz
Director of Risk Management and Insurance
New York University;
Former RIMS President (2006-2007)

What are the top sessions that you are most eager to attendand why?

I will specifically be taking classes on ERM, the reason beingthat we are in the process of rolling out a strategic ERMinitiative at NYU. So the more I can bring to the table and to mysenior-management team, the more relevant I can be, and thebetter-prepared my organization can be now and in thefuture. 

What advice do you have for RIMS first-timers aboutmaximizing their conference experience?

Pace yourself, absorb what you learn in the sessions (becauseyou will be learning from people who have lots of experience), anddon't pass up the networking opportunities. They are enormous,whether they are in class, in the hallway or on the exhibitionfloor. There is always an opportunity to network, even if it is inthe hotel elevator.