FERMA professional risk management certification launched.

Four Airmic people, including chair Patrick Smith, were among the 49 founders of the European professional certification programme honoured by the Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA) at the FERMA Forum 2015. The forum took place in Venice from 4-7 October.

Also receiving founder certifications were the immediate past Airmic chair Helen Pope; retiring FERMA president Julia Graham, now Airmic technical director; and CEO John Hurrell.

FERMA made the awards to recognise the contribution of its association members and other risk professionals to the creation of the Certification programme, which was launched at the Forum. The name of the programme, unveiled at the Forum, is rimap. Applications should open early next year with the first awards expected in the spring of 2016.

Patrick Smith feels that initially rimap will appeal most to Airmic members with continental European interests. “In the United Kingdom, where risk management is comparatively mature, we already have the Institute of Risk Management (IRM). This will probably be where UK risk managers turn first. For those with European exposures or working for European companies, however, rimap can be a way to reinforce their standing within their own organisation.”

The Asia-Pacific risk management association, PARIMA, is already considering introducing rimap in its region, and adoption by PARIMA and other associations could widen the interest in the UK, said Patrick Smith. “If rimap is adopted worldwide – and we are waiting to see how the project with RIMS develops – then it is likely to generate a lot of interest among UK risk managers.”

Read the FERMA Forum Report here..