Airmic launches Leadership Advisory Board

The House of Lords was the venue for the first gathering of Airmic’s new Leadership Advisory Board – a group of senior members who will help guide the association in the future. Participation in the group is open to the risk or insurance leaders in any organisations with at least four Airmic members.

The event was hosted by Lord (Tim) Clement-Jones, and chaired by Airmic’s technical director Julia Graham, who will lead the new group. 95% of Airmic members invited to join agreed to do so, and more than 70 attended the launch.

Airmic chair Patrick Smith said the aim was to “drive forward the principles of risk … To increase our reach in the corporate world and link risk to strategy. If we don’t do it, who will?”

Julia Graham told the gathering that companies will be looking to appoint risk people at board level. “This is our space,” she said. “We have to behave as a profession rather than a set of disciplines in this connected world.” Part of the purpose of the group would be to help improve recognition of the profession and extend its influences within organisations.

To take advantage of the opportunities, risk managers need to be brave, credible, good communicators and able to show leadership and visionary qualities, she said.

The Leadership Advisory Board’s mission is “to liberate, leverage and grow the knowledge, experience and influence of the membership on behalf of our Profession”. It will hold meetings according to Chatham House rules, where comments can be reported but not attributed to individuals. Coming events include two roundtables, on cyber and people risk, and a Risk Forum on September 7.

Earlier the host for the afternoon Lord Clement-Jones, a former colleague of Graham at DLA Piper, described risk management and awareness of risk as “of huge importance”, which he hoped would translate into government.

Mark Field, the MP for the City and Westminster, concluded the formal part of proceedings with a powerful call for a Pool Re-type of organisation for cyber and potentially other types of risk to support UK industry. The time to act, he said, was now. 

Choosing the criteria for membership of the Leadership Advisory Board presented a dilemma for the Board as some very senior members are excluded if their organisations do not have at least four members. The Board decided, however, that the rules needed to be transparent and applicable in a consistent and objective manner. Chief Executive John Hurrell stressed that the association would continue to seek out the views and input of all Airmic members, especially those with proven experience.     

Julia Graham

Patrick Smith