NEW YORK (May 13, 2024) —RIMS, the risk management society®, inducted Joe Restoule and Millicent “Millie” Workman into the Risk Management Hall of Fame (RMHF). The RMHF maintains the history of the field of risk management and recognizes risk practitioners who have made significant contributions to advancing the discipline. The honor was presented at RISKWORLD in San Diego.
The RMHF Selection Committee considers the following criteria for induction into the RMHF: considerable contributions to the field; significant achievements, innovation and trend setting; demonstrated leadership, character, and service; and the highest caliber of ethical and professional conduct.
“Risk management is filled with exceptional professionals who devote their time, share their experiences, and generously empower others in the field,” said RIMS CEO Gary A. LaBranche, FASAE, CAE. “Joe Restoule and Millie Workman exemplify the risk community, and their legacy will continue to be a beacon of inspiration for risk professionals for years to come. RIMS is proud to celebrate Joe and Millie’s contributions to risk management and insurance and induct them into the RIMS Risk Management Hall of Fame.”
ABOUT JOE RESTOULE
A strategic risk management visionary, Joe Restoule dedicated his career to identifying opportunities for the organizations he served, and to the global risk community to maximize potential, strive for greatness, and flourish.
Prior to his retirement, Joe was a risk management leader at Nova Chemicals Corporation for over 20 years where he contributed to the financial success of the business by providing proactive risk analysis; motivating and assisting in cost-effective risk control; and providing long-term, stable risk financing developing leading edge solutions within a complex environment. He chaired the American Gas Association Risk Management Committee in 1997-98 and remained active in industry after his retirement as an advisor to major infrastructure projects, and through the Aegis International Risk Management Advisory Committee.
Joe’s true passion was giving back to the risk management profession and empowering up-and-coming risk professionals. He served as RIMS 2009 President after holding various RIMS Board positions since 2001. Additionally, Joe was active on RIMS International and Member & Chapter Services Committees, and the Strategic Planning Task Force.
Most notably was Joe’s commitment and impact on Canada’s risk management community. Joe served as Chair of RIMS Canada Council from 1997 to 2000 and co-chaired the 2006 RIMS Canada Conference. He was an active leader with the RIMS Southern Alberta Chapter, a founding member on the Board of Governors of the Institute of Risk Management, and a frequent lecturer at the University of Calgary.
In 2004, Joe received the Donald M. Stuart Award, RIMS highest honor for outstanding contribution to risk management in Canada. In 2009, he was named to Treasury and Risk’s list of the 100 most influential people in finance. Joe held the CIP and CRM professional designations, as well as earning his bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of Alberta.
At the time of his passing in March 2024, Joe was president of the William H. McGannon Foundation, a nonprofit that he was instrumental in creating to support risk management education and advance the risk management profession in Canada through grants, educational programming, and student-focused initiatives.
Joe’s generosity and willingness to go the extra distance to create opportunities for risk professionals at all stages of their career has left an indelible mark on so many professionals’ lives and will continue to do so for years to come.
ABOUT MILLICENT “MILLIE” WORKMAN
Millicent “Millie” Workman was a trailblazer in the risk management and insurance industry, a consummate risk professional who cared deeply about advancing the profession and mentoring the next generation of risk professionals.
She began her career working for an excess and surplus lines brokerage and moved from there into corporate risk management. She served as Director of Risk Financing for Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation, as Director of Risk Management for Mueller Industries, Inc., and Director of Corporate Risk Management for Belz Enterprises. Millie was not only the first female recipient of the Business Insurance Risk Manager of the Year award in 1992 and one of the “100 Leading Women in the Insurance Industry” in 2000 by Business Insurance magazine, but also an early inductee into the Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame in 2002.
Serving on numerous professional and academic boards, Millie exemplified leadership and vision, shaping the landscape of risk management with her insights and foresight. Her tenure as President of the CPCU Society from 2005 to 2006 stood as a testament to her leadership prowess, guiding over 25,000 industry professionals with grace and distinction. She spoke to many professional groups including the CPCU Society, RIMS, ASSE, and the National Coordinating Council of Emergency Managers. She was cofounder of the Business Emergency Preparedness Council and the Memphis Disaster Recovery Business Alliance, coalitions that focus on business continuation planning.
Over her years in the industry, she supported and advised many young people entering the industry, either directly or through her involvement with GIS and the University of Mississippi.
Millie joined International Risk Management Institute (IRMI) in 2007 where she served as Director of Training and Education until her retirement in 2023. At IRMI she pioneered the development of five risk and insurance certification programs that will educate risk management professionals for decades to come. She also developed the curriculum for educational conferences and wrote or edited insightful articles covering all aspects of risk management for subscribers to IRMI’s Practical Risk Management reference service.
Millie passed away in early 2024 and will be remembered for her leadership and southern charm, as well as her contributions of time, wisdom, and passion to the fields of risk management and insurance.
About the Risk Management Hall of Fame
The Risk Management Hall of Fame (RMHF) is home to those risk professionals who have made exceptional contributions to advancing the risk management discipline. The RMHF was created to preserve the history and tradition of the profession. Founded in 2011, nominees are considered from around the globe and inductees are selected by the RMHF Selection Committee. New members to the Risk Management Hall of Fame are announced yearly at RISKWORLD.
About RIMS
RIMS, the risk management society®️, empowers risk professionals to make the world safer, more secure, and more sustainable. Through networking, professional development, certification, advocacy, and research, RIMS and its 80 chapters serves more than 200,000 risk practitioners and business leaders from over 75 countries. Founded in 1950, the Society publishes the award-winning Risk Management Magazine and produces RISKWORLD®️, the largest annual gathering of global risk professionals. RIMS embraces diversity, equity and inclusion and welcomes all risk professionals to connect and learn, explore the online Risk Knowledge library, tune into the RIMScast podcast series, and engage the global risk community via RIMS social media channels. To learn more, visit https://www.RIMS.org.
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