ERM Q&A Interviews

ERM often is described as a journey. Since organizations pursue different missions through diverse objectives, no two journeys are exactly alike. Explore this series of RIMS interviews to discover how these successful risk professionals accelerate their ERM journeys to protect and create value for their respective organizations.

Denise Cosentino

Denise Cosentino, Director of ERM at Eversource Energy discusses what it took to get a seat at the table of New England’s largest energy delivery company. A U.S Honoree recipient of the 2021 ERM Global Award of Distinction, she also reveals how the ERM program is directly involved in the Fortune 500 company’s sustainability agenda and why benchmarking is so crucial to its success.

Melissa Reynard

Melissa Reynard, Director of ERM at the Internal Revenue Service, recalls winning the RIMS 2021 ERM Global Award of Distinction for anticipating emerging risks, the steps it took to create a more risk-aware culture, and ultimately developing a structure to enhance risk sharing and strategic decision-making.

Alex Sidorenko

Alex Sidorenko discusses how his approach to ERM focuses on applying quantitative risk analysis to improve corporate investment, procurement and insurance decisions at EuroChem.

JongKi Ryu

JongKi Ryu discusses how he has helped modernize the ERM processes for IBM Korea, which in turn has advised the petroleum and refinery company S-OIL – one of the world’s largest businesses by revenue – since its beginnings.

Carrie Frandsen

Carrie Frandsen discusses how she manages ERM at the University of California – a system with multiple campuses, medical centers and laboratories accommodating more than 550,000 combined students, staff and faculty.

Jana Utter

RIMS SERMC Chair Jana Utter discusses the council’s purpose and priorities and how its members’ contributions help to chart a path for future ERM leaders.

Melanie Steiner

US Ecology Inc. board member and career risk professional Melanie Steiner discusses the increasing importance of ESG issues like environmental sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and human rights to corporate strategy.

Marianne Roth

Marianne Roth joined the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as chief risk officer in 2017. Learn how she established an ERM framework which enables the leadership at CFPB to consider the full spectrum of risks and prevent the abuses that led to the financial crisis of 2007.

Deb Barnes

Deb Barnes took charge of investment risk management at QIC, a large Queensland government-owned investment company. Over the past four years, the now-Deputy Chief Risk Officer has led the effort to balance QIC’s ERM program, finding the right equilibrium between strategic risk optimization and the traditional elimination and reduction of risks.

Tina Gardiner

Tina Gardiner has been a risk leader at the Regional Municipality of York in Ontario, Canada for 18 years. She has led its ERM program, which was acknowledged by RIMS in 2019 for its bottom-up and more recent top-down processes. She discusses how ERM has driven progress for the municipality and successfully resolved cyber threats.

Dinesh K.S.

Dinesh K.S. discusses how he led Cognizant’s ERM program by demonstrating true “diversity of thought” in the hiring process. This helped drive the program’s success and was instrumental in Cognizant being presented with the RIMS India ERM Award of Distinction at RIMS Risk Forum India 2019.

Andrea Bonime-Blanc

Dr. Andrea Bonime-Blanc discusses how boards must begin to add a ‘T’ for technology to the ESG acronym in order to succeed. She also weighs in on the necessity of board diversity and how COVID-19 has changed the enterprise risk management landscape.

Michael Zuraw

ON Semiconductor was acknowledged by RIMS in 2019 for its groundbreaking ERM program, which pragmatically assesses the strategic risks and opportunities expected to emerge in 25 years. Michael Zuraw, ON Semi’s Senior Director of Global Enterprise Risk Management has led this program and other ERM innovations, which have helped the Fortune 500 company solidify its status as a leading supplier of semiconductor-based solutions.

Bill Lyons

Recology didn’t win the RIMS 2019 Global Enterprise Risk Management Award of Distinction by accident. The San Francisco-based resource recovery company continually elevates the concept of recycling thanks to a strategically launched ERM program implemented by Bill Lyons, Vice President and Senior Director of Risk, Safety and Environmental.

Jennifer Hills and Sean Catanese

King County is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. and its revitalization is due in part to a robust ERM program. RIMS 2018 Risk Manager of the Year Honor Roll member and King County Director of Risk Management Jennifer Hills and ERM Program Manager Sean Catanese discuss how implementing a forward-looking risk profile exercise has enhanced the county’s business planning process.

Rebecca Cady

RIMS 2018 Risk Manager of the Year Rebecca Cady discusses how developing the ERM program for Children’s National Health System reduced costs and injuries to staff and patients, and helped it earn the prestigious national recognitions for care and safety.

Trisha Sqrow

With millions of travelers and thousands of employees and vendors passing through the gates at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Trisha Sqrow had to establish ERM processes that allowed passengers and workers to reach their destinations safely and quickly.

Deepak Padaki

With turbulence in the rearview, Deepak Padaki of Infosys discusses how he leveraged strategic risk management techniques to help the Indian IT and business consulting firm launch a successful comeback.

Jeff Matsen

Jeff Matsen sits down with RIMS to discuss how his ERM initiatives have prepared Edwards Lifesciences for emerging regulatory developments and how it is becoming more integrated with corporate strategy.

Jana Utter

Jana Utter of Centene discusses ORSA, M&As, and the tools and techniques that have helped her mature ERM at a Fortune 50 company.