Institute Of Risk Management South Africa (IRMSA) Annual Conference – 29 & 30 September

Charting and managing risk through uncertain times has never been more crucial than right now as South Africa and the rest of the world deals with onerous challenges and obstacles on an unprecedented scale.

To that end and in the current climate, the Institute of Risk Management South Africa (IRMSA) hosts its annual conference, exhorting delegates and members to step up and seize the baton of change. This must be a stark warning to risk professionals as to how quickly events can escalate and therefore to make sure that response and contingency plans are in place.”

Says IRMSA’s CEO Pat Semenya, “Daily and from multiple angles, risk professionals are dealing with complex challenges that in some cases threaten their very existence. Having a clear, tactical, focussed and flexible risk strategy, adopted and implemented at board level is vital and our conference will address new navigational practices and methods.”

This year’s virtual conference takes place on the 29th and 30th of September. Booking and registration is now open on bit.ly/IRMSA-Conf-2021 where special participation offers can also be viewed.

Global risk professional services firm Marsh is again lending its weight and influence to the event as principle sponsor.

Marsh Africa CEO Spiros Fatouros who will be speaking on cyber risk at the IRMSA conference says, “Only 18% of surveyed organisations say they are highly prepared to deal with cyber risks. As new challenges emerge and cyber threats accelerate, the IRMSA conference provides a vital pause point for the risk profession where key issues are interrogated, and new thinking and    trends revealed.

We are thrilled to be partnering once again on this event. Only through critical discourse and robust discussion can the risk profession be fully prepared for what happens next, particularly in what we hope will soon be a post-COVID operating paradigm.”

IRMSA’S Chief Risk Advisor Christopher Palm says, “Every conference session will attempt to address the eight critical competencies outlined in the 2021 IRMSA South Africa Risk Report. These are:

• the ability to use risk management tools skilfully and effectively
• being able to multitask and wear many hats
• understanding that with good risk programmes business comes first
• knowing how to remain client focussed particularly in adverse times
• being a strategic thinker
• having an inquiring mind
• being able to put issues into their right context
• having the interpersonal skills to do that

Semenya says debating further and having a full understanding of these competencies has become IRMSA’s call to action for next year as risk professionals up their game and play an increasingly important role in organisational success.