Much has taken place since StrategicRISK’s birth 15 years ago – and change continues

Spring’s magazine marks the 100th edition of StrategicRISK. We are marking the occasion in a number of ways, starting with a new look for the magazine and an enhanced presence online.

In this issue, we look back at the history not only of the publication but also at the changes to the risk landscape and the profession since StrategicRISK was first publishedin June 2000.

I wonder how many of you have been readers since that first edition. Just as the international risk community has grown, so too have the range and complexity of the risks faced and opportunities presented. Even the smallest businesses now effectively operate on a global basis, if not in terms of customers then certainly in respect of their supply chains.

The range of risks has multiplied and intensified, particularly around technology and so-called intangible risks. Where once property was the largest asset of a business and thereby its biggest physical risk, now intellectual property is becoming increasingly important.

How to protect against the loss or address the consequences of other non-physical risks such as reputation has been the subject of much debate and conjecture, particularly among the insurance profession. This discussion is likely to continue for some time yet. What is evident, however, is that more sophisticated risk management techniques and processes developed and instilled within the structure of large corporate business in the past 15 years leave businesses better prepared than ever to deal with the majority of challenges faced.

StrategicRISK has evolved considerably since its inception. Highlighting risks and potential strategies for dealing with threats and opportunities has always been at the heart of the magazine’s activity, but the scope of what it covers has increased markedly.

Not only is this true for the span of risk covered by the publication but also in terms of our readership in respect of geographical reach through magazine distribution and our website and email newsletters.

Two years ago, StrategicRISK launched across Asia with a unique magazine and website and a continuing series of events held in countries across the Asia-Pacific region. In April, the second StrategicRISK Forum will be held in Singapore, aiming to build on the success of last year’s inaugural event, which attracted almost 200 risk professionals from across the region.

The brand’s success in the Asia-Pacific region was recognised in February, when StrategicRISK Asia won the Risk Management Journalism award at the Institute of Risk Management’s Global Risks Awards. Although the publication goes from strength to strength in Asia, StrategicRISK continues to develop its international focus by, in April, launching in the Middle East and Africa region.

We have been working with MEA-based risk professionals and businesses for some time to help develop the brand and will host a series of events in the region in the coming months.

These are exciting times for StrategicRISK and your fellow risk professionals around the world. The risks might be getting bigger and more demanding, but at least the topic is now attracting far more attention at board level than ever before.

Transforming that interest into meaningful action through greater board understanding of some of the issues that comprise corporate risk is perhaps the next main challenge. This is starting to happen but the process is slow, albeit necessary.

What StrategicRISK will be covering in the next 100 editions depends on how the global risk landscape changes and predicting that, as most of you know only too well, can be difficult at best.

What can be stated with certainty, however, is that whatever the future holds, the risk community has never been better prepared or more able to take on those risks.