The launch of AIRMIC's new wholly owned subsidiary Risk Publishing Online Ltd (RPO) is likely to be completed in the next two months, says David Gamble, AIRMIC's current executive director, who will be stepping down from this role to head up the new enterprise.
"We've been spending the last few months organising a rather complex set of contracts because of the intellectual property arrangements between the different partners," explains Gamble. Once this work is completed, RPO will be able to offer reseller agreements for PRORIM, the e-learning risk management course developed for smaller and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).
"To date only a small number of people have taken the course because we have not been promoting it fully until all the legal things are out of the way. But experience so far shows that there's been significant interest from people outside the UK including Poland, Czechoslovakia, Norway, Germany, India and Russia," says Gamble.
"The opportunities we have both within the UK and outside are pretty substantial. A number of people have completed the course already which indicates that the six month period we've allowed for people to put in the nine hours of work required works very well."
RPO has two new courses under development, one of which focuses on credit risk management, and is developing a number of other projects around risk management tools and a risk management archive. "The aim is not just to focus on the SME market although at present that is our major area of interest," explains Gamble. "The feedback from PRORIM has been very positive, and we want to give it the push it deserves as part of a wider ambition to promote the risk management values that we represent."
On his imminent change of role, he comments, "The role of executive director has been, and continues to be, a very engaging and rewarding one. I have been very fortunate in the chairmen who I have worked for and in the friendship and assistance I have received from members and those in the wider market."
