The four winners of the 2016 Excellence in Risk Management Awards, presented at a gala ceremony in Brussels on 6 December, expressed their great pleasure at the honour. Their responses highlight FERMA’s aims in creating these awards. Longer interviews with the four winners will appear on the FERMA website next year.
Raising the profile of risk managers
President, Corporate Risk Management, Metso Corporation, and a board member of FinnRima, told the audience how he had reached this distinction. “I am grateful to my company Metso Corporation for granting me space to implement and develop risk management practices and processes. I also want to express my humble gratitude to the Finnish risk management associ
ation for the excellent development platform it has beenproviding to all of us as members.”
Heljo concluded his remarks saying, “I especially want to thank FERMA for the valuable network enabling activities that we were just reading about a few years ago. Huge leaps have been taken and valuable unity has been shown.”
Valuing national associations
The winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Jana Bicanová, risk manager, and founder and President of ASPAR CZ has been the driving force behind the Czech association since it began in 2007. Jana said: “This is a high point in my professional career and I hope to continue in my work and help continue expanding the risk management community.”
Encouraging young risk managers
The Rising Star of the Year, Pauline Davoust, Risk Manager, Gate Group, and a member of SIRM, said: “We all know it is a difficult environment especially for a young professional. My career in risk management has been very captivating so far, and I have discovered how creative and cross functional this profession is for an organisation’s success. For the past two years, I have been travelling all over the world to supervise various risk management schemes within my company, which was very rewarding and successful thanks to team efforts.”
Demonstrating the value of risk management when it is put to the test
Michaël Dehert, who received the Innovative Insurance Programme of the Year Award, described how Brussels Airport Company started examining its insurance process in 2013, considering how best to insure €4 billion in property, extensive liability risks for aviation, business interruption and terrorism. On 22 March 2016, terrorists struck the airport in three locations killing and injuring many. The insurance programme responded as intended. Said Michaël: “I dedicate my award to my colleagues in Brussels Airport, the airport community and the victims of the attacks.”