The Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA) has chosen as its next President Dirk Wegener, Global Head of Corporate Insurance for Deutsche Bank Group and a member of the German risk management association GVNW. His election took place at the first meeting of the new board of FERMA held following the annual general assembly in Brussels yesterday.
Dirk, who is currently Deputy President of FERMA, will become its President at the 2019 FERMA Risk Management Forum, which will take place in Berlin from 17-20 November. He will take over from Jo Willaert, who in November will have completed four years at the helm of FERMA.
Jo said: “I am delighted that FERMA has chosen Dirk as my successor. Since his first election to the Board of FERMA in 2015, he has contributed greatly to FERMA’s work and supported me as president. The commitment and leadership Dirk has shown as Board member and Deputy President will undoubtedly serve FERMA in achieving greater heights.”
Dirk responded: “It will be a privilege to serve as President of FERMA. I have always recognised the very important role that FERMA plays in lobbying for the interests of corporate risk managers and commercial insurance buyers, and acting as a catalyst for ideas and expertise for the risk manager community. That is ever more important in the age of digitalisation. The theme of the FERMA 2019 Forum, Aim for the future: entering a new dimension of risk, is a good statement of my vision for my mandate as president. I will support the profession to steadily embrace this future with confidence.”
Having started his career in the German insurance industry, Dirk moved into risk management with Daimler Group and then in 2012 with Deutsche Bank. He holds the FERMA rimap European certification for risk professionals.
Dirk will be chairman of the 2019 FERMA Forum. “I look forward to welcoming the European risk management community to Berlin together with our host association GVNW,” he said.
Board elections
Four board members were chosen at the general assembly; two are newly elected. They are:
Anders Esbjörnsson (Third mandate)
Group Risk Manager, NCC Insurance
“I believe this is a very interesting and challenging time for FERMA. For my part, I am happy to invest three more years to help secure the progress of what FERMA has done so far and for its future initiatives.”
Charlotte Hedemark Hancke (Second mandate)
Governance, Risk and Compliance Officer, SAP Nordic
“I have learned a lot from the open and effective dialogue at the FERMA board and I look forward to continuing this work. Welcoming the FERMA Forum to Copenhagen is 2021 will be one of the highlights for me.”
Valentina Paduano
Enterprise Risk Management Specialist, Prysmian Group
“I want to apply my knowledge of enterprise risk management and sustainability to help FERMA show that this approach is effective for many different activities. We should show that it creates business opportunities, not just compliance.”
Annemarie Schouw
Manager Risk & Insurance, Tata Steel Europe
“I believe in collaboration and communication. I am really passionate about my work as a risk manager and I believe I can put my experience as former President of NARIM to the service of the FERMA board.”