Smith School’s Center for Financial Policy Teams with PRMIA to Host Inaugural Chief Risk Officer Speaker Series

On Dec. 15, 2010, in Washington, D.C., the Center for Financial Policy at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, and the Professional Risk Management International Association (PRMIA) jointly hosted the inaugural Chief Risk Officer Speaker Series. The speaker series is the result of an on-going partnership between the Smith School and PRMIA and is intended to bring risk practitioners together with the next generation of risk leaders to have an evolving dialogue about important risk topics.

The featured guest speaker was Brenda Boultwood, SVP and chief risk officer for Constellation Energy Group. Her presentation was made to a group of PRMIA members and Smith School MBA students and faculty on “Defining a Strategic Risk Management Approach.” The presentation focused on developing an integrated view of risks across the organization, tailored to the specific needs of the company. Important themes of the presentation included the criticality of strong risk governance, cross-functional acceptance and accountability of the risk management process, identification of emerging risks and clear performance metrics.

Chris Laursen from NERA – also representing PRMIA – and Cliff Rossi, Executive-in-Residence at the Center for Financial Policy jointly welcomed guests to the event.

“The Center for Financial Policy has entered into a partnership with the Professional Risk Management International Association (PRMIA) to host a series of quarterly Chief Risk officer Lecture Series featuring the leading risk professionals from financial and nonfinancial corporations,” said Rossi. “The events are being sponsored by Angel Oak Advisory Services.”

The Center for Financial Policy launched in November 2009 and develops thought leadership in financial policy that impacts corporate performance, capital allocation and the stability of the global financial system. Located in Washington, D.C., at the Smith’s School’s campus in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, the center is well-situated to take a leadership role with its globally recognized faculty and its extensive relationships with key policymakers, practitioners and academics.

PRMIA is a non-profit professional association with more than 72,732 members in 200 countries and is represented globally by 60 chapters in major cities around the world. Established in 2002 by a volunteer group of risk industry professionals, PRMIA's mission is to provide a free and open forum for the promotion of sound risk management standards and practices globally.