Overhead or value-added?

Many argue that risk management professionals must break out of the role of being the ‘risk police’ and become value-added contributors. David Rowe wholeheartedly agrees, but warns that it is important to distinguish the nature of a risk manager’s role from that of traditional line managers

At a recent Professional Risk Managers’ International Association meeting in Athens, risk management veteran Constantine Thanassoulas, of Eilon & Associates, argued with some passion that risk managers must break the stereotype of being the ‘risk police’ and become active value-added contributors. If this does not happen, he argued, risk management will always be viewed as nothing but an overhead. Such costs are accepted as an unfortunate necessity to be tolerated but also carefully restricted.

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