corporate governance

Risk Culture vs. Culture Risk – Are They Really that Different?

Every once in a while, we all encounter confusing words and phrases that only experts can understand. One such example of this in action came to light in a recent conversation with a company. This particular organization was inquiring about a risk culture audit, which sounds like an excellent idea when you consider how many…
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The Three Lines Model – 3 Reasons Why I Don’t Like It

Everyone likes a clear-cut template that offers an easy way to create or manage something…I mean what’s not to like about a step-by-step process for accomplishing what you want? Sometimes this can work without any issues, such as the case with the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK), ISO 9001 standard, or a new cooking…
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5 Steps to Shifting Board Oversight from Operations and Risk to Strategy

Contrary to popular belief, a Board of Directors, Trustees, or whatever title fits the corporate culture are not only for publicly traded companies. Simply referred to as the Board by most, it can be defined broadly as “…a group of individuals either elected or appointed to provide organizational leadership and oversight.” Following the Enron scandal…
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Does ESG Expose Additional Risks and Opportunities?

If you work with a publicly-traded company or otherwise follow financial news, you’re undoubtedly familiar with ESG, which can best be described as a “set of standards” for evaluating a company’s track record on an array of Environmental, Social, and Governance issues. Over the last decade or so, ESG has become a significant concern for…
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5 Simple Questions for Assessing the Effectiveness of ERM Processes

It’s hard to believe that we’re nearing the end of 2021! Whether it’s improving health, changing eating habits, or some other goal, the New Year always represents a great opportunity for a fresh start. A company’s ERM processes are no different… The end of the year represents an ideal time to take a step back…
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Will the Wells Fargo Settlement Actually Result in Change?

In some of my prior articles on reputation and positive risk culture, I’ve sometimes referred to the ongoing Wells Fargo saga. From 2002 until coming to light in 2016, the company engaged in a variety of fraudulent activities. Unrealistic sales targets aggressively pushed by leadership led many employees to create thousands of bogus accounts. The…
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4 Considerations for Building Effective ERM Presentations

No doubt you’ve attended presentations that were unengaging and downright boring. You were glad they were over, but also upset that the last 1-2 hours of your life were a waste. Being on the other side can be even more frustrating, even demoralizing… You spend hours developing an extensive 30 (or even 50!)-slide PowerPoint presentation.…
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Why A Strong Governance Foundation is Vital to Successful ERM

When first speaking to an organization about ERM, executives know they have a problem, but they usually don’t know what it is, much less how to fix it. All they know is ERM is a possible solution. But before jumping in, I often find trouble spots that need to be addressed first. If they are…
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